We start on a director's chair. We pull back to reveal its back. On it is emblazoned a name. That name? George MacKay, the wonderful star of this week's thought-provoking original movie musical, Joshua Oppenheimer's The End, who pops into the podbooth to have a good old natter [from 30:49 - 48:20 approx] with... We pull back. It's another director's chair. On it, another name: Chris Hewitt. Everyone shrugs their shoulders. But wait! There's another chair, and another name! That name is Irwin Winkler, the legendary producer of Rocky, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Irishman, Creed, and now The Alto Knights, as he talks to Chris about going double De Niro on that movie. [1:00:37 - 1:17:11 approx] And then there are three more chairs, with three more names, as Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and John Nugent join Chris in the podbooth for a topsy-turvy episode that flips the format of the show upside down. Our intrepid quartet answer a listener question about Double De Niro, review A Working Man, The Woman In The Yard, and Novocaine, and discuss the week's movie news, including the glacially-paced reveal of the cast of Avengers Doomsday, which was unfolding as we recorded this very show. But they don't necessarily do all of those things in that order. If you're not an MCU stan (or Stan), that discussion comes right at the end of the episode, so here's a rough time stamp should you wish to skip. [1:32:24 approx] For MCU fans, though, dive in. Enjoy.

Welcome to The Shameless Plug, a brand new Empire Podcast regular show, folks. As the title suggests, every month Chris Hewitt will sit down with Empire editor, Nick de Semlyen, for a deep dive into the latest issue of Empire, bringing you the stories behind the stories and covering everything including the cover. This month's cover feature is Thunderbolts*, and Chris talks about his trip to Atlanta to visit the movie's set, while Nick shares tales of seeing a major star cram jelly beans into their pockets. And there's much, much more. The issue is on sale now at all good, evil and virtual newsagents, and you can subscribe via empireonline.com Do let us know your thoughts on The Shameless Plug. We'll be back in four weeks!

It's another bumper-sized edition of the Empire Podcast this week, folks, in which Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with the legendary director, Barry Levinson, on the eve of the release of his new gangster movie, The Alto Knights, starring Robert De Niro, Robert De Niro and Robert De Niro's dogs. [23:31 - 40:13 approx] Then, we also hear from Gints Zilbalodis, the director of this year's Oscar-winning animated movie, Flow, in an exclusive excerpt from a recent Empire VIP Club event, hosted by Beth Webb. [59:44 - 1:13:04 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, briefly, Alex Godfrey, to reflect on St. Patrick's Day, discuss Hollywood actors in British TV adverts, their favourite movie assassinations (because of the Ides Of March, see), chat about the week's movie news, and review Flow, The Alto Knights, and the Rachel Zegler double-whammy of Snow White and Y2K. Oh, and Chris bangs on about something called The Convergence. When you hear what it is, you'll most likely share his excitement. Enjoy.

This week sees the release of Hans Zimmer And Friends: Diamond In The Desert, a concert film like no other, which captures the great Hans Zimmer and his band in full flow in Dubai, and also intersperses a number of revealing interviews Zimmer conducted with the likes of Christopher Nolan, Zendaya, Billie Eilish, Pharrell Williams, Denis Villeneuve, Johnny Marr, and Timothee Chalamet. It's quite the achievement, and in this Empire Podcast Interview Special, Chris Hewitt talks to Zimmer and the film's director, Paul Dugdale, about how they pulled it off, hanging with the Belgian Royal Family, crafting the ultimate set list, and, of course, Going For Gold. The heat is on, the time is right, it's time for you to play this pod. Enjoy.

Welcome to episode 659 (yes, we're keeping count) of The Empire Podcast, folks. And it's a belter, as Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with The Electric State's Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt to talk about their favourite Russo brother, accents, and which one will attend the parade if/when Liverpool win this year's Premier League title. [23:34 -37:14 approx] Chris also has a fun chat about lie detectors, Benihana, and dinner parties from hell with Black Bag stars Michael Fassbender and Marisa Abela. [59:08 - 1:17:44 approx] And then he's joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they answer questions from the Empire Podcast subreddit, dwell on numbers (specifically, four and 12), discuss the week's movie news, including Sadie Sink joining the cast of the latest Spider-Man movie, and review Black Bag, The Electric State, Last Breath, In The Lost Lands, and Opus. Oh, and they talk about Portals, for a change. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast features two cracking interviews with two directors at different stages of their career. First, actor-turned-director Jack Huston sits down on Zoom and tells Chris Hewitt how he managed to make his directorial debut, the black-and-white drama Day Of The Fight, recruiting Joe Pesci for a supporting role, and the influence of his famous grandfather, John Huston. [26:52 - 47:11 approx] Then, Helen O'Hara sits down with the great Bong Joon Ho, and his interpreter, for a lovely chat about Director Bong's new film, Mickey 17. [1:15:40 - 1:32:02 approx] Either side of those is a fun episode in which Chris and Helen are joined by James Dyer and, returning to the pod after an absence of a decade, Radio 1's Ali Plumb, to talk about how Michael Shannon might just have reunited R.E.M., wax lyrical about the greatness of Gene Hackman, and review Mickey 17, Day Of The Fight, and One Of Them Days. Oh, and if you're not a fan of Oscars chat, maybe skip the entire news section (which comes after Jack Huston and before Director Bong), as it's dedicated to an in-depth discussion of last Sunday's Academy Awards. But if you skip it, you'll never learn the incredible film facts that Ali, James, and Helen bring to the table, as a Three Fact Structure briefly threatens to break out. Enjoy!

Don't call it a comeback. This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Pamela Anderson, star of Baywatch and Barb Wire, sit down with Alex Godfrey to tell him about how Gia Coppola's The Last Showgirl has given her a second chance in Hollywood. [23:46 - 38:29 approx] Our other interview sees Mickey 17 (out next Friday, fact fans!) star Naomi Ackie talk to Helen O'Hara about working with Bong Joon Ho and multiple Robert Pattinsons, and coming to terms with fame. [1:05:30 - 1:19:50 approx] And both Alex and Helen are also in the podbooth this week, joining Chris Hewitt and James Dyer to talk about the greatest movie monkeys, take an impromptu Kathy Kennedy quiz, and review The Last Showgirl and Sky Cinema Original, Fight Or Flight. And the team also bid a sad farewell to some souls who left us far too soon this week — Michelle Trachtenberg, Roberto Orci, and the great Gene Hackman, who passed away along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa. A full Hackman tribute will appear in next week's podcast, but for now, the team recommend the movies they would watch as a tribute to his Gene-ius. [Episode 657]

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!