Author: Empire

From Moon to Source Code, and Warcraft to Mute, Duncan Jones has long since proven himself a leading light as both an intelligent sci-fi filmmaker and a director who knows a thing or two about bringing a unique artistic sensibility to ambitious, large-scale projects. And his latest, a long-gestating animated adaptation of 2000AD’s Rogue Trooper sci-fi comic book series, looks set to prove the apotheosis of Jones’ creative journey to date. Built using Epic Games’ cutting edge Unreal Engine 5, Rogue Trooper sees Aneurin Barnard (Doctor Who) star as a lone survivor super soldier on a mission for vengeance —…

After two less than inspiring attempts to revive the iconic Saw franchise with 2017’s Jigsaw and 2020’s Chris Rock star vehicle Spiral: From The Book Of Saw, it had seemed for a spell as if Jigsaw’s days of morally iffy self-mutilation mongering were finally over. But if this horror saga has taught us one thing, it’s that nobody — not even Saw itself — is ever really dead. And now, after a strong fan response to Kevin Greutert’s 2023 offering Saw X, a whole new era of effed-up fun and gruesome games awaits as genre behemoth Blumhouse has just bought…

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again. Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can… which, apparently, includes meeting Frank Castle. Yes, following the triumphant return of Jon Bernthal’s army vet-turned-vigilante anti-hero Punisher in Daredevil: Born Again earlier this year (and word not too long ago of a forthcoming Punisher Marvel Studios special presentation), Deadline has confirmed that Francis G. Castle will make his MCU big-screen debut in Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day — which is set to start shooting any (brand new) day now. Having successfully broken free of a Wilson Fisk mandated cell during…

It’s another packed episode of the Empire Podcast, the show that dares to ask the big questions: isn’t the Mona Lisa just a woman sitting down? Who’s the richest Northern Irish person? Can you buy stocks in Glen Powell? Join the pod team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O’Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann — as they tackle those questions, discuss the original 1977 print of Star Wars that Chris and James saw last week at the BFI, look at the week’s movie news (Dune! Saw! Clayface! Naked Gun! Spaceballs!), and review Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later and the new Pixar…

Denis Villeneuve, Edgar Wright, and Edward Berger are among the directors reportedly pitching for the next James Bond. Read more at Empire.

Somehow, it’s been eight long years since we last locked in for a new white-knuckle movie from action auteur Kathryn Bigelow. And we’ll be honest, cinema just ain’t quite the same without the director behind The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, Point Break, and more giving us palpitations. And that’s where A House Of Dynamite, Bigelow’s new — and now officially named — Netflix bound movie, comes in. Set for theatrical release this autumn ahead of a 24 October streaming premiere, Bigelow’s big-screen comeback is a tense-sounding political thriller starring Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson, and Netflix has just declassified…

1, 2, 3, 4! As the second half of the year approaches, and awards season begins to appear on the horizon, it is – once again – music biopic time. And this year it’s the turn of Bruce Springsteen, the legendary New Jersey rock icon, who’s getting the big-screen treatment in a film now titled Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (it previously didn’t have his name on there), from Crazy Heart director Scott Cooper. The daunting task of stepping into the shoes of The Boss – the Big Man, Bad Scooter – goes to The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White, putting…

The Empire morning news sweep was dead: to begin with. There was no doubt whatever about that. And then we saw reports coming in from Deadline that Robert Eggers — architect of The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman, and Nosferatu — has signed on to write and direct a fresh take on A Christmas Carol at Warner Bros. And not only that, but the modern day master of horror is penning his retelling of Charles Dickens’ timeless festive ghost story with a very familiar face in mind to play tight-fisted hand at the grindstone Ebenezer Scrooge: Willem Dafoe. Now, Deadline…

Admit it: it’s hard to imagine The Naked Gun without Leslie Nielsen, or the comedy stylings of filmmaking legends Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker. But worry not. The new sequel (sort of a reboot, but technically in the same continuity as the originals) not only has Liam Neeson in deadpan comedy mode, one he rarely employs but has previously excelled in – see Life’s Too Short, or The LEGO Movie – but also comes from The Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer. There’s real potential, then, for something seriously silly that can live up to the original rapid-fire comedies. Check out the trailer:…

This week’s episode of the Empire Podcast brings with it a hat-trick of stars from one movie, the wickedly talented lead of another, and one Chris Hewitt to interview them all. First up, via the magic of Zoom, Chris chats to Tornado and Slow Horses star Jack Lowden about using his own accent, remembering his lines, and pitching his performance to the cheap seats in the theatre. [26:15 — 39:20 approx.] Then, our junket junkie gets his next fix by sitting down in person with Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, and Nick Mohammed to talk about their experiences playing improvisers…