The Empire Film Podcast
About
Available on
Community
349 episodes
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!
In our latest spoiler special podcast, we say the magic word and delve deep into Shazam!, the latest movie in the DCEU, and the first to feature the eponymous hero - an indestructible champion who, when he's not championing in an indestructible fashion, is also a 14 year old foster kid called Billy Batson. First, Chris Hewitt sits down with the film's director, David F. Sandberg, and producer, Peter Safran, for a spoilerific chat about many of the film's revelations and Easter eggs. And then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, John Nugent, and Ben Travis to shake the Magic 8 ball of #podcast #content and see what comes up. It's all very family friendly, as per usual. A reminder: do not listen to this pod unless you've seen Shazam!, because it won't make sense, you weirdos. 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.
Jordan Peele's second film as director, Us, like his first, Get Out, is the sort of film that is so packed with incident, subtext, symbols, recurring motifs, and meticulous thematic groundwork that it virtually demands a spoiler special. And we are more than happy to oblige. First, you'll hear Chris Hewitt sit down for a spoilerific (and we do mean spoilerific) chat with Peele himself, where they unpack the secrets of the Tethered and what Peele calls The Underpass. Maybe it's right next to The Sunken Place. Then, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Empire's editor-in-chief, Terri White, and George Harrison lookalike-in-chief, John Nugent, to talk about their thoughts, feelings, and theories about the film. So, wait for the clock to strike 11:11, fire up the podcast, and listen to us rabbiting on. And be warned: we can get crazy.
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.
Here it is. Because you demanded it, and then we got our publication dates mixed up and deleted it, and then you demanded it again, here's the highest, fastest, furthest Empire Podcast spoiler special to date; a deep dive into the 21st movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Captain Marvel. First off, Chris Hewitt sits down with the film's co-directors and co-writers, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, for a spoilerific chat that touches on the film's major revelations and twists and turns. Then, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis and Empire's Editor-in-Chief Terri White to drill further into the movie, answer a bunch of listeners' questions, and occasionally get a bit silly. And then, as a bit of bonus content, Chris and Helen blather on for 20 minutes at the end to tie up loose ends, including THAT cameo. This one's staying up. Promise.
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.
It's like an episode of Extras on the Empire Podcast this week, as Ricky Gervais - star, writer, director of the new Netflix show, After Life - and Captain Marvel star, Samuel L. Jackson - old Nick Fury himself - pop by to have a good old natter with Chris Hewitt about a great many things, from getting advice from Jerry Seinfeld to why Jackson doesn't tweet about Liverpool FC anymore. Then, in the podbooth itself, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to talk about great movie pets, discuss the week's news, including Idris Elba joining The Suicide Squad, figure out whether Sam Jackson has made more MCU appearances than Robert Downey Jr., and review Captain Marvel and dark Swedish fantasy, Border. Oh, and James mansplains the female experience to Helen, which is nice. Do, please, enjoy.
For this week's pod, the team journeyed North to bonnie Scotland to record live at the Glasgow Film Festival - mainly so we could eat our own bodyweight in Irn-Bru sweets, which one listener was kind enough to provide. We also found the time to sit down with Sir Michael Palin, who reminisced with Chris Hewitt about The Holy Grail, Doon Castle and new documentary Final Ascent. Plus all the usual movie news and nonsense, including Helen's analysis of all things Oscars and only the tiniest bit of Dune tedium from James.
"Stop getting Alan wrong!" That could well be what you shout at a couple of points in this very special Empire Podcast appreciation of all things Alan Partridge, as Alan anoraks (Alanoraks?) Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen and Pilot TV's Boyd Hilton get together for a solid 49 minutes of scorching Alan-based chat... and end up misquoting him on several occasions. The authorities have been informed. But that's not all. Chris also sits down for a chat with Neil and Rob Gibbons, the clever flucking clunts who have, for the last few years, been getting Alan right, as writers (and now directors) of Mid-Morning Matters, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, and his triumphant return to the BBC with This Time with Alan Partridge. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll pierce your foot on a spike -- not our words, Carol, but the words of... oh, no, those are our words, actually. Enjoy.
At last, it's here - Empire's spoiler special dedicated to Alita: Battle Angel, the movie that has been a pet project of James Cameron's for some time. When he realised he wasn't going to have time to make it, due to being immersed in the Avatar sequels, Cameron enlisted his long-time producer, Jon Landau, to produce, and good chum, Robert Rodriguez, to direct. And in this very special interview-only spoiler special, Helen O'Hara sits down with both men to figure out how they built the world of Iron City, and the movie's lead, the cyborg Alita (Rosa Salazar). As ever, this is a spoiler special, so don't listen if you haven't already seen Alita: Battle Angel. Enjoy.
Due to another incredible scheduling snafu by Chris 'What's a spreadsheet' Hewitt, this week's episode of the Empire Podcast features a veritable cavalcade of star guests. There's a Fighting With My Family double bill, as John Nugent talks to that film's director, Stephen Merchant, and its star, Florence Pugh. Then a very tired Chris meets a very jetlagged Jason Clarke, star of The Aftermath, and they end up talking about David O'Leary. In the podbooth, Chris is joined by Nick de Semlyen and James Dyer to discuss the week's movie news, share their battle tips for surviving an Oscars all-nighter, and review Capernaum, On The Basis Of Sex, and Cold Pursuit. Oh, and discuss creme eggs, and the consumption thereof. Enjoy!
Empire's 30th birthday celebrations continue unabated with this very special podcast documentary - or, if you will, podumentary - exploring the biggest film of all time: James Cameron's Avatar. Host Chris Hewitt dips into the Empire archives, and also sits down for a brand-new chat with Cameron, the film's writer-producer-editor-director, to tell the story of how Cameron's groundbreaking visit to Pandora came to be. It's packed with info about Cameron's Eureka! moment, how he nearly chose to direct what would become Alita: Battle Angel instead, and some very interesting revelations about casting the film's hero, Jake Sully. Enjoy.
Holy delayed podcast, Batman! Yes, it's finally here - the Batman edition of The Ranking, the podcast/magazine crossover in which four Empire writers - Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Dan Jolin, and Olly Richards - argue the toss over a series of movies. In this case, it's the Batfilms. All the Batfilms. Yes, even the rubbish ones. So settle in for an hour of feverish Batdebate that features Helen and Dan arguing about the politics of The Dark Knight Rises, fewer impressions of Bane than you might expect, and the final, Empirical Batman Top 10. It just might surprise you. This pod needs an enema!
After the lunacy of last week's live episode, the Empire Podcast settles down this week, with an actual knight, and R&B royalty. First, Ben Travis has an audience with the wondrous Mary J. Blige, chatting about her new Netflix show, The Umbrella Academy, and much, much more. Then Chris Hewitt chats to not one, but two Merlins, as The Kid Who Would Be King stars, Sir Patrick Stewart and Angus Imrie, drop by the podbooth. We feel we should warn you - there is more discussion of @SirPatStew nudity in this than your average podcast interview. Either side of those, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Nick de Semlyen, and James Dyer for much discussion of the week's movie news. They also run their eye over The Kid Who Would Be King and A Private War, and finally answer the question that has been gripping us all for years: who is the best Hollywood Chris - Hemsworth, Evans, Pratt, or Pine? The answer might surprise you. It won't.
Actor. Writer. Director. Producer. Joel Edgerton is the very definition of a multi-hyphenate, in front of and behind the camera. He performs all four duties admirably on Boy Erased, which opens in the UK this week. A drama starring Lucas Hedges as a young man sent to a gay conversion therapy centre by his Baptist parents (Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman), where he struggles with the strict methods of Edgerton's counsellor, it's a fine follow-up to the Australian's directorial debut, The Gift. When he came to London recently, we sent John Nugent along to have a bit of a natter with him, about Boy Erased and many, many other things. Enjoy.
Can it really be seven years since four giggling idiots walked into a studio in London, and decided to inflict their godawful opinions about movies upon unsuspecting members of the public? Apparently it can, for this is the 350th episode of the Empire Podcast. And to celebrate it in style, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Empire's Editor-in-Chief, Terri White, were joined by a sell-out crowd at Kings Place in London earlier this week for a raucous live podcast. There will be movie reviews. There will be a bit where Terri hides under a desk. There will be discussion of the week's big movie news. There will be (lots of) swearing. And there will be more listener questions than you can shake a stick at. But that's not all. The podteam are also joined by special guests, The Kid Who Would Be King director Joe Cornish, and Zawe Ashton, star of Wanderlust, Fresh Meat, and the Netflix Original Film, Velvet Buzzsaw. Get ready to have a bangily-banging time. Enjoy.
This week's Empire Podcast is the kind of bumper edition you might need to book a flight in order to have time to listen to it all. We have three - count 'em, THREE - incredible guests. First, Helen O'Hara talks to Alita herself, Rosa Salazar, the star of Alita: Battle Angel. Then, Ben Travis talks with Dean DeBlois, director of all three How To Train Your Dragon movies, as he brings the trilogy to a close with The Hidden World. Finally, waiting at the very end of the pod as a lovely reward, Nick de Semlyen has a long but rather wonderful interview with freshly-minted Oscar nominee, Richard E. Grant. Back in the podbooth, host Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen and James Dyer to talk their favourite Monty Python sketches, wade through tons of movie news (Batman! Zombies! Batzombies?), and review Green Book, How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, and Can You Ever Forgive Me? And don't forget - next week sees our 350th episode. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Enjoy!
This week, Oscar-winning actor Nicole Kidman drops by the pod booth to class up the joint and tell us about her latest chameleonic tour-de-force Destroyer. Plus, Charlie Brooker joins us to talk about the brain-melting branching narrative of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Plus, there's news on the Empire Podcast's latest foray out of the comforts of the booth...
We're huge fans of Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, A Star Is Born, here at Empire Podcast Towers. So much so we gave it five stars when it opened in cinemas late last year. So, when we heard that the star/director/producer/co-writer/caterer of the now-Oscar-nominated emotionally devastating love story was in town, Chris Hewitt went along to have a good old natter with Cooper about the challenges he faced as a director, key moments in the movie [INSERT SPOILER WARNING HERE], and cracking Jackson Maine's signature voice. Then, because we're good like that, we decided to bring you a little bonus content, as Chris sits down in the podbooth with Empire's biggest A Star Is Born fans, Ben Travis and Editor-In-Chief, Terri White, to delve deeply into the film. Warning: there is some fairly frank discussion of mental health issues, so be aware of that. Otherwise, it's business as usual. We hope you enjoy.
For years, Adam McKay was dedicated to making us laugh with brilliant, surreal, gloriously daft comedies like Anchorman, Step Brothers, and The Other Guys. Lately, he's turned his attention to making us laugh, and also scream in horror at the state of the world, with the Oscar-winning The Big Short and next week's Vice, in which Christian Bale plays former US Vice-President, Dick Cheney. In this week's podcast, McKay chats to Chris Hewitt about that film, about his new approach, and his very real brush with death. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Empire Editor-in-Chief Terri White, and James Dyer to tackle a question about the 2019 movie news story they'd like to see, discuss the news stories that broke this week, from Missions Impossible to the Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer, and then review Glass, Mary Queen of Scots, and Beautiful Boy. And, in true Adam McKay fashion, there may be one or two LOUD NOISES. Enjoy.
It's here! After taking so long that you would be forgiven for assuming that it had transformed into a [REDACTED FOR LEGAL REASONS] train, our Bumblebee spoiler special has arrived. It features Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and complete and utter Decepticon, James Dyer, having a good old natter about Travis Knight's glorious 1980s-set blockbuster, which is the first spin-off from Michael Bay's Transformers franchise. But there's more than meets the ear here, as Helen also sits down for a long, in-depth chat with Knight about the film's various plot shenanigans, and its belting soundtrack. Although we are docking points for the absence of anything by R.E.M. It was 1987, people, they were just starting to take over the world. Tsk. So, if you've seen Bumblebee, then have fun with Optimist Prime, Negatron, and Bumblingbee. We'll let you decide which is which.
Well, this is another nice mess. Stan & Ollie, Jon S. Baird's film about a UK tour undertaken by Laurel & Hardy towards the end of their careers, opens this week. So Chris Hewitt has a nice chat with Baird about that, shameless namedropping and more, and in the bargain they come up with the podcast's strangest spin-off episode to date. Then Chris has a chat with the film's Stan, BAFTA-nominated Steve Coogan, about impressions, double acts, Partridge, Tripping with Rob Brydon, Holmes & Watson, and more. It's a ruddy blast. Then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by pod-regulars Helen O'Hara and James Dyer, and new producer Jane, for an episode that features some tweaks we hope you'll like, and a huge dollop of the usual film-related fun as they discuss mobile phones in cinemas, the week's movie news, and review the big releases, including Colette and The Front Runner. Enjoy.
2019 may be only a few days old, but the Empire Podcast does not rest. So we're back back back for the first pod of the year, which sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Empire's Man In LA, James 'Jaime Blanco' White, dive back into the podbooth to discuss their Christmas breaks, chat about the movie news (what there is of it), and review The Favourite, Holmes & Watson, and Welcome To Marwen. Speaking of Welcome To Marwen, that film's director, Robert Zemeckis, and star, Steve Carell, have a lovely chat about that film and more, and our Olly Richards was on hand to witness it and occasionally interject. Do please enjoy this podcast, brought to you in association with Adam Sandler's Pixels. Apparently. Happy New Year!
