The Empire Film Podcast

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

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 thin

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 co

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

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

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 adul

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 co

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

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 dis

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 o

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

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

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.