It's the penultimate Empire Podcast of the year, folks, and to celebrate the impending season of goodwill to all, we've brought you another bumper episode. Which is nice of us. Guest-wise, Chris Hewitt sits down once again with one of our favourite guests, Gerry 'Gerard' Butler, to talk about his decidedly un-Gerry Butler-like role as Santa himself in charming kids movie The Night Before Christmas In Wonderland, [17:52 - 32:42 approx] while Helen O'Hara chats The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim with that film's director, Kenji Kamiyama, and producers Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou, who also serves as Kamiyama's interpreter. [57:32 - 1:10:30 approx] That's an excerpt from the War Of The Rohirrim live event we did last week for our Empire VIP Club members, fact fans. And Helen also pops up again in the interviewer's chair to grill Jon M. Chu on how he directed Wicked, in a spoiler-free excerpt from our spoiler special, which is also out now. [1:34:32 - 1:43:57 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen and James Dyer to tackle some Christmassy questions from the Empire Podcast subreddit, while they also discuss the week's movie news, including the 28 Years Later trailer and the rumoured demise of the SPUMC, and review The War Of The Rohirrim, Kraven The Hunter, Queer, and Carry-On. Oh, and Chris gets legitimately freaked out by the unexpected arrival of a sinister festive guest. Enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees the team enter into the festive season spirit with our first Christmas-themed question of the year, as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer argue about the greatest Christmas movie villain of them all. Plus, they make the best of a very bad lot of post-Thanksgiving movie news by talking about the new Snow White trailer, Moana 2's box office and, for some reason, the sexiest Jack Ryan. And they also review Rumours, Nutcrackers, and Nightbitch. And the stars of two of those movies are our guests this week, as Chris sits down on Zoom with Rumours stars Cate Blanchett and Nikki Amuka-Bird, and gets a fun idea for a Christmas present along the way, [22:17 - 34:05 approx] and Alex Godfrey has a fantastic chat with Amy Adams about working with Marielle Heller, barking like a dog, and much more for Nightbitch. [58:12 - 1:17:22 approx] Enjoy.

Skeleton Crew is the latest Star Wars show to launch on Disney+, with a two-episode premiere dropping on Tuesday December 3rd. And to get you in the mood for the show, which follows the misfortunes of four young kids who find themselves thrust into all kinds of adventures with space pirates, droids, and a mysterious man called Jod (Jude Law), here's an Empire Podcast preview special, in which Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom for two really fun interviews with the show's co-creators and head writers, Jon Watts (who also directed the first episode), and Christopher Ford, and the great Nick Frost, who voices brand new droid, SM-33. Fear not, ye hearties, for no spoilers lurk within. Instead, they set up the world of the show, talk about the characters, and someone might do a great Nick Frost impression. Maybe. Enjoy.

It's a shorter Empire Podcast this week, folks (blame Hollywood for shutting down for Thanksgiving, which is just plain selfish), but that doesn't mean it's any less jampacked with guests, greatness, and guesty greatness than usual. First, Chris Hewitt sits down with Auli'i Cravalho, Moana herself, to talk about returning for this week's Moana 2 and the art of not talking to people on planes. [16:03 - 29:35 approx] And then Ian Freer has an audience with... well, if not the Pope, then the next best thing in the guise of legendary trio Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini, the stars of new papal election thriller, Conclave. [46:49 - 1:04:52 approx] Either side of those, with Chris incapacitated by a last-minute case of neck-knack, Helen O'Hara hosts and is joined by James Dyer and Amon Warmann for a fun episode in which they discuss what they're thankful for this year, run their eye over what passes for movie news, and review Conclave, Moana 2, and Dear Santa. Oh, and Helen tries desperately not to do a Mount Rushmore question. Will she succeed? Find out by listening. Enjoy!

It's another epic episode of the Empire Podcast this week, folks, as Chris Hewitt sits down in person with all our guests. First, there's the great Steve McQueen, writer and director of Blitz, to talk about how he approached the World War II drama, and working with Paul Weller. [18:56 - 35:15 approx] Then Chris has a cracking conversation with The Piano Lesson stars John David Washington (following in the footsteps of his father, Denzel, who was a guest on last week's episode) and Danielle Deadwyler, which veers from the hilarious to the heartfelt in no time at all. [56:44 - 1:15:50 approx] And he rounds it all off with an extended excerpt from his spoilerific chat with Transformers One director, Josh Cooley. [1:39:54 - 1:54:52 approx] The full thing is available to spoiler special subscribers. Either side of those, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a truly wicked episode in which they discuss the greatest green performances in cinema, talk about how Greenwich has been temporarily renamed Greenwitch, run their eye over the week's movie news, and review Wicked, Magpie, and The Piano Lesson. Oh, and Chris makes an impassioned plea for the greatest Spice Girls song of them all. Set your spirit free, it's the only way to be. Enjoy.

Blimey, our guest cup continues to overflow, folks. This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down with Gladiator II star, and all-round legend, Denzel Washington, to talk about reuniting with Ridley Scott, and to clarify Denzel's recent hint that he might be winding down as an actor. Oh, and Chris quotes //that// Equalizer 2 line to Denzel's face, because he's utterly without shame. [20:15 - 39:40 approx] Elsewhere, Amon Warmann has a lovely chat with Emilia Perez star, Zoe Saldaña, about working with Jacques Audiard, James Cameron, and more, [1:03:14 - 1:16:13 approx] and Alex Godfrey catches up with Sean Baker to talk about the excellent Anora, which is still in cinemas now. [1:35:53 - 1:52:19 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, for the first time, Jamie Graham, to discuss Ridley Scott's career, cast their eye over the week's movie news, including Simon Kinberg's Star Wars trilogy, the new Mission: Impossible trailer, and Christopher Nolan's Not Draclier, and review Gladiator II, Joy, and Emilia Perez. It's a banger, folks, and the only disappointment in it for us is that we only get to do it once. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast isn't so much jam-packed as marmaladen with great guests, as Chris Hewitt talks to Paddington In Peru stars Hugh Bonneville and Emily Mortimer (the new Mrs. Brown) about tarantulas, Paddington tantrums, and shooting in the wilds of Basingstoke [20:47 - 35:27 approx]; the great British director Andrea Arnold about her new film, Bird, working with non-actors, and shooting in Gravesend [51:56 - 1:07:39 approx]; and Agatha All Along showrunner Jac Schaeffer, in an extended excerpt from our spoiler special interview, about [SPOILER], [BIGGER SPOILER] and shooting in [SPOILER]. Listen to that one only once you've seen Agatha All Along, naturally. [1:34:29 - 1:50:10 approx] Then, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Alex Godfrey for a merry old show in which they break down their viewing habits, discuss the week's movie news (and yes, this was recorded before the news broke about Simon Kinberg writing a new Star Wars trilogy; we'll discuss that next week), and review Paddington In Peru, Blitz, Bird, Piece By Piece, and Red One. Orange you glad you picked this episode? Enjoy.

Paul Reiser is a comedian, actor, writer and producer who just happens to have starred in some of Team Empire's favourite films. So, when our Chris Hewitt was given the chance to talk to the star of Aliens, Diner, Whiplash, and Beverly Hills Cop, he jumped at the chance. The result is a wide-ranging and freewheeling chat about Reiser's astonishing start in Hollywood, his aversion to directing, his time spent working with Peter Falk, the experience of shooting Aliens and Whiplash and, of course, his new movie, The Problem With People, a charming Ireland-set comedy which he wrote and produced, as well as starring alongside Colm Meaney. It's a cracking interview, with Reiser on top form, and so we invite you to turn up your collar, relax and listen. Enjoy.

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Hugh Grant return for an in-depth chat with Mike Muncer about his new movie, Heretic, and whether or not he's into horror, [24:54 - 38:02 approx] while Chris Hewitt has a lovely chat about Christopher Reeve with Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui, directors of a new documentary about the late Superman star, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. [58:32 - 1:17:42 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they discuss their favourite micro-budget movies, chat about the week's movie news including Steven Knight's departure from the latest Star Wars movie, and review a whole bunch of movies, including our guests' efforts, Sean Baker's Anora, and Clint Eastwood's Juror #2. Enjoy.

Happy Halloween, listeners! It's the most wonderful day of the year, if you're a spook, spectre, or masked maniac. And to mark All Hallow's Eve, here's a treat (not a trick), as we've put together a terrifying double bill of interviews for you. Well, the interviews are fun, although you might find some of Chris Hewitt's questions terrifying as he sits down with Damian Lewis, star of The Radleys, to talk about playing not one but two vampires, and Brian Netto & Adam Schindler, directors of Don't Move. But that's not all — Netto and Schindler are joined by their producer, one Sam Raimi. And if you've listened to the Empire Podcast before, you'll know that that's a pretty big deal for our Chris. Both interviews are tons of fun, and at one point Chris gets super-nerdy about Evil Dead II with Raimi, which is groovy. And after you've listened to this, why not give The Radleys (on Sky Cinema now) and Don't Move (on Netflix) a whirl? Enjoy.

It's a question as old as time: who ya gonna call? And an equally aged answer: Ghostbusters! Or, in the case of this week's Empire Podcast, a Ghostbuster. But not just any Ghostbuster — the heart of the Ghostbusters, and co-creator of the franchise, the legendary Dan Aykroyd, who jumps on the blower with Chris Hewitt to talk about the Ghostbusters In Concert show at the Royal Albert Hall, webbed feet, and writing one of the greatest comedies of all time. [21:55 - 41:32 approx] Our other guest this week is Benjamin Ree, the director of the extraordinarily moving documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, which tells the incredible story of a young Norwegian man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and the second life he created for himself within World Of Warcraft. [1:11:29 - 1:28:29 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for the final spooky Halloweenified pod of the year. Don't worry, though, it's not that scary, as they discuss the best non-horror films made by horror filmmakers, review The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, Venom: The Last Dance, Brothers, and The Room Next Door, and chew the fat over the week's movie news, including a wild bit of speculation about Christopher Nolan's latest movie. Oh, and who — or what — is Spiky Mike? Enjoy.