If there’s a silver lining – and we all need silver linings right now – to the fact that so many of 2020’s biggest releases have been delayed amid the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s that when it’s safe for cinemas to re-open there’s going to be an absolute bounty of big-screen treats awaiting us. From massive action blockbusters, to much-anticipated intimate dramas, to ambitious fright-fests, all-singing-all-dancing extravaganzas and more, there are so many exciting movies to look forward to as we enter the second half of the year and beyond.
This month’s issue of Empire is the Big-Screen Preview edition, taking you inside the most exciting upcoming films with brand new world exclusive interviews, images, and more. Find it on shelves from Thursday 9 July, order a copy online here, and take a sneak peek inside this month’s mag below.
The Big-Screen Preview
Want to know what the future of movies has in store? Step this way – and get brand new looks at the most exciting films on the horizon. We get up to speed on the return of James Bond in No Time To Die and catch up with director Cary Joji Fukunaga about the Covid delay and what’s in store for 007 this time.
Edgar Wright hypes up his ‘very different’ new film as he heads into psychological horror territory with Last Night In Soho. Plus, we chat to Danny McBride and David Gordon Green about their ambitious slasher sequel Halloween Kills.
And that’s not all – we dig deep into Francis Lee’s fossil-focused period drama Ammonite, talk the need for speed with Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, and filmmaker Cate Shortland opens up on what Marvel has in store for Black Widow. Plus, more from Spielberg’s West Side Story, Ryan Reynolds’ videogame comedy-actioner Free Guy, Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, Pixar’s metaphysical odyssey Soul, and the long-awaited Wonder Woman 1984.
The Big-Screen Preview has everything you need to get excited again about the future of film on the big screen.
Janelle Monáe
As an actor, singer, activist, producer, and more, Janelle Monáe has been a fearless creative presence for over a decade – and now she’s taking on her first lead role in social horror Antebellum. Empire speaks to the icon in a major new interview, talking the power of genre, the rise of Afrofuturism, the making of Moonlight, her performance at the 2020 Oscars, and redefining what it means to be a queer, Black woman in the creative industries.
The Omen
With his antichrist classic, director Richard Donner cooked up one of the most unforgettable horror movies – or, ‘mystery-suspense thrillers’, as he calls it – of all time. In a brand new interview, Empire speaks to Donner himself all about its making-of and legacy, looking back on the film that made Damien one of the most terrifyingly plausible horror icons in screen history.
The Story Of Carolco
From Rambo and Total Recall, to Cliffhanger and The Terminator, Carolco Pictures was behind some of the wildest and most outrageous blockbusters of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Empire gets the full story on the legendary action-house that left an indelible mark both on and off screen.
Michael Biehn
The movie star that battled Terminators, aliens, zombies and more speaks to Empire for a career-spanning interview, looking back on some of his most iconic characters – from Kyle Reese and Johnny Ringo to Corporal Hicks.
Take 20
In the news section this issue, we talk the next steps of the Black Lives Matter movement with Lena Waithe, catch up with Colin Trevorrow as Jurassic World: Dominion begins shooting again, and look at the future of the Alien franchise. Plus, we bid farewell to Ian Holm, get the latest on Attack The Block 2, Anya Taylor-Joy takes on the Pint Of Milk interview, and we talk to a fuzzy green screen legend: Kermit The Frog.
Re View
In the home entertainment arena, Empire talks with the one and only John Waters as Female Trouble enters the Criterion Collection, the Rocky movies get the Ranking treatment, we break down the classic characters of The Personal History Of David Copperfield with Armando Iannucci, talk a walk through A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood with Marielle Heller, and much more.
Spoiler Special
In this month’s spoiler-tactic breakdown, we dig into Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods with the man himself, conquer The King Of Staten Island with Judd Apatow, and get on the wavelength of The Vast Of Night with filmmaker Andrew Patterson.
On Screen
This month’s reviews include Charlize Theron’s latest actioner The Old Guard, Eva Green’s astronaut drama Proxima, Alfre Woodard’s legal drama Clemency, David Simon and Ed Burns’ new TV drama The Plot Against America, and much more.