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Empire (magazine)

Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Media Group. The first issue was published in May 1989.

Editor

Nick de Semlyen

Film

Monthly

69,222 per issue (Jan – Dec 2022)[1]
Print and digital editions.

May 1989 (1989-05)

United Kingdom

London

English

guest-edited the magazine's 20th Anniversary Issue in June 2009.[9][10]

Steven Spielberg

guest-edited the magazine's Spectre special in September 2015.

Sam Mendes

Special editions[edit]

Genre guides[edit]

In 2001, Empire published a series of guides to the best films by genre including science fiction, horror, crime, action and comedy.[13]

The Directors Collection[edit]

In 2001, Empire published a special issue on Steven Spielberg as part of The Directors Collection.[14]

Fifteenth anniversary[edit]

Empire published a special 15th anniversary issue in June 2004 by which time the magazine had reviewed 4,240 theatrical films. Nicole Kidman was named "actress of our lifetime" and Kevin Spacey was named "actor of our lifetime". A list of the 15 most influential films of the preceding 15 years was featured.

Eighteenth anniversary[edit]

As part of its 18th birthday issue published in June 2007 Empire published a list of top 18-rated moments in film. They also selected the 50 greatest films rated with an 18 certificate.

Readers' top films[edit]

Empire occasionally poll readers to find out what their favourite films are.


A poll of Empire readers was published in September 2001 and listed Star Wars (1977) as the greatest movie of all time.[15]


In March 2006, a readers' poll of The 201 Greatest Movies of All Time had The Shawshank Redemption (1994) as the number one choice.

Podcasts[edit]

Empire launched their first podcast, The Empire Podcast, in March 2012.[22] The podcast is released weekly and is hosted by Chris Hewitt, alongside Helen O'Hara and James Dyer, as well as regularly featuring other Empire journalists such as Amon Warmann, Ben Travis and Terri White. The podcasts features film news, listener questions, interviews and reviews, as well as regularly having 'Spoiler Specials' which take an in-depth look at a single film, including plot spoilers. Many of these episodes are included on a separate subscription-only feed that costs £2.99 per month.[23]


In September 2018, Empire launched a second podcast focussed on television shows, called The Pilot TV Podcast. It is hosted by James Dyer, Terri White and Boyd Hilton.


In July 2022, the podcast won in the "Best Live Podcast" category at the British Podcast Awards following a live episode held in Kings Place, London to celebrate the podcast’s 500th episode that included returning favourites of lethal cunning, as well as guests such as Brett Goldstein, Tom Holland and Johnny Knoxville.[24][25]

List of film periodicals

Cahiers du cinéma

Sight & Sound

The Film Daily annual critics' poll

– official site

Empire

discography at Discogs

Empire