The Empire Film Podcast

This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down with Himesh Patel, the former Eastender (as in, he was on Eastenders) who stars in this week's Beatle-centric rom-com, Yesterday, and they discover a shared connection. Plus, John Nugent has a chat with the wonderful director, Peter Strickland, about his new movie, In Fabric, in which fashion is, literally, killer. Then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by James Dyer and Ian Freer to discuss production companies that changed their lives, the re-release of Avengers: Endgame, the week's movie news, and review Spider-Man: Far From Home, Yesterday, and In Fabric. It's all happening on the movie podcast that couldn't cope without The Beatles' songs. Well, maybe Don't Pass Me By. Enjoy.

This week's episode sees Chris Hewitt welcome Swedish actress Noomi Rapace - the original Lisbeth Salander - into the Empire Podbooth for a fun, frank, and often filthy chat about her new movie, The Captor, her surprising taste in music, life as a Londoner, and much more. Also in this episode, John Nugent chats to Josh Cooley, director of Toy Story 4, about giving audiences a huge Buzz. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to talk about their favourite condiments, discuss the week's movie news, review Toy Story 4, Child's Play and Brightburn, and - in a segment already being hailed as 'too long' - imagine every single film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Keanu Reeves in a starring role. Excellent. Madness, and much talk of big ding-dongs, lies within. Enjoy.

Here it is - the full and unexpurgated (well, a little expurgated) recording of the time a couple of weeks ago when Kevin Smith chose to spend his morning off in London, following a successful live Hollywood Babble-On show at The O2, by coming into the Empire Podbooth to have a good old natter with Chris Hewitt and Ben Travis. The first thirteen minutes of this ran on the Empire Podcast a couple of weeks ago, so if you want to get to the new stuff, skip past that. Otherwise, this is nearly 47 minutes of no-holds-barred chat, and typically sweary chat, with Smith, in which he discusses his life, career, his upcoming movie, Jay & Silent Bob Reboot, that Stan Lee cameo in Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame and, of course, the heart attack that so nearly killed him last year. We're glad it didn't. Not just because we had a blast with him as he popped his Empire podcherry, but because the world's a better place for having Kevin Smith in it. We hope you enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees the wonderful Asif Kapadia pop by the podbooth to have an in-depth natter with Chris Hewitt about his new documentary, Diego Maradona. No prizes for guessing what it's about - a tumultuous period in the life of one of the most brilliant, but controversial, figures modern sport has ever seen. And if you're wondering if Chris and Asif, two massive Liverpool fans, end up talking about a certain recent Champions League final win, well... yes. But it's early, so non-Reds can skip that bit. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Terri White, James Dyer, and Helen O'Hara for an unexpectedly sexy episode that sees them review Diego Maradona and Men In Black International, discuss the week's movie news, reveal Chris' username on Marvel Puzzle Quest, and ask the biggest question of them all: just who the hell is Bic Pentameter? Enjoy.

James McAvoy is always welcome on the Empire Podcast, and this week he returns to talk to Chris Hewitt about the role he's played most often in his illustrious career: Professor Charles Xavier. It's a role McAvoy is playing for the last time in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and he runs through his Charley X Hall Of Fame in a fun interview. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Nick de Semlyen to talk about watching versions originale in France, discuss the week's movie news, from the Le Mans '66 trailer to further R-Battziness, and review Dark Phoenix and Late Night. Oh, and they have a chat with Nick about his first book, the 80s comedy-centric Wild And Crazy Guys. Enjoy!

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters may feature all kinds of mammoth monsters, but none are as impressive or towering as the great Charles Dance, who has a nice chat with Ben Travis about his new movie, working with Arnie on Last Action Hero, and more. [00.14.50 - 00.32.00] Our second guest this week, Thunder Road star/writer/director Jim Cummings, has a fun and frank chat with Chris Hewitt about working on a bargain budget, recording his script as a podcast (top hint), and sending a cheque to Bruce Springsteen. [00.48.47 - 01.16.47] Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss their ideal musical biopic, pore over the week's movie news, and review Booksmart, Thunder Road, and Godzilla: King Of The Monsters in a bumper-sized reviews that takes in all sorts, from toxic fandom to indie box office woes. Oh, and Chris tries to persuade us that Joel Kinnaman is NOT his nemesis. Enjoy!

On this week's episode of the award-losing Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt finds that Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher has the Dwight Stuff as they talk all things Elton John. Plus our fearless leader Terri White sits down for a fun chat with Booksmart stars, Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis to discuss spoiler culture, review Aladdin and Rocketman, discuss R-Battz and the new Chris Nolan film, and then shill like crazy for Champions League final tickets. Well, one member of the team does anyway. No prizes for guessing who. Enjoy.

This week's episode sees the host of the best damn movie podcast in the world sit down... with Kevin Smith. Just a little joke, there. No, we were delighted that the legendary Mr. Smith, in town following a sell-out live edition of Hollywood Babble-On at the O2, no less, found time to drop by our newly-built studio for a chat with Chris Hewitt and Ben Travis. This is just the tip of the iceberg - a longer version of this interview will be up as a special in a couple of days. Then, Chris - a man whose idea of hardcore music is that Crowded House song where Neil Finn uses fuzzy guitar - also talks to Brian Welsh and Lorn Macdonald, star of this week's excellent Beats, a movie about Scottish rave culture in 1994. And back in the podbooth, he sits down with James Dyer and Ben Travis to talk about the week's movie news, review John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum, and answer the burning question on absolutely nobody's lips: which Muppet would be the tastiest?

This week's Empire Podcast goes full arthouse, as legendary French director Claire Denis talks to Empire's Editor-In-Chief, Terri White, about her new film, High Life. And then, because nothing can touch the Empire Podcast without being corrupted, there's a bit where they both repeatedly say the word, 'f**kbox'. [00:35:29 - 00:56-09] Then back in the f**kbox - sorry, podbooth - Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, right at the end, John Nugent to discuss their favourite movie memorabilia, talk about how Disney has planned out the next seven years, dig into the new Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer (that's also a mini-Avengers: Endgame spoiler special, so be warned), and review High Life, Arctic, and Pokemon Detective Pikachu. Enjoy!

We haven't seen Nicholas Hoult on the Empire Podcast for a while, so we jumped at the chance to talk Tolkien with him this week, sending Chris Hewitt along for a good old natter about Hoult's new movie, in which he plays the celebrated author, J.R.R. Tolkien. Along the way they talk about Hoult's handwriting, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and much, much more. Then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer as they decide which animated movie casts they'd like to see in a live-action film, review Long Shot, Tolkien, and Vox Lux, and discuss the week's movie news, including the huge success of Avengers: Endgame, and the sad deaths of John Singleton and Peter Mayhew. Oh, and this week's episode is a tad on the rude side. You have been warned.

We may be in the Endgame now, but don't expect to hear any spoilers from Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of the latest Avengers movie, and this week's Empire Podcast guests. Instead, they sit down for a chat with Chris Hewitt about the rigours of making a movie that's widely expected to be one of the biggest of all time, and their future non-MCU plans. Then, back in the podbooth, Helen O'Hara takes the reins and is joined by James Dyer and Chris, who ran to the studio straight from a plane from LA, as they talk about cancelled movies they'd like to revive, discuss the week's movie news, and review the latest releases. And yes, they're into Endgame now. Enjoy!

Helen is in the driving seat once again on this week's podcast (although Supernatural nipple chat was mercifully kept to a minimum) as we dive into the *last* Empire podcast before the team sees Avengers: Endgame. And to celebrate that fact we not only sit down with everyone's favourite sexy priest, Andrew Scott, to talk about his new film Steel Country, but we also invite director Neil Jordan on board to discuss sex. And also Greta. Nick De Semlyen and James Dyer round out this week's lethally cunning lineup and discuss everything from the latest Hobbs And Shaw trailer to the virtues (or lack thereof) of midnight screenings.

Yesterday saw both the first teaser trailer and the announcement of the title of the ninth, and final, film in the main Star Wars saga. That title was The Rise Of Skywalker, and that teaser was a bit of a belter, reintroducing beloved characters, and posing plenty of big questions. Just as a teaser should. And with Team Empire unable to gather in the podbooth yesterday, we had to wait until today - the morning after the night before - to assemble in Helen O'Hara's living room for an impromptu reaction pod, in which Chris Hewitt, Helen, James White and James Dyer - appearing via hologram from Chicago, where he's attending Star Wars Celebration on behalf of Empire - chew the fat over the teaser's various hints and teases. FYI: James was dialling in digitally, so there's a faint delay when he speaks. Hope it doesn't bother you too much. Enjoy!

In this week's episode of the award-non-minated (that's the technical term for a show that isn't nominated for an award) Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt has a good old natter with the wonderful Irish actor and singer Jessie Buckley, who is on sensational form as a Glaswegian country singer in this week's Wild Rose. Then, either side of that, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis to talk semi-nude Jude Law, discuss the week's movie news, review Wild Rose, Hellboy, and Mid90s, and -- because this is Chris' last show this side of Avengers: Endgame -- answer a bunch of your Endgame questions in a quickfire special. Enjoy!

Stanley Kubrick's controversial, thought-provoking, tremendously stylish A Clockwork Orange, now a mere 48 years young, bludgeons its way back into cinemas this weekend. And so Chris Hewitt jumped at the chance to interview its star - the king of the Droogs himself, Malcolm McDowell. In this extended interview, they discuss McDowell's complicated and ever-changing relationship with the film, and with Kubrick himself; why Gene Kelly gave McDowell the cold shoulder; and what it's like to get a real injection up the bum on camera. Hint: painful. Then, they briefly discuss McDowell's Time After Time, before - because Chris can't resist - getting deep into McDowell's lifelong support of Liverpool FC. Poddy well, my brothers and sisters. Poddy well.

On this week's Empire Podcast, we say the magic word - Bangilybang! - and, lo and behold, Zachary Levi, star of this week's DC Comics adaptation, Shazam!, appears. He has a lovely chat with Chris Hewitt about grabbing his second chance at superhero stardom with both hands. Back in the podcave, with Chris waylaid by that nefarious villain, Unforeseen Circumstances, Helen O'Hara leads James Dyer and Ben Travis in a spirited discussion of the week's movie news (Endgame footage! Joker trailer!), review Shazam!, Pet Sematary, and The Sisters Brothers, and assess which small screen star they'd like to see bag a movie career. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast features two bona fide legends of Hollywood, California, both having a chat with that bona fide buffoon of a town not too far away from Holywood, Northern Ireland, Chris Hewitt. First off, Chris travels to Madrid for an audience with Elliot Ness/Wyatt Earp/Jim Garrison/We Could Do This All Day [delete as applicable], Kevin Costner, star of Netflix film, The Highwaymen. Then, back in a London hotel room, Chris comes face to face with the wild, weird, and wacky imagination of the great Tim Burton, director of Dumbo. And back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by the returning Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss the death of Supernatural, talk about the week's movie news, review Dumbo and The Highwaymen, and talk about a very serious issue: the sanctioning of buffoonery. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees something of a first for the show. No, it's not coherent - you should know by now that that is but a mere pipe dream. Instead, it's the first time (we think; we may be wrong) that we've featured a translator on the show, as Nick de Semlyen chats to The White Crow's director, Ralph Fiennes, its star, Oleg Ivenko... and Oleg's lovely translator. Then, Chris Hewitt has an in-depth chat about Us and Black Panther with the wonderful Winston Duke, before heading back into the podbooth to have a good old natter about the week's big movie happenings with James Dyer and John Nugent. They discuss James Gunn returning to Guardians 3, Dune casting news (of course), the Disney takeover of Fox, review Us and The White Crow, and go potty for Alan Partridge's Irish doppelgänger, Martin Brennan. Oh, and James pronounces 'psychopathy' in a way that will rock your world. Enjoy.

Since he stopped being the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield has largely taken a step back from the big screen. But he returns this week with David Robert Mitchell's gonzo noir, Under The Silver Lake, and on the latest Empire Podcast he has a nice old natter with Ben Travis about that movie, Scorsese, and Stan Lee. 'Nuff said, True Believers. Then, back in the podbooth, with Chris Hewitt absolutely, positively not available for recording, Helen O'Hara steps ably into the breach, reviewing the week's releases with John Nugent and James Dyer (but let's face it, mainly John Nugent), discussing big news concerning the current Spider-Man, Tom Holland (no, not that one), and tackle a listener question about non-superhero-based comic book movies. Enjoy.

Because (somewhere around a dozen of) you demanded it, here it is: a podcast about a trailer. But not just any trailer. In this very special episode, Chris Hewitt and Helen O'Hara pop into the podbooth to discuss and dissect the second, and final trailer, for Avengers: Endgame. Along the way they come up with all kinds of harebrained theories about what Joe and Anthony Russo may have in store for us when the movie opens next month, call Thanos all kinds of rude names, and discover the meaning of life. Oh, and Chris shills desperately for a brand-name speaker system. Enjoy.