It's another jam-packed episode of the Empire Podcast this week, folks. First, Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with ace composer and musician, Jon Batiste, and Matthew Heineman, about their new documentary, American Symphony; then he battles an uncooperative microphone stand and emerges with an enormously fun interview with Napoleon stars, Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby; and lastly two walking Disney encyclopaedias meet, as our Ben Travis sits down with Jennifer Lee, the writer of this week's Wish and Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios. On either side of all of those is a fun episode in which Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss the actor whose back catalogue they would choose to watch for the rest of their lives; natter about the week's movie news; and review Napoleon, Bradley Cooper's Maestro, George C. Wolfe's Rustin, and Wish. And yes, Chris does know he misquoted Dodgeball. First the Attack of the Clones review, now this: Film Twitter will find his resignation on their desk first thing tomorrow. As for this episode: enjoy.
RUNNING ORDER (all timings approx.)
INTRO/LISTENERS QUESTION: 0:00.00 - 20:13.00
JON BATISTE
MOVIE NEWS: 38:33.00 - 1:01:14.00
JOAQUIN PHOENIX & VANESSA KIRBY
REVIEWS: 1:19:03.00 - 1:43:45.00
JENNIFER LEE & OUTRO
The Full Monty: An Empire & Pilot TV Podcast Special, In Association With Disney+
#568 — Kelvin Harrison Jr., Eva Longoria, Anthony Ramos & Dominique Fishback
Groundhog Day The Musical Interview Special ft. Tim Minchin, Danny Rubin & Matthew Warchus
#567 — Melissa Barrera, Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Daniel Kaluuya
Spike Lee Interview Special
#566 — Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs
#565 — Sung Kang
#564 — Aml Ameen, Nick Park
#563 — Karen Gillan, Joe Russo
Empire On Jedi: A Return Of The Jedi Special (Live At Star Wars Celebration)
#562 — Jim Broadbent & Penelope Wilton, David Lowery
#561 — Alyssa Sutherland, Sam Raimi
#560 — Jason Statham & Guy Ritchie, Nicholas Hoult
#559 — Russell Crowe, Matt Damon & Marlon Wayans, Chris Pratt & Charlie Day
The George Lucas Talk Show Interview Special ft. Connor Ratliff, Griffin Newman, and Patrick Cotnoir
#558 — Scott Adkins, Chris Pine & Hugh Grant, Michelle Rodriguez & Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith & Sophia Lillis
#557 — Ian McShane, Alexander Skarsgard, John Boyega
#556 — Vivian Oparah & Raine Allen-Miller, Liam Neeson, Peyton Reed, Jeff Loveness
#555 — Rachel Zegler, Tony Gilroy & Diego Luna
#554 — Damien Chazelle & Justin Hurwitz, Christopher Landon, Michael B. Jordan
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