EMPIRE

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO THIS MONTH

TALK TO US

COMMENT OF THE MONTH

EMPIRE

Editor NICK DE SEMLYEN Creative Director CHRIS LUPTON

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THIS MONTH

A GROUCHY PEDRO Pascal, navigating an unrecognisable planet

The Fast family approaches the finish line

Director Louis Leterrier on the franchise’s dramatic penultimate chapter, FAST X. It’s boom time

DC’s new breed of heroes are ready for action

With the studio unveiling its new super-slate, we break down the ins, outs and weaponised weasels

EVERY-SING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

With Michelle Yeoh calling for a musical EEAAO spin-off, we imagine the perfect accompanying songs

BLACK IN FOCUS

AMON WARMANN chews over the main moment in Black film and TV this month

M3GAN: from AI to A-lister

Blumhouse’s JASON BLUM on the doll’s phenomenal success — and sequel

DO THE ROBOT

Your step-by-step guide to striking a pose, M3GAN-style

South London gets its romcom moment

Rye Lane director Raine Allen-Miller on showing a different side to her city

The twists and turns of the Oscars race

From big risks to a year of dicks, this year’s list of ACADEMY AWARDS contenders came with highs and lows aplenty

The rise of the 60+ female star

From Michelle Yeoh to Jennifer Coolidge, Hollywood is giving sexagenarians their due

How Cocaine Bear got uncaged

JIMMY WARDEN, the writer of the year’s grizzliest thriller, on how he found ursine inspiration

NEXT IN THE SERIES

You fell in love with that incredible new TV show. And then it ended! Don’t despair — Boyd Hilton recommends the sibling shows to watch next

THE ROAD BACK TO THE COLOSSEUM

With Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel seemingly finally ready to go, we unleash 23 years of development hell

Meet the godly sisters taking on Shazam

HELEN MIRREN, LUCY LIU and RACHEL ZEGLER reveal the highs and lows of their magic-wielding DC debut

“‘Cut the cheque!’ will always be my line on set. I know when a take is good”

[ THE Q&A]

Payakan-mania explained

The Avatar: The Way Of Water scene-stealer’s designers and fans on why this hyper-whale is winning hearts

DRAMA-BEARING YACHTS

Proof that theatrics thrive on open water

Tetris

[ ON-SET REPORT]

Putting on a one-woman pity parade

Sick Of Myself star Kristine Kujath Thorp on getting under the skin of a 20-something liar

CAPTAIN PLANET POWERS UP

Glen Powell hopes to write and star in the ’90s animated superhero’s movie outing. Here’s why you should be excited

Inside an apocalyptic masterpiece

The team behind THE LAST OF US’ stand-out third episode describe its journey to the small screen

Welcome to the year of the Sandman

Adam Sandler is set to have his most creatively daring year yet. Here’s why we need to pay him more attention

TRAILER TALK 65

Unfiltered, uncensored, uncompromising trailer reactions from team EMPIRE

INTRODUCING...

Zen McGrath

Bringing a Greek tragedy to an Irish village

God’s Creatures’ co-directors break down their rainswept parable about a small-town predator

PINT OF MILK

SAM RILEY

PEARL

Mia Goth raises the bar as horror-icon-in-the-making Pearl.

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

Meet cute? Childhood friends Kazim (Shazad Latif) and

DEVOTION

Jonathan Majors as history-maker Jesse Brown, ready to

EPIC TAILS

★★ OUT NOW / CERT U / 95

CREATURE

★★★★ OUT 24 FEBRUARY / CERT 12A /

MISSING

The new seekers: June (Storm Reid) and Veena

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON

Nana Connie (voiced by Isabella Rossellini) and

SHARPER

Damn them for revealing the end of Happy

JOYLAND

The star-crossed Haider (Ali Junejo) and Biba (Alina

SHOTGUN WEDDING

★★★ OUT NOW (PRIME VIDEO) / CERT 15

JUNG_E

★★★ OUT NOW (NETFLIX) / CERT 12 /

YOU PEOPLE

★★★ OUT NOW (NETFLIX) / CERT 15 /

THE INSPECTION

★★★ OUT 17 FEBRUARY / CERT 15 /

UNWELCOME

★★★ OUT NOW / CERT 15 / 104

CLOSE

★★★★ OUT 3 MARCH / CERT 12A /

KNOCK AT THE CABIN

Leonard (Dave Bautista, right): an altogether unusual horror

ELECTRIC MALADY

★★★ OUT 1 MARCH / CERT TBC /

PATHAAN

★★★ OUT NOW / CERT 12A / 146

SKINAMARINK

Taking a dim view: Skinamarink plays on our

SERVANT: SEASON 4

★★★★ OUT NOW (APPLE TV+) / EPISODES VIEWED

THE MAKANAI: COOKING FOR THE MAIKO HOUSE

★★★★ OUT NOW (NETFLIX) / EPISODES VIEWED 9

SHRINKING

‘Indiana Jones And The Quest For The Missing

LOCKWOOD & CO.

That diavolo pizza had been a mistake.

FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE

Carry on doctor: Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg) embarks on

ON SCREEN CHECKLIST

Your at-a-glance view of this month's reviews 

REAL STEEL

FOR THE ACTORS ON THE SHOW, THE MANDALORIAN IS AN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER. AND, AS PEDRO PASCAL, KATEE SACKHOFF AND MORE TELL US, SEASON 3 HAS PUSHED THEM FURTHER THAN EVER…

BABY STEPS

NO MATTER WHAT YOU CALL HIM — GROGU, THE CHILD, OR SIMPLY BABY YODA — HE’S THE MANDALORIAN’S BIGGEST BREAK-OUT STAR. THE CREATIVES BEHIND THE BELOVED SCENE-STEALER TALK HIS JOURNEY TO THE SCREEN — AND INTO EVERYONE’S HEARTS

THE RS STHE WAY

WITH THE MANDALORIAN, DAVE FILONI AND JON FAVREAU REINVENTED STAR WARS AND REVOLUTIONISED TELEVISION. WE GOT THEM TOGETHER ON SET TO TELL US HOW THEY’VE MADE THE SMALL SCREEN SO BIG

RESTRAINTS

BREAKING THE 

COMING THROUGH

ALMOST TWO DECADES INTO A CHAMELEONIC CAREER, TO LESLIE’S OSCAR NOMINATION HAS CATAPULTED ANDREA RISEBOROUGH TO CENTRE STAGE. WE MEET HER IN THE MIDST OF A DEFINING MOMENT

THE Rolling Dice

SINCE THE GAME WAS CREATED FIVE DECADES AGO, FANS HAVE BEEN CRYING OUT FOR A WORTHY MOVIE. CAN DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOUR AMONG THIEVES FINALLY GET THAT RIGHT? BRING ON THE GELATINOUS CUBES…

ON BOARD

D&D’S GREATEST POP-CULTURE CAMEOS

MABEL NORMAND

WAS A SILENT-FILM SUPERSTAR WHO BROKE BOX-OFFICE RECORDS, MENTORED CHARLIE CHAPLIN AND... DISAPPEARED. WE INVESTIGATE THE THRILLING RISE AND DRAMATIC FALL OF A LOST HOLLYWOOD ICON

LOST LEGENDS

MABEL NORMAND ISN’T THE ONLY FORGOTTEN FEMALE SILENT STAR

Living it up

Bill Nighy, star of LIVING, on the Ikiru remake that has given him the role of his incredible career

Charley Varrick

THE MASTERPIECE

WALTER MATTHAU IN NUMBERS

1/10/1920 WALTER JOHN MATTHOW IS BORN ON THE

A Patton emerging

From a rat to a troll, PATTON OSWALT talks us through key beats in his unique career

MARK KERMODE’S MOVIE PLAYLIST

THE CRITIC AND SCALA RADIO PRESENTER CHOOSES SCORES HE’S BEEN PLAYING ON HIS WEEKLY SHOW

GoldenEye

THE STORY OF THE SHOT

How to eat the rich

TRIANGLE OF SADNESS director Ruben Östlund on his scabrous satire

THE CUT OF KIM NEWMAN

The critic and novelist selects the month’s weirdest home-ent releases

Bros

THE VIEWING GUIDE

Al Pacino movies

THE RANKING

6 OF THE BEST

PICK OF THE MONTH

Spartacus Chosen by MICHAEL DOUGLAS

CLASSIC SCENCE