The rage virus is back. This year brings the long-awaited 28 Years Later, plunging audiences back into the horror saga that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland began over two decades ago. It’s a bonafide cinema event, and the infected have even taken over the pages of Empire – this month’s issue features a major look at what’s in store in Boyle and Garland’s comeback.
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You’ll find the issue on newsstands from Thursday 16 January (order a copy online here) – but first up, here’s a sneak peek inside its pages.
28 Years Later
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Start running now. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland bring Empire into the heart of their horror sequel – also speaking to Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes and more about evolving the infected apocalypse.
The Monkey
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Last year, Osgood Perkins changed the horror game with Longlegs. In 2025, he’s going even wilder with Stephen King adaptation The Monkey – an absurdist, gory horror-comedy about death. Empire goes ape with its cast and crew.
Ke Huy Quan
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For a while, he was nowhere. Then he was everywhere, all at once. Now, Ke Huy Quan turns leading man in action comedy Love Hurts. In a major new career-spanning interview, he traces his journey to the spotlight.
The Electric State
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The Russo Brothers and writers Christopher Markus and Steven McFeely once wrangled Marvel’s biggest, most bonkers hits. As they ready robo-saga The Electric State, the foursome gather to talk their partnership, their process, and their return to the MCU.
The Last Showgirl
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Pamela Anderson gives the performance of a lifetime in The Last Showgirl – as a Vegas entertainer facing her final dance. She tells Empire how she got here, along with director Gia Coppola.
Saturday Night
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The debut of Saturday Night Live becomes its own madcap comedy in Jason Reitman’s ticking-clock drama. His sprawling cast – including Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennett, Cooper Hoffman, and Larmone Morris – talk playing SNL’s comedy legends.
Ralph Bakshi
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Sex! Drugs! Hobbits! In the realm of animation, Ralph Bakshi has never played by the rules. He tells Empire how he inked his own legacy by doing his own thing.
First Word
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This month’s news section includes James Cameron giving an exclusive look at Avatar: Fire And Ash; Christopher McQuarrie teasing the new team line-up in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning; Scott Derrickson on love and monsters in The Gorge; Geraldine Viswanathan in the Empire Spotlight; Seth Rogen on his Hollywood satire The Studio; what to expect from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey; and plenty more.
Final Cut
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In the home entertainment section, Fede Alvarez talks the secrets, surprises and controversies of Alien: Romulus; the directors of each Speak No Evil (Christian Tafdrup and James Watkins) discuss their brutal social horrors; Tampopo gets the Masterpiece treatment; the films of 1985 get ranked; and much more.
Reviews
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In this issue, find reviews of monolithic architecture drama The Brutalist; SNL origin story Saturday Night; Steven Soderbergh’s first-person ghost story Presence; Mike Leigh’s acclaimed drama Hard Truths; Robert Zemeckis’ static-camera comic adaptation Here; and many more.
Order a copy of the 28 Years Later issue online here. Find it on newsstands from Thursday 16 January.