The Empire Film Podcast

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is jam-packed etc. etc. Bumper-sized, and so on and so forth. But it's true, perhaps this week more than ever as Chris Hewitt sits down for chats with two pairs — first, there's Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, who reunite almost 30 years after The English Patient for this week's Odyssey-sampling drama, The Return. [24:05 - 38:32 approx] Then, there's Rami Malek and Laurence Fishburne, stars of the new spy thriller The Amateur, who reflect upon where they met, their working relationship, and the influence of Event Horizon upon modern cinema. [1:03:32 - 1:17:24 approx] Finally, Ben Travis has a lovely chat with Christopher Landon, the always affable director of this week's thriller, Drop. [1:38:53 - 1:53:53 approx] Either side of those, Chris welcomes Ben and James Dyer into the podbooth, as well as our returning geek queen, Helen O'Hara, back after that small business of getting married. They talk about that, discuss the great movie weddings they'd like to attend, run their eye over the week's movie news (including a whole bunch of trailers), and review The Amateur, The Return, Holy Cow, Drop, and One To One: John & Yoko. Also, Chris unleashes a new and almost instantly unwanted impression, and the question is asked: who is the funniest person Helen knows? The answer may shock you. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees the long-awaited return of one of our favourite guests, the wonderful British actor Will Poulter, who talks to Chris Hewitt about his role in the new movie, Death Of A Unicorn, playing a prize A-hole, and impromptu tongue-twisters. [20:38 - 33:28 approx]Another returning guest joins us this week, as the delightful Amber Midthunder sits down on Zoom with Amon Warmann to dive deep into her role in the new action comedy Novocaine. That interview does contain some spoilers, so tread carefully! [1:07:21 - 1:23:34 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by James Dyer and, for the first time in forever, Ben Travis as they discuss the videogames they'd like to see adapted into movies, review Death Of A Unicorn, Holland, Last Swim and The Most Precious Of Cargoes, and go deep on tons of movie news, including the casting of The Beatles, the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood sequel, and the sad news of the death of the great Val Kilmer.

We start on a director's chair. We pull back to reveal its back. On it is emblazoned a name. That name? George MacKay, the wonderful star of this week's thought-provoking original movie musical, Joshua Oppenheimer's The End, who pops into the podbooth to have a good old natter [from 30:49 - 48:20 approx] with... We pull back. It's another director's chair. On it, another name: Chris Hewitt. Everyone shrugs their shoulders. But wait! There's another chair, and another name! That name is Irwin Winkler, the legendary producer of Rocky, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Irishman, Creed, and now The Alto Knights, as he talks to Chris about going double De Niro on that movie. [1:00:37 - 1:17:11 approx] And then there are three more chairs, with three more names, as Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and John Nugent join Chris in the podbooth for a topsy-turvy episode that flips the format of the show upside down. Our intrepid quartet answer a listener question about Double De Niro, review A Working Man, The Woman In The Yard, and Novocaine, and discuss the week's movie news, including the glacially-paced reveal of the cast of Avengers Doomsday, which was unfolding as we recorded this very show. But they don't necessarily do all of those things in that order. If you're not an MCU stan (or Stan), that discussion comes right at the end of the episode, so here's a rough time stamp should you wish to skip. [1:32:24 approx] For MCU fans, though, dive in. Enjoy.

Welcome to The Shameless Plug, a brand new Empire Podcast regular show, folks. As the title suggests, every month Chris Hewitt will sit down with Empire editor, Nick de Semlyen, for a deep dive into the latest issue of Empire, bringing you the stories behind the stories and covering everything including the cover. This month's cover feature is Thunderbolts*, and Chris talks about his trip to Atlanta to visit the movie's set, while Nick shares tales of seeing a major star cram jelly beans into their pockets. And there's much, much more. The issue is on sale now at all good, evil and virtual newsagents, and you can subscribe via empireonline.com Do let us know your thoughts on The Shameless Plug. We'll be back in four weeks!

It's another bumper-sized edition of the Empire Podcast this week, folks, in which Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with the legendary director, Barry Levinson, on the eve of the release of his new gangster movie, The Alto Knights, starring Robert De Niro, Robert De Niro and Robert De Niro's dogs. [23:31 - 40:13 approx] Then, we also hear from Gints Zilbalodis, the director of this year's Oscar-winning animated movie, Flow, in an exclusive excerpt from a recent Empire VIP Club event, hosted by Beth Webb. [59:44 - 1:13:04 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, briefly, Alex Godfrey, to reflect on St. Patrick's Day, discuss Hollywood actors in British TV adverts, their favourite movie assassinations (because of the Ides Of March, see), chat about the week's movie news, and review Flow, The Alto Knights, and the Rachel Zegler double-whammy of Snow White and Y2K. Oh, and Chris bangs on about something called The Convergence. When you hear what it is, you'll most likely share his excitement. Enjoy.

This week sees the release of Hans Zimmer And Friends: Diamond In The Desert, a concert film like no other, which captures the great Hans Zimmer and his band in full flow in Dubai, and also intersperses a number of revealing interviews Zimmer conducted with the likes of Christopher Nolan, Zendaya, Billie Eilish, Pharrell Williams, Denis Villeneuve, Johnny Marr, and Timothee Chalamet. It's quite the achievement, and in this Empire Podcast Interview Special, Chris Hewitt talks to Zimmer and the film's director, Paul Dugdale, about how they pulled it off, hanging with the Belgian Royal Family, crafting the ultimate set list, and, of course, Going For Gold. The heat is on, the time is right, it's time for you to play this pod. Enjoy.

Welcome to episode 659 (yes, we're keeping count) of The Empire Podcast, folks. And it's a belter, as Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with The Electric State's Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt to talk about their favourite Russo brother, accents, and which one will attend the parade if/when Liverpool win this year's Premier League title. [23:34 -37:14 approx] Chris also has a fun chat about lie detectors, Benihana, and dinner parties from hell with Black Bag stars Michael Fassbender and Marisa Abela. [59:08 - 1:17:44 approx] And then he's joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they answer questions from the Empire Podcast subreddit, dwell on numbers (specifically, four and 12), discuss the week's movie news, including Sadie Sink joining the cast of the latest Spider-Man movie, and review Black Bag, The Electric State, Last Breath, In The Lost Lands, and Opus. Oh, and they talk about Portals, for a change. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast features two cracking interviews with two directors at different stages of their career. First, actor-turned-director Jack Huston sits down on Zoom and tells Chris Hewitt how he managed to make his directorial debut, the black-and-white drama Day Of The Fight, recruiting Joe Pesci for a supporting role, and the influence of his famous grandfather, John Huston. [26:52 - 47:11 approx] Then, Helen O'Hara sits down with the great Bong Joon Ho, and his interpreter, for a lovely chat about Director Bong's new film, Mickey 17. [1:15:40 - 1:32:02 approx] Either side of those is a fun episode in which Chris and Helen are joined by James Dyer and, returning to the pod after an absence of a decade, Radio 1's Ali Plumb, to talk about how Michael Shannon might just have reunited R.E.M., wax lyrical about the greatness of Gene Hackman, and review Mickey 17, Day Of The Fight, and One Of Them Days. Oh, and if you're not a fan of Oscars chat, maybe skip the entire news section (which comes after Jack Huston and before Director Bong), as it's dedicated to an in-depth discussion of last Sunday's Academy Awards. But if you skip it, you'll never learn the incredible film facts that Ali, James, and Helen bring to the table, as a Three Fact Structure briefly threatens to break out. Enjoy!

Don't call it a comeback. This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Pamela Anderson, star of Baywatch and Barb Wire, sit down with Alex Godfrey to tell him about how Gia Coppola's The Last Showgirl has given her a second chance in Hollywood. [23:46 - 38:29 approx] Our other interview sees Mickey 17 (out next Friday, fact fans!) star Naomi Ackie talk to Helen O'Hara about working with Bong Joon Ho and multiple Robert Pattinsons, and coming to terms with fame. [1:05:30 - 1:19:50 approx] And both Alex and Helen are also in the podbooth this week, joining Chris Hewitt and James Dyer to talk about the greatest movie monkeys, take an impromptu Kathy Kennedy quiz, and review The Last Showgirl and Sky Cinema Original, Fight Or Flight. And the team also bid a sad farewell to some souls who left us far too soon this week — Michelle Trachtenberg, Roberto Orci, and the great Gene Hackman, who passed away along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa. A full Hackman tribute will appear in next week's podcast, but for now, the team recommend the movies they would watch as a tribute to his Gene-ius. [Episode 657]

After the guestapaloozas of recent weeks, we're back to just one guest on this week's Empire Podcast. But what a guest it is, as the great Tatiana Maslany, star of the new Stephen King adaptation The Monkey, pops up on Zoom to talk with Chris Hewitt about death and Comedy Bang Bang. [25:00 - 43:07 approx] In the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss their favourite Stephen King movies, review The Monkey, The Order, and I'm Still Here, while the movie news section is rudely interrupted by some actual movie news, prompting a deep dive into the revelation about the future of the James Bond movies. That can be found, roughly, from 50:04 - 1:04:12, if you're not into all things 007. Enjoy.

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight heads to the mean streets of Victorian London for A Thousand Blows on Disney+, and what better way to celebrate than with a special Pilot TV/Empire crossover podcast? Chris Hewitt, James Dyer and Kay Ribeiro get under the skin of Knight’s latest period piece, which combines bare-knuckle boxing with organised crime as all-female gang The Forty Elephants rampage through the East End. Plus, Kay speaks to Knight himself about the origins of the series and to stars Stephen Graham and Malachi Kirby about squaring off in the ring.

It's a brave new world for the Empire Podcast this week, folks, as Chris Hewitt welcomes a quintet (not to be confused with a Quinjet, although a couple of them might have access to one) of amazing guests. From the latest MCU film, Captain America: Brave New World, Chris first chats to Danny Ramirez, aka Joaquin Torres, aka the new Falcon, about football, flying, and fraternising with famous co-stars like Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford. [22:56 - 37:25 approx] Speaking of Ford, the man who might just be the greatest movie star of all time, also sits down for a chat with Chris, talking about taking on his second US President, and first Red Hulk, in the shape of Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross. [1:42:28 - 1:56:26 approx] Inbetween those, Chris has a fun face-to-faces encounter with the stars of Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Renee Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Leo Woodall. [59:13 - 1:12:45 approx] Either side of those, love is in the podbooth air, as are Love Hearts, in a raucous episode as Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann to talk great movie kisses, run their eye over the week's movie news, and review Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Captain America: Brave New World, and The Gorge. It's a pod you'll fall in love with. Probably. Enjoy!

Another bumper-sized edition of the Empire Podcast this week, as Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom for chats with a trio of terrific talents. First, there's Ke Huy Quan on Love Hurts, the action movie that represents his first lead role, and first movie since winning an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once. [17:33 - 34:18 approx] Then there's John Magaro, star of September 5, on how that movie and Steven Spielberg's Munich make for a great double-bill. [1:00:34 - 1:16:50 approx] And, finally, The Wild Robot director (and creator/voice of Stitch, as in Lilo & Stitch), Chris Sanders, on the success of his new animated movie, and becoming an unexpected voice actor. [1:39:10 - 1:54:10 approx] Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Beth Webb to discuss the film stories they'd love to see turned into plays, take a look at a bunch of trailers including The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Jurassic World: Rebirth, chat about the second coming of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and review September 5, You're Cordially Invited, Dog Man, and more. Enjoy.

It's another bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast this week, folks! The great Angelina Jolie heads up our trio of amazing guests, as she talks to John Nugent about taking on the challenge of playing the legendary opera singer, Maria Callas, in Pablo Larrain's Maria. [20:48 - 34:02 approx] Plus, Chris Hewitt has a fascinating chat with Jason Reitman about how, exactly, he recreated Saturday Night Live's opening night for Saturday Night, [56:33 - 1:15:42 approx] and finally Chris sits down on Zoom with EE Rising Star Award nominee, the wonderful David Jonsson, for a natter about that, Rye Lane, the difference between a stroll and a strut, and tackling a very complex role in Alien: Romulus, which is now on Disney+. [1:38:23 - 1:56:21 approx] Meanwhile, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to share their thoughts on the recent West End version of The Tempest, put together a Mount Rushmore of SNL stars, discuss the week's movie news, and review Saturday Night, Companion, and Mike Leigh's Hard Truths. Enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast brings you not one but two Oscar winners, as first Chris Hewitt sits down with Michelle Yeoh to talk about her new Star Trek movie, Section 31, and how the Best Actress Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once changed her life [20:56 - 36:39 approx]; then, John Nugent has a fascinating chat with The Brutalist star, current Oscar nominee, and former Best Actor winner, Adrien Brody, about the LA Fires and his role in Brady Corbet's epic drama. [1:02:49 - 1:18:11 approx] Elsewhere, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Kelechi Ehenulo to dig deep into the Oscar nominations, discuss VFX gone wrong, and review The Brutalist, Steven Soderbergh's Presence, Flight Risk, and Star Trek: Section 31, while they also get really specific about TV episodes. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, Alex Godfrey and Beth Webb bid a sad, but heartfelt, farewell to the great David Lynch, who has died at the age of 78. It's also an epic epitaph in many ways, clocking in at around 40 minutes, as the trio, all huge Lynch fans, pay tribute to the genius behind Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Dr., Twin Peaks, and more. [44:18 - 1:26:33 approx] Elsewhere in the episode, which was recorded before the news broke of Lynch's passing, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss great bike moments in movies, chat about the BAFTA nominations and the new Daredevil: Born Again trailer, and review A Complete Unknown, William Tell, Back In Action, and Wolf Man. And there are interviews aplenty, as Chris talks to a whole bunch of folks: there's a riotous, chaotic chat with A Real Pain stars Jesse Eisenberg (who also wrote and directed the movie) and Kieran Culkin, as they talk food, films, and feet [19:06 - 44:18 approx]; A Complete Unknown director James Mangold calls in from LA to talk about why he was drawn to Bob Dylan [1:43:03 - 1:57:39 approx]; and Wolf Man star, Christopher Abbott, who tells us why he might start a new club with Colin Farrell and Jeff Goldblum. [2:23:50 - 2:37:57 approx] Otherwise, it's all about Lynch, as it should be. Farewell, sir.

Here it is, folks. The 650th episode (if you don't count all the other episodes) of the Empire Podcast, recorded live on Friday January 10th in front of a sell-out crowd at our spiritual home of Kings Place, London. And it's an absolute belter, in which Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Beth Webb show barely a passing awareness of the week's movie news, review A Real Pain, Babygirl, and Maria, and answer a bunch of questions from the audience. There will be singing. There will be plenty of film-related fun. And there will be guests galore, as Chris sits down with Get Away writer/star, Nick Frost; Beth chats with Babygirl star, Harris Dickinson, making his second live show appearance; Alex Godfrey pops up to have a natter with William Tell star, Claes Bang (and we all get mildly distracted by his coat); and Helen has a pow-wow with Joe Alwyn, star of The Brutalist, the film that might just win the Oscar race. All the guests can be found in one super-long section between 49:56 and 2:08:14, approx. As ever, thanks to everyone who made this evening possible, from the Kings Place team to our guests; thanks to you guys for coming and for continuing to support the pod; and thanks to cinema for being so goshdarn cinematic. Enjoy.

We're back! Yes, after a whole week off for the Christmas holidays, the Empire Podcast has returned to darken your aural doors once more, and the first pod of 2025 is an absolute belter, as Chris Hewitt sits down with four incredible guests. First, he talks carousel horses and chocolate with We Live In Time stars, Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. [24:27 - 36:32 approx] Second, he welcomes Nosferatu star Nicholas Hoult back to the pod, and they talk about embracing fear, giving golf lessons in costume, and Hoult taking over the pod one day. [55:19 - 1:11:23 approx] Third, he has a lovely natter with Giovanni Ribisi about his 15-year overnight success as DP of last year's excellent Strange Darling, which is available now in various formats for your home viewing pleasure. [1:41:51 - 1:57:00 approx] Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and debutante Becky Darke for a fun episode in which they make bold and no doubt wildly off-kilter box office predictions for the year ahead, discuss Chris Nolan's The Odyssey (and not Draclier, bah!), and then review Nosferatu, Nickel Boys, and We Live In Time. The perfect listening accompaniment to that Celebrations sandwich you're currently making, we reckon. Enjoy.

So, 2024: a year of cinematic highs, lows, and bits in the middle. And in the annual tradition that is our Review Of The Year podcast, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer drill deep into them all (time allowing, of course), answering questions from listeners on a vast array of topics, before running down Empire's Top 20 films of the year. It's a bumper-sized one, folks, just the thing to see you into 2025. Happy New Year to all our listeners — enjoy!

Merry Christmas, listeners! Here, as a special Christmas Eve present, is an episode of The Ranking, the show in which four Empire writers get together and argue the toss over a whole bunch of themed films. (And yes, we know this is the first one in ages. We promise to do better in 2025!) Anyway, it's Christmas Eve, the time when Ebenezer Scrooge was visited by three ghosts and shown the error of his ways in Charles Dickens' classic tale, A Christmas Carol. It's a timeless story, and one beloved of the movies and the telly, which has adapted it in dozens of ways over the years. And for this special episode, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Neel Bhatt, and Jamie Graham immersed themselves in Dickens for what seemed like weeks on end, all with a view to finding the greatest Christmas Carol of them all. Will it be the Finney? The Sim? The Carrey? The Caine? The Murray? Or The Complete Surprise? Listen on to find out in this fun episode that is not — we repeat, not — sponsored by Spirited, in any way. Enjoy.

"Four sets of guests, Jeremy? Four? That's insane!" Yes, folks, the last Empire Podcast of 2024 is an absolute barnstormer, a two-and-a-half-hour blast of film-related fun just in time for the festive season. And we have more guests than you could possibly fit under the tree. There's Mufasa: The Lion King star, Aaron Pierre! Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham, directors of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl! Ben Schwartz and Jeff Fowler, star and director respectively of Sonic The Hedgehog 3! And Michael Gracey, director of Robbie Williams biopic, Better Man, and his movie's inspiration and subject, Actual Bloody Robbie Williams. Yes, folks, it's a belter, and we haven't even mentioned the bits where Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer answer your Christmas movie questions, tackle the week's movie news including a deep dive into the Superman trailer, and review all four of the aforementioned guest-y films. Thanks once again for your unerring support this year, listeners. We couldn't do this without you. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and we'll see you on January 3rd for the first show of 2025. In the meantime, enjoy this one!

It's the penultimate Empire Podcast of the year, folks, and to celebrate the impending season of goodwill to all, we've brought you another bumper episode. Which is nice of us. Guest-wise, Chris Hewitt sits down once again with one of our favourite guests, Gerry 'Gerard' Butler, to talk about his decidedly un-Gerry Butler-like role as Santa himself in charming kids movie The Night Before Christmas In Wonderland, [17:52 - 32:42 approx] while Helen O'Hara chats The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim with that film's director, Kenji Kamiyama, and producers Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou, who also serves as Kamiyama's interpreter. [57:32 - 1:10:30 approx] That's an excerpt from the War Of The Rohirrim live event we did last week for our Empire VIP Club members, fact fans. And Helen also pops up again in the interviewer's chair to grill Jon M. Chu on how he directed Wicked, in a spoiler-free excerpt from our spoiler special, which is also out now. [1:34:32 - 1:43:57 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen and James Dyer to tackle some Christmassy questions from the Empire Podcast subreddit, while they also discuss the week's movie news, including the 28 Years Later trailer and the rumoured demise of the SPUMC, and review The War Of The Rohirrim, Kraven The Hunter, Queer, and Carry-On. Oh, and Chris gets legitimately freaked out by the unexpected arrival of a sinister festive guest. Enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees the team enter into the festive season spirit with our first Christmas-themed question of the year, as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer argue about the greatest Christmas movie villain of them all. Plus, they make the best of a very bad lot of post-Thanksgiving movie news by talking about the new Snow White trailer, Moana 2's box office and, for some reason, the sexiest Jack Ryan. And they also review Rumours, Nutcrackers, and Nightbitch. And the stars of two of those movies are our guests this week, as Chris sits down on Zoom with Rumours stars Cate Blanchett and Nikki Amuka-Bird, and gets a fun idea for a Christmas present along the way, [22:17 - 34:05 approx] and Alex Godfrey has a fantastic chat with Amy Adams about working with Marielle Heller, barking like a dog, and much more for Nightbitch. [58:12 - 1:17:22 approx] Enjoy.

Skeleton Crew is the latest Star Wars show to launch on Disney+, with a two-episode premiere dropping on Tuesday December 3rd. And to get you in the mood for the show, which follows the misfortunes of four young kids who find themselves thrust into all kinds of adventures with space pirates, droids, and a mysterious man called Jod (Jude Law), here's an Empire Podcast preview special, in which Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom for two really fun interviews with the show's co-creators and head writers, Jon Watts (who also directed the first episode), and Christopher Ford, and the great Nick Frost, who voices brand new droid, SM-33. Fear not, ye hearties, for no spoilers lurk within. Instead, they set up the world of the show, talk about the characters, and someone might do a great Nick Frost impression. Maybe. Enjoy.

It's a shorter Empire Podcast this week, folks (blame Hollywood for shutting down for Thanksgiving, which is just plain selfish), but that doesn't mean it's any less jampacked with guests, greatness, and guesty greatness than usual. First, Chris Hewitt sits down with Auli'i Cravalho, Moana herself, to talk about returning for this week's Moana 2 and the art of not talking to people on planes. [16:03 - 29:35 approx] And then Ian Freer has an audience with... well, if not the Pope, then the next best thing in the guise of legendary trio Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini, the stars of new papal election thriller, Conclave. [46:49 - 1:04:52 approx] Either side of those, with Chris incapacitated by a last-minute case of neck-knack, Helen O'Hara hosts and is joined by James Dyer and Amon Warmann for a fun episode in which they discuss what they're thankful for this year, run their eye over what passes for movie news, and review Conclave, Moana 2, and Dear Santa. Oh, and Helen tries desperately not to do a Mount Rushmore question. Will she succeed? Find out by listening. Enjoy!

It's another epic episode of the Empire Podcast this week, folks, as Chris Hewitt sits down in person with all our guests. First, there's the great Steve McQueen, writer and director of Blitz, to talk about how he approached the World War II drama, and working with Paul Weller. [18:56 - 35:15 approx] Then Chris has a cracking conversation with The Piano Lesson stars John David Washington (following in the footsteps of his father, Denzel, who was a guest on last week's episode) and Danielle Deadwyler, which veers from the hilarious to the heartfelt in no time at all. [56:44 - 1:15:50 approx] And he rounds it all off with an extended excerpt from his spoilerific chat with Transformers One director, Josh Cooley. [1:39:54 - 1:54:52 approx] The full thing is available to spoiler special subscribers. Either side of those, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a truly wicked episode in which they discuss the greatest green performances in cinema, talk about how Greenwich has been temporarily renamed Greenwitch, run their eye over the week's movie news, and review Wicked, Magpie, and The Piano Lesson. Oh, and Chris makes an impassioned plea for the greatest Spice Girls song of them all. Set your spirit free, it's the only way to be. Enjoy.

Blimey, our guest cup continues to overflow, folks. This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down with Gladiator II star, and all-round legend, Denzel Washington, to talk about reuniting with Ridley Scott, and to clarify Denzel's recent hint that he might be winding down as an actor. Oh, and Chris quotes //that// Equalizer 2 line to Denzel's face, because he's utterly without shame. [20:15 - 39:40 approx] Elsewhere, Amon Warmann has a lovely chat with Emilia Perez star, Zoe Saldaña, about working with Jacques Audiard, James Cameron, and more, [1:03:14 - 1:16:13 approx] and Alex Godfrey catches up with Sean Baker to talk about the excellent Anora, which is still in cinemas now. [1:35:53 - 1:52:19 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, for the first time, Jamie Graham, to discuss Ridley Scott's career, cast their eye over the week's movie news, including Simon Kinberg's Star Wars trilogy, the new Mission: Impossible trailer, and Christopher Nolan's Not Draclier, and review Gladiator II, Joy, and Emilia Perez. It's a banger, folks, and the only disappointment in it for us is that we only get to do it once. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast isn't so much jam-packed as marmaladen with great guests, as Chris Hewitt talks to Paddington In Peru stars Hugh Bonneville and Emily Mortimer (the new Mrs. Brown) about tarantulas, Paddington tantrums, and shooting in the wilds of Basingstoke [20:47 - 35:27 approx]; the great British director Andrea Arnold about her new film, Bird, working with non-actors, and shooting in Gravesend [51:56 - 1:07:39 approx]; and Agatha All Along showrunner Jac Schaeffer, in an extended excerpt from our spoiler special interview, about [SPOILER], [BIGGER SPOILER] and shooting in [SPOILER]. Listen to that one only once you've seen Agatha All Along, naturally. [1:34:29 - 1:50:10 approx] Then, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Alex Godfrey for a merry old show in which they break down their viewing habits, discuss the week's movie news (and yes, this was recorded before the news broke about Simon Kinberg writing a new Star Wars trilogy; we'll discuss that next week), and review Paddington In Peru, Blitz, Bird, Piece By Piece, and Red One. Orange you glad you picked this episode? Enjoy.

Paul Reiser is a comedian, actor, writer and producer who just happens to have starred in some of Team Empire's favourite films. So, when our Chris Hewitt was given the chance to talk to the star of Aliens, Diner, Whiplash, and Beverly Hills Cop, he jumped at the chance. The result is a wide-ranging and freewheeling chat about Reiser's astonishing start in Hollywood, his aversion to directing, his time spent working with Peter Falk, the experience of shooting Aliens and Whiplash and, of course, his new movie, The Problem With People, a charming Ireland-set comedy which he wrote and produced, as well as starring alongside Colm Meaney. It's a cracking interview, with Reiser on top form, and so we invite you to turn up your collar, relax and listen. Enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Hugh Grant return for an in-depth chat with Mike Muncer about his new movie, Heretic, and whether or not he's into horror, [24:54 - 38:02 approx] while Chris Hewitt has a lovely chat about Christopher Reeve with Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui, directors of a new documentary about the late Superman star, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. [58:32 - 1:17:42 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they discuss their favourite micro-budget movies, chat about the week's movie news including Steven Knight's departure from the latest Star Wars movie, and review a whole bunch of movies, including our guests' efforts, Sean Baker's Anora, and Clint Eastwood's Juror #2. Enjoy.

Happy Halloween, listeners! It's the most wonderful day of the year, if you're a spook, spectre, or masked maniac. And to mark All Hallow's Eve, here's a treat (not a trick), as we've put together a terrifying double bill of interviews for you. Well, the interviews are fun, although you might find some of Chris Hewitt's questions terrifying as he sits down with Damian Lewis, star of The Radleys, to talk about playing not one but two vampires, and Brian Netto & Adam Schindler, directors of Don't Move. But that's not all — Netto and Schindler are joined by their producer, one Sam Raimi. And if you've listened to the Empire Podcast before, you'll know that that's a pretty big deal for our Chris. Both interviews are tons of fun, and at one point Chris gets super-nerdy about Evil Dead II with Raimi, which is groovy. And after you've listened to this, why not give The Radleys (on Sky Cinema now) and Don't Move (on Netflix) a whirl? Enjoy.

It's a question as old as time: who ya gonna call? And an equally aged answer: Ghostbusters! Or, in the case of this week's Empire Podcast, a Ghostbuster. But not just any Ghostbuster — the heart of the Ghostbusters, and co-creator of the franchise, the legendary Dan Aykroyd, who jumps on the blower with Chris Hewitt to talk about the Ghostbusters In Concert show at the Royal Albert Hall, webbed feet, and writing one of the greatest comedies of all time. [21:55 - 41:32 approx] Our other guest this week is Benjamin Ree, the director of the extraordinarily moving documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, which tells the incredible story of a young Norwegian man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and the second life he created for himself within World Of Warcraft. [1:11:29 - 1:28:29 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for the final spooky Halloweenified pod of the year. Don't worry, though, it's not that scary, as they discuss the best non-horror films made by horror filmmakers, review The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, Venom: The Last Dance, Brothers, and The Room Next Door, and chew the fat over the week's movie news, including a wild bit of speculation about Christopher Nolan's latest movie. Oh, and who — or what — is Spiky Mike? Enjoy.

Spooky season is upon us, folks, and this week's Empire Podcast is even more of a horror show than usual, as Chris Hewitt talks to Naomi Scott about her fabulous performance in Parker Finn's scary sequel, Smile 2, [23:26 - 37:26 approx] and the team — Chris, James Dyer, Ben Travis, and Beth Webb — tackle two horror-related questions from listeners, including the horror flicks they think should have been nominated for Best Picture, and an impromptu Mount Rushmore of vampire films that really should have been called Count Rushmore. Elsewhere, much movie news is discussed, including the addition of Krypto the Superdog to James Gunn's Superman, Chris has a lovely chat with Woman Of The Hour director/star Anna Kendrick, [58:47 - 1:16:56 approx] and in the reviews section we tackle that very film, plus The Wild Robot, Smile 2, and The Apprentice, with guest reviewer Alex Godfrey. Oh, and the team, and a very special guest, bids Ben a heartfelt farewell as he heads off on paternity leave. Enjoy.

With the BFI London Film Festival about to shut up shop for another year after a cracking 2024 offering, it's the perfect time to bring you our annual LFF podcast, in which Chris Hewitt chats to some of the British filmmakers who have films (and a TV show) at this year's festival. They are: Nick Murphy, director of A Thousand Blows; Sasha Nathwani, director of Last Swim; and Sadie Frost, director of new documentary, Twiggy. And they are fun, frank, and fascinating chats about the directors' projects, their LFF experiences, and the state of the film industry. Enjoy!

It's another belting week on the Empire Podcast, folks. On the guest front, James White — ol' Jaime Blanco himself — talks to Sarah Paulson, star of new Disney+ thriller Hold Your Breath, about milking both tension and cows [21:33 - 34:08 approx], Chris Hewitt sits down for a fun chat about vampires, changing tyres, and playing people called Bob with Lewis Pullman, star of the Salem's Lot movie which is finally seeing the light of night after a couple of years sitting on the shelf [52:39 - 1:09:31 approx], and we bring you an excerpt of our incredible The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power s2 spoiler special Q&A with showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, creative producer Lindsay Weber, and stars Charles Edwards, Megan Richards, and Daniel Weyman. [1:34:50 - 1:52:24 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, and remotely by a stricken James Dyer, for a fun episode in which Helen finally shares her thoughts on Joker: Folie à Deux, the trio discuss which tell-all film books they'd like to read, the week's movie news including the new A Complete Unknown trailer, and review Salem's Lot, Timestalker, and Transformers One. Oh, and our next live show — episode 650 — is announced in, um, spectacular fashion. Enjoy.

As a special treat for you, our beloved listeners, here's a bonus pod for you... an episode of Pilot TV! Yes, our sister TV pod is elbowing its way unbidden into your playlist and forcing itself into your ears like an unwanted U2 album. But before you go skipping ahead, why not stay a while and have a listen? For one, it will greatly reduce the possibility of James coming over to your house, putting headphones on you and playing it to you while you sleep. Plus, you might just enjoy it.On this particular episode, James, along with co-hosts Boyd Hilton and Kay Ribeiro, invite Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal into the Pilot studio to talk about Spanish-language boxing drama a Máquina on Disney+. Elsewhere, Kay gets pilloried for daring to take some time off, James is lambasted for his egregious (if entirely oblivious) queue-jumping, and there’s some seasonal spooky chat about the best TV-based horrors. As well as reviewing La Máquina, the team also take a look at starry Apple drama Disclaimer with Cate Blanchett, and Sweetpea on Sky Atlantic, in which Ella Purnell gets in touch with her inner sociopath. And if you like this episode, why not subscribe to Pilot TV? Dropping every Monday, it's a perfect accompaniment to the Empire pod — after all, who doesn't need a guide to the murky waters of modern streaming TV? You can't watch everything.

Love that Joker? If so, you've come to the right place, folks, as this week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, our very own clown prince of crime, dig deep into Joker: Folie à Deux (and pronounce the title roughly ten different ways) with its star, Joaquin Phoenix [18:50 - 41:01 approx], and director, Todd Phillips. [1:02:14 - 1:23:07 approx] With Helen O'Hara having made herself scarce so she can watch the original Joker (her favourite film of all time) about a dozen times in preparation for the sequel, Chris is joined in the podbooth by his number one guy, Bo -- sorry, James Dyer -- and number two guy (that sounds wrong, but we are where we are), Alex Godfrey, for a fun episode in which they try to discuss terrible films made by great directors, only to get hung up on one terrible film in particular; discuss the week's movie news, including the return of Daniel Day-Lewis to acting, and a host of sad farewells (and yes, before you mention it, we forgot about the great Kris Kristofferson, who will get his flowers on next week's show), and review the aforementioned Joker sequel, and A Different Man. Finally, we bring you a sneak peek at our Inside Out 2 spoiler special, now that the film has arrived on Disney+, as Ben Travis talks to Kelsey Mann, director of the year's biggest movie. [1:42:24 - 1:58:17 approx] Enjoy.

It's another jam-packed banger on the Empire Podcast this week, folks, as Chris Hewitt sits down for a triple whammy of interviews. First, there's Saoirse Ronan, star/producer of affecting drama The Outrun, and her co-star Paapa Essiedu, who talk about bonding, improvisation, and shooting on location. [19:13 - 33:45 approx] Then, there's Josh Greenbaum, director of Will & Harper, the excellent documentary that follows Will Ferrell and his writer friend of three decades, Harper Steele, on a cross-country road trip in the aftermath of Harper's recent transition to living as a woman. [54:27 - 1:13:03 approx] And finally, there's a big chunk of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice spoiler special goodness with that film's writers and executive producers, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. [1:40:01 - 1:55:27 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss directors whose careers have received a boost from working in the MCU, take a look at the week's movie news (this was recorded before the sad news of the death of Dame Maggie Smith), and review Will & Harper, Wolfs, The Outrun, and Megalopolis, a review so immense it has added ballast in the form of Alex Godfrey. Oh, and the team discover Bump Juice. To find out what it is, listen on. Enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast comes with an air of carefree celebration, as Chris Hewitt marks his birthday by a) not mentioning his birthday that much, b) interviewing Willa Fitzgerald, star of cracking new thriller Strange Darling, while somehow not actually talking about the movie because it's incredibly hard to talk about without getting into spoiler territory, [23:05 - 40:27 approx] and c) interviewing the powerhouse trio who star in new movie His Three Daughters, Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne. [1:01:45 - 1:14:52 approx] Then Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss the best movie witches, tackle the week's movie news, including David Schwimmer's revelation that he turned down Will Smith's role in Men In Black, and review His Three Daughters, Strange Darling, and The Substance. Oh, and Helen reveals a shocking old nickname, while Chris doesn't mention his birthday at all. Enjoy.

Years after she meddled with Wanda Maximoff, sang her own wonderful earworm of a theme song, and waltzed off with WandaVision tucked under her arm, Agatha Harkness is back back back in Agatha All Along, a new nine-part Disney+ MCU show which sees Kathryn Hahn return as Westview's second most powerful witch. Only now she's on the comeback trail and might need help from a brand-new coven. And in this special Empire Podcast preview, the enormously entertaining Hahn and Agatha All Along (and WandaVision) creator Jac Schaeffer sit down with Chris Hewitt and spill the beans on what audiences can expect every Thursday for the next few weeks. And don't forget to sign up to our spoiler specials for weekly episodes from Team Empire as well. Enjoy!

Is it just us, or has the Empire Podcast got more hat-tricks than Erling Haaland? We have another terrific trio of guests this week, as Alex Godfrey speaks no evil with Speak No Evil, and podcast regular, James McAvoy. [19:49 - 34:40 approx] Then, Amon Warmann has a lovely chat with Kate Winslet, star of Lee (and thanks to Sam Clements for loaning us his podcast mics while Chris was away!). [56:50 - 1:12:15 approx] And finally, we bring you the interview the entire podteam (Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon) did with Reawakening star, and all-round acting royalty, Juliet Stevenson on last week's live show at the London Podcast Festival. [1:41:33 - 1:57:42 approx] Either side of those, Chris returns after a rare holiday and hosts Helen, James and Alex Godfrey as they discuss films from 1996 that deserve sequels (and why 1996 sucked cinematically), pay tribute to James Earl Jones, and review Lee, Speak No Evil, and Reawakening. Oh, and our old chum Corin Hardy drops in out of nowhere for a shameless plug. Enjoy.

It's another hat-trick of wonderful guests on this week's Empire Podcast. Which is good, as there's only two colleagues of such lethal cunning. Due to a combination of work absences, holidays, and general apathy, only Helen O'Hara and James Dyer are on pod-duty this week and, thanks to Jimbo's unfortunate bout of Covid, they're doing it remotely as well. Never fear, though, they still bring the film-related fun as they take a couple of listener questions, discuss the week's movie news (before the Ocean's 14 story broke, naturally), and review Firebrand, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Starve Acre, and Rebel Ridge. The latter also provides one of our guests, as Chris Hewitt talks to its writer/director, Jeremy Saulnier, about its long route to the small screen (it's a Netflix movie). That's right at the end of the whole pod [ 1:32:47 - 1:51:41 approx] and Firebrand provides the two other guests, as we talk to Henry VIII, aka Jude Law, and the wife who survived him, Katherine Parr, aka Alicia Vikander, who talk to Helen and Chris, respectively. [17:04 - 33:12 approx for Alicia and 51:28 - 1:09:04 approx for Jude] Remember: divorced beheaded died, divorced beheaded survived is not just a great way to remember the fates of Henry VIII's six wives, but also the fate of the podteam members who didn't appear on this week's episode. Enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is — yes, you guessed it — absolutely jam-packed with amazing guests. Alex Godfrey gets to admire Colman Domingo's trophies, and then talk to the great actor about his new movie Sing Sing, which might just add one or two to his shelf. [14:46 - 32:42 approx] Then Beth Webb has a lovely chat with Elliot Page and director Dominic Savage about their new movie, Close To You. [54:56 - 1:12:53 approx] Finally, we bring you a lovely excerpt from our Alien: Romulus spoiler special interview with director Fede Alvarez, as he spills the beans about all things spoilerific to Chris Hewitt. So be warned: spoilers lurk within! [1:42:57 - the end of the show] Either side of those, Helen O'Hara hosts James Dyer and Amon Warmann in the podbooth as they talk about great movie dogs, discuss the week's movie news, and review Sing Sing, Close To You and The Count Of Monte Cristo. Enjoy.

One pod to rule them all? This Thursday (August 29) sees the return of Prime Video's epic J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation, The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, and to mark the occasion we've put together a little preview special, just for you. In it, you'll find an in-depth interview with showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, in which they tease and tantalise John Nugent about what people can expect from this second season (hint: lots of Sauron), and then a shorter but no less wonderful chat between Helen O'Hara and Morfydd Clark, who plays Galadriel, and Sam Hazeldine, who plays Adar in this season. (That interview has slight sound issues, by the way) The first three episodes of The Rings Of Power s2 drop on Thursday, and then return to a weekly schedule, so give this a listen before you stock up on second breakfasts and strap yourselves in for a binge. Enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is jampacked with joy, folks. Guest-wise, we have a big old chunk of the Empire VIP Club live Q&A Chris Hewitt did with Jeff Goldblum, star of new Netflix show KAOS, a short while ago. And it's as gloriously Jeff Goldblumy as you could hope for. [24:13 - 42:52 approx] Chris is also joined this week by Rupert Sanders, the director of the brand new version of The Crow, as they talk about grief, love and wrestling with iconography. [1:05:04 - 1:24:24 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis and — in her final pod before she leaves Empire — Sophie Butcher to discuss the news of The Acolyte's cancellation, create a brand new sport, and review Kneecap, Blink Twice, and Cuckoo. And, as it's Sophie's last show, the listeners' questions segment is dedicated almost entirely to her, as she answers your questions about her brief but brilliant time at the world's biggest movie magazine (and award-losing podcast arm). Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down on Zoom with Mr. Fitz, aka Paul Feig, the dapper and debonair director of Bridesmaids, Spy, The Heat and new action-comedy Jackpot!, to talk about working with Awkwafina and John Cena, the difficulties of getting an original movie off the ground, and whether Feig could murder somebody for money. (FYI, Feig's microphone wasn't working as it should for the first six or seven minutes of this interview) [23:34 - 42:47 approx] Then, we bring you an extended excerpt from our exclusive Empire VIP Club Q&A with Coraline director Henry Selick and The Other Mother herself, star Teri Hatcher, as that film celebrates its 15th anniversary with a timely re-release. [1:04:32 - 1:19:27 approx] Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Nick de Semlyen, and Alex Godfrey for a jam-packed episode in which they discuss their favourite creatures from the Alien movies, discuss the week's movie news including D23 announcements galore, and review Alien: Romulus, Trap, and Jackpot! Oh, and Alex comes up with a new catchphrase. You'll know it when you hear it. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast is jam-packed full of goodness, including three tremendous interviews well worth your time. First off, Alex Godfrey sits down with M. Night Shyamalan and Josh Hartnett to discuss their first film together, Trap, and talk about why it's taken them so long to work together. [19:49 - 37:12 approx] Then, Dafne Keen pops into the podbooth to tell Chris Hewitt how her appearance in her new film, [REDACTED], came about. [54:02 - 1:14:53 approx] And finally, we bring you a meaty chunk of our Deadpool & Wolverine spoiler special interview with Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy. [1:35:54 - 1:56:42 approx] To hear Team Empire banging on about the film, do subscribe to our spoiler special feed, if you don't already. Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, briefly, John Nugent to discuss great wedding movies, talk about the week's movie news (what there is of it pre-D23, where we expect some pretty big announcements), and review Borderlands, It Ends With Us, Tuesday, and The Instigators. Lovely stuff. Enjoy!

It's Doomsday on the Empire Podcast, folks. In the wake of the bombshell news that Robert Downey Jr. is going to return to the MCU, not as Tony Stark but as the new big bad, Doctor Doom, many of you asked that we record a special podcast dedicated to the news. Sadly, we were unable to do that, but we make up for it on this week's episode, as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and Amon Warmann lock themselves in the podbooth and spend much of the movie news section scratching their heads and speculating wildly about the news and what it means. It's a long section, so if you're an MCU-sceptic, here's a helpful timecode so you can skip ahead. [42:38 - 1:02:20 approx] Elsewhere, our intrepid trio take a listener question about actors who should return to a franchise as a villain (can't imagine why that came up), review Didi, Kensuke's Kingdom and Harold And The Purple Crayon, and our guests this week are the wonderful Joan Chen, star of Twin Peaks and Didi, who talks to Mike Muncer. [22:14 - 39:00 approx] And you also get a lovely slice of a conversation about The Conversation between Chris and that film's editor and sound wizard, Walter Murch. [1:12:25 - 1:29:42 approx] Enjoy — Doom commands it to be so!

Let's effin' go! (We're pretty sure we're not allowed to swear in the blurbs, dagnammit!) This week sees the long-awaited release of Deadpool & Wolverine, in which Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman team up for a swear'n'slash session for the ages, and in this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt sits down for a lovely non-spoilerific chat with the film's director, Shawn Levy. -22:04 - 39:18 approx] Our other guest is Joachim Ronning, the director of Young Woman And The Sea, which is now out on Disney+, and Alex Godfrey has a lovely conversation with him about that, star Daisy Ridley, swimming, and more. (And yes, Chris is aware that he mis-pronounced Ronning's forename; Alex got it right!) [57:33 - 1:16:50 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun pod in which they take some questions from BlueSky (including one about Blue Sky Studios), discuss the week's movie news (bear in mind, this was recorded before Comic-Con!), and review Deadpool & Wolverine, I Saw The TV Glow, and The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Enjoy.

It's another guestapalooza on this week's Empire Podcast, as Chris Hewitt has lovely chats with Twisters stars Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Phizzy Pigtails aficionado Anthony Ramos [19:46 - 35:02 approx], and their director Lee Isaac Chung [1:39:17 - 1:56:06 approx]; and Beth Webb has a lovely audience with the marvellous June Squibb, star of Thelma (there are sound issues for the first couple of minutes, but they're quickly resolved). [1:01:03 - 1:13:59 approx] Then, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and returning fourth chairer, Jeremy Dylan, to discuss the ultimate Mount Rushmore question, cast their eye over the week's movie news (including discussion of the rumoured return of the Russo Brothers to the MCU), and review Twisters, Thelma and Blur: To The End, while James bangs on relentlessly about a new Aliens documentary in which he features. This time it's more. Enjoy.