Empire Issue Preview: 28 Years Later, The Monkey, Saturday Night, Ke Huy Quan, The Electric State

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.