Producer Tommy Harper joins Simon for a Film Stories podcast special, to talk through a career that's taken him from not being allowed on the set of Showgirls, to producing Star Wars, Mission: Impossible and Star Trek films. Oh, and the brand new release, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

It's quite a story, with the likes of JJ Abrams, Paul Verhoeven, Tim Burton and more popping up.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in cinemas now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ah, The Avengers. The 1998 big screen adaptation of the much-loved TV series is a bit of an odd movie, but as Simon discusses in this episode, things weren't quite going to plan at studio level. Not that Warner Bros handled the film particularly well come release time - an infamously late decisiont to avoid a review screening soon backfired.

In the case of Step Brothers, the third film together for Adam McKay and Will Ferrell is often cited as their best. Still, the hit comedy has a bit of a story to it - plus the pub quiz fact that McKay shot more footage for Step Brothers than Francis Ford Coppola shot for Apocalypse Now...

Stories of both are told in this episode...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, we're delighted to welcome back Paul Feig for his third appearance. This time the starting point is Feig's new film Jackpot!, that's on Prime Video now.

They also talk about the already-shot A Simple Favor 2, as well as legal stuff, Naked Gun 33 1/3, and if there's any chance on this planet of getting Spy 2....

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by actor, producer, writer and fine human being Rob Delaney.

The pair talk about Delaney's role in the smash hit Deadpool And Wolverine, while also touching on a moment in a restaurant, writing, movies, and the TV hit Catastrophe.

Plus they natter too about Delaney's book A Heart That Works, and his amazing-sounding late son, Henry.

---

Deadpool And Wolverine is now in cinemas. This podcast has fruity language in it. Not usually, but this episode does.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 400! Crikey. And I'm thrilled to say that producer Gale Anne Hurd is helping with the celebrations, thanks to a huge chat about her life, her work, and The Terminator at 40.

The first part of the episode, Simon goes through the story of The Terminator, and quite how its rights ended up so muddled going forward. But the bulk of episode 400 is over to Gale Anne Hurd, in a long conversation - set against noisy background sounds! - that took place in London in June 2024.

Thanks for all your support everyone. Hope you enjoy the episode...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by director Lee Isaac Chung, as they discuss the brand new blockbuster movie, Twisters.

Lee talks about how he got the job in the first place, and just what time contrainsts he was up against. Plus, the depth of the casting in the film, the scale of the movie, and his work with filmmakers in Rwanda. A bit of Minari, too.

Twisters is in UK cinemas now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean Connery had vowed he was never going to return as James Bond after 1971's Diamonds Are Forever. Meanwhile, a man called Kevin McClory had agreed not to exercise his screen rights to the story of Thunderball until 1975. Yet the highest profile 'unofficial' Bond project would bring them both together, as Never Say Never Again did battle with the official 007 film Octopussy at the 1983 box office.

A different battle played out in 1999, as Robert De Niro took the plunge into comedy with Analyze This. It'd be an early hit in a year that was awash with them - yet the idea of a mob boss seeing a shrink, that seemed original when the film was conceived - was about to slam head-first into a brand new TV show...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this very special episode of Film Stories, Neil Jordan is the guest, talking about his brand new memoir, Amnesiac, along with tales of his movie life.

He and Simon chat about movies as varied as Angel, The Crying Game, Michael Collins, High Spirits, We're No Angels and Mona Lisa, in a far-reaching chat. Plus: Neil Jordan talks through approaching telling his own story, and why he chose to do it now...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Damien Chazelle first started seriously considering a film about old Hollywood back in 2009, long before he made La La Land. And even when the writer/director had channelled his energies into that film, he still had Babylon in mind: a hugely ambitious, expensive, three hour film that needed an R-rating!

In the case of Everybody's Talking About Jamie, the challenge with the hit stage show was bringing it to the big screen at some scale - in spite of a truncated budget. Then there was the small matter of a pandemic getting in the way too...

Stories of both are told in this episode...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a very special episode of Film Stories, Baroness Beeban Kidron joins Simon for a chat about her career, her films, and her move to politics.

They go from her early film Carry Greenham Home, from being one of the first British women to direct a movie with Vroom. Then a big turning point: Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, an acclaimed adaptation of Jeanette Winterson's book.

The chat covers Kidron's move to Hollywood, and then the documentary that launched what effectively became her second career...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices