The Empire Film Podcast

This week's Empire Podcast might see Chris Hewitt and Helen O'Hara write their own ticket, folks, as they come up with an idea for Toy Story 6 that should, if there's any justice, be in production by the end of the weekend. Pixar, call us! That comes in the movie news section, where there is also much discussion of trailers and the prospect of a new Jim Carrey Grinch sequel. Either side of those, the gang — Chris, Helen, Amon...

Today saw the launch of Empire+, folks, for subscribers. We know you have questions. What is Empire+? What is happening? Why are we seeing the faces of three giggling idiots on the logos? WHAT IS REALITY? We answer those questions and more in this special announcement, in which Chris Hewitt and James Dyer talk you through the concept of Empire+ (what a groundbreaking name), and how you can sign up and subscribe, if you don't alread...

With just a few days left to pick up the latest issue of Empire magazine, featuring Spider-Man: Brand New Day on the cover, here's the latest episode of The Shameless Plug, arriving in the nick of time to either entice you to buy the issue if you haven't done so, or bask in the stories behind the stories as Chris Hewitt and Empire editor, Nick de Semlyen, cram into the podbooth to talk you through how the magazine sausage was made....

It's another jam-packed edition of The Interviews, folks! This episode sees Chris Hewitt sit down on Zoom with Haley Bennett and Jack Whitehall, stars of Virginia Woolf's Night & Day, for a discussion that turns into a thinly-veiled attempt to secure a Nando's Black Card. [1:10 - 14:10 approx] Chris also has a lovely chat with the great Cary Elwes about his one-two punch of Dead Man's Wire, now on Sky Cinema, and the TV show M....

If this week's Empire Podcast doesn't give you a Buzz, it might at least give you a... wonderful sense of warmth and well-being, as all-round acting legends Tom Hanks and Tim Allen chat to Chris Hewitt about returning as Woody and Buzz Lightyear for Toy Story 5, and their surprising plans to keep working together. [47:02 — 1:01:44 approx] Either side of that, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to d...

This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer pack the sunscreen, flip-flops, and oversized hats into a tiny bag as they discuss some of the movie holidays they'd like to take. And yes, they somehow manage to do this without mentioning Roman Holiday, The Holiday, M. Hulot's Holiday, or Mr Bean's Holiday. Any film with the word 'holiday' in it, basically, the colossal eejits. They've been placed on garde...

It's another packed episode of The Interviews, folks. First off, listener discretion is advised as Chris Hewitt talks to Brett Goldstein, star and co-writer of Office Romance, and his director, Ol Parker, about C-bombs, of which this interview contains plenty, and explicit childbirth scenes. Then, to our great delight, Actual Rock Star Ben Gibbard, frontman of Death Cab For Cutie, pops into the podbooth to have a chat with Beth Web...

This week sees the release of Travis Knight's live-action adaptation of 80s cartoon (and toy line), Masters Of The Universe, so our very own He-Man, Chris Hewitt, sits down on Zoom for a fun chat about films and football with the actual He-Man, Nicholas Galitzine, and Teela, Camila Mendes. [46:56 — 59:46 approx] Then, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and He-Dan, Dan Jolin, for a fun episode in...

The latest episode of The Interviews is all about extravagance, high fashion and big spending. But enough about Chris Hewitt. Instead, we're focused on Savage House and Madfabulous, two costume dramas about upper-class types whose lives spiral out of control. In the first, Richard E. Grant and Claire Foy play a married couple who attempt to mount a lavish dinner party, with disastrous consquences, and they tell Chris all about thei...

It's a packed line-up of directors this week on The Interviews, folks. Directorpalooza? First up, we bring you an extended excerpt from our spoiler special interview with The Mandalorian And Grogu, Jon Favreau, who tells Chris Hewitt about his intentions behind the first big-screen Star Wars film in seven years. Then Chris leaps onto Zoom to have a lovely natter with the great Joe Dante about his beloved (eventually) 1987 sci-fi co...

Things get awkward on this week's Empire Podcast, folks. Not just because Chris Hewitt seems to be wearing a Skeletor mask for some of it, nor because he's so heat-addled that he forgets to introduce James Dyer properly. No, things get awkward because the team – Chris, James, Helen O'Hara, and Ben Travis – discuss whether it ever gets awkward for them when visiting film sets. Then, our intrepid quartet also discuss the ...

All hail the Alien Queen! For the legendary Sigourney Weaver, star of some of the finest sci-fi films of all time, is our esteemed guest on this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, as she tells Chris Hewitt all about starring in her first Star War, The Mandalorian & Grogu. [44:47 - 58:17 approx] Then, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss their predictions for the biggest movies of the year...

This time it's more. Yes, folks, The Shameless Plug — the show in which Chris Hewitt and Empire editor, Nick de Semlyen, chat about the stories behind the current issue of Empire — is usually a two-hander (well, four hands), but for reasons unknown this month we've also invited James Dyer into the podbooth to add a third pair of hands, and one more mouth. Well, not for reasons unknown, as Jimbo is here to talk abou...

Fly, you fools! Yes, that's right, Ian McKellen — the legendary English actor who is Gandalf and Magneto, get over it — is our guest on this week's Empire Podcast, as John Nugent pops over to McKellen's own pub, The Grapes in Limehouse, for a lovely chat about his new film, Steven Soderbergh's The Christophers. [46:32 - 1:00:02 approx] Speaking of Christophers, back in the podbooth Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O...

This week's episode of The Interviews sees Chris Hewitt sit down face-to-face with the legend that is Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill/Gene Takavic, the one and only Bob Odenkirk. The comedy great was in town to talk about his latest pivot into action movies, with Ben Wheatley's wild romp, Normal, and the two of them also talk about sketch comedy, Odenkirk's love of movies, his aversion to horror movies (in which he possibly spoils the en...

This week's Empire Podcast sees Alex Godfrey sit down for an audience with music superstar Billie Eilish and her co-director on her new concert movie, Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour Live In 3D, one James Cameron. Blimey! Then Alex slides into the podbooth to join Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and host Chris Hewitt for a fun-filled episode in which they discuss Karl Urban's killiest characters, the best movie farmers, a wh...

It's a legend-laden episode of The Interviews this week, folks, as Chris Hewitt sits down in person with James Cameron to talk about his new, unexpected venture as co-director of eye popping 3D concert movie, Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard And Soft — The Tour Live In 3D, and then the great Guillermo del Toro, with the Mexican director coming to town to receive the BFI Fellowship and launch a season of his films at the BFI So...

This week's Empire Podcast is the kind of episode that could leave other film podcasts in its wake. Mainly because there's a lot of discussion of ships, boats, the high seas and the like. First off, our guests this week are Callum Turner and George Mackay, the British actors who star in Mark Jenkin's latest movie, the fisherman-themed Rose Of Nevada, which is out now, and in a cracking chat with Alex Godfrey, they talk about how th...

It's a director-led edition of The Interviews this week, folks, as Helen O'Hara sits down with David Frankel to discuss his returning (along with Meryl & Anne & Emily & The Tooch) for The Devil Wears Prada 2, some twenty years after the original movie. And if you liked BenDavid Grabinski's Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice as much as we did, you'll be delighted to hear an extended excerpt from Chris Hewitt's spoile...