The Empire Film Podcast

Choose life. Choose a podcast. Choose a movie podcast. Choose Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and James Dyer talking about movies. Choose the occasional digression about fancy restaurants and Easter eggs. Choose a listener question (well, sort of) about the best lightsaber battles in Star Wars history. Choose discussion of the week's biggest movie news, including the Thor: Love And Thunder trailer. Choose reviews of new films like The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, Happening, and Choose Or Die. Choose an interview with Eddie Marsan, the star of the latter of that trio. Choose realising that you're stuck in this bit now and need to see it through to the end. Choose life. But why would you want to do a thing like that? We chose to choose something else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got The Empire Podcast? Enjoy. TIMESTAMPS! (approx. timings) Intro/Listener Question: 0:00.00 - 25:58.00 Movie News: 25:59.00 - 54:51.00 Eddie Marsan Interview: 54:52.00 - 1:13:54.00 Reviews/Outro: 1:13:55.00 - end

This week's Empire Podcast brings you not one but two former Mr. Darcys, in the shape of Operation Mincemeat stars, Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen, who tell Chris Hewitt all about their connection to the World War II thriller, and their personal approaches to acting. Chris also has a lovely natter this week with Alexander Skarsgård, the star and producer of Robert Eggers' bonkers and brilliant Viking saga, The Northman. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Alex Godfrey for an episode filled with incendiary and controversial opinions as they discuss the Cannes line-up, Brie Larson joining Fast & Furious 10, the new issue of Empire; review The Northman, Benedetta, Operation Mincemeat, and The Lost City; and do a deep, deep dive into the listener questions, which asks if any Best Animated Feature Oscar winners have been better than their Best Picture-winning counterparts? The answers, and frankly wild opinions on display, will shock you. Enjoy. (Oh, and Chris did mean to say 'Bond novels', not 'Bond movies'. You'll know that bit when you reach it. TIMESTAMPS! (timings are approximate) Intro/Listener Q: 0:00.00 - 31:15.535 Colin Firth/Matthew Macfadyen: 31:16.00 - 45:39.00 Movie News: 45:40.00 - 1:12:10.00 Alexander Skarsgård: 1:12:11.00 - 1:31:20.219 Reviews: 1:31:21.00 - end

This week's Empire Podcast sees a bright and optimistic young man who wears spectacles, lives under the stairs, and just might be the last hope for humanity... interview Daniel Radcliffe. Yes, in this episode Ben Travis, a humungous Harry Potter fan, finally comes face-to-face with The Boy Who Lived, and as well as talking about Radcliffe's new movie, adventure comedy The Lost City, his musical tastes and plans to launch a directing career, there's a little bit of Potter chat as well. Then, in the podbooth, Ben joins Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for an episode in which they wax lyrical about Film4's greatest movies and general contribution to British cinema, discuss the week's movie news and find it to be wanting, throw in a boatload of obscure, unusual and arcane facts (that aren't movie-related, weirdly), and review the Harry Potter/Daniel Radcliffe-free Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore, Richard Linklater's Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Adventure, Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton thriller All The Old Knives, and Mark Rylance in The Outfit, a film so good it almost makes Chris come to terms with the past. Almost. Enjoy. TIMESTAMPS! (timings may be approx.) Intro/Listener Question -- 0:00.00 - 22:20.00 Daniel Radcliffe -- 22:21.00 - 43:39.508 Movie News -- 43:40.00 - 1:04:49.00 Reviews -- 1:04:50.00 -- end

The world has been waiting all week for an exclusive interview with someone called Smith, and this week's Empire Podcast doesn't disappoint, as Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with Morbius star Matt Smith, and they have a lovely natter about nicknames, horror movies, and Smith's desire to play Dracula, now that he's got his fangs into the whole vampire thang. (What, did you think we meant another Smith?) Our other guest this week is the wonderful Ruth Wilson, who speaks with Amon Warmann about her new movie, True Things, her ongoing crusade to keep a workbook, and her relationship with music. This interview was cut somewhat short due to technical issues, folks, so be prepared for a fairly abrupt ending. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and, making a rare in-person appearance, James 'Jaime Blanco' White, to discuss their favourite Bruce Willis movies, following the news of his decision to retire from acting due to health issues; review Morbius, True Things, and Judd Apatow's The Bubble; and talk about the week's movie news, including an extended segment on the Oscars and, of course, that unexpected Will Smith/Chris Rock interface. Get your hot takes here! Enjoy. TIMESTAMPS: Intro/Bruce Willis Discussion -- 0:00.00 - 27.05.00 Matt Smith Interview -- 27.06.00 - 44.32.866 Movie News -- 44.33.00 - 1:16:02 Ruth Wilson Interview -- 1:16:03 - 1:32:10 Reviews/Outro -- 1:32:11 - 1:59:14

Here's a podcast that can tell the difference between its waking life... and dreams. Yes, folks, as Moon Knight finally makes his dramatic debut on Disney+, this special edition of the Empire Podcast brings you interviews with the folks who brought the MCU's latest hero to life. First, Chris Hewitt welcomes the show's stars -- Moon Knight/Marc Spector/Steven Grant himself, Oscar Isaac; Ethan Hawke, who plays the villainous Arthur Harrow; and May Calamawy, aka Leila -- to our London studio for an interview that is filled with bonkersness, and then he sits down over Zoom with the show's lead director, Mohamed Diab. This isn't a spoiler special, and the interviews are largely spoiler-free, but they do engage with events that take place in the first episode in particular, so perhaps listen to this after you've seen that. Otherwise, there's nothing to fear here but Chris' impression of Steven Grant. Enjoy...?

Another bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast this week, as we cram four guests and the podteam into the back of an ambulance and take off at high speed. First, Chris Hewitt has a fun chat with Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, stars of Michael Bay's cracking new thriller, Ambulance. Then, as Chopper gets a re-release to mark its 20th-ish anniversary, Chris jumps on Zoom with that film's director, Andrew Dominik. Finally, Beth Webb sits down with Norwegian actress, and star of the wonderful The Worst Person In The World, Renate Reinsve. Then, in the virtual podbooth this week, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a discussion about which of the many facets of film journalism appeal to them most. They also tackle the week's movie news, including taking a stab at predicting the outcome of the Oscars, while they review The Worst Person In The World, Windfall, and have an argument about Ambulance. Enjoy. TIMESTAMPS Intro/Listener Question: 0:00.00 - 24.29.447 Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: 24.30.00 - 43:03.00 Movie News: 43:04.00 - 1:02:02.00 Andrew Dominik: 1:02:03:00 - 1:15:33.403 Reviews: 1:15:34.00 - 1:39:10.883 Renate Reinsve: 1:39:11.00

Welcome to The Great Unwatched, a new Empire Podcast show brought to you by JustWatch, the ultimate movie and TV streaming guide. In this episode, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer get together to plan a movie marathon. But the twist is that the movies they suggest must be obscure efforts, worthy of discovery, and that at least one of the trio hasn't seen. The idea is simple, the results are carnage. From a Cary Grant comedy to punks cavorting in graveyards, their choices run the gamut — and thanks to JustWatch, they know that every movie they talk about is available to stream in the UK. Give The Great Unwatched a whirl now, and let us know if you ever undertake the final marathon. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast sees Sophie Butcher interview Sebastian Stan, while trying not to say the words 'homecoming', 'fahrenheit' and 'boxcar'. Otherwise, bad things might happen. Not that they could be much worse than the bad things that happen in Stan's new movie, Fresh, in which he stars alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones as a new couple whose relationship turns very dark, very quick. Sophie talks to Stan and Edgar-Jones about that, their musical tastes, and more in a fun interview. Also fun, and interviewy, is Chris Hewitt's chat with old podchum Simon Farnaby, writer of this week's whimsical true-life golf comedy, The Phantom Of The Open. The two natter about golf, about Farnaby's output as a writer, and about being yelled at. Then, in the virtual podbooth this week, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Amon Warmann for another fun episode in which they discuss movies that deserve a third instalment, get to grips with the week's movie news, including Dune 2, Deadpool 3 and Ms Marvel revelations and, in a top week for movie rumpy-pumpy, review Fresh, Deep Water, Paris, 13th District and The Phantom Of The Open. It's a podcast that's perfect for spoiling a good walk. Enjoy. Intro/Listener Question -- 0:00.00 - 27.53.00 Daisy Edgar-Jones/Sebastian Stan Interview -- 27:54.00 - 40:42.00 Movie News -- 40:43.00 - 01:09:09 Simon Farnaby interview -- 01:09:10 - 1:26:59 Reviews -- 1:27:00 - end

Episode 500 of the Empire Podcast may have taken place in February, but we're continuing our quest to bring you recorded versions of all the shows we mounted on that day. And the latest is the live edition of beloved/besmirched podcast semi-regular segment, The Three Fact Structure, in which host Chris Hewitt takes it easy while Ben Travis, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer work themselves to the bone by presenting an obscure, unusual, or arcane film-related fact. This pod may only be 20 minutes long, but it packs a punch, as Helen talks about sex, James talks about loads of stuff at such a speed that it's honestly hard to tell what he was banging on about, and Ben talks about Pooh. Lots of Pooh. Oh, and there's a singalong too. This may be the way we do The Three Fact Structure from now on (live, with a 20-minute limit), so let us know if that tickles your factual fancy. Either way, enjoy.

Red is the colour for this week's Empire Podcast. First, Ben Travis has a chat with Sandra Oh and Rosalie Chiang, stars of the new Pixar movie, Turning Red, and then Red Rocket director, Sean Baker, tells Alex Godfrey all about how he pulled off his delightful latest, in which Simon Rex stars as a porn star down on his luck. Sorry about the innuendo there, but that sets the tone for this mucky-minded filthpot of an episode, in which Chris Hewitt is joined by Ben, James Dyer and, making her debut on the pod, Hanna Flint. The quartet talk about who they'd like to see play the next big-screen Robin, discuss the week's movie news, including the new trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Dune 2 casting news (this was recorded before the Austin Butler news broke), and review the aforementioned movies, along with Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy's latest, The Adam Project. Along the way, they discuss The Spice Girls, MENA representation in movies, and a very rude Obi-Wan Kenobi anagram. Enjoy. Timestamps! Intro/Listener Question -- 0:00.00 - 19.50.00 Rosalie Chiang/Sandra Oh interview -- 19.51.00 - 32.54 Movie News -- 32.55 - 1:02:48 Sean Baker interview -- 1:02:49 - 1:20:43 Movie Reviews -- 1:20:44 - end.