The Empire Film Podcast

Because (some of) you demanded it, and because we probably won't have a lot of time to do so on this week's regular pod (what with saying goodbye to Terri White and all that), here it is: a podcast special in which Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and birthday boy Ben Travis gather in the virtual podbooth and have a breakdown while breaking down the exciting teaser trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. From discussion of many madcap theories to speculation about Spider-Man's OnlyFans page, it's the pod that has it all, and even attempts to answer the biggest question of them all: why is Tobey Maguire standing behind Ben? 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 will 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 week's episode, the amazing Simon Pegg -- star and co-writer of Spaced, Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End; and star of the modern Star Trek films, and the Mission: Impossible franchise, where he plays Benji Dunn -- is our guest, taking time out from his busy schedule filming Mission: Impossible 7 and new TV series The Undeclared War to tell Chris all about the films that shaped a young Pegg (no prizes for guessing that there's a Star Wars in there somewhere), his experiences in different cinemas across the world, how Ari Aster got inside his head, and that time he nearly killed Johnny Knoxville. It's a lot of fun, and we hope that you enjoy.

As a wise doctor once said, "we're in the endgame now." Particularly when it comes to The Walking Dead. The eleventh and final season of the iconic, groundbreaking show is set to premiere from Monday 23rd August, with new episodes dropping every week as a Star exclusive on Disney+, and that is an occasion so momentous that, once again, the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast teams have joined forces with Star on Disney+ to talk about it. So, in this very special crossover episode, Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Beth Webb pop into the virtual podbooth for an in-depth discussion about their hopes, fears, and dreams for the final season. Who will survive, and what will be left of them? And what about the characters on the show? But that's not all. In an exclusive interview, James sits down across Zoom with Angela Kang, the show's producer and co-writer of Acheron Part I and Acheron Part II, the first two episodes of this 24-episode run, and they have a conversation about sticking the landing. So sit back, relax, and enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt return from a short stint in Norn Iron, accent stronger than ever, for a fun episode in which he, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann play another round of the beloved The Three Fact Structure, talk about their favourite surgery scenes from the movies (spoilers abound, so tread carefully), discuss the week's movie news and, in a bumper reviews section that is the main reason why this week's episode is so darn long, cast their eyes over Censor, People Just Do Nothing: Big In Japan, Pig, Reminiscence, Boss Level, Beckett, and G.I. Joe Origins: Snake Eyes. Blimey! And that's not all, folks. Chris sits down with Asim Chaudhry, aka Chabuddy G from People Just Do Nothing, for a very funny interview including a dissection of the Pina Colada song (you know the one), while Helen has an in-depth chat with Niamh Algar, star of Prano Bailey-Bond's brilliant and mindbending horror, Censor. 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 will 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 were streaming down their face? What's their favourite cinema? And, perhaps most important of all, what's their snack of choice? In this week's episode, Chris has a fun chat with Asim Chaudhry, who once again plays the iconic Chabuddy G in People Just Do Nothing: Big In Japan, the big-screen spin-off from the beloved BBC sitcom. Asim tells Chris all about his formative cinematic experiences growing up in Hounslow, the time Paranormal Activity nearly got him in trouble with U.S. Customs, and he talks about the movie he thinks might just be the greatest of all time. Its identity may surprise you. Oh, and do be advised: there's some fairly adult language in this one, and a smidgen of literal toilet humour. Enjoy.

With Chris being off on.... *looks up the term* a 'ho-li-day', it's up to the lethally cunning Helen O'Hara and the consistently megalomaniacal James Dyer to hold down the fort alone, largely by dancing on the grave of the Three Fact Structure and plugging the Pilot TV podcast every third minute. Beyond that, though, Hell's Bells and Jimbo manage to re-cast the Discworld with members of the MCU and remake a number of 80s fantasies for the modern era (hypothetically, you understand - they haven't set up a studio). Plus they dive into this week's releases and give Free Guy, The Courier, and CODA the full Empire Podcast treatment. Not to mention the fact that Jodie Comer joins us on the podcast this week to chat all things Free Guy, while Uatu The Watcher (aka the legendary Mr Jeffrey Wright) steps away from the multiverse of possibilities to talk to us about What If? WHY ARE YOU STILL READING THIS? Download the pod and start listening!

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, for six weeks, Chris Hewitt will sit down with a notable guest form 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 were streaming down their face? What's their favourite cinema in the whole wide world? And, perhaps most important of all, what's their cinema-going snack of choice? In our second episode, Chris chats to David Arnold, the acclaimed composer of some of the finest film and television scores of the past couple of decades. From Casino Royale to Sherlock, he's long been one of the best in the business, and David took time out from working on A Circle Of Sound, a ten-movement work he composed to mark the reopening of The Royal Albert Hall, to walk down memory lane. So listen on for tales of the movies that moved David to become a composer, how he masterminded James Bond's musical reintroduction, and his beef with pick'n'mix. Regular listeners will know that David is a very funny man, and this is no exception. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees the podteam — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer — return to the virtual studio after last week's live show. But that doesn't mean that they're phoning it in, or Squadcasting it in. Far from it. Instead, this is a jam-packed, fun-filled show in which the three colleagues of such lethal cunning discuss the best and worst movie disguises, delve deep into the week's news (which includes speculation about the new Doctor Who, as if this is an episode of Pilot or something), and review Stillwater, Zola, The Boys From County Hell, Vivo, and The Last Letter From Your Lover. And on the interview front this week, you get two short and sweet, and slightly spoilery, chats with Matt Damon, star of Stillwater, and Felicity Jones, star of The Last Letter From Your Lover, and admirer of room service chips. 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, for the next six weeks, Chris Hewitt will 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 were streaming down their face? What’s their favourite cinema? And, perhaps most important of all, what’s their cinema going snack of choice? In our first episode, Chris chats to Olga Kurylenko, the star of Black Widow, Quantum Of Solace, and The Death Of Stalin, about her moviegoing memories. From her tales of growing up in the Soviet Union to discovering the joys of cinema after moving to Paris, it’s an interview that’s full of surprises. You’ll never guess which movie she’s seen most. Believe us. Enjoy.

Aaron Eckhart has spent much of his career fighting not to be typecast as the all-American hero, what with his blond hair, blue eyes and chin that could level mountains. And he's very much succeeded in that quest with his new movie, Wander, in which he plays a paranoid private eye-turned-podcaster who stumbles upon what could potentially be a vast conspiracy. He's scuzzy, nervy, unpredictable, and a million miles away from films like The Dark Knight and The Core. And, as Chris Hewitt discovered when he chatted to Eckhart on Zoom recently, that's just how the actor likes it. So listen on as Eckhart talks about his process, how he likes to work with directors, what it's like being directed by Clint Eastwood, Sean Penn, and Steven Soderbergh (to name but three), and how he bonded with his Wander co-star, and fellow Two-Face, Tommy Lee Jones. Two things of note: Eckhart was in his car, and on his phone, so bear that in mind. And Wander is out now, to rent or buy, wherever you get your PVOD films. Enjoy.

This week's (belated, so sorry about that) Empire Podcast is our first live show in aaaaaaaaages, as we headed to Kings Place earlier in the week to record, at long last, our 450th episode, in front of a socially-distanced, diligently-masked but deeply supportive crowd. How long had it been since we were meant to record it? Well, this episode also doubles as our 475th episode, which should give you some idea. (25 weeks, in case it wasn't clear.) But it was absolutely worth the wait, as Edgar Wright, director of new music documentary The Sparks Brothers, popped his live show cherry and brought his chums Sparks along for the ride; while David Thewlis, the actor-turned-author, showed up to talk about his new novel, Shooting Martha. And on either side of that, Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, for the last time, our soon to be former Editor-In-Chief, Terri White, for a typically raucous live show, featuring movie news chat, reviews of The Suicide Squad, Limbo, The Sparks Brothers, and Jungle Cruise, an extended audience Q&A, a Three Fact Structure for the ages, and an actual ghost. Thanks for everything, Terri. It's been a blast.

It's another triple whammy of tremendous guestitude on this week's Empire Podcast, as we're visited by three of our favourite actresses. First up, Chris Hewitt and Vanessa Kirby have a meeting of sleep-addled minds on an early morning Zoom call as they discuss Vanessa's new movie, The World To Come, and her plans to outdo Tom Cruise with an epic motorcycle stunt. Then, Dan Jolin chats with Vicky Krieps, star of M. Night Shyamalan's Old, about how working on a beach isn't all that. And finally, Chris comes face to face with Olga Kurylenko, special surprise star of a recent comic book-based blockbuster, about how she managed to get a big role in one of the biggest films of the year without even her mum knowing. This one is spoiler-filled, and is right at the end of the show, so if you haven't seen [FILM IN QUESTION], you won't have to hurriedly skip on. For the rest of you, enjoy. Then, Chris is joined in the virtual podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and the aforementioned Dan Jolin (albeit briefly) for discussions of the hottest, sweatiest movies, dissections of the week's movie news (which mainly means James and Helen banging on about Dune, again), and reviews of Werewolves Within, Old, The World To Come, and Riders Of Justice, the latest movie to prove that you don't have to be Mads Mikkelsen to work here. But it helps. Enjoy.

There's an old saying in EmpirePodcastland: while the Chris is away, the Three Colleagues Of Such Lethal Cunning will bang on about fantasy books, basketball, fantasy books, Star Trek, and even more fantasy books. Which is precisely what happens this week. With Chris Hewitt elsewhere, Helen O'Hara steps into the hosting chair and, along with Amon Warmann and James Dyer, bangs on about fantasy books, basketball, fantasy books, Star Trek, and even more fantasy books. They do also talk about movies, answering a listener question about going on holiday with horror characters, discussing the week's movie news, and reviewing Fear Street Part 3: 1666, Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), and The Forever Purge. While John Nugent drops by to dribble his opinions on Space Jam: A New Legacy into the goal-basket. And, just in case you thought you'd managed to escape that infernal Hewitt, he pops up to interview both our guests this week: ace composer, and possessor of the driest sense of humour in the land, David Arnold, who tells Chris all about his new composition for the Royal Albert Hall's 150th birthday celebrations; and Sam Richardson, the wonderfully funny and all-round just gosh darn nice star of Werewolves Within. Enjoy.

With the eleventh and final season of The Walking Dead just around the corner, we’re getting all kinds of excited to see how the groundbreaking, landmark AMC show brings the whole bloody affair to a close. But first, we figured it would be time to look back at the previous ten seasons, which are now available to stream on STAR on Disney+. And so the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast teams have decided to join forces with STAR on Disney+ to bring you this very special episode in which Chris Hewitt, James Dyer and Beth Webb go through the show season-by-season, talking about their favourite characters, moments and, yes, deaths. Lots of deaths. So many deaths. Well, it is The Walking Dead, after all. As a result, this is liberally stuffed with spoilers, so tread carefully if you don't want to know how [REDACTED] goes out. And [REDACTED]. Oh, and [REDACTED] for good measure. So, whether you’re a Rick Grimes megafan, or you’re heavily invested in Carol’s progression from meek survivor to Queen Of The Zombie Apocalypse; whether you think Negan deserves a second chance, or you can’t get enough of Michonne; and whether or not you’ll riot if Daryl dies, this is the podcast for you. So sit back, relax, and enjoy The Walking Dead, an Empire + Pilot TV podcast special with STAR on Disney+.

OK, full disclosure. If you saw the name 'William Shatner' in the episode title and thought, 'yes! I bet the Empire Podcast asked him loads of questions about Star Trek and Columbo and Airplane! II: The Sequel and Boston Legal and generally being awesome!', then we should tell you that while that was the plan, sometimes plans can go awry. So yes, William Shatner is this week's guest on the Empire Podcast. And yes, Chris Hewitt had a lovely time talking to a living legend. And yes, they even talk about films every now and again, including Shatner's latest, Senior Moment. But by and large, it's a rollercoaster ride of an interview that mainly focuses on the various injuries that Shatner has suffered in his life, and his appetite for derring-do and excitement, even at the age of 90. We had a blast. We hope you will too, and forgive the lack of Trekkery. Elsewhere in this episode, with Helen O'Hara popping in briefly from her swanky one-room Cannes Film Festival sweatbox, James Dyer and Ben Travis join Chris for film-related fun. They talk about the week's movie news, they discuss which movie sets they regret not being able to visit thanks to Covid, and they review Black Widow and the first two parts of Netflix's horror trilogy, Fear Street. And they also talk about the football for a bit which, given James' antipathy towards the beautiful game, goes about as well as you might expect. Enjoy. It's coming home. Podcast's coming home.

On this week's Empire Podcast, it's finally time to get freaky as Christopher Landon's excellent body-swap slasher movie, Freaky, hits UK cinemas. And what better way to celebrate than by listening to Chris Hewitt's chat with that movie's stars, Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton, in which they come up with other horror movie mash-ups? Annie Halloween, anyone? Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they talk about their favourite performances in legacy sequels, discuss the week's movie news, from Transformers casting to the start of shooting on the Black Panther sequel, and review Thomas Vinterberg's Another Round, Freaky, and The Tomorrow War. And you won't be surprised to learn that they lose the run of themselves over Timothy Olyphant. Again. Enjoy.

This week, Fast 9 (the name may change, depending on where you live) is finally unleashed in cinemas after a delay of over a year. So that loud noise you may have heard during the last couple of weeks was almost certainly Fast & Furious megafan Ben Travis yelling, "MAGNET PLANE!". So when the chance came up to talk to Fast 9 star, Nathalie Emmanuel, we had no choice but to send Ben, and the two have a fun chat about fast cars, furious family, and Emmanuel's role in the upcoming Army Of The Dead prequel, Army Of Thieves. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Ben joins Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer for an episode in which The Three Fact Structure is Fast & Furious-centric (although not at first), the listener question makes us all nostalgic for the year 1989, the team talks about the week's movie news, from new Transformers films to Snow White casting news, and they review Fast 9, Supernova, Sweat, and Kevin Hart's Fatherhood. And we ask the biggest question of them all: just who is Sonof Dalton? Enjoy.

In the second half of this week's genuinely bumper-sized, jam-packed Empire Podcast, the great Jimmy Smits jumps onto SquadCast with Ben Travis and Chris Hewitt, talking to them about his role in Jon M. Chu's adaptation of In The Heights, his New York heritage, and his skill with a lightsaber. Which you may even be able to hear. And, with Godzilla Vs Kong hitting DVD, Blu-ray and 4K this week, we bring you the opening ten minutes of our spoiler special chat with the film's director, Adam Wingard. Either side of those, Chris and Ben are joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss the week's movie news, including an epic chat about Greenland: Migration that you might want to skip if you haven't seen Greenland, and review In The Heights, Ben Wheatley's In The Earth, Pixar's Luca, Paul W.S. Anderson's Monster Hunter, and Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. Phew! Enjoy.

Because this week's episode of the Empire Podcast has more guests than Glastonbury, we've taken the rare step of dividing it into two parts. In the first part, Milla Jovovich tells Helen O'Hara all about reteaming with her Resident Evil director, and husband, Paul W.S. Anderson, on the sci-fi actioner, Monster Hunter. And then Chris Hewitt catches up with Reece Shearsmith, and they have a good old natter about working in the middle of a pandemic, Bob Monkhouse, and Reece's terrifying turn in Ben Wheatley's new movie, In The Earth. Then Chris is joined in the virtual podbooth by Helen, James Dyer, and Ben Travis for a one heck of a half-episode that takes in The Three Fact Structure (ghosts! fountains! weddings!), and this week's listener question, while the pod-team struggles heroically not to get bogged down in a discussion of the week's big talking point: Batman's prowess in a certain branch of the sexual arts. Do they succeed in that heroic struggle? What do you think? Enjoy.

There are no fewer than *five* guests on this week's show as David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed stop by to talk about the second series of Intelligence, while Florian Zeller and Sir Anthony Hopkins put down their Oscars to tell us all about The Father (an interview during which Chris and Sir Anthony stage an impromptu Edge-off). And John Krasinski talks all things A Quiet Place Part II in a sneak look at our spoiler special interview. All that plus the usual move news and nonsense as Helen (who's in the driving seat while Chris spends the week lying on a beach earning 20%), James and Ben attempt to bring some chaos to the order of this week's films.

Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are two men on a mission. And that mission is to enter the murky world of podcasting with their new show, The Friendship Onion, in which the two former Hobbits, and friends of two decades' standing, chat about whatever the heck they want to. And if that just happens to be Lord Of The Rings-centric, then so be it. The Friendship Onion is a ton of fun, as is this interview, in which Chris Hewitt and James Dyer talk to Dom and Billy about all manner of things, from the best apple to how to handle a rattlesnake in your living room, and the biggest question of all: have you ever texted someone a GIF of yourself? And the result was so much fun, and so hard to edit, frankly, that we decided to bring you the full 39-minute experience. Enjoy.

It's another bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast this week, with three incredible guests all popping in for a virtual podchat. With Loki about to debut on Disney+, we were delighted to welcome that show's director, and long-time listener to the pod, Kate Herron, who tells Chris Hewitt and Helen O'Hara as much about the show as she can without Marvel security guards having a word. Then Chris has a natter with the wonderful Jodie Turner-Smith about her role as Anne Boleyn in the three-part Channel 5 drama that aired this week (still available on catch up, folks!). And last but not least Chris chats with Cillian Murphy, star of A Quiet Place Part II, about not sending emails to John Krasinski. Then Chris is joined in the virtual podbooth by Helen, Ben Travis and Amon Warmann for a fun episode in which The Three Fact Structure takes an unexpected turn; they discuss cinema's best love at first sight moments; have a chat about the week's movie news (mainly the size of Chris Hemsworth's arms, in fairness), and review A Quiet Place Part II, After Love, and Dream Horse. Not, as Chris insists on calling it, Fish Pie. Enjoy! And if you do, leave a nice review and rating for us on iTunes. Go on, go on, go on... @ChrisHewitt @HelenLOHara @AmonWarmann @BenSTravis

The wonderful Mark Strong returns to the pod this week, telling Chris Hewitt all about why he jumped at the chance to co-star alongside Emmas Stone and Thompson in Cruella, his greenscreen experiences, and how he became the voice of the government's Covid-19 protocol advertisements during the pandemic. Either side of that, Chris is joined in the virtual podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for an episode in which they revisit last week's question, and put a small screen spin on it; discuss the week's movie news, including the Eternals trailer, the acquisition of MGM by Amazon, and Henry Cavill starring in a Highlander reboot; and review Cruella, First Cow, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and Surge. Oh, and they ask the biggest question of them all: what, exactly, is SPUMC? Enjoy. @ChrisHewitt @HelenLOHara @JamesCDyer

Excelsior! Just as we did with WandaVision, we've gathered the Empire Podteam — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann and Ben Travis — to talk about their favourite moments from the most recent Disney+ MCU show, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. It's all here: talk of that bloody ending to episode four, the heartwrenching conversation at the, erm, heart of episode 5, and that bit in episode 2 with the marching band. But that's not all. As well as four giggling idiots, the show's head writer and executive producer, Malcolm Spellman, also weighs in, talking to Chris about some of the key decisions that helped shape the further adventures of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes. One quick thing: while this isn't a spoiler special (hence its presence here in our regular feed), we thoroughly recommend that you watch all six episodes of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier before listening, or else it won't make a lick of sense. And will spoil the show for you. And with that... enjoy. @ChrisHewitt @HelenLOHara @BenSTravis @AmonWarmann

Two ruddy legends pay a visit to the good ship HMS Empire Podcast this week, both having a good old natter with Chris Hewitt (@ChrisHewitt) about their new movies. First, Chris Rock talks about switching from comedy to horror with Spiral: From The Book Of Saw, how it was his brainchild, his desire to direct again, and what classic film he'd love to try his hand at next. Then Sigourney Weaver logs onto her iPad and tells Chris all about My New York Year, in which she plays a formidable publisher who forms a touching relationship with a new young staff member, played by Margaret Qualley, her experiences on the forthcoming Avatar sequels, and what it was that compelled her to visit Greenwich back in the day. Meantime, Chris is joined in the virtual booth by Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara), James Dyer (@jamescdyer), and Ben Travis (@benstravis) for an episode that takes in a fun bout of The Three Fact Structure, sees them discuss the greatest characters to join a franchise after the first instalment, talk about the week's movie news, from Attack The Block 2 to the latest Knives Out 2 casting announcements, and review Zack Snyder's Army Of The Dead, Spiral: From The Book Of Saw, Billie Piper's Rare Beasts, and My New York Year. They also apologise profusely to Michael Palin. Enjoy. And if you do enjoy, do try to leave us a lovely review and five star rating. Thanks!

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is one of those jam-packed, bumper-sized affairs. Largely because we have three incredible directors guesting on the show. First up is Mike Rianda, whose animated marvel The Mitchells Vs The Machines, is one of our favourite movies of the year thus far. He talks to Chris Hewitt and Ben Travis about his experiences making the movie, providing a few voices along the way, and even reveals that he listens to the pod. We're so sorry, Mike. Then, Chris has a chat with the French filmmaker Alexandre Aja about his new sci-fi thriller, Oxygen, a high-concept flick in which Melanie Laurent wakes up in a futuristic pod with no memory of how she got there. And last but not least, Chris has a slightly spoilerific chat with Sound Of Metal's brilliant director, Darius Marder, ahead of that film's release into UK cinemas next week. This is also a preview of their spoiler special interview, which will soon be available to subscribers. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they discuss the week's movie news, from an unrecognisable Leonardo DiCaprio to the latest casting news for Knives Out 2; review Oxygen, Those Who Wish Me Dead, and Fried Barry; and in a listener question inspired by The Mitchells Vs The Machines, discuss which directors would become giant faces on their own personal Mount Rushmore. Enjoy.

Doug Liman's Locked Down, the romantic comedy/heist thriller he shot in London during lockdown last year, hits digital download on May 10, so that gave us the excuse we've been looking for to finally post the interview Chris Hewitt did with Liman a few months ago. In it, they talk about how Doug flew himself to England, the challenges of shooting in lockdown, and Steven Knight's incredible, never-ending script. Our second guest this week is the wonderful Emily Mortimer, returning for the second time in a few months, to tell Chris all about how she handled making the move to directing with the excellent new BBC One series, The Pursuit Of Love, based on the novel by Nancy Mitford. This also features a cameo from Emily's new puppy, Etta. You can't see her, but trust us: maximum cuteness was reached. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Beth Webb, and James Dyer for a surprising round of The Three Fact Structure, a discussion of the week's movie news, and they review Mortal Kombat, Cowboys, and Things Heard And Seen. And in the listener question section, they talk about how excited they are to finally be returning to cinemas. May 17 looms ever larger, folks. Can't wait. Enjoy.

Wild Mountain Thyme, the Ireland-set rom-com that stars Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan, finally arrives on these shores this week, several months after the trailer first set the interwebs ablaze with much speculation and spoofing of the pair's Irish accents. And on this week's show, Chris Hewitt talks to Blunt and Dornan about the movie, about their accents, about working with Christopher Walken, and more in a fun interview that -- full disclosure -- has some sound issues. Still, we hope you'll have a blast. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they talk about the greatest movie nerbs (or nerds, if you will) and, philosophically, the very nature of nerbery (or nerdery) itself. They also take a look at the Oscar results, talk about a potential Captain America 4, and then review the newly-minted Best Picture winner, Nomadland, next year's Best Animated Feature winner The Mitchells Vs The Machines, Wild Mountain Thyme, and Michael B. Jordan actioner, Without Remorse. Meanwhile, Chris is wildly inconsistent in his views on pooping into buckets. Baffled? You won't be. Probably. Enjoy.

Alan Silvestri is one of the finest composers working in Hollywood today. We could fill up this little box of blurb just by listing the movies he's worked on. Films like The Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Films like Predator and Ready Player One and Captain America: The First Avenger. And almost every single Robert Zemeckis film, from Romancing The Stone to The Witches. Naturally, that includes Back To The Future, and Silvestri is deeply involved in Back To The Future: The Musical, which is due to come to the London stage in August. So, just ahead of an event called Back To The Future: From Screen To Stage, which is going to be on the BFI YouTube page at 7pm on April 29th, we jumped at the chance to get him onto the pod and talk about writing new songs and score for that musical, and his illustrious career. So sit back, relax, and dive into 90 minutes of pure joy as Silvestri tells Chris Hewitt and Amon Warmann all about working with Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, Marvel, and more. And yes, we talked about Portals. For quite a bit, actually. Enjoy.

Aubrey Plaza, arguably the owner of the best deadpan delivery in the business, gets to put her skills to the test on this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, talking to Chris Hewitt about her new film Black Bear, about being interviewed by Adam Sandler, life after Parks And Recreation, and much, much more. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and -- occupying the revolving fourth chair for the first time -- Vanity Fair's Joanna Robinson for a fun episode in which The Three Fact Structure throws up some surprises. They also discuss the greatest spoilers they ever saw whilst visiting the set of a movie, talk about the week's movie news including the trailer for Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, and review Black Bear, Run, and Antebellum. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast is a) the right file, after last week's mix-up (if you still haven't heard last week's show, it's up now for your listening pleasure) and b) jam-packed with poddy goodness. John Nugent returns to the podfold after an extended absence, and has a brief chat with Wolfwalkers directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart about life on the awards circuit and more. Our second guest this week is 80s movie legend, Steve Guttenberg, who can be found in new movie Original Gangster. He chats to Chris Hewitt about dogs, Police Academy, and being a Beatle. And the Fab Four also dominate the rest of this week's pod, as Chris is joined by John, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a particularly shambolic episode of The Three Fact Structure, discuss the greatest dream sequences in movies, review Promising Young Woman, Thunder Force (complete with spoilers, so be careful), and Love And Monsters. They also talk about the week's movie news, and come up with a brand new title for the fifth (or fourth, depending on where you stand) Indiana Jones movie. Enjoy.

On an episode of the Empire Podcast so uncharacteristically short it could qualify for inclusion in Sam Clements' 90 Minutes Or Less Film Fest, Chris Hewitt sits down with Riz Ahmed and Darius Marder, the star and director of the phenomenal Sound Of Metal, to talk about how they pulled off one of the year's best dramas (and, because it's about a drummer, drumas). And then Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to talk about more Easter egg shenanigans, discuss which movie monsters could do with a hug (which then segues into a chat about the best movie hugs), take a look at the week's movie news including a boatload of trailers, and review Sound Of Metal, Chaos Walking, and time loop comedy Palm Springs, which may just be the pod's film of the year so far. Oh, and because James had a hard out (steady), The Three Fact Structure has gone AWOL this week. Will it return again? Who knows? Either way, blame James. It's what we do. Enjoy.

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier may be flying high on Disney+ right now, but there's still a lot of love and affection for its immediate MCU predecessor, WandaVision, at Empire Towers. And so we asked the show's head writer, Jac Schaeffer, to sit down with Chris Hewitt and talk about the creative process behind some of the show's best and brightest bits. And that's not all — Chris is also joined by Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and Amon Warmann to look back on the show now that it's completed its run, and discuss their favourite moments, from //that// ending to Drunk Vision. But what is a podcast, if not geek love persevering? Flourish!

It's been a while since we've had a bumper, jam-packed, three-guest edition of the Empire Podcast. But, what with the long weekend coming up, we figured now would be the time to give you something to really delve into. Also, we booked loads of guests by accident. Oops! Will happen again. Those guests are: Kemp Powers, the co-director of Soul and Oscar-nominated writer of One Night In Miami; Francis Lee, director of Ammonite; and some guy called Orlando Bloom, star of Retaliation. They talk to Chris Hewitt, Terri White, and then Chris again about their latest projects, and much, much more. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis for huge revelations about their Easter egg consumption methods, discussion of the greatest character resurrections in the movies, much chat about the week's news, including Knives Out 2 and 3, the Obi-Wan Kenobi cast announcement, and The Suicide Squad trailer, and reviews of Minari, Godzilla Vs Kong, The Mauritanian, and Bad Trip. Phew. So, open an Easter egg however you want to, sit back, relax, and enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is going all out for awards. Yes, with voting about to commence on this year's British Podcast Awards entries, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer turn on the waterworks and get to grips with some of the big issues that awards judges like to hear being debated on shows like this. You know, big questions like, 'what's your perfect Sunday?', 'how many Game Of Thrones spin-off shows are there?' and 'how many stars does Orlando Bloom's new movie, Retaliation, warrant?' Give it up, other movie podcasts. The award is in the bag. Also on this week's show, our fearless leader Terri White has a lovely chat with yer actual Kate Winslet about her new movie, Ammonite, and Chris natters away with Eddie Izzard, star and co-writer of the eve-of-WWII thriller, Six Minutes To Midnight. Both are worthy of your time. And, indeed, awards. Oh, and at long last, a mere year after it was first introduced to the podcast, The Three Fact Structure justifies its existence with a fact that will blow your mind and destroy your ears. And if that's not worthy of a big old gong, we don't know what is. Enjoy.

Now that Sam 'Falcon' Wilson and Bucky 'Winter Soldier' Barnes have ditched that do-gooder Steve Rogers and struck out on their own (well, together, but you get the gist) in the new MCU series, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, on Disney+, we decided that it was time to give Steve's two BFFs their day in the podcast sun. So, in this very special episode, Chris Hewitt chats to Kari Skogland, director of all six episodes of the show, and Malcolm Spellman, the show's head writer and executive producer, about the reaction to the first episode, and what we might expect to see, not just ahead of the second episode on Friday, but the rest of the series to come. And then Chris is joined in the virtual podbooth by Helen O'Hara and Amon Warmann to talk all things Sam and Buck past, present, and future. Do be warned, though — while this isn't a spoiler special, we do talk about the events of the first episode (and all of Sam and Bucky's previous appearances in the MCU), so you might want to familiarise yourself first. All you have to do is watch all three Captain America movies, Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Ant-Man, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, before checking out the first episode of the show we're calling FAWS. The work of a jiffy. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees father-son duo Liam Neeson and Micheal Richardson, stars of next week's Made In Italy, sit down with Chris Hewitt for a soul-searching interview about how close to home that film hit for them. But, because it's us, there's some nonsense about accents and football too. Chris also has a chat with writer-director John Lee Hancock about his new thriller, The Little Things, which brings together acting powerhouses Denzel Washington, Jared Leto, and Rami Malek. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis to exchange nuggets of film information in The Three Fact Structure, talk about the longest films that they love and their strategies for sitting through bum-numbing behemoths, discuss the week's movie news including the Oscar nominations and the sad passing of Yaphet Kotto, and review Zack Snyder's Justice League, The Little Things, and Infinitum: Subject Unknown. Enjoy.

On this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, we're virtually visited by the true Nerb Emperor, Joe Manganiello, who tells Chris Hewitt all about his new movie, Archenemy, gives us a little tour of his geeked-out office, talks Dungeons & Dragons, and his plans to play Galactus. OK, the last one was maybe not so serious. Chris also chats this week with Shaka King, director of the hard-hitting drama, Judas And The Black Messiah, which tells the story of the murder of Black Panther leader, Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), and his betrayal at the hands of fellow Panther, William O'Neal (Lakeith Stanfield). Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a quick burst of The Three Fact Structure, a chat about the best examples of recasting in movies, discussion of the week's movie news including the BAFTA nominations, and reviews of Judas And The Black Messiah, the Russo Brothers' first post-MCU movie, Cherry, and Yes Day. It's all happening, folks! Enjoy.

It's a good time to be Eddie Murphy right now. After taking a few years off, he returned in style with 2019's Dolemite Is My Name, and this week reprises one of his most famous roles, as Prince (now King) Akeem in Coming 2 America, the long-awaited sequel to Coming To America. And now the man who is, quite simply, one of the biggest movie stars of all time, is a guest on this week's Empire Podcast, chatting to Chris Hewitt about returning to Zamunda, prosthetics, how the pandemic affected his plans to return to stand-up, visiting the set of Do The Right Thing, and much, much more. It's all been leading to this moment, Eddie. You're welcome. Ahem. This week, Chris also visits the set of Matthew Modine's new movie (virtually, of course) to talk to the actor about all manner of things, including rocking up as an action hero of sorts in Wrong Turn, the reboot of the Wrong Turn franchise. It's a gas. And then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and Amon Warmann for a fun (no, really) and fairly short (no, really really) edition of The Three Fact Structure. They also take a walk down memory lane as they recall their very first interviews, discuss the week's movie news, and review Coming 2 America, Raya And The Last Dragon, and Moxie. Enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt go on a rollercoaster ride as he has a natter about Meryl Streep, Eddie Murphy, and ice-skating uphill with Wesley Snipes, star of next week's big comedy release, Coming 2 America, and then pivots to talking docs and directing with Alex Winter, the former Bill S. Preston, Esq., about his new movie, Zappa, which tells the tale of Frank Zappa's life thanks to unpredecented archive access. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Beth Webb for a fun episode in which they talk about the best spaceship landings and space dockings in movies, discuss the week's movie news including the new title for Spider-Man 3 and the launch of Paramount Plus, and review The United States Vs Billie Holiday, Dead Pigs, and Archenemy. Oh, and James makes his latest bid to derail the wildly popular and beloved segment, The Three Fact Structure. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast is brought to you even remotely in lockdown than usual (all will be revealed within), as Chris Hewitt convenes over Squadcast with Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for another, we're told, fun-filled episode. As well as talking about Helen's new book, Women Vs Hollywood, and a particular Empire milestone for Chris, our three colleagues of such lethal cunning talk about the week's movie news, review I Care A Lot, Willy's Wonderland and The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things, and answer a listener question about bad guys who get away with it. Speaking of which, Chris has a lovely chat with Rosamund Pike, who gives a wicked performance in the wonderful I Care A Lot (although be warned, there are spoilers lurking within), and who becomes the first guest to appear on the show twice during the global pandemic. Hopefully next time she's on, life will be back to something approaching normality. And our other guest this week is also a returnee to the show, as Hugh Bonneville talks to Amon Warmann about playing Roald Dahl in the new Sky Cinema Original film, To Olivia. They also have a natter about Jingle Jangle, and Paddington 3, of course. In fact, there's much Paddington chat in this week's episode. Not all of it wholesome. You may want to cover the little bear's ears. Enjoy.

We may have missed George C. Wolfe, director of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, when it first hit Netflix just before Christmas, but with the film one of the major awards contenders, we put that right in this week's episode, as Amon Warmann sits down for a chat with him about the movie, its impact, and working with the late Chadwick Boseman. Our second guest this week is the wonderful British actress, Juno Temple, who talks to Chris Hewitt about her Justin Timberlake experience on the new film, Palmer, and much more besides. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis for another round of The Three Fact Structure, discussion of the week's movie news including a tribute to Christopher Plummer and a breakdown of the big Super Bowl trailers, and they review News Of The World, Palmer, and get all kinds of giddy about Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar. And they also discuss the thorny, and topical, issue of being able to separate the art from the artist in this week's Listener Question section. Enjoy.

Happy birthday to us! It's a landmark episode for the Empire Podcast, folks, as we go 450 up. Due to the pandemic, this episode isn't a live show, as had been originally intended, but that will happen, we promise you. But it's a cracking episode, as Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Helen O'Hara take a little trip down memory lane to recall the early days of the pod. Then they also discuss the best stock market movies, indulge in a lightning round of the Three Fact Structure, discuss the week's movie news, including the Golden Globes nominations, and review Greenland, Malcolm And Marie, and Bliss. Our guests this week are two fantastic British directors. First, Kevin Macdonald, director of Life In A Day 2020, tells Chris all about how he made the ultimate crowd-sourced movie, and then old pod friend Paul Greengrass has a natter with Chris about his new movie, News Of The World. And if you've ever wanted to hear Paul Greengrass quote Step Brothers, this is the pod for you! Enjoy.

The new issue of Empire, curated by Edgar Wright, features a celebration of the type of amazing movie-going moment that can shake an audience to its very foundations. It features contributions from some of the biggest names in the business, and is so special that we decided that we would only do a companion podcast if we could make it just as special. We think we've succeeded. Join your host, Chris Hewitt, for this incredible THREE-HOUR behemoth, in which Edgar Wright (in London) and his good friend, Mr. Quentin Tarantino (in Tel Aviv) get together over Zoom and natter about movies until the cows come home, or their batteries run out. They talk about the movie moments that moved them; how they, as writer-directors, cultivated those moments in the likes of Shaun Of The Dead, Django Unchained, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood; and the importance of subversion on a massive level. But that's not all. The second half of the pod is a dizzying back-and-forth in which the duo dive deep into the annals of British cinema. What, exactly, is The British Book Club? How is Martin Scorsese involved? And just who did direct the Clint Eastwood vehicle (and vehicle), Pink Cadillac? For the answers to these questions, and more, listen to find out. Enjoy.

In case you haven't already bought (and read) this month's issue of Empire magazine, which is a colossal celebration of those incredible movie moments that are best enjoyed with an audience in an actual cinema, Edgar Wright -- who orchestrated the whole shebang -- drops by this episode to tell Chris Hewitt all about it. They talk about Edgar's status as Empire's new unpaid intern, the decision to push Last Night In Soho back by a few months, his upcoming music documentary about Sparks, and how this issue caused him to build a very unexpected bridge with one of Hollywood's biggest names. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis for an even more raucous than usual episode (if you're a fan of double, or even single, entendre, this is the episode for you!), as they exchange nuggets of info in The Three Fact Structure; recall their favourite home viewing experiences; discuss the week's movie news; review Synchronic, The Dig, and Assassins; and beat a brand-new joke into the ground, Empire Podcast-style. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast goes Down Under -- metaphorically speaking, of course -- as Chris Hewitt has fun-filled chats with two wonderful Antipodean actors. First off, there's Isla Fisher, the Australian star of Blithe Spirit, who tells Chris all about her affinity for accents, Hot Rod, and working with Judi Dench, while Chris makes an impromptu purchase. Then Chris has a chat, and a Kurt Russell quiz, with Baby Done star, the New Zealander comedian and actor, Rose Matafeo. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, for the first time this year, Amon Warmann, as they exchange facts in The Three Fact Structure, talk about actors and directors who deserve a McConaissance, discuss the week's movie news including that big MCU rumour, and review Baby Done, MLK/FBI, Outside The Wire, and The White Tiger. A jam-packed show, and no mistake. Crikey! Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast features two interviews with fast-rising British stars, both of whom play icons in films released this week. First off, Chris Hewitt has a chat with actor-musician Johnny Flynn about his experiences playing David Bowie in Stardust, and later has a natter with Kingsley Ben-Adir about playing Malcolm X in Regina King's sensational directorial debut, One Night In Miami. Then, Chris is joined in the virtual podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss their favourite movie (and real-life) teachers, talk about the week's movie news (this episode was recorded before that rumour about a certain character returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and review One Night In Miami, Stardust, Blithe Spirit, and the first two episodes of WandaVision. In fact, there's quite a bit of TV chat on this week's show, but we're pretty sure we haven't been infiltrated by the Pilot TV podcast. Yet. Enjoy.

We're back! Despite popular demand, the Empire Podcast returns, refreshed after its Christmas break, and ready to tackle 2021. Or, at the very least, trip up 2021 when it isn't looking. In the first episode of the year, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis discuss what they got up to over the long break, and their favourite film-related Christmas presents. They also play another round of The Three Fact Structure, answer listener questions, discuss the latest movie news, and review Sylvie's Love, Pieces Of A Woman, and We Can Be Heroes. Oh, and they play a brand new quiz — Wolff or Wolff — that will soon be sweeping the nation. Sweeping! And our guest this week is the geektastic Wil Wheaton. In a long, and often very frank, interview with Chris, Wil talks about his film, Rent-A-Pal, takes a walk back down Star Trek and Stand By Me memory lane, and talks about Stephen King without treading on the Kingcast's toes. Honest. We should also point out that this conversation touches on topics like emotional abuse and trauma, so be advised. And with that in mind, do please... enjoy.

And so, as the worst year in living memory draws to a close, Team Empire gathers together (virtually, at least) to have a good old natter about it from a cinematic point of view. In this bumper-sized example of 2020 vision, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and Terri White answer listener questions about the year that was, talk about their personal highlights (and lowlights) in the face of the Covid pandemic that rocked the world and has posed such a huge threat to cinemas around the world, discuss the movies that they loved, and then run down Team Empire's top 20 films of the year. And we wanted to thank you so much for continuing to listen to and support the Empire Podcast (and our spoiler specials, if you subscribe to those). This year, more than ever, it's meant so much to us, and we hope to continue to repay you with some great pods in 2021. Which, we can only hope, is a better year for all of us. Happy New Year, listeners! Enjoy.

Part two of the final Empire Podcast (special episodes notwithstanding) of 2020 sees the podteam of Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer discussing the week's movie news (including an update on at least one of The Hollywood Chrises), and reviewing Wonder Woman 1984, Soul, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and The Midnight Sky. Chris also sits down for a fun, if slightly audio-compromised, chat with Ma Rainey's Black Bottom stars Colman Domingo, Michael Potts, and Glynn Turman, who talk about getting involved in the August Wilson adaptation, their chemistry together, and working with Chadwick Boseman on what would prove to be his final film. We're back on January 8th, folks. Review Of The Year will be up next week in our stead. Have a very happy holidays, everyone!