The Empire Film Podcast

Red is the colour for this week's Empire Podcast. First, Ben Travis has a chat with Sandra Oh and Rosalie Chiang, stars of the new Pixar movie, Turning Red, and then Red Rocket director, Sean Baker, tells Alex Godfrey all about how he pulled off his delightful latest, in which Simon Rex stars as a porn star down on his luck. Sorry about the innuendo there, but that sets the tone for this mucky-minded filthpot of an episode, in which Chris Hewitt is joined by Ben, James Dyer and, making her debut on the pod, Hanna Flint. The quartet talk about who they'd like to see play the next big-screen Robin, discuss the week's movie news, including the new trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Dune 2 casting news (this was recorded before the Austin Butler news broke), and review the aforementioned movies, along with Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy's latest, The Adam Project. Along the way, they discuss The Spice Girls, MENA representation in movies, and a very rude Obi-Wan Kenobi anagram. Enjoy. Timestamps! Intro/Listener Question -- 0:00.00 - 19.50.00 Rosalie Chiang/Sandra Oh interview -- 19.51.00 - 32.54 Movie News -- 32.55 - 1:02:48 Sean Baker interview -- 1:02:49 - 1:20:43 Movie Reviews -- 1:20:44 - end.

The first three episodes of The Dropout, the new series charting the rise and fall of tech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, the company she founded, have landed on Disney+, and in the latest team-up between the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast, Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Beth Webb have a good old natter about it. In this very special crossover episode, in association with Disney+, they talk about the real-life events behind the show (created by Elizabeth Meriwether), the reasons why Hollywood is drawn to stories like this, the incredible cast, led by Amanda Seyfried, and much, much more. So turn on, tune in and drop out for The Dropout...

Riddle us this, riddle us, erm, shimmy, who's the man who wrote Steven Soderbergh's Kimi? Why, that would be David Koepp, one of our cracking guests on this week's Empire Podcast. The legendary screenwriter sits down on a Zoom with Chris Hewitt and tells him all about that, being a writer on set, and much more. And riddle us this, riddle us, um, drano, why does nothing rhyme with Dano? Yes, Ben Travis and Chris have a fun audience with Paul Dano, the actor who plays The Riddler in Matt Reeves' The Batman. Either side of that, in the virtual podbooth this week, Chris and Ben are joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for an episode in which they discuss how difficult it is to voice Paddington, nominate the movies they'd like to see become immersive hotel experiences, talk about movie news including the Bullet Train and Fantastic Beasts: The Wotsit Of Thingummy trailers, and review The Batman, Ali & Ava, The Desperate Hour, and A Madea Homecoming. Enjoy. Timestamps! Intro/Listener Question: 0:00.00 - 26:05 David Koepp: 26:05 - 43:52 Movie News: 43:53 - 1:11:44 Paul Dano: 1:11:45 - 1:29:04 Reviews/Outro: 1:29:04 onwards

Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson's BAFTA and Oscar-nominated Summer Of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is one of the finest directorial debuts in years, as the Roots drummer/musical maestro crafts a powerful and profound documentary that charts the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, a music festival that took place in the same summer as Woodstock, and yet didn't receive nearly the same cultural cachet. In fact, footage of the festival lay, untouched, for almost 50 years before Questlove was clued in as to its existence, resolving to make this movie. The resulting documentary, one of the favourites to win Best Documentary on both sides of the Pond, is part celebration of the amazing artists who played at the Festival, but also a compelling deep dive into Black history, Black culture, Black joy and, as he tells Chris Hewitt in this exclusive interview, the notion of Black erasure. They also talk about Questlove's relationship with the material, finding interviewees for the movie, and how he's going to handle attending the Oscars, as a former Musical Director of the ceremony. Enjoy.

Kenneth Branagh's wonderful BELFAST sees the writer-director (but not actor on this one, as he explains) return to his youth for inspiration, charting a beautiful black-and-white path through the childhood of a young boy growing up in the Northern Irish capital in 1969, just as The Troubles are about to truly erupt, changing the lives of all who lived there for decades to come. In this Empire Podcast interview special, Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with his fellow Northern Irishman, Branagh, and they talk about growing up during very different eras, about Branagh's decision to make the movie now, about his creative choices such as going black-and-white and using copious amounts of Van Morrison on the soundtrack, Northern Irish accents and much, much more. The film has been nominated for many BAFTAs and Oscars since, and may well scoop the ultimate prize on the big nights. This fascinating and fun interview may just tell you why, so it might. Wee buns!

There go our heroes. Watch them as they go. This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees three big names chat with us about their new projects, and as a result this pod is a little... everlong. First, Joe Wright, director of Cyrano, talks with Hanna Flint about his new musical and discloses his favourite Christmas movie along the way. Then Alex Godfrey Zooms in for a chat with the great Paul Thomas Anderson, who waxes lyrical about Licorice Pizza, Hard Eight turning 25, loving Mission: Impossible — Fallout, and more. And finally, as the Foo Fighters release their first movie, the horror-comedy Studio 666, Chris Hewitt has a chat with the one and only Dave Grohl. Either side of those, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for an episode recorded in space. Or more accurately, the Galactic Starcruiser, the new Star Wars immersive experience/hotel at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. They also tackle a listener question about the weirdest places they've ever conducted an interview, talk about the week's movie news, and review Cyrano, Studio 666, Kimi, and The Duke. We got The Duke? We got The Duke! Enjoy. Timings below: Intro and chat about the Galactic Starcruiser: 0:00 - 15:11 Joe Wright: 15:12 - 33:40 Listener Question: 33:40 - 51:15 Paul Thomas Anderson: 51:15 - 1:11:24 Movie News: 1:11:24 - 1:32:22 Dave Grohl: 1:32:22 - 1:49:42 Reviews: 1:49:42 - 2:17:03

This week's Empire Podcast has a pair of interviews with some heavy-hitting acting types. First off, Joanna Scanlan, recently BAFTA-nominated for Best Actress for her turn in the excellent drama, After Love, talks with Helen O'Hara about that, and about playing the long game in her career. Then Hanna Flint (making her Empire Podcast debut) has a fun chat, recorded before Christmas hence the festive references, with the ever-excellent Peter Dinklage, star of next week's Joe Wright-directed musical, Cyrano. And no, we don't ask him where the handle is. Then, in and out of the podbooth (you'll see), Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for an in-depth and often moving (ahem) examination of the best bald bad guys in movie history. They also discuss the week's movie news, which mainly means trailers, lots of trailers (we've taken care of Doctor Strange business elsewhere, though). And then Chris and Helen, despite the best efforts of Storm Eunice, review Channing Tatum's return in Dog, Leatherface's return in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's return with Bigbug. Enjoy.

Because a few of you demanded it, here it is: the Empire Podcast's breakdown of the brand-new trailer for Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. Join Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis as they go frame-by-frame through the new trailer, and the 30-second Super Bowl TV spot, as if it's the Zapruder film. Features: wild speculation and rumour-mongering, much of which will no doubt be proved incorrect when the film opens in May. So, cue up the trailer on a device of your choice (hopefully not the same one on which you're listening to the pod), and prepare to enter a new world of gods and monsters. Sorry, wrong cinematic universe!

Happy birthday, Hot Fuzz! Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's cracking cop comedy is now fifteen years old, if you can believe it. And in this very special episode of the Empire Podcast, recorded live at Kings Place as part of our all-day celebration of Episode 500, Chris Hewitt sits down with Wright and Pegg live on stage for a one-hour deep dive into the movie. Featuring never-before-heard stories of the writing of, and making of, the movie, it's a must-listen. And that's even before we get to the late cameo (of sorts) from a very special surprise guest. Bring the noise!

We don't hang around here on the Empire Podcast. Less than a week after the epic celebration that was our 500th episode, we're already back in the podbooth, bringing you episode 501. And it's a belter, folks, as Chris Hewitt is joined by newly-minted BAFTA and Oscar nominee, the wonderful West Side Story star, Ariana DeBose, for a chat that takes in Spielberg, auditions, British accents, SNL, and Hamilton, but which is mostly concerned with Nando's, and the consumption thereof. We're also joined this week by director Josephine Decker, who tells Amon Warmann all about her new film, the Apple TV+ original, The Sky Is Everywhere. Either side of that, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and John Nugent for a fun episode in which they discuss their dream LEGO movie-themed sets (this was recorded before news broke of the new Jurassic Park set), talk about the week's movie news, including a bumper Oscars section (this was recorded before news broke of the new Jurassic World: Dominion trailer; it's almost as if dinosaurs hate us), and review Uncharted, Death On The Nile, Flee, and Marry Me. Whether this is your first episode or your five-hundred-and-first episode, enjoy.

Here it is, folks. A landmark episode deserves an epic running time. Welcome to the 500th episode of the Empire Podcast, recorded in front of a live audience at Kings Place, London, on Saturday, February 5, and featuring our most astonishing line-up of guests yet. There's Tom Holland (no, not that one), talking about Uncharted and spoiling the hell out of Spider-Man: No Way Home (seriously, maybe only listen to this pod after you've seen that film)! The Souvenir Part II director Joanna Hogg and her star, Bafta-nominated Harris Dickinson! Roy Kent himself, Ted Lasso star, Brett Goldstein, talking about fashion, swearwords, and blaming our Chris Hewitt for the pandemic! West Side Story's Maria, aka Rachel Zegler, on befriending Spielberg! Loki director Kate Herron with the inside scoop on Owen Wilson's moustache! And the captain of the Jackass gang, Johnny Knoxville, on what can only be described as Dongzilla! Phew! It's so packed that all the interviews are smushed together in one huge section that runs from 00:33:23 to 02:14.50. Either side of that, Chris Hewitt welcomes not one, not two, not three but FOUR colleagues of such lethal cunning -- Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis -- for the mother of all Empire Podcasts, as they talk movie news (Scream! Fast 10! Baftas! Den Of Thieves 2!), review Moonfall, The Souvenir Part II, Belle, Jackass Forever, and The Eyes Of Tammy Faye, and answer a ton of audience questions. It's been weeks in the planning, and is our gift to you, our loyal listeners. Thank you for all your support over the last ten years. Here's to the next 500. Enjoy.

The legendary Donnie Yen has been kicking all kinds of butt for decades now, in movies like Hero, Ip Man, Blade II, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. His latest movie, Raging Fire (the last directed by Benny Chan) is out now on DVD, Blu-ray and digital, and to mark the occasion, Amon Warmann sat down with Donnie Yen for an engrossing in-depth chat. Which we present to you in full. Enjoy!

Episodes of The Ranking are like buses. Not in the 'you wait ages for one, and then three turn up at once' sense (although we do acknowledge that episodes of this fine spin-off from Empire magazine, in which four Empire writers argue the toss about a series of films and come up with a definitive cough cough top ten, have not exactly been on the regular). More in the 'you get on one, and all you find is four people talking about Stanley Kubrick' sense. And if that's not your experience of buses, then you have our pity. You can't get on a bus round here without someone banging on about Barry Lyndon. Anyway, as our gift to you, to make up for the absence of Episode 500 from the feed today (what with Episode 500 not having been recorded yet), here is an actual episode of The Ranking, in which Ian Freer, Neil Alcock, Beth Webb, and Alex Godfrey clamber aboard the number 19 and talk about the career of one of the greatest directors of all time with their eyes wide shut and their mouths wide open. Enjoy.

Edgar Wright's latest movie, the pulse-pounding, melon-melting, time-twisting psychological thriller, Last Night In Soho, is out now on all the formats you can think of (and some you can't), so you can watch it in the comfort of your own home. So now is the perfect time to bring you lucky lot the first hour of the epic TWO AND A HALF HOUR spoiler special interview that we recorded with Wright and his co-writer, Krysty Wilson-Cairns, when they came into the podbooth late last year. In this exceedingly candid chat with Chris Hewitt, Wright and Wilson-Cairns talk about how the Hot Fuzz research process led to one of the darkest lines in the film; how Terence Stamp inspired a permanent plaque in The Toucan; where the idea for the film came from; and going for dinner with Billie Piper. For details of our spoiler specials subscription service, go to empire.supportingcast.fm

Reacher may say nothing, but thankfully Alan Ritchson -- the actor who steps into the shoes of Lee Child's man-mountain master detective, Jack Reacher, on a new Prime Video series called REACHER that launches on February 4 -- says plenty. He talks to Chris Hewitt this week, and tells him all about his audition for Reacher, acing Reacher's physicality, and what inspiration he drew from Child. Chris also has a natter this week with Romola Garai, the British actress who makes her directorial debut with the ultra-creepy horror film, Amulet. They talk about how Garai made the transition behind the camera, working with creature FX, and much more. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann for a jam-packed episode in which they discuss the week's movie news (including a new Wallace & Gromit movie), review Amulet, Sing 2, Pedro Almodovar's Parallel Mothers, and Munich: The Edge Of War. Plus, the listeners' question this week will almost certainly see us get sued by the BBC. Not least for hesitation, repetition and deviation. Enjoy.

We believe in America. And we also believe in Francis Ford Coppola's seminal classic, The Godfather, which turns 50 this year. In fact, we believe in it so much that we've only gone and put it on the cover of the brand-new issue of Empire (on sale now!), along with an exclusive interview with Coppola himself, as well as many of his key cast members. And, accordingly, we've decided to do a podcast in which we talk about The Godfather, and why it's still one of the greatest films of all time. So join Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen, and Ian Freer for 45 minutes of chat about the film's amazing characters, visual style, themes, death scenes, and other memorable moments. And there are absolutely no terrible impressions of Marlon Brando. Well, ok, there's maybe the odd one or two or dozen. Enjoy!

2022 is only a few weeks old, but this week alone sees the release of two films that are almost certain to be up there come year's end: Guillermo del Toro's atmospheric noir, Nightmare Alley, and Kenneth Branagh's wonderfully warm childhood tale, Belfast. And we're delighted to be joined on this week's episode by del Toro, who chats with Chris Hewitt about doom, black-and-white, and Bradley Cooper's eyes; and Belfast star Jamie Dornan, who goes full Norn Iron with Helen O'Hara. Who, despite her protestations to the contrary, does thicken her accent for that interview, so she does. Then, in the podbooth, Chris and Helen are joined by James Dyer for an episode in which they talk about the legacy sequels they'd like to see, discuss the week's movie news, including the Moon Knight trailer and talk of a third Equalizer film, review Nightmare Alley, Belfast, A Journal For Jordan, and Mass, reveal more exciting details about our upcoming 500th episode, and can't tell the difference between their waking life... and dreams. Enjoy.

This week, the Empire Podcast opens The Book Of The Book Of Boba Fett, as Chris Hewitt has a fun chat with Fennec Shand herself, the wonderful Ming-Na Wen. They talk about stanning Han Solo, smuggling artefacts off set, and interior design. And Chris also has an interesting and engrossing Zoom chat with George MacKay (or is it Georges MacKay?), the English actor who stars in the Netflix WWII thriller, Munich: The Edge Of War. Either side of those interviews, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they tackle a number of listener questions, discuss the week's movie news, including the sad passing of Sidney Poitier, and review the new Scream, The Tragedy Of Macbeth, Andrea Arnold's Cow, and Memoria. And Chris tells it like it is about Adolf Hitler. Enjoy.

We're back! After a brief break for the Christmas and New Year holidays (during which we somehow managed to produce a whole bunch of podcasts anyway, but let's not quibble), the Empire Podcast is back, and seeing in 2022 with a bang. Our very first guest of the new year is a cracker, as Amon Warmann sits down on Zoom with Lupita Nyong'o, star of The 355, while later Chris Hewitt has a natter with Bert & Bertie, the directing team behind episodes 3-5 of the excellent Disney+ show, Hawkeye. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris and Amon join forces with James Dyer and, belatedly, Helen O'Hara to talk about the movies they watched over the Christmas break (the answer may shock you), the movie-related presents they received (the answer may bore you); discuss the movie news; review The 355, Licorice Pizza, The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain, and Boiling Point; and get into a big old humdinger of a debate about... well, we won't spoil it. You'll have to listen to find out. Enjoy! And Happy New Year!

Here's a lovely little treat to bring 2021 to a close (or see 2022 in with a bang): a lengthy interview special in which Chris Hewitt sits down (in an actual hotel room; this was actually our first in-person interview since the pandemic began) with the legendary Quentin Tarantino for an in-depth chat about Tarantino's decision to turn Once Upon A Time In Hollywood into a novel, his creative process, his relationship with his characters, his future plans, and much, much more. So, sit down, set aside an hour and change, and enjoy.

Happy New Year, listeners! 2021 has been a right old bangily-banger of a year, and no mistake, but it's also been a cracking year, cinematically speaking. And in this bumper-sized end of the year round-up edition, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis talk about the filmic highs and lows of the year that was. And, apart from one fairly sizeable section between 01:13:07.500 and 01:32:24.545, it's relatively spoiler-free, and culminates in the now traditional rundown of Team Empire's Top 20 films of the year. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll hurl swearwords at your podcast device of choice as the team don't mention that one film you love. Enjoy! And, on behalf of the podteam, have a great 2022!

Merry Christmas, listeners! Here, on this most festive of days, is the second part of our bumper-sized Christmas podcast that totally isn't a regular podcast, no sir. In this edition, you'll have Sophie Butcher (making her pod interview debut!) talking to the brilliant French director Julia Docournau about Titane, and Chris Hewitt having a natter with Adam McKay about his new movie, Don't Look Up. You'll also have an extended reviews section, in which Chris, Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and James Dyer get to grips with both of those movies as well as The King's Man and The Matrix Resurrections. In case you're trying to avoid even the most vague description of the plot of The Matrix Resurrections, that largely spoiler-free review begins at 24:56.745 and ends at 41:04.510. It's a long 'un. And with that, that's the last of our regular pods for 2021. We'll be back on Jan 7, folks. In the meantime, we'd like to wish you all a happy holiday season, and a wonderful 2022. Thanks for all your support this year, you bangily-bangers!

Ho-ho-ho, folks! The Empire Podcas team may be on a Christmas break, but that hasn't stopped the elves in our workshop from bringing you a couple of last blasts of podcast goodness just (about) in time for the big day. This week's absolutely-not-official-no-sir episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis don virtual terrible jumpers for a bumper edition of festive film-related fun. First, they answer a bunch of listener questions about Christmas movies, then they discuss a ton of movie news. And, surprisingly, there's much to talk about, including trailers galore and the box office of Spider-Man: No Way Home, and its implications for the future of film. Also, in this first part of a two-part episode, Chris sits down on Zoom with The King's Man stars, Rhys Ifans and Tom Hollander, and talk turns to a low yellow cloud that could spell doom for all. What could it be? Listen, and find out. Part 2 will be along presently. We promise. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas, you bangily-bangers! In this, the last regular episode of the Empire Podcast for 2021 (don't worry, though, there's a Christmas special to come next week, and the Review Of The Year on the 29th), Chris Hewitt enters the Matrix and sits down on Zoom with Neo and Trinity themselves, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, ahead of the release of The Matrix Resurrections next week. The only spoilers here are thematic ones, but if you're antsy, the interview starts at 00:27:47.104, and ends at 00:46:01.513. Chris also has a chat with Paolo Sorrentino, the Italian director of the simply beautiful The Hand Of God, which is on Netflix now. How's that for a pair of Christmas crackers? Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and James Dyer as they talk about what's in store for the epic live show that will mark Episode 500 (tickets on sale now for our February 5th extravaganza at kingsplace.co.uk), discuss the best Christmas parties on film, that time Chris and James watched Spanish porn together, talk about a whole bunch of trailers including Everything Everywhere All At Once and the new Fantastic Beasts, and review The Tender Bar, The Lost Daughter, Swan Song, and a little movie called Spider-Man: No Way Home. We appreciate that some people will be wary of spoilers, and believe us, this is a spoiler-free review, talking more about how the movie made us feel. But again, if you're antsy, or spidery, then the review begins at 01:26:50.531, and ends at 01:44:03.835... And that's that. Enjoy!

This week's Empire Podcast is the penultimate episode of the year, but we've brought you some cracking early Christmas presents. First up, the legendary Steven Spielberg returns to the pod to tell Chris Hewitt all about why he's remade West Side Story, and his experiences working with Peter Falk and John Cassavetes. He also sheds some light on an Indiana Jones line that has been somewhat co-opted by the pod over the years. Then, Beth Webb has a lovely chat with Noomi Rapace about her new movie, Lamb, taking in Spotify and Hamlet along the way. And, last but not least, James White Zooms with Andrew Garfield to talk about life, the universe, the apocalypse, and Garfield's new movie, Mainstream, which is available now on digital formats. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and James Dyer for an episode in which an old semi-favourite makes a very unplanned return; a listener question about the greatest deployment of 'Merry Christmas!' in the movies is considered; the week's movie news is discussed; and West Side Story, Being The Ricardos, and Wrath Of Man are reviewed. It's a Christmas stocking fair heaving with goodness. Don't wait for Christmas Day -- open it now! Enjoy.

Mike Leigh's Naked may be almost 30 years old, but it remains as fresh, impactful, and timely as ever. Join your host, Chris Hewitt, for this very special oral history of the film, which has been re-released on remastered 4K Blu-ray by the BFI. Featuring excerpts from interviews with Leigh, cast members David Thewlis, Lesley Sharp, and Peter Wight, and crew members Dick Pope, Lindy Hemming, Christine Blundell, and Andrew Dickson, it's a celebration of one of Leigh's finest films, and one of the best British movies of the modern era. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees a triple whammy of guests as Chris Hewitt natters away with three of Britain's finest actors. First, there's Hannah John-Kamen, who talks about being cold on set of her new film Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City, her aptitude for fantasy, and singing with Steven Spielberg. Next up is Riz Ahmed, star of the touching sci-fi drama Encounter, who talks about that movie and whether or not he's moved to Los Angeles. And then Chris sits down in person with Benedict Cumberbatch, star of the new Jane Campion film, The Power Of The Dog. Together, they talk about Love Hearts, what Cumberbatch learned from Campion, and what we can expect from a Sam Raimi Doctor Strange film. (Chris had a faulty microphone cable on this one, which explains why he ducks in and out from time to time.) Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and Katie Smith-Wong to discuss great family collaborations, talk about the week's movie news, from Nicolas Cage playing Dracula to a heartfelt tribute to the great Stephen Sondheim, and review The Power Of The Dog, Encounter, C'mon C'mon, Boxing Day, Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City, and Silent Night. They also discuss the movie-themed Christmas gifts they've got their eyes on, and Chris talks about the epic and ambitious plans for the 500th episode of the podcast, which will be recorded live in London on February 5th. Enjoy!

Almost thirty years after JFK blazed a trail and called into question the facts surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, Oliver Stone is returning to the subject with a new documentary. JFK Revisited: Through The Looking Glass is out in cinemas today (November 26) in the UK and is, perhaps, Stone's final word on the subject of the Kennedy assassination, presenting his theory about what happened on that fateful day, augmented and enhanced by new information and declassified documents. In this in-depth interview, Chris Hewitt catches up with Stone over Zoom for a long chat about the director's fascination with JFK (both subject and man), and an examination of what the success of the 1991 movie meant for Stone's career. They also talk about the famous Mr. X sequence from the original movie. Whether you believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone or not, this is a fascinating interview and an insight into Stone's creative and thinking processes. JFK Revisited: Through The Looking Glass is also available from November 29 on digital platforms, including altitude.film Enjoy.

Another bumper-sized Empire Podcast this week, as Chris Hewitt has a fun and also impassioned chat with the great John Leguizamo, star of the new Disney animation Encanto. They talk about how Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote a rap especially for Leguizamo, about Latinx representation in movies, and that thing Benny Blanco From The Bronx did in Carlito's Way. (Spoilers for that film lurk within, so be careful!) Then Ben Travis has a natter about House Of Gucci, The Last Duel, Kylo Ren and more with the wonderful Adam Driver, and we round off a trio of interviews with Chris talking Eternals spoilers with that film's director, Chloe Zhao. Right at the end of the episode, so you can skip it if you wish to remain spoiler-free. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss whether the MCU has jumped the shark, talk about the week's movie news (or lack thereof, given that it's Thanksgiving and Hollywood has clocked off), imagine what David Attenborough would make of Jurassic World: Dominion, and review House Of Gucci, Encanto, Pirates, and Bruised. Oh, and they also talk Christmas tree etiquette, because the most wonderful time of the year is upon us. So sit back, grab your baubles, and enjoy.

It's a very musical episode on the Empire Podcast this week. First up, Ben Travis geeks out over Disney musicals with the great Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the songs for the new animated musical Encanto, which debuts next Wednesday (November 24). Then Chris Hewitt sits down with Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld, stars of the new Disney+ MCU show Hawkeye (which also makes its bow -- heh, bow -- next Wednesday), and simply has to ask them about Rogers: The Musical. And other stuff as well. Then, when Chris gets into the podbooth with Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Beth Webb, they've all got music on the brain, building inexorably to a rendition of a beloved animated show's theme tune. But that's not all -- the podteam also discuss the week's movie news (including the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, and the Disney+ Day reveals), and review Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Petite Maman, Drive My Car, and King Richard. And in the listener question section they tackle an enquiry about the worst movie merchandise they've ever received, leading to a very unexpected cameo. Enjoy.

'Nuff said, True Believers! Because (three of) you demanded it, Team Empire managed to grab hold of the Eye Of Agamotto and squeeze out a chunk of time in which to discuss all the talking points thrown up by the second, and final, trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Join Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis as they do a deepish dive into the trailer, advance some wild theories for the finished film (and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and speculate on whether you-know-who and you-also-know-who might show up. Enjoy.

To herald the arrival on Disney+ of Dopesick, Danny Strong’s drama chronicling the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on America, the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast crews have, once again, set aside their differences and come together to have a good old natter. In this very special crossover episode, in association with Disney+, Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Beth Webb do a deep dive into Dopesick, which tackles the opioid crisis from the points of view of characters connected to the crisis in various ways. They talk about the crisis itself, about the show’s all-star cast (including Michael Keaton, Rosario Dawson, Peter Sarsgaard, Kaitlyn Dever, and Will Poulter), and much, much more. And if that weren’t enough, Beth also sits down with Danny Strong, Kaitlyn Dever and Will Poulter for an in-depth chat about the show. So sit back, relax, and enjoy Dopesick, an Empire + Pilot TV podcast special with Disney+.

Another bumper bonanza of film-related film this week, folks! On the interview front, Chris Hewitt has a wide-ranging series of chats, talking first to Paul Andrew Williams, writer/director of the brutal and brilliant thriller Bull; then he recovers just in time from a vicious attempt on his life to have a fun natter with Home Sweet Home Alone stars, Rob Delaney and Ellie Kemper, in which Rob reveals just how far he'd go to please Andy Daly; and finally there are previously unheard excerpts from our recent reunion interview with Naked director/star, Mike Leigh and David Thewlis, as their 1992 masterpiece is re-released in cinemas. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis and new addition to the Empire team, Sophie Butcher, for an episode that takes in everything from terrible movie professions to a discussion of the week's movie news (including deep, deep dives into Road House, and the Vin Diesel/Dwayne Johnson brouhaha), and reviews of Red Notice, Home Sweet Home Alone, Mothering Sunday, and Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut, tick tick... BOOM! Oh, and there's much talk of sexy potatoes. Because of course there is. Enjoy!

This week's Empire Podcast is back in one piece, but that doesn't mean we're shirking on the guests front. First off, Chris Hewitt has a fun chat with Salma Hayek and Kumail Nanjiani, two of the stars of Marvel's newest flick, Eternals, in which Halloween costumes, Salma's dad, and the scary-sounding Marvel Police are discussed. Then, Amon Warmann has an in-person, and very entertaining, chat with Kristen Stewart, the American actress who is tackling one of Britain's greatest icons, Princess Diana, in this week's Spencer. Back in the podbooth, Chris is joined this week by Amon, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer for a chaotic episode which incorporates much talk of biscuits, sees the team answer a listener question about karaoke, discuss the week's movie news, including the trailers for Morbius and Moonfall, and review Eternals (a rare MCU movie which has split the room), Spencer, The Harder They Fall, and Finch. A podcast fit to be enjoyed over a nice cup of tea, and two fingers of Twix. Enjoy.

Part Two of this week's bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt chat to Zack Snyder and Matthias Schweighofer, producer and director/star of this week's Army Of Thieves, the relatively zombie-free prequel to Army Of The Dead, about making those movies and the possibility of Snyder becoming the new Jane Fonda. He also sits down on Zoom with Jonathan Majors, star of The Harder They Fall, for an in-depth chat about that movie, and about playing He Who Remains In Loki. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer (for a while at least), and Ben Travis as they discuss the week's movie news, including the tragic events on the set of the Western, Rust, and the announcement of Dune Part Two. They also review Last Night In Soho, Rebecca Hall's Passing, Army Of Thieves, and Scott Cooper's horror film, Antlers. And, if that wasn't enough, we also bring you Chris' spoilerific interview with Andy Serkis, director of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. But don't worry if you haven't seen the film, we put the interview right at the end, where it'll be waiting for you when you've caught up with Eddie Brock's latest adventure. CATSUP?

Just like Denis Villeneuve's Dune, this week's Empire Podcast is so epic that we've had to split it into two parts. In this first instalment, you'll get two of the FIVE guest interviews we have lined up this week, as Chris Hewitt talks to Last Night In Soho writer/director, Edgar Wright, and his co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns, about their working practices, food poisoning, and Sandie Shaw. And then Helen O'Hara hits a mighty power chord and chats to the legendary Huey Lewis about the new Back To The Future musical, American Psycho, and his recent struggles with his hearing. Then, in the podbooth, Chris and Helen are joined by James Dyer and Ben Travis for the return of an old favourite and, because Halloween is around the corner, they also take a number of spooky listeners' questions, sparking off discussions of the podteam's own supernatural experiences, or lack thereof. Enjooooooooooooy (that's meant to be a scary ghost).

The spice must flow on this week's Empire Podcast. The spice of chat, that is! We have three belting interviews lined up for you lucky lot this week, as Chris Hewitt talks to The Guilty star Jake Gyllenhaal in which one of them threatens to go topless; Dune's Lady Jessica herself, Rebecca Ferguson, during which she and Chris hatch a new get-rich-quick scheme; and James Marsden, star of The Boss Baby 2. And, as the original big screen Cyclops, naturally the interview ends with Chris showing Marsden a picture of Cyclops with an... unusual mask. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann for an epic episode in which they tackle several questions at once, including one that covers the great Eternals Post-Credits Sting Spoilers Controversy. They also discuss the week's movie news (this was recorded on Wednesday, ahead of the tragic events on the set of Rust), and review new releases The French Dispatch, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Harder They Fall. Oh, and a little film called Dune. Surprisingly, the James-and-Helensplaining is kept to a minimum on this one. That's what spoiler specials are for. In the meantime, enjoy.

Now that the first season of What If...?, the animated MCU show that told alternate tales from across the Multiverse, has finished its run on Disney+, it's time for Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and Amon Warmann to enter the virtual podbooth and have a good old natter about their favourite moments from the series. But that's not all — we also have the show's head writer, A.C. Bradley, and director Bryan Andrews, on hand to fill in the motivations and meanings behind some of the series' most iconic moments. So listen in to find out if they truly do hate Tony Stark, what the Empire team are looking for from season 2, and just what happens when the Hulk explodes. Oh, and you will believe a man can be named after two of the world's great rivers! Enjoy.

Yes, folks, we know that this week's Empire Podcast is a long 'un, but in fairness it's still three minutes shorter than No Time To Die, and is so packed with podcast goodness that we barely know where to begin. On the interview front, there are cracking conversations as Chris Hewitt sits down with the legendary Jamie Lee Curtis to talk about returning as Laurie Strode in Halloween Kills. You may be surprised to hear that this one gets pretty serious, and pretty emotional. Which is not the case with Chris' interview with Todd Haynes, the wonderful director of new documentary, The Velvet Underground. He talks to Chris about doing the Velvets justice, becoming friends with John Cale, his musical prowess, and his attraction to making films with 'velvet' in the title. But we're especially stoked this week to be joined in the podbooth, for the first time since this infernal pandemic started, by an actual guest. Jim Cummings, the star/co-writer and co-director of The Beta Test (and one of the stars of Halloween Kills) swings by for the first hour, answers some listener questions, discusses his approach to filmmaking, and generally has a giggle. Then, once he's gone, Chris, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer discuss the week's movie news, including the new trailers for Scream, Home Sweet Home Alone, and The Beatles: Get Back, and in a bumper reviews section they dig deep into Venom: Let There Be Carnage, The Last Duel, The Beta Test, Halloween Kills, Ron's Gone Wrong, and The Velvet Underground. Now do you see why we took nearly three hours? Enjoy, in instalments if you have to.

The BFI London Film Festival is happening AS YOU READ THIS, folks. And, as proud media partners, we at Empire were delighted to present this week's gala world premiere of Craig Roberts' The Phantom Of The Open, a heartwarming and hilarious tale of Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance), a keen amateur golfer who gatecrashed the British Open in 1976 with spectacular results. And we didn't want to leave it there, so in this special episode Chris Hewitt catches up on Zoom (just a few hours ahead of the premiere, in fact) with Roberts and Simon Farnaby, who adapted the screenplay from a book he co-wrote with Scott Murray, for a rip-roaring chat about golf, movies, life, Wonka, and everything else. Get in the hole! (Which is golf for 'enjoy'.)

How do you get Rebecca Hall on the Empire Podcast? Practice! Yes folks, in the week that the London Film Festival throws opens its doors to the world, Chris Hewitt has a natter with Rebecca Hall, the writer-director of the compelling drama, Passing, which is playing at the Festival. They talk about the personal connection Rebecca felt to the story, which is about an African-American woman passing herself off as white in 1920s America, and what she inherited as a director from her father, the legendary Sir Peter Hall, and much more besides. Elsewhere, Chris is joined in the actual podbooth this week by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for an episode in which they discuss the best movies set in deserts (brace yourself for Dunesplaining), talk about the week's movie news, review No Sudden Move, Infinite, and John And The Hole, come up with a brand new name for one of the deadliest snakes in the world, and prove that Helen does NOT trample on jokes. So there! Enjoy!

Wake up... No Time To Die! Yes, this week finally sees the release of the final film in Daniel Craig's five-movie stint as James Bond, and to celebrate the occasion Chris Hewitt sits down for chats with both a relaxed and convivial Craig and his villainous counterpart, Rami Malek, who plays new Bond baddie, Safin. Do we expect you to listen? Well, ideally. Either side of those, Chris hits the virtual podbooth due to a touch of lurgy, where he's joined by James Dyer and Beth Webb for a fun episode in which they talk about great scenes set in recording studios, discuss the week's movie news, review (with the help of John Nugent) No Time To Die in a spoiler-free stylee, along with The Starling, and The Guilty, and talk of exotic locations like Pontypandy, Lusty Beg and Giggly Corner. (One of those is actually a real place.) Joy. En joy.

It's another big old bumper Empire Podcast this week. For reasons that are beyond our control (maybe have a word with S.P.E.C.T.R.E.), we're back on Squadcast, with Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer getting up very early (for them) to talk about the strangest places they've ever conducted interviews, discuss the week's 'fantastic' movie news, and review Sopranos spin-off The Many Saints Of Newark, David Lowery's long-awaited The Green Knight, and Everybody's Talking About Jamie. And, on the interview front, Chris has a good old natter with our favourite Variant, Sophia Di Martino, about her new movie, Sweetheart; Amon Warmann sits down for a chat with Alessandro Nivola about starring in The Many Saints Of Newark; and, in what's fast becoming a regular feature, we bring you brief excerpts from our spoiler special interviews with Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings director, Destin Daniel Cretton, and writer Dave Callaham. And if you still haven't seen it and wish to remain spoiler-free, they're right at the end of the show. But whatever you're listening to on this week's show, enjoy.

Where was this week's Empire Podcast recorded? *very Phil Collins voice* Stu-stu-studio! That's right, folks. After a year and a half of SquadCasting and podcasting remotely, this week's pod sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer gather in the same studio for some film-related fun. Join them as they natter on about the great reunion moments in movie history, discuss the week's movie news (Chris Nolan leaving WB? Hawkeye looks fun?), and review Gunpowder Milkshake, Kate, and Malignant. A film, it's fair to say, that has divided the pod. But it's not all studio-bound shenanigans. Chris logs onto Zoom not once, but twice, this week to talk to Karen Gillan, star of Gunpowder Milkshake, and Mark Cousins, former Moviedrome maestro and now the director of documentary The Story Of Looking. And, somewhere along the way, he explains to Helen what orange chicken is. This podcast contains multitudes, folks. Dive in. And sorry for the delirium; we were very happy to see each other. (Not in a sex way.) Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees Phyllida Lloyd, director of the excellent drama Herself, sit down with her star and writer, Clare Dunne, for an interview with Chris Hewitt about how they pulled off one of the year's best films. And when we say she sits down, we mean it. They were sitting beside each other in Phyllida's kitchen. A sign that nature is healing, folks. Actual physical proximity! Elsewhere, Chris is joined this week by Nick de Semlyen and Beth Webb for a fun episode in which they discuss pond-swimming, the best eyebrows in movies, take a peek at the week's big movie news (including some discussion of a certain trailer... yes, we're talking Moonfall), and pay tribute to some of the incredible talent which sadly left us this week, including Jean-Paul Belmondo and Michael K. Williams. They also review Herself, Copshop, and Respect (James Wan's Malignant wasn't screened for critics, and will be reviewed on next week's show). Finally, we also hear from Candyman director Nia DaCosta in a spoilerific excerpt from our Candyman spoiler special. Enjoy.

Ever since Groundhog Day burst onto the scene in 1993 with all the force of Bill Murray decking Stephen Tobolowsky, we’ve fallen in love with timeloop films; those movies that trap their protagonists in an endless cycle and challenge them to improve themselves or get lost forever. And in this very special episode of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt, Helen O’Hara and James Dyer discuss the greatest timeloop movies of all time, ask why it took so long for a serious contender to escape from Groundhog Day’s shadow, and come up with their own perfect timeloop movie playlist for those stuck in their never ending loop. From Edge Of Tomorrow (or whatever it’s called this week) to the Happy Death Day movies, this is one pod that will knock you for a loop. Enjoy.

Celebrate Our Cinemas is a brand-new, limited-edition podcast series, brought to you by Empire in association with Meerkat Movies from Compare The Market. Each week, Chris Hewitt sits down with a notable guest from the world of film and digs deep into their cinema-going history. In this, the sixth and final episode of the series, Chris chats with Elijah Wood, star of a little trilogy of films called The Lord Of The Rings and upcoming drama No Man Of God, which launches digitally on September 13, about the cinemas that helped shape his viewing habits. There is much talk of horror movies, of Raisinets, of seeing movies in Austin, Texas, and Wellington, New Zealand, and of the challenges of bringing a baby to the pictures. And, as predicted on last week's episode, the Alamo Drafthouse gets a lot of love. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down with Simu Liu, the title star of the latest MCU film, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, for a wide-ranging chat (1:18:17.675 - 1:36:05.820) that takes in Liu's time in London as a teen, his prediction for Avengers 20, and a heartfelt tribute to the late Brad Allan, the film's second unit director, who passed away recently. Also this week, we bring you an excerpt (34:12.487 - 48.32.970) from James Dyer's epic spoiler-filled interview with Lisa Joy, the writer-director of Reminiscence. This, you'll be glad to know, is completely spoiler-free. The rest is available only to spoiler special subscribers shameless plug shameless plug. And in the virtual podbooth, Chris and James are joined by Helen O'Hara and, making her full debut on the podcast, Katie Smith-Wong to discuss the greatest movie scenes involving snakes (involuntary shudder), talk about the week's movie news including yet another delay for Top Gun: Maverick, and review Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Annette, and the latest Cinderella. Oh, and with four people in the booth, The Three Fact Structure makes another welcome return. And we ask the biggest question of them all: what are the bottom five MCU films? The answers may shock you. Enjoy.

Celebrate Our Cinemas is a brand-new, limited-edition podcast series, brought to you by Empire in association with Meerkat Movies from Compare The Market. Each week, it sees Chris Hewitt sit down with a notable guest from the world of film and dig deep into their cinema-going history. What was the first film they remember seeing? What film made them laugh so hard that tears streamed down their face? What's their favourite cinema? And, most important of all, what's their cinematic snack of choice? In this penultimate episode, Chris chats with Russell and Ron Mael, the brothers better known as the art-pop band Sparks. They've had one heck of a year, cinematically speaking, being both the subjects of Edgar Wright's excellent documentary, The Sparks Brothers, and the co-writers of Leos Carax' new movie, Annette, which opens this week (September 3rd, to be precise) and simply has to be seen and heard to be believed. They're also huge film fans and dyed-in-the-wool cinephiles, having immersed themselves in all things silver screen since they were young, and in this chat they recall their early experiences, talk about the film that made them laugh the most (you will never guess it), and we get to the bottom of the big question: does Ron like nachos? Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast is a sad, sombre, reflective affair. Not because the Empire Podteam -- Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer -- are particularly maudlin about the prospect of discussing the week's movie news, including the revelation that The Matrix 4 is now called The Matrix Resurrections, or reviewing (with the help of newcomer Katie Smith-Wong) Candyman, The Nest, Vacation Friends, Sweet Girl, and Our Ladies. And the interviews aren't laced with melancholy either, as Mike Muncer talks to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II about his role in the rebootquel of Candyman, while Beth Webb has a good old natter with Jude Law about The Nest. No, the reason we're all a little sad is that this podcast marks the final fling, the last hurrah, the long goodbye of Empire's outgoing Editor-In-Chief, Terri White. She's leaving Empire after six glorious years in charge, and to mark the occasion we dedicate the whole of an especially engorged Listeners' Questions sections to Terri, who reveals all about her favourite covers, her biggest triumphs, her future plans, and which Sylvester Stallone characters she'd like to invite to a dinner party. There won't be a dry eye in the house. So, naturally, we'd like to dedicate this week's show to Terri. As Jonathan 'The Duke' Mardukas once said, see you in the next life.