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Editor NICK DE SEMLYEN Creative Director CHRIS LUPTON

DISPATCHES

TEAM EMPIRE IN A FEW OF OUR HIGH POINTS THIS MONTH

COMMENT

LETTER OF THE MONTH

THE BIG QUESTION

THIS MONTH WE ASKED: WHICH POLITICIAN FROM A FILM OR TV SHOW DO YOU WISH WA S RUNNING FOR OFFICE?

PREVIOUSLY, IN EMPIRE...

INTRODUCING THE INTERNET DECEMBER 1994

WELCOME

SOME CALL HIM ‘Sauron’. Some call him

How to fake a pop star

ALL THE ESSENTIAL INTEL, FROM HOLLYWOOD AND BEYONDALL THE ESSENTIAL INTEL, FROM HOLLYWOOD AND BEYOND

Constructing an animal-loving android

CHRIS SANDERS ON CRAFTING THE BIONIC STAR OF THE WILD ROBOT

TEENAGE CLICKS RIGHT THROUGH THE NIGHT

DÌDI DIRECTOR SEAN WANG ON COMING OF AGE IN THE EARLY DAYS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

THE MONTHY MIXTAPE

EMPIRE MIXMASTER AMON WARMANN SELECTS THIS MONTH'S ESSENTIAL TUNES

Power games in paradise

NAOMI ACKIE ON WHY NEW THRILLER BLINK TWICE IS THE BOLDEST FILM OF THE SUMMER

THE PIPELINE

EIGHT PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

The Spotlight

Isabela Merced

A NEW BREED OF KILLING MACHINE

THE CREATOR OF IN A VIOLENT NATURE ON HIS GRUESOME CROWD-QUEASER

From OAP to MVP

HOW JUNE SQUIBB GIVES TOM CRUISE A RUN FOR HIS MONEY IN THELMA

A WORLD OF PURE NEW ANIMATION

THE BIGGEST TEASES FROM THE ANNECY FILM FESTIVAL

ON OUR MINDS

DAFT MUSINGS FROM THE WARPED MINDS OF TEAM EMPIRE

The Terminator hits Tokyo

THE CREATORS OF ANIME SERIES TERMINATOR ZERO ON TAKING THE ICONIC KILLING MACHINE IN A BOLD NEW DIRECTION

ARISE, A NEW KNIGHT

ANOTHER ICON IS BACK IN ANIMATED FORM. BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER CREATOR BRUCE TIMM ON REVIVING AN OLD FRIEND

Mischief managed

THE CREATOR OF AGATHA ALL ALONG ON UNLEASHING A CACKLE OF WITCHES ON THE MCU

NEED TO KNOW

GET UP TO SPEED ON... PROJECT HAIL MARY

Know your ‘Garda’ from your ‘guds’

MUSICIANS-TURNED-MOVIE-STARS KNEECAP ON THE ORIGINS OF THEIR LAIRY LYRICS

YOU CELEBRATIN’ ME?

FINALLY, A FILM FESTIVAL FOR DIE-HARD FANS OF DIRTY GRANDPA. HOW DE NIRO CON SALUTED A LOW-KEY LEGEND

SQUIRRELING ONTO THE BIG SCREEN

A NEW KIND OF MOVIE STAR IS HERE, AND THEY’RE BRIGHTEYED AND BUSHY-TAILED

Frank gets frank

A LEGENDARY COMIC-BOOK CREATOR OPENS UP AHEAD OF NEW DOCUMENTARY FRANK MILLER: AMERICAN GENIUS

“How can films have legs when they've been cut off at the knee?”

CHRIS HEWITT ON STUDIOS’ DECISION TO BRING MOVIES TO STREAMING PLATFORMS SOONER

On A Role

KAREN GILLAN IS MADELINE CROWE

HOLLYWOOD’S NEW LORDS OF THE RING

PREPARE FOR A WAVE OF DARK AND DIFFERENT BETWEEN-THE-ROPES BIOPICS

A PENGUIN’S PAYBACK

FEATHERS McGRAW RETURNS IN WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL. HERE’S WHY IT’S THE COMEBACK OF THE CENTURY

How Much Is A Pint Of Milk?

Seth Rogen

reviews

FILMS, TV, BOOKS, GAMES - ALL THE BIG RELEASES, RATED

MAXXXINE

THE FINAL CHAPTER FOR THE ULTIMATE FINAL GIRL

INSIDE OUT 2

ONCE MORE WITH FEELINGS

UNICORNS

★★★ OUT 5 JULY / CERT 15 /

FEDERER: TWELVE FINAL DAYS

★★★ OUT NOW (PRIME VIDEO) / CERT 16+

SUPACELL

IS IT A BIRD? IS IT A PLANE? NO, IT’S RAPMAN!

BLUR: TO THE END

★★★★ OUT JULY 19 / CERT TBC /

HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS

★★★★ OUT JULY 9 / CERT 12A /

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE

SSSSSH! LET’S GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING…

THE ACOLYTE

A MUCH LONGER TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY

THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE

ONCE UPON A TIME, IN NAZI-OCCUPIED EUROPE…

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON: SEASON 2

HERE BE MORE DRAGONS

CHUCK CHUCK BABY

★★★ OUT 19 JULY / CERT TBC /

FREUD’S LAST SESSION

★★ OUT 14 JUNE / CERT 12 /

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE

THIS SHIT JUST GOT REAL-ER

THE FUTURE WAS NOW

HOW THE SUMMER OF 1982 HIT PEAK NERD-VANA

AMNESIAC

★★★★★ This is a gorgeously written, kaleidoscopic memoir

STAR TREK: THE ILLUSTRATED ORAL HISTORY

★★★ While by no means the first Star

BRUCE WILLIS

★★★★ With Bruce Willis sadly now retired from

THELMA

THINK THE BEEKEEPER WITH SILVER HAIR…

SENUA’S SAGA : HELLBLADE II

PICT OF THE MONTH

KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE: THE GAME

★★★ PC, PS5, XBOX SERIES X/S The cult

MULTIVERSUS

★★ PC, PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES

CAPES

★★★★ NINTENDO SWITCH, PC, PS4, PS5, XBOX

HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA — CHAPTER 1

NOT QUITE A GREAT WESTERN

THE BOYS: SEASON 4

THEY’RE BACK IN TOWN — AND LESS HEROIC THAN EVER

also out

HEAD TO EMPIREONLINE.COM TO READ THESE REVIEWS IN FULL

OUT OF THE SHADOWS

HAVING BEEN SOMEWHAT INCOGNITO FOR A WHILE, THE DARK LORD IS FINALLY EMERGING. AS THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER GETS DEEPER AND DARKER, WE HEAD ON SET TO OBSERVE HIS ENDGAME IN PROGRESS…

THE WIGHT STUFF

NEVER BEFORE BROUGHT TO LIFE IN A BIG-BUDGET TOLKIEN ADAPTATION, THE GHASTLY BARROW-WIGHTS ARE HERE TO DEEP-FREEZE YOUR SOUL…

THE LORD AND LADY

WE BRING TOGETHER THE DARK LORD AND THE LADY OF THE LIGHT — AKA CHARLIE VICKERS AND MORFYDD CLARK — TO TALK STUNTS, ORCS AND LEGO TOWERS

CROWD CONTROL

M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN IS THE HIGH-CONCEPT KING OF HOLLYWOOD, AND SERIAL-KILLER THRILLER TRAP LOOKS SET TO ENSNARE AUDIENCES ONCE MORE. WE SPEAK TO HIM AND HIS LEAD, JOSH HARTNETT, ABOUT GOING IN FOR THE KILLM. NIGHT SHYAMALAN IS THE HIGH-CONCEPT KING OF HOLLYWOOD, AND SERIAL-KILLER THRILLER TRAP LOOKS SET TO ENSNARE AUDIENCES

FISTS OF FURRY

NOBODY SAW THEM COMING. SCORES OF MEGA-TOOTHED, MARAUDING CRITTERS — PLAYED BY HUMANS — IN 2024’s MOST PECULIAR COMEDY CROWD-PLEASER. PREPARE YOURSELF, IF YOU CAN, FOR THE INGENIOUS AND UNLIKELY

HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?

THREE FILMS WITH MICRO-BUDGETS BUT MACRO-IMPACT

WRECKING CREW

FOR ANARCHIC VIDEO-GAME ADAPTATION BORDERLANDS, DIRECTOR ELI ROTH ASSEMBLED AN ECLECTIC CAST OF A-LISTERS. WE SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT A VERY VIOLENT ODYSSEY

FLIPPING THE BIRD

REINVENTING A CULT STORY REQUIRES AUDACITY. BUT THE CREATORS OF ARE SO CONFIDENT IN THEIR NEW SPIN ON THE GOTH HERO, THEY’VE GONE THROUGH HELL AND BACK TO MAKE IT

CHANGING THE CAME

THE LAST STARFIGHTER

GAME ON!

THE LAST STARFIGHTER IS NOT THE ONLY FILM TO FEATURE MEMORABLE ARCADE ACTION

Strictly Strickland

BRITISH DIRECTOR PETER STRICKLAND TALKS EMPIRE THROUGH HIS UTTERLY UNIQUE CAREER

The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg

JACQUES DEMY’S SAD, SPECTACULAR BANGER

PICKS OF THE MONTH

1 THE CONVERSATION (OUT 15 JULY, 4K BR)

Mothers’ Instinct

DIRECTOR BENOÎT DELHOMME ON THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF HIS STARRY PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA

Family man

GRIFFIN DUNNE ON HIS HILARIOUS AND HEARTFELT MEMOIR, THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON CLUB

The films of 2004

ONE YEAR. FOUR EMPIRE WRITERS. A WHOLE TON OF MOVIES. LET BATTLE COMMENCE

THE TOP TEN

1 ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND 2

ALBERTO DE MARTINO

LEGENDARY AUTHOR AND CRITIC KIM NEWMAN BRINGS US HIS UNIQUE TAKES ON CULT CINEMA

CRYPT KEEPERS

KIM'S PICK OF THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL

Kill Bill Vol. 1

THE BRIDE VS THE CRAZY 88

SUE LAWLEY

HOW THE LEGENDARY NEWSREADER TURNS UP IN JULIA JACKMAN’S BONUS TRACK

Andrew Lincoln

AS HE RETURNS TO HIS SIGNATURE ROLE, RICK GRIMES, WE TAKE HIM ON A TOUR OF ALL THINGS THE WALKING DEAD

The Ultimate Empire Quiz

EVERY MONTH, WE WILL TEST YOUR MOVIE KNOWLEDGE. ARE YOU READY?

CROSSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Thompson, who’s been Agent

WIN!

TWO BOOKS BY TEAM EMPIRE

There Will Be Blood

THE BOWLING ALLEY