The Empire Film Podcast The Shameless Plug: Mando, Grogu & Readers Too?
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Mar 25, 2026 Nick de Semlyen, Editor of Empire magazine who plans covers and features, discusses arranging the first-ever Star Wars cover shoot with The Mandalorian and Grogu. He recounts shooting Pedro Pascal in LA, teases new cast and character reveals, and answers reader questions about planning, writer assignments and last-minute magazine scrambles.
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Stand By Me Oral History Tribute
- Empire ran an oral history of Stand By Me after Rob Reiner's death and the film's 40th anniversary, with interviews including Jerry O'Connell, Wil Wheaton, John Cusack and writers.
- Jamie Graham compiled the piece drawing on long familiarity with the film and many original conversations.
Reporter Sets His Arm On Fire For Feature
- Craig Barbosa pitched and reported a feature on fire stunts, attending a New York fire workshop and even photographing himself with his arm set alight.
- The piece examines practical versus digital fire effects and interviews stunt experts about flamethrower and burn stunts.
Assigning Writers By Passion And Tone
- Empire assigns writers primarily by passion and tone rather than a strict rubric, matching subject matter to writers who will bring knowledge or accessibility.
- They also rotate writers to keep perspectives fresh and avoid repetitive comfort-zone features.