The Empire Film Podcast

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#301 - Lennie James, Nick Murphy Feb 23, 2018

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For the past few years, Lennie James has been battling zombies as Morgan on The Walking Dead. He's about to jump ship to the spin-off show, Fear The Walking Dead, but somehow he's found the time to create, write, produce and star in new 6-part Sky TV series, Save Me, about a Londoner who, after finding himself accused of his daughter's abduction, vows to track down the real culprit. And we were delighted to welcome Lennie and his Save Me director, Nick Murphy (@nickmurftweets) into the podbooth this week, where they had a wide-ranging chat with Chris Hewitt about the push/pull dynamic between a show's creator and a show's director; Lennie's desire to appear on The Simpsons; and, as big football fans, the recent draw between Liverpool and Spurs. It's all happening. Elsewhere, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and Dan Jolin. There, they review I, Tonya and Finding Your Feet, discuss the week's movie news, including the BAFTAs (later in the show), the success of Black

#300 - Live Podcast Special With Taron Egerton & Ruth Wilson Feb 16, 2018

Show notes

You might not believe it, largely because we know we don't look a day over 290, but the Empire Podcast turned 300 this week. Yes, we've somehow clocked up 300 episodes of movie news, interviews and nonsense since we started way back in 2012 and to 'celebrate', we took to the stage at Kings Place, London, for a cracking evening. And 400 of you came along as well, which was nice, considering that it was Valentine's Day. How romantic. So, sit back, relax and enjoy as the podteam - Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and Terri White - tackle the week's movie news, review Black Panther, The Shape Of Water, and Lady Bird, and subject themselves to a Paxman-style grilling at the hands of the audience. And if you've had your fill of giggling idiots, don't worry - we were graced by two of our country's finest acting talents, as Ruth Wilson popped along to talk to Terri about Dark River, Luther, The Lone Ranger, sheep shearing, Yorkshire accents and the #TimesUp movement. First, thou

#299 - Colin Firth And Rachel Weisz Feb 09, 2018

Show notes

This week's Empire Podcast is an unexpectedly classy joint, as Chris Hewitt talks to British acting royalty, the Oscar-winning double whammy of Sir Colin Of Firth and Dame Rachel Of Weisz, about their new movie, The Mercy, which tells the tragic story of Donald Crowhurst's ill-fated attempt to sail the world solo in 1969. And they also talk about their acting nightmares - literally and metaphorically. Back in the podbooth, Chris and James Dyer welcome pod debutant Ben Travis, review Black Panther and that new secret Cloverfield movie that dropped without warning the other day like a U2 album come to life, and discuss the week's movie news, including the Solo: A Star Wars Story trailer. Oh, and they definitively answer the burning question of the week: is Aliens, a film in which Lance Henriksen is only the fourth-scariest thing, a horror movie? It's a toughie.

#298 - Paul Thomas Anderson Feb 02, 2018

Show notes

Daniel Day-Lewis may be retiring, set fair for a life of Countdown and Four In A Bed marathons, but his Phantom Thread director, the great Paul Thomas Anderson, is decidedly not. Much to our delight, as he's this week's guest, having a chat with John Nugent about the film's soundtrack, how Day-Lewis came up with the name 'Reynolds Woodcock', and much, much more. Back in the podbooth, we go from Phantom Thread to phantom menaces as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer mull over the week's movie news, review Phantom Thread and WWI drama Journey's End, discuss their home cinema set-ups, and audition for Hamilton. Oh, and James reveals the story of the time he was responsible for Holborn Station being shut down. Standard, really.

#296 — Lee Unkrich Jan 19, 2018

Show notes

This week's Empire Podcast sees Lee Unkrich, Pixar legend, World's Biggest The Shining Fan, and all-round decent cove, drop by the podbooth to talk to John Nugent about his new movie, Coco, which will do unspeakable things to your tear ducts. Elsewhere, John joins Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer for a freewheeling episode that includes Chris' first-hand account of what it was like to be present at the Chevy Chase-Mike Read Q&A that has already passed into legend (the night, not Chris' account); reviews of The Post, Coco, and The Commuter; and plenty of discussion of the week's movie news, featuring an elevator pitch from James for Gambit that simply has to be heard to be believed. Oh, and Randy Newman drops by again, much to everyone's horror. Do have a listen. We'd be ever so delighted.

#295 — Joe Wright, Martin McDonagh Jan 12, 2018

Show notes

This week's Empire Podcast sees us welcome two of our favourite directors into our podcompany. First up, Joe Wright — hands down one of our favourite English directors called Wright, and maybe even in the top two — talks to Nick de Semlyen about his latest movie, Darkest Hour, which sees Gary Oldman give a barnstorming performance as Winston Churchill, and the career that might have been, as an illusionist. Now that's magic. Then Chris Hewitt sits down for a chat with Martin McDonagh, the writer-director behind the caustic and challenging Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and tries to pass McDonagh's test: do not ask a question that he's heard before. Will he succeed? Find out by listening. And full disclosure: because Chris is an idiot, he forgot to bring microphones to a podcast interview, which is why the sound levels may be a little askew on this one. But it's well worth a listen. Elsewhere, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer, who discuss thi

#294 — Jason Isaacs & Sonequa Martin-Green, Andrea Riseborough Jan 05, 2018

Show notes

The first Empire Podcast of 2018 — Happy New Year, you lot! — boldly goes where no podcast has gone before, as Chris Hewitt discovers Star Trek Discovery with two of its hilarious, eloquent leads, Jason Isaacs and Sonequa Martin-Green. We're going to launch a new catchphrase, right here, right now: Hello to Sonequa Martin-Green! Take that, Kermode! Elsewhere, Chris chats to Andrea Riseborough about her experiences shooting Crocodile, one of the key episodes in the new season of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror. And then he's joined in the podcast booth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer, to compare their holiday experiences, talk about The Last Jedi's box office, review All The Money In The World and Hostiles, and launch all-out war on the lovely people at Den Of Geek. Asda car park, 2pm. No touching the face.

Review Of The Year 2017 Dec 29, 2017

Show notes

2017, eh? What a palaver. But it's been a belter of a year cinematically speaking, and so — in a change from our regular podcast programming — the Empire Podcast team (Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Nick de Semlyen) locked themselves in the podbooth for ages and chewed the fat over the year that's just about to leave us. It's a show of two halves, with the first part dedicated to answering listeners' questions, and the second segment counting down Empire's Top 20 films of the year. And we hope you'll agree that, whether you love Paddington 2, La La Land, or Get Out, it's the best way you can spend 88 minutes this side of Al Pacino. And thanks for listening to the show this year, folks. Happy New Year from all the team at Empire.

Hugh Jackman Interview Special Dec 22, 2017

Show notes

Ho-ho-Hugh! We're pretty much finished for Christmas, but before we gorge on mince pies and Die Hard, we decided to pop an pod-treat in your Christmas pod-stocking: a 20-minute chat with the Australian triple-threat and friend-of-the-pod Hugh Jackman. He talks to us about making The Greatest Showman and saying goodbye to Logan.

#293 - Karen Gillan Dec 15, 2017

Show notes

On the last Empire Podcast of 2017, the podcast team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer — are rambling even more than usual as they discuss the Disney takeover of Fox, answer your Christmas movie questions, review Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and have a big old barney over Aaron Sorkin. To paraphrase a great man we used to know in San Diego back in the '70s, that escalated quickly. And we see out the year in style with our wonderful star guest, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle's Karen Gillan. Find out which accent her Guardians Of The Galaxy character, Nebula, was supposed to have! Gasp, as she reveals the subtitle of the fourth Avengers movie (in jest, before you start writing your thinkpieces)! And ponder her love of Kubrick, ending in a promise we'd love to help her fulfil one day. Do you want to hear an Empire Podcast dedicated solely to Karen Gillan and the Empire team waxing lyrical about Stanley Kubrick? Of course you do. This is the last regular podcast of the year, but

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