The Empire Film Podcast

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.

The first three episodes of The Dropout, the new series charting the rise and fall of tech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, the company she founded, have landed on Disney+, and in the latest team-up between the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast, Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Beth Webb have a good old natter about it. In this very special crossover episode, in association with Disney+, they talk about the real-life events behind the show (created by Elizabeth Meriwether), the reasons why Hollywood is drawn to stories like this, the incredible cast, led by Amanda Seyfried, and much, much more. So turn on, tune in and drop out for The Dropout...

Riddle us this, riddle us, erm, shimmy, who's the man who wrote Steven Soderbergh's Kimi? Why, that would be David Koepp, one of our cracking guests on this week's Empire Podcast. The legendary screenwriter sits down on a Zoom with Chris Hewitt and tells him all about that, being a writer on set, and much more. And riddle us this, riddle us, um, drano, why does nothing rhyme with Dano? Yes, Ben Travis and Chris have a fun audience with Paul Dano, the actor who plays The Riddler in Matt Reeves' The Batman. Either side of that, in the virtual podbooth this week, Chris and Ben are joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for an episode in which they discuss how difficult it is to voice Paddington, nominate the movies they'd like to see become immersive hotel experiences, talk about movie news including the Bullet Train and Fantastic Beasts: The Wotsit Of Thingummy trailers, and review The Batman, Ali & Ava, The Desperate Hour, and A Madea Homecoming. Enjoy. Timestamps! Intro/Listener Question: 0:00.00 - 26:05 David Koepp: 26:05 - 43:52 Movie News: 43:53 - 1:11:44 Paul Dano: 1:11:45 - 1:29:04 Reviews/Outro: 1:29:04 onwards

Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson's BAFTA and Oscar-nominated Summer Of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is one of the finest directorial debuts in years, as the Roots drummer/musical maestro crafts a powerful and profound documentary that charts the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, a music festival that took place in the same summer as Woodstock, and yet didn't receive nearly the same cultural cachet. In fact, footage of the festival lay, untouched, for almost 50 years before Questlove was clued in as to its existence, resolving to make this movie. The resulting documentary, one of the favourites to win Best Documentary on both sides of the Pond, is part celebration of the amazing artists who played at the Festival, but also a compelling deep dive into Black history, Black culture, Black joy and, as he tells Chris Hewitt in this exclusive interview, the notion of Black erasure. They also talk about Questlove's relationship with the material, finding interviewees for the movie, and how he's going to handle attending the Oscars, as a former Musical Director of the ceremony. Enjoy.

Kenneth Branagh's wonderful BELFAST sees the writer-director (but not actor on this one, as he explains) return to his youth for inspiration, charting a beautiful black-and-white path through the childhood of a young boy growing up in the Northern Irish capital in 1969, just as The Troubles are about to truly erupt, changing the lives of all who lived there for decades to come. In this Empire Podcast interview special, Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with his fellow Northern Irishman, Branagh, and they talk about growing up during very different eras, about Branagh's decision to make the movie now, about his creative choices such as going black-and-white and using copious amounts of Van Morrison on the soundtrack, Northern Irish accents and much, much more. The film has been nominated for many BAFTAs and Oscars since, and may well scoop the ultimate prize on the big nights. This fascinating and fun interview may just tell you why, so it might. Wee buns!

There go our heroes. Watch them as they go. This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees three big names chat with us about their new projects, and as a result this pod is a little... everlong. First, Joe Wright, director of Cyrano, talks with Hanna Flint about his new musical and discloses his favourite Christmas movie along the way. Then Alex Godfrey Zooms in for a chat with the great Paul Thomas Anderson, who waxes lyrical about Licorice Pizza, Hard Eight turning 25, loving Mission: Impossible — Fallout, and more. And finally, as the Foo Fighters release their first movie, the horror-comedy Studio 666, Chris Hewitt has a chat with the one and only Dave Grohl. Either side of those, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for an episode recorded in space. Or more accurately, the Galactic Starcruiser, the new Star Wars immersive experience/hotel at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. They also tackle a listener question about the weirdest places they've ever conducted an interview, talk about the week's movie news, and review Cyrano, Studio 666, Kimi, and The Duke. We got The Duke? We got The Duke! Enjoy. Timings below: Intro and chat about the Galactic Starcruiser: 0:00 - 15:11 Joe Wright: 15:12 - 33:40 Listener Question: 33:40 - 51:15 Paul Thomas Anderson: 51:15 - 1:11:24 Movie News: 1:11:24 - 1:32:22 Dave Grohl: 1:32:22 - 1:49:42 Reviews: 1:49:42 - 2:17:03

This week's Empire Podcast has a pair of interviews with some heavy-hitting acting types. First off, Joanna Scanlan, recently BAFTA-nominated for Best Actress for her turn in the excellent drama, After Love, talks with Helen O'Hara about that, and about playing the long game in her career. Then Hanna Flint (making her Empire Podcast debut) has a fun chat, recorded before Christmas hence the festive references, with the ever-excellent Peter Dinklage, star of next week's Joe Wright-directed musical, Cyrano. And no, we don't ask him where the handle is. Then, in and out of the podbooth (you'll see), Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for an in-depth and often moving (ahem) examination of the best bald bad guys in movie history. They also discuss the week's movie news, which mainly means trailers, lots of trailers (we've taken care of Doctor Strange business elsewhere, though). And then Chris and Helen, despite the best efforts of Storm Eunice, review Channing Tatum's return in Dog, Leatherface's return in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's return with Bigbug. Enjoy.

Because a few of you demanded it, here it is: the Empire Podcast's breakdown of the brand-new trailer for Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. Join Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis as they go frame-by-frame through the new trailer, and the 30-second Super Bowl TV spot, as if it's the Zapruder film. Features: wild speculation and rumour-mongering, much of which will no doubt be proved incorrect when the film opens in May. So, cue up the trailer on a device of your choice (hopefully not the same one on which you're listening to the pod), and prepare to enter a new world of gods and monsters. Sorry, wrong cinematic universe!

Happy birthday, Hot Fuzz! Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's cracking cop comedy is now fifteen years old, if you can believe it. And in this very special episode of the Empire Podcast, recorded live at Kings Place as part of our all-day celebration of Episode 500, Chris Hewitt sits down with Wright and Pegg live on stage for a one-hour deep dive into the movie. Featuring never-before-heard stories of the writing of, and making of, the movie, it's a must-listen. And that's even before we get to the late cameo (of sorts) from a very special surprise guest. Bring the noise!

We don't hang around here on the Empire Podcast. Less than a week after the epic celebration that was our 500th episode, we're already back in the podbooth, bringing you episode 501. And it's a belter, folks, as Chris Hewitt is joined by newly-minted BAFTA and Oscar nominee, the wonderful West Side Story star, Ariana DeBose, for a chat that takes in Spielberg, auditions, British accents, SNL, and Hamilton, but which is mostly concerned with Nando's, and the consumption thereof. We're also joined this week by director Josephine Decker, who tells Amon Warmann all about her new film, the Apple TV+ original, The Sky Is Everywhere. Either side of that, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and John Nugent for a fun episode in which they discuss their dream LEGO movie-themed sets (this was recorded before news broke of the new Jurassic Park set), talk about the week's movie news, including a bumper Oscars section (this was recorded before news broke of the new Jurassic World: Dominion trailer; it's almost as if dinosaurs hate us), and review Uncharted, Death On The Nile, Flee, and Marry Me. Whether this is your first episode or your five-hundred-and-first episode, enjoy.