After the guestapaloozas of recent weeks, we're back to just one guest on this week's Empire Podcast. But what a guest it is, as the great Tatiana Maslany, star of the new Stephen King adaptation The Monkey, pops up on Zoom to talk with Chris Hewitt about death and Comedy Bang Bang. [25:00 - 43:07 approx] In the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss their favourite Stephen King movies, review The Monkey, The Order, and I'm Still Here, while the movie news section is rudely interrupted by some actual movie news, prompting a deep dive into the revelation about the future of the James Bond movies. That can be found, roughly, from 50:04 - 1:04:12, if you're not into all things 007. Enjoy.

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight heads to the mean streets of Victorian London for A Thousand Blows on Disney+, and what better way to celebrate than with a special Pilot TV/Empire crossover podcast? Chris Hewitt, James Dyer and Kay Ribeiro get under the skin of Knight’s latest period piece, which combines bare-knuckle boxing with organised crime as all-female gang The Forty Elephants rampage through the East End. Plus, Kay speaks to Knight himself about the origins of the series and to stars Stephen Graham and Malachi Kirby about squaring off in the ring.

It's a brave new world for the Empire Podcast this week, folks, as Chris Hewitt welcomes a quintet (not to be confused with a Quinjet, although a couple of them might have access to one) of amazing guests. From the latest MCU film, Captain America: Brave New World, Chris first chats to Danny Ramirez, aka Joaquin Torres, aka the new Falcon, about football, flying, and fraternising with famous co-stars like Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford. [22:56 - 37:25 approx] Speaking of Ford, the man who might just be the greatest movie star of all time, also sits down for a chat with Chris, talking about taking on his second US President, and first Red Hulk, in the shape of Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross. [1:42:28 - 1:56:26 approx] Inbetween those, Chris has a fun face-to-faces encounter with the stars of Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Renee Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Leo Woodall. [59:13 - 1:12:45 approx] Either side of those, love is in the podbooth air, as are Love Hearts, in a raucous episode as Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann to talk great movie kisses, run their eye over the week's movie news, and review Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Captain America: Brave New World, and The Gorge. It's a pod you'll fall in love with. Probably. Enjoy!

Another bumper-sized edition of the Empire Podcast this week, as Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom for chats with a trio of terrific talents. First, there's Ke Huy Quan on Love Hurts, the action movie that represents his first lead role, and first movie since winning an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once. [17:33 - 34:18 approx] Then there's John Magaro, star of September 5, on how that movie and Steven Spielberg's Munich make for a great double-bill. [1:00:34 - 1:16:50 approx] And, finally, The Wild Robot director (and creator/voice of Stitch, as in Lilo & Stitch), Chris Sanders, on the success of his new animated movie, and becoming an unexpected voice actor. [1:39:10 - 1:54:10 approx] Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Beth Webb to discuss the film stories they'd love to see turned into plays, take a look at a bunch of trailers including The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Jurassic World: Rebirth, chat about the second coming of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and review September 5, You're Cordially Invited, Dog Man, and more. Enjoy.

It's another bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast this week, folks! The great Angelina Jolie heads up our trio of amazing guests, as she talks to John Nugent about taking on the challenge of playing the legendary opera singer, Maria Callas, in Pablo Larrain's Maria. [20:48 - 34:02 approx] Plus, Chris Hewitt has a fascinating chat with Jason Reitman about how, exactly, he recreated Saturday Night Live's opening night for Saturday Night, [56:33 - 1:15:42 approx] and finally Chris sits down on Zoom with EE Rising Star Award nominee, the wonderful David Jonsson, for a natter about that, Rye Lane, the difference between a stroll and a strut, and tackling a very complex role in Alien: Romulus, which is now on Disney+. [1:38:23 - 1:56:21 approx] Meanwhile, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to share their thoughts on the recent West End version of The Tempest, put together a Mount Rushmore of SNL stars, discuss the week's movie news, and review Saturday Night, Companion, and Mike Leigh's Hard Truths. Enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast brings you not one but two Oscar winners, as first Chris Hewitt sits down with Michelle Yeoh to talk about her new Star Trek movie, Section 31, and how the Best Actress Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once changed her life [20:56 - 36:39 approx]; then, John Nugent has a fascinating chat with The Brutalist star, current Oscar nominee, and former Best Actor winner, Adrien Brody, about the LA Fires and his role in Brady Corbet's epic drama. [1:02:49 - 1:18:11 approx] Elsewhere, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Kelechi Ehenulo to dig deep into the Oscar nominations, discuss VFX gone wrong, and review The Brutalist, Steven Soderbergh's Presence, Flight Risk, and Star Trek: Section 31, while they also get really specific about TV episodes. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, Alex Godfrey and Beth Webb bid a sad, but heartfelt, farewell to the great David Lynch, who has died at the age of 78. It's also an epic epitaph in many ways, clocking in at around 40 minutes, as the trio, all huge Lynch fans, pay tribute to the genius behind Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Dr., Twin Peaks, and more. [44:18 - 1:26:33 approx] Elsewhere in the episode, which was recorded before the news broke of Lynch's passing, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss great bike moments in movies, chat about the BAFTA nominations and the new Daredevil: Born Again trailer, and review A Complete Unknown, William Tell, Back In Action, and Wolf Man. And there are interviews aplenty, as Chris talks to a whole bunch of folks: there's a riotous, chaotic chat with A Real Pain stars Jesse Eisenberg (who also wrote and directed the movie) and Kieran Culkin, as they talk food, films, and feet [19:06 - 44:18 approx]; A Complete Unknown director James Mangold calls in from LA to talk about why he was drawn to Bob Dylan [1:43:03 - 1:57:39 approx]; and Wolf Man star, Christopher Abbott, who tells us why he might start a new club with Colin Farrell and Jeff Goldblum. [2:23:50 - 2:37:57 approx] Otherwise, it's all about Lynch, as it should be. Farewell, sir.

Here it is, folks. The 650th episode (if you don't count all the other episodes) of the Empire Podcast, recorded live on Friday January 10th in front of a sell-out crowd at our spiritual home of Kings Place, London. And it's an absolute belter, in which Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Beth Webb show barely a passing awareness of the week's movie news, review A Real Pain, Babygirl, and Maria, and answer a bunch of questions from the audience. There will be singing. There will be plenty of film-related fun. And there will be guests galore, as Chris sits down with Get Away writer/star, Nick Frost; Beth chats with Babygirl star, Harris Dickinson, making his second live show appearance; Alex Godfrey pops up to have a natter with William Tell star, Claes Bang (and we all get mildly distracted by his coat); and Helen has a pow-wow with Joe Alwyn, star of The Brutalist, the film that might just win the Oscar race. All the guests can be found in one super-long section between 49:56 and 2:08:14, approx. As ever, thanks to everyone who made this evening possible, from the Kings Place team to our guests; thanks to you guys for coming and for continuing to support the pod; and thanks to cinema for being so goshdarn cinematic. Enjoy.

We're back! Yes, after a whole week off for the Christmas holidays, the Empire Podcast has returned to darken your aural doors once more, and the first pod of 2025 is an absolute belter, as Chris Hewitt sits down with four incredible guests. First, he talks carousel horses and chocolate with We Live In Time stars, Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. [24:27 - 36:32 approx] Second, he welcomes Nosferatu star Nicholas Hoult back to the pod, and they talk about embracing fear, giving golf lessons in costume, and Hoult taking over the pod one day. [55:19 - 1:11:23 approx] Third, he has a lovely natter with Giovanni Ribisi about his 15-year overnight success as DP of last year's excellent Strange Darling, which is available now in various formats for your home viewing pleasure. [1:41:51 - 1:57:00 approx] Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and debutante Becky Darke for a fun episode in which they make bold and no doubt wildly off-kilter box office predictions for the year ahead, discuss Chris Nolan's The Odyssey (and not Draclier, bah!), and then review Nosferatu, Nickel Boys, and We Live In Time. The perfect listening accompaniment to that Celebrations sandwich you're currently making, we reckon. Enjoy.

So, 2024: a year of cinematic highs, lows, and bits in the middle. And in the annual tradition that is our Review Of The Year podcast, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer drill deep into them all (time allowing, of course), answering questions from listeners on a vast array of topics, before running down Empire's Top 20 films of the year. It's a bumper-sized one, folks, just the thing to see you into 2025. Happy New Year to all our listeners — enjoy!