Buckle up, everyone: Bong Joon Ho is back. The Korean auteur finally returns after sweeping the Oscars with Parasite, and he’s going full-tilt into bonkers satirical sci-fi mode with Mickey 17, starring multiple Robert Pattinsons. Two of which – Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 – you’ll find on the cover of Empire’s December 2024 issue.
The issue doesn’t hit newsstands until Thursday 24 October (you can order your copy online here, too). But in the meantime, here’s a sneak peek inside its pages.
Mickey 17
Parasite brought Bong Joon Ho into the big-leagues. Next, he’s going interstellar with a Hollywood budget in a space-bound genre-smasher. Empire speaks to Director Bong, stars Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, and Naomi Ackie about going bigger – and Bong-ier – than ever before.
The Future Of Cinema
Between the impact of COVID, rise of streaming, and dawn of AI, the entire medium of cinema is undergoing several major shifts right now. Empire conducts a major new poll of filmmakers in Hollywood and beyond, asking the big questions on what’s happening in the industry, and where it all leads.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
The next Star Wars series boasts a team of major directorial talent: Jon Watts, Bryce Dallas Howard, Lee Isaac Chung, David Lowery, Jake Schreier, and Daniels. Empire assembles the whole crew (sans Daniels, lost in the multiverse) for a roundtable interview about the galaxy far, far away.
Dune: Prophecy
Long before Paul Atreides, the Bene Gesserit were already hatching their galaxy-shaping plans. Empire goes inside the six-part series exploring the origin of the sisterhood, uncovering the tangled saga of its own creation.
Mufasa: The Lion King
How does Barry Jenkins go from making Moonlight to prequelising a Disney classic? The director speaks to Empire about his epic journey to the Pride Lands, getting to grips with a new way of filmmaking, and paying tribute to the beloved original.
Cynthia Erivo
The powerhouse performer is about to take centre stage in Wicked, as the green-skinned Elphaba. In a major new career-spanning interview, she tells Empire about being an outsider, singing with Ariana Grande, and working with cinematic legends.
Nightbitch
Marielle Heller is back with the mother of all black comedies – in which Amy Adams plays a mum convinced she’s turning into a dog. Empire speaks to Heller and Adams about the fur and the fury.
First Word
This month’s news section gets the latest word on Middle-earth from Philippa Boyens; takes a closer look at Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan with A Complete Unknown director James Mangold; tours Nosferatu’s abode with Robert Eggers; gets under the cloak of papal thriller Conclave; pores over the trailer for chimp-centric Robbie Williams biopic Better Man; gets a pint (of milk) with Danny Dyer; and much more.
Final Cut
In the home entertainment section, we talk the gargantuan success of Inside Out 2 with director Kelsey Mann; revisit the entire Elm Street saga with Robert England; go kill-by-kill on In A Violent Nature; rank the Saw movies; get behind the wheel of Will & Harper with Will Ferrell and Harper Steele; give The Princess Bride the masterpiece treament; and plenty more.
Reviews
Reviews in this issue include Steve McQueen’s blazing war drama Blitz; Sean Baker’s romantic crime drama Anora; August Wilson adaptation The Piano Lesson; genre-shifting crime musical Emila Pérez; documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story; Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door; superhero satire The Franchise; and many more.
The Mickey 17 issue hits newsstands on Thursday 24 October. Order a copy online here.