The Empire Film Podcast

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees the team swap Kings Place, where we recorded last week's triumphant 550th episode, for the podbooth once more... and quickly yearn for air conditioning. Inbetween melting down (in the case of our equipment, quite literally), Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and Sophie Butcher discuss franchises that went on too long, have a crack at the week's movie news, and review Women Talking, Magic Mike's Last Dance, Blue Jean, and Your Place Or Mine. Frankly, if your place has working air con, we're in. On the guest front, Amon Warmann chats to M. Night Shyamalan, director of Knock At The Cabin, about twists and basketball, and Ian Freer sits down with Felix Kammerer, the Austrian actor who is the star of the 14-times BAFTA-nominated German sensation, All Quiet On The Western Front. The road to episode 600 starts here, folks. Enjoy!

Episode 550 is here! To celebrate the latest Empire Podcast landmark, we once again staged a live show at Kings Place, London, and now here is that show, reassembled in the correct order and with the really naughty bits cut out (to see those, the live stream of the show is still available to watch via kings place.co.uk for the next two weeks!). And it was a belter, as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and James Dyer took to the stage in front of a packed crowd of loyal listeners, and chatted about the week's movie news, reviewed EO, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, The Whale, Knock At The Cabin, and Saint Omer, and answered a ton of listener questions. But that's not all: a landmark episode deserves a landmark line-up of guests, and we didn't disappoint, with Aftersun director Charlotte Wells and her young star, Frankie Corio, joining James and Helen for a chat about the BAFTA-nominated belter; director Asif Kapadia showed up to talk to Chris about Kapadia's new film, Creature (and NOT Liverpool Football C

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast features more Oscar nominees than... well, not the Oscars themselves, that would be ridiculous. But certainly more Oscan nominees than you could shake a golden stick at. First, Chris Hewitt has a chat with Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson, directors of Best Animated Feature frontrunner, Pinocchio (not that one). Then, Alex Godfrey gets deep with Best Actress nominee, Michelle Williams, as she tells him about how she played Steven Spielberg's mum for Steven Spielberg in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans. And then Dan Jolin Zooms in for a chat with The Whale director Darren Aronofsky, and his star, possible Best Actor favourite Brendan Fraser. Plus! Either side of those chats, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss Paul Mescal's chances of being the new Bond (and Chris comes up with a plan that should see everyone happy), have a crack at chatting about the week's movie news (including a deep dive into the Oscar nominations), and re

Welcome, folks, to a most extraordinary podcast (in association with Disney+). A podcast in which Team Empire and Team Pilot TV get together to discuss the extraordinary Extraordinary, the brand-new sitcom that is now streaming on Disney+. Created and written by Emma Moran, Extraordinary is set in a world where everyone develops a superpower after they turn 18. Everyone, that is, except for Jen (Mairead Tyers), who is approaching 25 and is still fumbling for direction and meaning and purpose. Beautifully observed and very, very funny, it's already been renewed for a second season, and in this very special crossover event, Chris Hewitt, James Dyer and Kay Ribeiro (pronounced Ru-bear-oh) get together to wax lyrical about the show, discuss which superpowers they'd like to have, and much more. But that's not all! (Told you this was an extraordinary podcast...) There are also two interviews with the show's star players -- first, an uproarious, hilarious and frankly chaotic interview in which Chris sits down with t

THIS! IS! OVERSHARING! Full disclosure, folks — this week's Empire Podcast features the return of one of our favourite interviewees, Gerry 'Gerard' Butler, as he and his PLANE co-star Mike Colter sit down on Zoom with our Chris Hewitt. And while it's as fun and giggle-tactic as any of Butler's appearances on the pod, we should warn you that a lot of it revolves around a story that Chris shares (some might say, overshares) with the duo right at the beginning. And that story is a load of old poop. You have been warned. Elsewhere, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for another fun and frank exchange of film-related views, in which they (but mainly Helen and James, let's be honest) bang on about the books and games they'd love to see turned into films, discuss (most of) the week's movie news (this was recorded before the BAFTA nominations were announced), and review The Estate, Alice, Darling, and Bank Of Dave, while Helen goes Full Kermode on Damien Chazelle's Babylon. Enjoy — and sor

We're back! Finally! And properly! The first Empire Podcast of 2023 is here, folks, and it features an interview that Helen did with Noah Baumbach, director of White Noi... no, only kidding. This week's interviews are a one-time deal, folks, but they are absolute belters, as Chris Hewitt sits down with Empire Of Light writer-director Sam Mendes, and M3GAN producers Jason Blum and James Wan; while Ian Freer has a natter with Todd Field, who returns as director after a long hiatus with the brilliant Tár. Then, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to tackle a bunch of questions, discuss the most recent movie news (including the new Quantumania trailer), and run their eye over all three of our guests' films, along with Mark Jenkin's Enys Men, a film seemingly specifically designed to annoy James. We've started 2023 as we mean to go on, folks, with an onslaught of utter nonsense. We hope you'll join us for the ride. Enjoy.

Here's another little bonus episode to get your 2023 off to a good start, listeners. S.S. Rajamouli is the brilliant director of last year's astonishing, action-packed, Indian epic RRR (now streaming on Netflix), and in this very special, spoiler-filled interview (also available to spoiler special subscribers, along with Team Empire doing a deep dive into the movie; one of last year's finest), he tells Chris Hewitt all about how he managed it. To subscribe to the spoiler specials, go to empire.supportingcast.fm, and we're back next week with the regular pod. Enjoy.

Happy New Year, folks! So, there's no regular episode of the Empire Podcast this week (we'll be back next week, Jan 13th), but in order to fill the huge pod-shaped hole in your lives, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and James 'Jaime Blanco' White crammed themselves into the studio just yesterday to record a fun breakdown of the forthcoming fillums that have got them all het up and hot under the collar. From Killers Of The Flower Moon to Barbie, from the MCU to Mission: Impossible, all human life is here. And there's a Cocaine Bear for good measure. Oh, and while we're looking forward, we're also looking back, as we bring you Helen's interview with Noah Baumbach, the director of White Noise, which is now streaming on Netflix. It's a really interesting interview, and it's just under 14 minutes in length. Why are we telling you that? You'll see. Anyway, enjoy!

And so 2022 has come to an end, folks. It was a tough year for pretty much everybody, but it was also a very good year, cinematically speaking, and in this Empire Podcast special, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann convene in the podbooth to have an extended natter about the year that was. Along the way, formats for the show are abandoned on the fly, the pod discuss the films that they loved, the future of cinema, a strange year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and much, much more. Enjoy, and have a happy new year, everyone!

The new issue of Empire magazine is on sale right now, folks, in all good, evil, and virtual newsagents, and it's a belter. This month's issue is dedicated to a celebration of the greatest actors of all time, as voted for by you, the readers of Empire. It's got everything, from exclusive interviews with Nicolas Cage (our cover star) and Tilda Swinton, to the likes of Tim Burton waxing lyrical about that time he worked with Jack Nicholson on a little film called Batman, and Gina Prince-Bythewood talking about Viola Davis. And that's not all: James Mangold has written an exclusive essay for us, celebrating the incredible work and legacy of Buster Keaton. It's a great issue, and so we've decided to take podspiration from it. So, in this podcast special, Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, Alex Godfrey and Helen O'Hara get together and have a wide-ranging discussion about some of their favourite actors, the art of acting itself, the mythology of the Method, omissions from the list that made their blood boil, and much, much

On the last Empire Podcast of the year, we have something of a The Prestige reunion, which is nice. First, Christian Bale, star of The Pale Blue Eye, talks to Chris Hewitt about being mistaken for Gareth Bale, and his experiences working with directors on multiple occasions, including Adam McKay, Scott Cooper, and Terrence Malick. Then Hugh Jackman, Golden Globe-nominated star of The Son (which opens here in February), talks to Amon Warmann about his experiences on that movie, working with Anthony Hopkins for a day, and why he's about to play Wolverine again in Deadpool 3. Then, Kate Hudson and Jessica Henwick, neither of whom were in The Prestige, more than make up for it by having a freewheeling and very funny chat with Chris about their new movie Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, life with an assistant, British sitcoms, and John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. And if that weren't enough, Chris is then joined in the podbooth by James Dyer and Helen O'Hara (who's not in the podbooth, which is why there's some s

Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen. James Cameron has finally returned to the director's chair after more than a decade away, with Avatar: The Way Of Water, the sequel to the biggest film of all time. And when he came to London recently, we were delighted to stage a special Cameron-centric event, via the Empire VIP Club. First up, the Empire Podcast team of Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer hold court in front of a packed audience of Empire VIP Club members, waxing lyrical about all things Cameron (James, not Diaz or David). Then, in the second half of the show, Chris is joined on stage by Cameron himself for a one-hour deep dive into the career of one of the most successful directors of all time, and the path that has finally led him back to Pandora. If you're interested in becoming a member of the Empire VIP Club and being first in the queue (real and virtual) for events like this, go to empireonline.com/vip for more information and to sign up.

Christmas is coming, and the goose isn't the only thing that's getting fat. The Empire Podcast is bursting at the seams with incredible guests yet again, as we welcome a trio of top directors this week. First up, you get a brief excerpt from Chris Hewitt's live Q&A with James Cameron as he returns to cinemas with Avatar: The Way Of Water (the full show will be up soon, should you wish to listen to the rest; and you should!). Then, Amon Warmann has a nice in-depth chat with Alejandro G. Inarritu about his most personal film yet, Bardo: False Chronicle Of A Handful Of Truths, and then Chris talks to Spirited director Sean Anders about turning Dickens into a musical. Oh, and Chris gushes about one of Anders' films. No, not Daddy's Home 2. Although it is a Christmas movie. Then, in the virtual podbooth this week, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to talk about the movie-themed Christmas presents they'd like, the film they've bought the most; to discuss the week's movie news, including Henry Cavil

Mele Kalikimaka, everybody. As part of Empire's Advent Calendar season, here's a little gift from us to you, as we temporarily break down the door of the Empire Spoiler Special subscription channel and bring you the retro spoiler pod we recorded a couple of years ago for one of the most beloved modern Christmas movies: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Featuring an in-depth deep dive with the film's director, Jeremiah S. Chechik (no, the S. doesn't stand for Santa), and a good old natter about the film and the Griswold family festivities between superfans Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and Nick de Semlyen. As the poster once put it, 'Yule love it!'. Thankfully, the jokes in the film are better. And if you like this, there's more where that came from for Spoiler Special subscribers. Enjoy!

Christmas is coming, folks, and that means that the Empire Podcast's sack is simply heaving with guests this week. First, Toy Story 3 and Coco director, Lee Unkrich, pops into the booth for a bit to talk about his new, definitive book about the making of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, and tackle this week's listener question (about Christmas songs in movies). Then Chris Hewitt chats with Resurrection star Rebecca Hall and Emancipation director Antoine Fuqua, and Amon Warmann gets to the heart of The Silent Twins' silent twins, Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance. And yes, he asks about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to talk about the week's movie news, including the possible demise of Wonder Woman 3, and review Emancipation, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio and Resurrection. Bumper-sized! Jampacked! Ho ho ho! Enjoy!

Blimey, folks, this week's episode of the Empire Podcast has more guests than Jamie Lee Curtis' home on Christmas Day. (Because she's married to Christopher Guest, you see, and presumably there would be a large number of extended family members invited around for a slap-up meal.) Helen O'Hara has a lovely chat with White Noise star Greta Gerwig about casting herself, her desire to make a musical, and more. Then Chris Hewitt has a lovely natter with action movie ace Frank Grillo, who's spreading his wings as the star of Lamborghini: The Man Behind The Legend. And, in the studio this week, Chris and Helen are joined by the brilliant Damian Lewis and Nick Murphy, star and director respectively of the ITVX drama, A Spy Among Friends (take that, Pilot TV). Lewis and Murphy (no, they're not a RoboCop tribute act) occupy the third and fourth chairs with remarkable grace, fielding questions about spies, breakfasts and buttocks, while tackling this week's listener question, about the best time jumps in movies and TV.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Luca Guadagnino, director of Call Me By Your Name, talk about his new movie, the dark cannibal romance Bones And All, and to spare him the ignominy of Chris Hewitt bellowing *that* song at him, we asked John Nugent to Zoom with Guadagnino instead. The result is a fascinating and frank discussion about the director's creative process. Also being frank and fascinating about their creative process is Tim Minchin, the genius songwriter behind the tunes of this week's Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical. He talks to Helen O'Hara about turning the hit stage musical into a movie, and about the sad failure of the quite wonderful Groundhog Day The Musical. Then, in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt returns and, as well as Googling 'how to host a podcast', welcomes Helen, James Dyer and fourth chair newcomer, Kelechi Ehenulo for discussions of random encounters with Emma Thompson in a lift, the best sequels to not feature the main character from the previous movie, the week's movie

The Empire Podcast has more hat-tricks than Mo Salah, and this week is no exception, as we welcome three batches of tremendous guests. First, Paul Mescal, star of the wonderful new drama Aftersun, goes it alone, as he tells Ella Kemp that he's not as serious as the movies and TV shows he makes, no honest. Then, Chris Hewitt is the Host Of Christmas Present as he chats to Spirited stars Will Ferrell and Octavia Spencer about the best swag they've ever got from a movie. And finally, Amon Warmann chats to Florence Pugh and Sebastian Lelio, star and director respectively of stunning new Netflix drama, The Wonder. And as well as all of that, there's an actual podcast in there too as, with Chris stricken with lurgy, Helen O'Hara invites Amon and regular pod debutant, Sam Clements, into the virtual podbooth for a fun pod in which they discuss the fictional movie companies they'd buy and tank if they could; the week's movie news (up to Thursday night that is); and review Disenchanted, Aftersun, Confess, Fletch, Bardo

Another bumper belting bangily-banger this week, folks, as the Empire Podcast marks the eagerly-awaited arrival of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever by dispatching Amon Warmann to talk to two of its stars, Dania Gurira — Okoye herself — and the MCU's latest menace, Namor The Sub-Mariner, aka Tenoch Huerta Mejía. Then, Chris Hewitt has a chat with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, the filmmaking duo behind the trippy and terrific Something In The Dirt. But that's not all — in the virtual podbooth this week, Chris is joined by Amon, James Dyer, and Helen O'Hara to talk about the Christmas movies they wish could have sequels (and things take a turn for the dark pretty quickly), discuss the week's movie news, review Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Hellraiser, The Wonder, My Father's Dragon, Slumberland and Is That Black Enough For You?, while all trying desperately to name every movie Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg have made together. Who will be the lone survivor? Find out by listening. Enjoy!

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Daniel Radcliffe make his second pod-appearance of the year, as he tells Chris Hewitt all about playing Weird Al Yankovic in the riotous faux-biopic, Weird. They also talk about accents, living in New York, and what Radcliffe's own biopic would be called. And names are on the agenda with Jennifer Lawrence too, as the Oscar-winning actress returns with her contemplative drama, Causeway, the first movie to be produced by her company, Excellent Cadaver. In our interview, she and director Lila Neugebauer tell Chris all about the how and why of the movie's name change from Red, White & Water, about working in a heated swimming pool, and more. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and John Nugent to discuss the week's movie news, being replaced by Liam Hemsworth, review EVERY FILM IN THE WORLD including Enola Holmes 2, Living, Weird, Causeway, All Quiet On The Western Front, and Something In The Dirt, and tackle the thorny issue of whi