Empire Issue Preview: Joker: Folie À Deux, Agatha All Along, Jeff Goldblum, Coraline, Cailee Spaeny

With their last Joker film, Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix reinvented the character from the ground up. Now, they’re about to change the game all over again in Joker: Folie À Deux – a follow-up that sends Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck (and Lady Gaga’s Harley ‘Lee’ Quinzel) into song-and-dance territory. It’s one of the year’s most eagerly-anticipated films, and the new issue of Empire is your all-access guide.

The September 2024 issue isn’t on newsstands until tomorrow, Thursday 1 August – but you can take a sneak peek at what’s in story below. Order a copy online here.

Joker: Folie À Deux

How do you follow up a billion-dollar character drama take on one of the world’s most famous villains? Why, you make a music-fuelled romance, of course! Empire speaks with filmmaker Todd Phillips, stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, and more, getting the inside story on the sequel that nobody saw coming.

Agatha All Along

In the wake of WandaVision, Agatha Harkness is back – and gathering her own coven of witches for a spooky Marvel adventure like no other. Empire speaks to showrunner Jac Schaeffer, and stars Kathryn Hahn, Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, and Ali Ahn about brewing up a fresh batch of MCU magic.

Jeff Goldblum

From Jurassic Park and Independence Day, to The Fly and his frequent Wes Anderson collaborations, cinema has never seen anybody quite like Jeff Goldblum. As he takes on the role of a literal god in new series KAOS, he tackles your reader questions in a sprawling new Empire interview.

Coraline At 15

For a decade and a half now, Laika’s astonishing stop-motion debut feature has been terrifying kids (and, let’s be honest, adults too). As the animated classic turns 15, Empire speaks to director Henry Selick, Laika boss Travis Knight, star Teri Hatcher and more about its unlikely journey to existence.

Cailee Spaeny

In a few short years, Cailee Spaeny has established herself as a chameleonic, mesmeric talent in the likes of Priscilla, Civil War, Devs, Bad Times At The El Royale, and Mare Of Easttown. Next up? She’s battling Xenomorphs in Alien: Romulus. She talks her rapid ascent in a major new Empire interview and shoot.

Sing Sing

Fresh from his lauded role in Rustin, Colman Domingo returns with a prison drama about the transcendent power of art – and which channels the authenticity of his several formerly incarcerated co-stars. Empire gets the full story on a film that breaks the boundaries of fact and fiction.

Lee

Nearly a decade after she first started bringing the story of World War II photojournalist Lee Miller to the screen, Kate Winslet has succeeded in her mission. Along with filmmaker Ellen Kuras, she explains how she brought Miller’s extraordinary story to life.

First Word

This month’s news section features a wild new look at Gladiator II; takes a world-exclusive trip into Laika’s fantasy epic Wildwood; joins the pack of Jon Watts’ starry crime thriller Wolfs; hits the high notes with Wicked director Jon M Chu; gets under the skin of Saoirse Ronan’s character in The Outrun with the star herself; dives into Gotham’s underworld with The Penguin; and much more.

Final Cut

In the home entertainment section, we revisit the Mexico trilogy with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez; get the story on the astonishing final shot of Sydney Sweeney horror Immaculate; sink our teeth into the vampiric mysteries of Abigail; rank the best movies of the late, great Donald Sutherland; revisit Viggo Mortensen’s most compelling screen moments; and much, much more.

Reviews

Reviewed in this issue, you’ll find Jane Schoenbrun’s astonishing horror drama I Saw The TV Glow; ’40s-set dark knight animated series Batman: Caped Crusader; Julia Louis Dreyfus-starring emotional fantasy Tuesday; must-see music-biopic-of-sorts Kneecap; animated castaway tale Kensuke’s Kingdom; Natalie Portman mystery drama series Lady In The Lake; and plenty more.