The Empire Film Podcast

This week's Empire Podcast sees the debut of the very last interview we recorded before we locked down, as Chris Hewitt chats with Radioactive star Sam Riley about playing Pierre Curie, being a cad for Ben Wheatley, some of his notable screen deaths, and how Empire got Sam into trouble at school. It's a fun interview — but be warned, spoilers abound for Radioactive. (See also: the internet) Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer, as per usual, while the rotating fourth chair is this week occupied by the wonderful Kobi Omenaka, co-host of two of our favourite pods, The Wire Stripped and Flixwatcher. Together, this intrepid quartet parade an array of film facts, some of which may even be true; cast their dream Hamilton movie; discuss the week's movie news; and review Above Suspicion, Clemency, and Beach House. Enjoy.

While we wouldn't normally do a spoiler special for a video game, The Last Of Us Part II is no ordinary game. Therefore James Dyer, Nick de Semlyen and Amon Warmann all got together to chat about the game's major plot points and indulge in a little group therapy to help get over the trauma of actually playing it. We also invited the game's director, Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann, to share his views and talk to us about everything from the big plot twists to the game's final ending. We're also putting this one out on the regular podcast channel so that even those who don't already subscribe to our Spoiler Special podcasts can listen and enjoy. And if you do enjoy it, then why not head over to glow.fm/empirefilm and sign up for more.

It's finally here — the last part of the epic trilogy of podcasts that wasn't meant to be a trilogy, but we got carried away and now have to pretend that we meant it as a trilogy all along a la Scream and The Matrix. Anyway, in this episode, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis argue the toss over the reader/listener-voted list of the 50 Greatest Movie Heroes Of All Time, as seen in the last issue of Empire. And things get heated as they enter the top ten. There will be shocks. There will be surprises. There will be terrible impressions, and even worse opinions. There's only one thing for it: steel yourself and enter. Enjoy.

James McAvoy, renowned for his diverse film roles, discusses his latest project voicing Morpheus in Neil Gaiman's Audible adaptation of The Sandman. He shares insights into his geeky interests and his quirky experiences with Stephen King while filming It Chapter 2. The conversation highlights his light-hearted FIFA match with Liam Payne. The hosts also pay tribute to Ennio Morricone and dive into recent film reviews, exploring themes of addiction and masculinity in movies like Greyhound and Finding the Way Back.

This week's lockdown episode of the Empire Podcast is once again so jam-packed with chatty goodness that we've split it into two parts. This is not the new normal, folks — we promise. Just something that will happen from time to time. Anyway, this half sees two of our favourite guests return for another bite at the pod-cherry, as Chris Hewitt talks to Simon Pegg about make-up, mental health and Pegg's new movie, Lost Transmissions, and hops on a trans-continental call with Ride Like A Girl star, Sam Neill, to talk horses, box sets, and Event Horizon. Because Chris. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, in the rotating fourth chair, Amon Warmann to compare film facts (warning: joy is in short supply this week) and movie pubs. Enjoy.

Can we offer you a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative? That, sadly, is not what Dan Jolin nor Chris Hewitt said to the great Werner Herzog when they chatted to him for this episode. Chickens. Yes, the legendary German director, owner of the most distinctive voice in movies, is our third and final guest this week, and in the second part of the pod he is as delightfully Werner Herzogian as you might expect, as he talks to Dan and Chris about being in lockdown, making Star Wars, and his new movie, Family Romance LLC. Back in the virtual podbooth, Chris, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann and James Dyer discuss the week's movie news, including the sad death of the legendary Carl Reiner, and review Hamilton, Lost Transmissions, and Hamilton. Mainly Hamilton, to be honest. Did you think we would throw away our shot? Nope! No shots were thrown away in the making of this podcast, we can assure you. Enjoy.

In the second (and final...?) part of the podteam's countdown of the 50 Greatest Movie Heroes Of All Time, the magazine feature voted for by you, the listeners and readers of Empire, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis argue (and argue, and argue) the toss over the top 25. We won't give too many of the heroes' identities away, but let's just say that if you're a fan of impossible missions, gods of thunder and, erm, wonder women, you'll be happy. And if you want to read the full list, and an astonishing array of incredible features and interviews (Michael J. Fox! Sigourney Weaver! Keanu Reeves! Bruce Campbell! Carrie-Anne Moss! And more!), then pick up the latest copy of Empire from any good, evil, or virtual newsagent. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast (once again brought to you in lockdown) sees two acting powerhouses have a chat about their craft. First, Chris Hewitt talks to Delroy Lindo about his incredible performance in Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, and then Terri White grills Maxine Peake mercilessly about playing the title role in Fanny Lye Deliver'd. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, in the rotating fourth chair, James 'Jaime Blanco' White, our man in LA, for a fun ep in which they discuss tea and coffee cups in the movies (next week: scraped barrels), talk about movie news including Michael Keaton's possible return to the Batcave, and review Thomas Clay's Fanny Lye Deliver'd, David Dobkin's Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga, and Jon Stewart's Irresistible. Oh, and the new film fact section claims another victim. Enjoy!

It is a time for heroes. Or, more accurately, discussion of heroes. And we're happy to oblige. In this special edition of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis gather (remotely, of course, because they're heroes) to go through the first half of the brand new, reader/listener-voted list of the 50 Greatest Movie Heroes Of All Time, as seen in the latest issue of Empire magazine. From Chief Brody to Imperator Furiosa, it's a fast and furious discussion of the merits (and demerits) of your choice of heroes, filled with the usual trenchant opinions and terrible impressions. If you want to hear more, the gang will be discussing heroes 25-1 at the same time next week. And if you want to read more, the full list — including in-depth features and interviews with the likes of Keanu Reeves, Sigourney Weaver, and Michael J. Fox — can be found in this month's Empire, on sale now in all good, evil, and virtual newsagents. Enjoy.

In this week's bumper-sized (so much so, in fact, we're wondering if we should have split it into two parts like last week) Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt chats to Armando Iannucci, the co-writer/director of The Personal History Of David Copperfield about discovering optimism, and how hard it is to write comedy in the middle of a pandemic. And John Nugent talks to Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the latter returns to our screens with gripping plane hijack thriller, 7500. In the remote podbooth, Chris is then joined by James Dyer and Helen O'Hara, as per usual. But the rotating fourth chair this week is occupied by Dave Corkery and Cathy Cullen, the married couple who host one of our favourite podcasts, The Cinemile. Together, this intrepid quintet tackle the Film Fact section, answer questions about graduation speeches and non-trilogy trilogies (it'll make sense when you listen), discuss the planned return of cinemas in the UK, and review 7500, Dating Amber, Resistance, and Radioactive. We can see now why this is bumper-sized. Enjoy, if just for the Irish accents of four-fifths of the team getting increasingly thicker as the pod goes on. Wee buns!