The Empire Podcast

People keep asking if we're back. And we haven't really had an answer. But now, yeah, we're thinking we're back. Or, more accurately, John Wick is, for another dose of bloody mayhem in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. And in our latest spoiler special podcast, Chris Hewitt and James Dyer prepare for war by sitting down with the film's director, Chad Stahelski, to talk about all kinds of major developments, including the ending that Stahelski originally wanted. Then, back in the podbooth,...

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters may feature all kinds of mammoth monsters, but none are as impressive or towering as the great Charles Dance, who has a nice chat with Ben Travis about his new movie, working with Arnie on Last Action Hero, and more. [00.14.50 - 00.32.00] Our second guest this week, Thunder Road star/writer/director Jim Cummings, has a fun and frank chat with Chris Hewitt about working on a bargain budget, recording his script as a podcast (top hint), and sending a cheque to...

On this week's episode of the award-losing Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt finds that Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher has the Dwight Stuff as they talk all things Elton John. Plus our fearless leader Terri White sits down for a fun chat with Booksmart stars, Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis to discuss spoiler culture, review Aladdin and Rocketman, discuss R-Battz and the new Chris Nolan film, and then shill like crazy...

A couple of weeks ago, we took a step into the unknown, heading off to Kings Place, London (our spiritual home) to record a live spoiler special for Avengers: Endgame. Just us - Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis - and 400 of our closest friends. And now, because you demanded it, here is our grand experiment, for those of you who couldn't be there, and perhaps for those of you who were, so you can relive the madness. So, just in case you haven't already got your Endgame...

This week's Empire Podcast goes full arthouse, as legendary French director Claire Denis talks to Empire's Editor-In-Chief, Terri White, about her new film, High Life. And then, because nothing can touch the Empire Podcast without being corrupted, there's a bit where they both repeatedly say the word, 'f**kbox'. [00:35:29 - 00:56-09] Then back in the f**kbox - sorry, podbooth - Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, right at the end, John Nugent to discuss their favourite...

We haven't seen Nicholas Hoult on the Empire Podcast for a while, so we jumped at the chance to talk Tolkien with him this week, sending Chris Hewitt along for a good old natter about Hoult's new movie, in which he plays the celebrated author, J.R.R. Tolkien. Along the way they talk about Hoult's handwriting, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and much, much more. Then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer as they decide which animated movie casts they'd like to see in a...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 --...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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,...

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...