Empire Issue Preview: Captain America: Brave New World, The Brutalist, Willem Dafoe, Cameron Diaz

Cap's back — and this time he's seeing red! Red Hulk, that is. Yes, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson and Harrison Ford's Hulked out President Thaddeus Ross form the word-exclusive cover of our stacked Captain America: Brave New World issue — which has us diving deep into the MCU's 35th film, looking back on 2024's cinematic highlights, and talking to the stars and filmmakers behind your next must-see movies.

This month's issue hits newsstands on Thursday 19 December — and you can pre-order your copy online here. But for now, read on for a look inside its pages.

Captain America: Brave New World

On your left! After four years away, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson is bringing his take on Marvel's star-spangled man to the big screen in Captain America: Brave New World. Here, Empire heads undercover to talk to Mackie, co-star Harrison Ford, director Julius Onah, and more about Red Hulks, returning Leaders, and the bold new era the MCU is about to enter.

Back In Action

After taking a ten-year break from acting, Cameron Diaz is back in action in, well, Back In Action. Ahead of the movie's Netflix release in the new year, Diaz and co-star Jamie Foxx give Empire all the crucial intel on their action-packed spy comedy — and spill the tea on how their cinematic reunion came about.

The Brutalist

Awards season is upon us — and everybody is talking about Brady Corbet's three-and-a-half hour architectural epic The Brutalist already as an Oscar frontrunner. Empire pores over the making of a monumental movie with the filmmaker and his starry cast — including Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce.

The Review Of 2024

From epic knife-fights in Dune: Part Two to Pepsi product placement in Madame Web, disco-dancing dogs in Robot Dreams to shagging sasquatches in Sasquatch Sunset, and the bodily horrors of The Substance to the grandiose spectacle of The Rings Of Power Season 2, 2024 has been a massive year for film and TV. Empire unpacks a memorable 12 months of big and small screen moments with the people who made them possible — including Denis Villeneuve, Coralie Fargeat, Rapman, Peter Mullan, and more.

Look Who's Talking

Somehow, it's been 35 years already since Look Who's Talking arrived in cinemas, beguiling — and baffling — the masses with its wisecracking weans and quite literally baby-faced Bruce Willis. To mark the occasion, director Amy Heckerling exclusively tells Empire how she made an inside joke a 'baby hit'.

Willem Dafoe

He's been decapitated in The Northman, shot to smithereens in Platoon, spontaneously combusted in Shadow Of The Vampire, run over (several times) in Pasolini, and crucified in The Last Temptation Of Christ. Now, as Willem Dafoe enters the twilight world of vampires in Robert Eggers' Nosferatu, the acting legend opens up about life, (un)death, and his acting evolution to Empire in a major new interview and photoshoot.

First Word

This month's news section kicks off with a trip down the yellow brick road as Wicked director Jon M. Chu talks about the blockbuster success of his Broadway adaptation and what's to come in Part Two. Elsewhere, we talk anti-romance thriller Companion with stars Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid; put Nickel Boys breakout Ethan Herisse in The Spotlight; consider Cape Fear's latest adaptation; commune with haunted house movie Presence's director Steven Soderbergh; go with the Flow filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis; get in the ring with A Thousand Blows' Stephen Graham; head on set with William Tell helmsman Nick Hamm and lead Claes Bang; discuss Hard Truths with Mike Leigh and Marianne Jean-Baptiste; and much, much more.

Final Cut

Over on the home ents front, we get into the festive spirit with Home Alone director Chris Columbus; head down the Witches' Road with Agatha All Along showrunner Jac Schaeffer; take a trip down under for this month's Masterpiece, Aussie classic Wake In Fright; rank adaptations of A Christmas Carol; dig up Daisy Ridley's Time Capsule; and a whole bunch more besides.

Reviews

And finally, this issue's reviews section offers our verdicts on Robert Eggers' Gothic chiller Nosferatu; Robbie Williams' CGI monkey movie Better Man; anime Lord Of The Rings movie War Of The Rohirrim; Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield's timey-wimey romance We Live In__Time; Star Wars series Skeleton Crew; first-person feature Nickel Boys; The Wizard Of Oz prequel musical Wicked; Bodies Bodies Bodies director Halina Reijn's erotic thriller Babygirl; and many more.

The Captain America: Brave New World issue hits newsstands on Thursday 19 December. Pre-order your copy online here.