Empire Issue Preview: Terminator At 40, Paddington In Peru, John Woo, The Franchise, Emilia Pérez

It’s been four decades since The Terminator first blasted onto the big screen – seemingly from the future – and propelled writer-director James Cameron to the big time. Now, for its landmark anniversary, Empire celebrates cinema’s greatest cyborg in the November 2024 issue, featuring a major new candid Cameron interview, and much more.

The issue doesn’t hit shelves until Thursday 26 September – order online here – but in the meantime here’s a sneak peek inside its pages.

The Terminator At 40

For 40 years now, The Terminator has been unstoppable. Empire celebrates cinema's ultimate cyborg in a huge new James Cameron interview – talking the franchise’s ongoing legacy; Cameron’s most prominent thematic preoccupations; his changing relationship with the original film; and what the Terminator’s future holds.

Plus, producer Gale Anne Hurd writes exclusively for Empire, remembering the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and how he boosted The Terminator to iconic status.

Paddington In Peru

The first two Paddington films are considered contemporary classics. No pressure, then, to incoming director Dougal Wilson – taking the bear (and the Browns) to Peru. The filmmaker, plus stars Ben Whishaw and Hugh Bonneville, bring Empire along for the ride.

John Woo

The Hong Kong director who reshaped cinematic action is back with a new take on his own breakout film, The Killer. He talks Empire through his incredible career – from A Better Tomorrow, to Hard Boiled, to Face/Off and beyond.

Emilia Pérez

Jacques Audiard’s latest is a ganger film like no other – a boundary-blurring crime saga in which a cartel leader fights to live as her true self. Plus, it’s a musical. Empire gets the full story from Audiard and his stars: Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Karla Sofía Gascón.

The Franchise

A disastrous comic book movie production is at the heart of Armando Iannucci’s latest satire, created alongside Sam Mendes and Jon Brown. Empire goes on set, speaking to Richard E. Grant, Daniel Brühl, Himesh Patel, Lolly Adefope, and more.

Steve McQueen

British filmmaker and artist Steve McQueen doesn’t compromise. With latest film Blitz about to set London alight, he talks Empire through its origins, his career, and reviving history in a major new interview.

First Word

This month’s news section goes behind the scenes of behind the scenes SNL drama Saturday Night; gets festive with Christmas actioner Red One; talks Trump with The Apprentice’s Sebastian Stan and Ali Abbasi; goes voyaging with Moana 2; howls at the moon with Wolf Man; sinks its teeth into Ben Wheatley’s Generation Z; pays tribute to James Earl Jones, and much more.

Final Cut

In the world of home entertainment, we revisit the making of horror classic The Hitcher; explore the Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes with Wes Ball; look back on Happiness with Todd Solondz; rank the movies of Will Smith; and plenty more.

Reviews

Reviewed int his issue, you’ll find the likes of DC sequel Joker: Folie À Deux; Saoirse Ronan-starring drama The Outrun; Donald Trump origin story The Apprentice; Alice Lowe’s era-hopping Timestalker; sprawling Francis Ford Coppola epic Megalopolis; transformative drama A Different Man; and much more.

The Terminator At 40 issue is available on newsstands from Thursday 26 September. Order a copy online here.