The Empire Film Podcast

Mele Kalikimaka, everybody. As part of Empire's Advent Calendar season, here's a little gift from us to you, as we temporarily break down the door of the Empire Spoiler Special subscription channel and bring you the retro spoiler pod we recorded a couple of years ago for one of the most beloved modern Christmas movies: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Featuring an in-depth deep dive with the film's director, Jeremiah S. Chechik (no, the S. doesn't stand for Santa), and a good old natter about the film and the Griswold family festivities between superfans Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and Nick de Semlyen. As the poster once put it, 'Yule love it!'. Thankfully, the jokes in the film are better. And if you like this, there's more where that came from for Spoiler Special subscribers. Enjoy!

Christmas is coming, folks, and that means that the Empire Podcast's sack is simply heaving with guests this week. First, Toy Story 3 and Coco director, Lee Unkrich, pops into the booth for a bit to talk about his new, definitive book about the making of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, and tackle this week's listener question (about Christmas songs in movies). Then Chris Hewitt chats with Resurrection star Rebecca Hall and Emancipation director Antoine Fuqua, and Amon Warmann gets to the heart of The Silent Twins' silent twins, Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance. And yes, he asks about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to talk about the week's movie news, including the possible demise of Wonder Woman 3, and review Emancipation, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio and Resurrection. Bumper-sized! Jampacked! Ho ho ho! Enjoy!

Blimey, folks, this week's episode of the Empire Podcast has more guests than Jamie Lee Curtis' home on Christmas Day. (Because she's married to Christopher Guest, you see, and presumably there would be a large number of extended family members invited around for a slap-up meal.) Helen O'Hara has a lovely chat with White Noise star Greta Gerwig about casting herself, her desire to make a musical, and more. Then Chris Hewitt has a lovely natter with action movie ace Frank Grillo, who's spreading his wings as the star of Lamborghini: The Man Behind The Legend. And, in the studio this week, Chris and Helen are joined by the brilliant Damian Lewis and Nick Murphy, star and director respectively of the ITVX drama, A Spy Among Friends (take that, Pilot TV). Lewis and Murphy (no, they're not a RoboCop tribute act) occupy the third and fourth chairs with remarkable grace, fielding questions about spies, breakfasts and buttocks, while tackling this week's listener question, about the best time jumps in movies and TV. Then, Chris and Helen are joined by Amon Warmann to discuss the week's movie news (including all those big trailers), review Violent Night and White Noise, and bang on about Cocaine Bear. Oh, and Amon has his mind blown by Frank Grillo. Enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Luca Guadagnino, director of Call Me By Your Name, talk about his new movie, the dark cannibal romance Bones And All, and to spare him the ignominy of Chris Hewitt bellowing *that* song at him, we asked John Nugent to Zoom with Guadagnino instead. The result is a fascinating and frank discussion about the director's creative process. Also being frank and fascinating about their creative process is Tim Minchin, the genius songwriter behind the tunes of this week's Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical. He talks to Helen O'Hara about turning the hit stage musical into a movie, and about the sad failure of the quite wonderful Groundhog Day The Musical. Then, in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt returns and, as well as Googling 'how to host a podcast', welcomes Helen, James Dyer and fourth chair newcomer, Kelechi Ehenulo for discussions of random encounters with Emma Thompson in a lift, the best sequels to not feature the main character from the previous movie, the week's movie news (such as it is; thanks a bunch, Thanksgiving!), and review Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, She Said, Strange World, Matilda, The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special, and more. It's podcast time — gobble gobble!

The Empire Podcast has more hat-tricks than Mo Salah, and this week is no exception, as we welcome three batches of tremendous guests. First, Paul Mescal, star of the wonderful new drama Aftersun, goes it alone, as he tells Ella Kemp that he's not as serious as the movies and TV shows he makes, no honest. Then, Chris Hewitt is the Host Of Christmas Present as he chats to Spirited stars Will Ferrell and Octavia Spencer about the best swag they've ever got from a movie. And finally, Amon Warmann chats to Florence Pugh and Sebastian Lelio, star and director respectively of stunning new Netflix drama, The Wonder. And as well as all of that, there's an actual podcast in there too as, with Chris stricken with lurgy, Helen O'Hara invites Amon and regular pod debutant, Sam Clements, into the virtual podbooth for a fun pod in which they discuss the fictional movie companies they'd buy and tank if they could; the week's movie news (up to Thursday night that is); and review Disenchanted, Aftersun, Confess, Fletch, Bardo, Spirited, and more in another jam-packed reviews section. Oh, and a special guest host drops in for a short while too. Enjoy! (And please accept our apologies for the delay in it going up...)

Another bumper belting bangily-banger this week, folks, as the Empire Podcast marks the eagerly-awaited arrival of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever by dispatching Amon Warmann to talk to two of its stars, Dania Gurira — Okoye herself — and the MCU's latest menace, Namor The Sub-Mariner, aka Tenoch Huerta Mejía. Then, Chris Hewitt has a chat with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, the filmmaking duo behind the trippy and terrific Something In The Dirt. But that's not all — in the virtual podbooth this week, Chris is joined by Amon, James Dyer, and Helen O'Hara to talk about the Christmas movies they wish could have sequels (and things take a turn for the dark pretty quickly), discuss the week's movie news, review Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Hellraiser, The Wonder, My Father's Dragon, Slumberland and Is That Black Enough For You?, while all trying desperately to name every movie Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg have made together. Who will be the lone survivor? Find out by listening. Enjoy!

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Daniel Radcliffe make his second pod-appearance of the year, as he tells Chris Hewitt all about playing Weird Al Yankovic in the riotous faux-biopic, Weird. They also talk about accents, living in New York, and what Radcliffe's own biopic would be called. And names are on the agenda with Jennifer Lawrence too, as the Oscar-winning actress returns with her contemplative drama, Causeway, the first movie to be produced by her company, Excellent Cadaver. In our interview, she and director Lila Neugebauer tell Chris all about the how and why of the movie's name change from Red, White & Water, about working in a heated swimming pool, and more. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and John Nugent to discuss the week's movie news, being replaced by Liam Hemsworth, review EVERY FILM IN THE WORLD including Enola Holmes 2, Living, Weird, Causeway, All Quiet On The Western Front, and Something In The Dirt, and tackle the thorny issue of which comedy movie directors they'd put on their personal Mount Rushmore. If your favourite director isn't mentioned, rest assured they were mentioned, but were cut out. Probably. Enjoy!

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Billy Eichner, writer/star of rom-com Bros, and his co-star Luke Macfarlane, sit down with Chris Hewitt for a fun and frank chat about shooting sex scenes, Eichner's long struggle to bring a gay love story to the big screen with the backing of a major studio, and why podcasts are the new porn. Then Chris also sits down with British actress Georgina Campbell, star of this week's cracking new horror Barbarian, for a spoiler-free chat which includes Campbell's Halloween double-bill recommendations. Then Chris is joined in the virtual podbooth by Helen O'Hara and Ella Kemp for a fun episode in which they try not to answer any questions about scary films, but end up talking about the most terrifying movie clowns anyway. They also discuss the week's movie news, including James Gunn being hired as co-CEO of DC Studios, and review Bros, Barbarian, The Good Nurse, Triangle Of Sadness, and Wendell & Wild. Oh, and Chris loses his mind over an upcoming threequel. No, not that one. Nor that one either. Enjoy.

The Good Nurse is a sombre, serious and affecting drama based on the story of Charles Cullen, one of the most notorious serial killer cases in American history, with superb performances from Eddie Redmayne as Cullen, who abused his position as a nurse to kill patients, and Jessica Chastain as Amy Loughren, a fellow nurse and friend who helped the police apprehend Cullen and put a stop to a spree that had lasted for more than a decade and, it is believed, accounted for hundreds of victims. It was also Empire's gala presentation at this year's BFI London Film Festival, and in our latest Empire Podcast special, Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with Chastain and Redmayne, director Tobias Lindholm and writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns, for chats about the movie, its dark subject matter, its scathing criticism of the American healthcare system, and much, much more. Enjoy.

Who hasn't found themselves consumed with thoughts of Pierce Brosnan films after reading the instructions on a microwaveable ready meal? And rightly so, for the Irish superstar has made a number of memorable movies over the years, including some in which he played a memorable number. But now to the iconic likes of James Bond and Thomas Crown, we can add Doctor Fate, the character Brosnan plays in the new DCEU movie, Black Adam. And on this week's Empire Podcast, The Artist Formerly Known As Bronhom tells Amon Warmann all about that, about shooting The Thomas Crown Affair, and pays a heartfelt tribute to his former Bond comrade, the late Robbie Coltrane. Our other guests this week are Emma Corrin and Michael Grandage, star and director respectively of the love-triangle melodrama My Policeman, who tell Ella Kemp all about their experiences making that movie. Either side of those, Chris Hewitt is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and John Nugent for a fun episode in which they discuss the horror filmmakers who would adorn their personal Mount Rushmores, have a crack at the week's movie news including Harrison Ford joining the MCU, and review Black Adam, Park Chan-wook's Decision To Leave, Martin McDonagh's The Banshees Of Inisherin, and Paul Feig's The School For Good And Evil. Oh, and we raise a glass to our fellow colleague of such lethal cunning, Ben Travis, who got married last week to his beloved Lizzie. Up the Weds! Enjoy.