The Empire Film Podcast

On this week's episode of the award-losing Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt finds that Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher has the Dwight Stuff as they talk all things Elton John. Plus our fearless leader Terri White sits down for a fun chat with Booksmart stars, Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis to discuss spoiler culture, review Aladdin and Rocketman, discuss R-Battz and the new Chris Nolan film, and then shill like crazy for Champions League final tickets. Well, one member of the team does anyway. No prizes for guessing who. Enjoy.

This week's episode sees the host of the best damn movie podcast in the world sit down... with Kevin Smith. Just a little joke, there. No, we were delighted that the legendary Mr. Smith, in town following a sell-out live edition of Hollywood Babble-On at the O2, no less, found time to drop by our newly-built studio for a chat with Chris Hewitt and Ben Travis. This is just the tip of the iceberg - a longer version of this interview will be up as a special in a couple of days. Then, Chris - a man whose idea of hardcore music is that Crowded House song where Neil Finn uses fuzzy guitar - also talks to Brian Welsh and Lorn Macdonald, star of this week's excellent Beats, a movie about Scottish rave culture in 1994. And back in the podbooth, he sits down with James Dyer and Ben Travis to talk about the week's movie news, review John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum, and answer the burning question on absolutely nobody's lips: which Muppet would be the tastiest?

This week's Empire Podcast goes full arthouse, as legendary French director Claire Denis talks to Empire's Editor-In-Chief, Terri White, about her new film, High Life. And then, because nothing can touch the Empire Podcast without being corrupted, there's a bit where they both repeatedly say the word, 'f**kbox'. [00:35:29 - 00:56-09] Then back in the f**kbox - sorry, podbooth - Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, right at the end, John Nugent to discuss their favourite movie memorabilia, talk about how Disney has planned out the next seven years, dig into the new Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer (that's also a mini-Avengers: Endgame spoiler special, so be warned), and review High Life, Arctic, and Pokemon Detective Pikachu. Enjoy!

We haven't seen Nicholas Hoult on the Empire Podcast for a while, so we jumped at the chance to talk Tolkien with him this week, sending Chris Hewitt along for a good old natter about Hoult's new movie, in which he plays the celebrated author, J.R.R. Tolkien. Along the way they talk about Hoult's handwriting, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and much, much more. Then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer as they decide which animated movie casts they'd like to see in a live-action film, review Long Shot, Tolkien, and Vox Lux, and discuss the week's movie news, including the huge success of Avengers: Endgame, and the sad deaths of John Singleton and Peter Mayhew. Oh, and this week's episode is a tad on the rude side. You have been warned.

We may be in the Endgame now, but don't expect to hear any spoilers from Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of the latest Avengers movie, and this week's Empire Podcast guests. Instead, they sit down for a chat with Chris Hewitt about the rigours of making a movie that's widely expected to be one of the biggest of all time, and their future non-MCU plans. Then, back in the podbooth, Helen O'Hara takes the reins and is joined by James Dyer and Chris, who ran to the studio straight from a plane from LA, as they talk about cancelled movies they'd like to revive, discuss the week's movie news, and review the latest releases. And yes, they're into Endgame now. Enjoy!

Helen is in the driving seat once again on this week's podcast (although Supernatural nipple chat was mercifully kept to a minimum) as we dive into the *last* Empire podcast before the team sees Avengers: Endgame. And to celebrate that fact we not only sit down with everyone's favourite sexy priest, Andrew Scott, to talk about his new film Steel Country, but we also invite director Neil Jordan on board to discuss sex. And also Greta. Nick De Semlyen and James Dyer round out this week's lethally cunning lineup and discuss everything from the latest Hobbs And Shaw trailer to the virtues (or lack thereof) of midnight screenings.

Yesterday saw both the first teaser trailer and the announcement of the title of the ninth, and final, film in the main Star Wars saga. That title was The Rise Of Skywalker, and that teaser was a bit of a belter, reintroducing beloved characters, and posing plenty of big questions. Just as a teaser should. And with Team Empire unable to gather in the podbooth yesterday, we had to wait until today - the morning after the night before - to assemble in Helen O'Hara's living room for an impromptu reaction pod, in which Chris Hewitt, Helen, James White and James Dyer - appearing via hologram from Chicago, where he's attending Star Wars Celebration on behalf of Empire - chew the fat over the teaser's various hints and teases. FYI: James was dialling in digitally, so there's a faint delay when he speaks. Hope it doesn't bother you too much. Enjoy!

In this week's episode of the award-non-minated (that's the technical term for a show that isn't nominated for an award) Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt has a good old natter with the wonderful Irish actor and singer Jessie Buckley, who is on sensational form as a Glaswegian country singer in this week's Wild Rose. Then, either side of that, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis to talk semi-nude Jude Law, discuss the week's movie news, review Wild Rose, Hellboy, and Mid90s, and -- because this is Chris' last show this side of Avengers: Endgame -- answer a bunch of your Endgame questions in a quickfire special. Enjoy!

Stanley Kubrick's controversial, thought-provoking, tremendously stylish A Clockwork Orange, now a mere 48 years young, bludgeons its way back into cinemas this weekend. And so Chris Hewitt jumped at the chance to interview its star - the king of the Droogs himself, Malcolm McDowell. In this extended interview, they discuss McDowell's complicated and ever-changing relationship with the film, and with Kubrick himself; why Gene Kelly gave McDowell the cold shoulder; and what it's like to get a real injection up the bum on camera. Hint: painful. Then, they briefly discuss McDowell's Time After Time, before - because Chris can't resist - getting deep into McDowell's lifelong support of Liverpool FC. Poddy well, my brothers and sisters. Poddy well.

On this week's Empire Podcast, we say the magic word - Bangilybang! - and, lo and behold, Zachary Levi, star of this week's DC Comics adaptation, Shazam!, appears. He has a lovely chat with Chris Hewitt about grabbing his second chance at superhero stardom with both hands. Back in the podcave, with Chris waylaid by that nefarious villain, Unforeseen Circumstances, Helen O'Hara leads James Dyer and Ben Travis in a spirited discussion of the week's movie news (Endgame footage! Joker trailer!), review Shazam!, Pet Sematary, and The Sisters Brothers, and assess which small screen star they'd like to see bag a movie career. Enjoy.