This week sees the release of Travis Knight's live-action adaptation of 80s cartoon (and toy line), Masters Of The Universe, so our very own He-Man, Chris Hewitt, sits down on Zoom for a fun chat about films and football with the actual He-Man, Nicholas Galitzine, and Teela, Camila Mendes. [46:56 — 59:46 approx] Then, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and He-Dan, Dan Jolin, for a fun episode in which they discuss their favourite movie swords, take a look at the week's movie news including the trailer for Adam Wingard's Onslaught (aka The Guest 2?), and the sensational box office for Backrooms and Obsession. Finally, they review Masters Of The Universe, Brett Goldstein and J-Lo rom-com, Office Romance, Savage House, Madfabulous, and Scary Movie. Enjoy!

The latest episode of The Interviews is all about extravagance, high fashion and big spending. But enough about Chris Hewitt. Instead, we're focused on Savage House and Madfabulous, two costume dramas about upper-class types whose lives spiral out of control. In the first, Richard E. Grant and Claire Foy play a married couple who attempt to mount a lavish dinner party, with disastrous consquences, and they tell Chris all about their approach to acting, their connection to the characters and, in one wild, hilarious segment, how one of them handled a very unusual sex scene. Then Chris has a lovely Zoom chat with Callum Scott Howells, the Welsh actor who stars as Lord Henry Paget, a flamboyant real-life figure who is the subject of Celyn Jones' period piece, Madfabulous. The two of them talk about saying the title of the film, about the film's approach to Paget's sexuality, and Howells' upcoming turn opposite Michael Sheen in Amadeus on the West End stage. Oh, and Chris receives an offer that might just change his life... Enjoy!

It's a packed line-up of directors this week on The Interviews, folks. Directorpalooza? First up, we bring you an extended excerpt from our spoiler special interview with The Mandalorian And Grogu, Jon Favreau, who tells Chris Hewitt about his intentions behind the first big-screen Star Wars film in seven years. Then Chris leaps onto Zoom to have a lovely natter with the great Joe Dante about his beloved (eventually) 1987 sci-fi comedy, InnerSpace, which is out now on 4K UHD, and English director Mike Figgis about his hard-hitting, Oscar-winning drama, Leaving Las Vegas, which has also received the 4K UHD treatment. The Figgis chat is an extended excerpt from an hour-long deep dive into the movie which, like the Favreau interview and Team Empire diving deep into The Mandalorian And Grogu, can be found over on our spoiler special feed. empirespoilerspecials.com, if you haven't already taken the plunge. Enjoy!

Things get awkward on this week's Empire Podcast, folks. Not just because Chris Hewitt seems to be wearing a Skeletor mask for some of it, nor because he's so heat-addled that he forgets to introduce James Dyer properly. No, things get awkward because the team – Chris, James, Helen O'Hara, and Ben Travis – discuss whether it ever gets awkward for them when visiting film sets. Then, our intrepid quartet also discuss the week's movie news, including the shocking news of Paddington 4's potty-mouthed writers, and review Daniel Roher's Tuner, John Carney's Power Ballad, Kane Parsons' Backrooms, and Kristin Scott Thomas' directorial debut, My Mother's Wedding. Oh, and Chris sits down for a lovely chat with Leo Woodall, star of the excellent Tuner, and discovers that Woodall has some hidden talents. Enjoy!

All hail the Alien Queen! For the legendary Sigourney Weaver, star of some of the finest sci-fi films of all time, is our esteemed guest on this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, as she tells Chris Hewitt all about starring in her first Star War, The Mandalorian & Grogu. [44:47 - 58:17 approx] Then, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss their predictions for the biggest movies of the year, cast their eye over the week's movie news, including a shocking development in the hunt for the new James Bond, and review The Mandalorian & Grogu, Jack Ryan: Ghost War, and Finding Emily. Oh, and the team eat some burgers, but thankfully they don't bang on about it. Enjoy.

This time it's more. Yes, folks, The Shameless Plug — the show in which Chris Hewitt and Empire editor, Nick de Semlyen, chat about the stories behind the current issue of Empire — is usually a two-hander (well, four hands), but for reasons unknown this month we've also invited James Dyer into the podbooth to add a third pair of hands, and one more mouth. Well, not for reasons unknown, as Jimbo is here to talk about his favourite film, Aliens, which just happens to be the cover film of this month's issue, which is still on sale in all good, evil, and virtual newsagents. So we decided to turn this month's Shameless Plug into an Aliens appreciation special, as well as getting the full story on how we managed to get James Cameron, Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn and Jenette Goldstein to come together on Zoom and natter about Aliens as it hits 40. Elsewhere, our intrepid trio also talk about the rest of the issue, and how it came together, but really, this one is fully focused on Ripley, believe it or not. Enjoy!

Fly, you fools! Yes, that's right, Ian McKellen — the legendary English actor who is Gandalf and Magneto, get over it — is our guest on this week's Empire Podcast, as John Nugent pops over to McKellen's own pub, The Grapes in Limehouse, for a lovely chat about his new film, Steven Soderbergh's The Christophers. [46:32 - 1:00:02 approx] Speaking of Christophers, back in the podbooth Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Harry Stainer for a fun episode in which they discuss the greatest characters who joined franchises after the first film, and whether event cinema is making a comeback. They also run their eye over the week's movie news, including news of a possible Tintin 2, and review Curry Barker's Obsession, The Christophers, The Punisher: One Last Kill, and Ben Wheatley's Bob Odenkirk action fest, Normal. Enjoy!

This week's episode of The Interviews sees Chris Hewitt sit down face-to-face with the legend that is Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill/Gene Takavic, the one and only Bob Odenkirk. The comedy great was in town to talk about his latest pivot into action movies, with Ben Wheatley's wild romp, Normal, and the two of them also talk about sketch comedy, Odenkirk's love of movies, his aversion to horror movies (in which he possibly spoils the end of Zach Cregger's Weapons, so be careful), and more. Then, Helen O'Hara leaps onto Zoom and has a chat about how the times are a-changin' in The Devil Wears Prada 2, with that film's writer, Aline Brosh McKenna. Enjoy!

This week's Empire Podcast sees Alex Godfrey sit down for an audience with music superstar Billie Eilish and her co-director on her new concert movie, Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour Live In 3D, one James Cameron. Blimey! Then Alex slides into the podbooth to join Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and host Chris Hewitt for a fun-filled episode in which they discuss Karl Urban's killiest characters, the best movie farmers, a whole bunch of trailers (including The Odyssey, Evil Dead Burn, and Resident Evil), and review the aforementioned Billie Eilish movie, The Sheep Detectives, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and Mortal Kombat II, a Helen-led review that may be more fun than the film. Oh, and what the hell is Thrawnhub? Enjoy!

It's a legend-laden episode of The Interviews this week, folks, as Chris Hewitt sits down in person with James Cameron to talk about his new, unexpected venture as co-director of eye popping 3D concert movie, Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard And Soft — The Tour Live In 3D, and then the great Guillermo del Toro, with the Mexican director coming to town to receive the BFI Fellowship and launch a season of his films at the BFI Southbank. That is an excerpt from a longer del Toro interview which will be up on its own next week, but this should whet your whistle as they talk about del Toro's British cultural connections, his approach to writing, his penchant for collecting, and more. Finally, Sally Field and Lewis Pullman, the stars of new Netflix movie Remarkably Bright Creatures, Zoom in for a spirited chat with Chris. Enjoy!

This week's Empire Podcast is the kind of episode that could leave other film podcasts in its wake. Mainly because there's a lot of discussion of ships, boats, the high seas and the like. First off, our guests this week are Callum Turner and George Mackay, the British actors who star in Mark Jenkin's latest movie, the fisherman-themed Rose Of Nevada, which is out now, and in a cracking chat with Alex Godfrey, they talk about how they first met, working with the unique Jenkin, and more. Either side of that, Chris Hewitt returns to the host chair after two weeks away, some of which was spent on a cruise ship, and he scrapes the barnacles off long enough to welcome Helen O'Hara (or is it?) and James Dyer into the podbooth to discuss the best ship-related scenes, have a look at the week's movie news, try to convince James of the merits of the Jackass movies, and review the likes of The Devil Wears Prada 2, Rose Of Nevada (with help from an unexpected quarter), Greenland 2: Migration, and new Adam Scott horror, Hokum. You best start believing in Empire Podcasts, Ms Swann... YER IN ONE! Enjoy.