Empire (magazine)

Empire (magazine)
source
Title	Empire
Category	Film
Frequency	Monthly
Publisher	Bauer Media Group
Firstdate	March 1989
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Issn	0955-5690

Empire (magazine) is a British monthly film magazine covering cinema, filmmaking, and film culture with an emphasis on mainstream and genre films. Founded in 1989, it has profiled actors, directors, studios, and franchises from Hollywood, Europe, and Asia while engaging with festivals, awards, and fandom communities. The magazine has featured cover stories and interviews with figures associated with Star Wars, Marvel Cinematic Universe, James Bond, Alfred Hitchcock, and Akira Kurosawa.

History

Empire was launched in March 1989 amid the late-1980s British publishing landscape dominated by titles such as The Face, Time Out (magazine), and Viz (comics). Early issues included interviews with filmmakers connected to Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton, and Francis Ford Coppola, and coverage of films distributed by Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Columbia Pictures. Throughout the 1990s the magazine chronicled the rise of filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, and Ang Lee, while documenting franchise developments for The Lord of the Rings (film series), Jurassic Park, The Matrix, and Toy Story. In the 2000s Empire expanded digital offerings as competitors such as Total Film and Sight & Sound underwent changes, and navigated corporate ownership transitions involving Bauer Media Group and wider consolidation in the magazine industry. The title adapted to streaming-era shifts tied to Netflix, Amazon Studios, HBO, and Disney+ by increasing coverage of serialized directors and auteurs like David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, Greta Gerwig, and Bong Joon-ho.

Content and Features

Empire publishes feature interviews, long-form profiles, and reviews of films by critics referencing work from Akira Kurosawa, Andrei Tarkovsky, Federico Fellini, Stanley Kubrick, and Ingmar Bergman. Regular sections include cover features on stars such as Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, and Scarlett Johansson, roundtables with directors tied to James Cameron, George Lucas, Peter Jackson, and Christopher Nolan, and lists like ""The 500 Greatest Movies"" that invoke titles including Citizen Kane, Pulp Fiction, The Godfather, Casablanca, and Seven Samurai. The magazine runs columns about production design linked to Rick Carter, cinematography associated with Roger Deakins, screenwriting connected to Charlie Kaufman and Aaron Sorkin, and special dossiers on studios such as Studio Ghibli, Miramax, Lucasfilm, StudioCanal, and A24 (company). Empire often includes retrospectives on movements like French New Wave, Italian Neorealism, New Hollywood, and Dogme 95, and spotlights composers including John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Ennio Morricone.

Publication and Circulation

Published monthly from the United Kingdom, Empire has undergone print and digital distribution changes influenced by newsstand sales tracked alongside titles like NME, Empire (magazine) competitors, and industry audits by organizations similar to the Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK). The magazine maintained international editions and partnerships with outlets in regions covering United States, India, Australia, and Brazil markets while aligning promotional tie-ins to film releases from Walt Disney Studios, Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, and MGM. Its circulation figures have fluctuated in response to events such as the rise of social media platforms and the mainstreaming of streaming tied to Netflix's global expansion, prompting multimedia strategies with podcasts, video interviews, and online listicles.

Awards and Events

Empire established awards and reader-voted accolades that celebrate achievements in film, with ceremonies echoing the format of the BAFTA Awards, Academy Awards, and Cannes Film Festival press cycles. The Empire Awards (reader-voted) recognized performances, direction, and films associated with nominees including Cate Blanchett, Joaquin Phoenix, Daniel Day-Lewis, Emma Stone, Christopher Nolan, and Bong Joon-ho, and often coincided with film release schedules from distributors like Fox Searchlight Pictures and Neon (company). Empire has organized live events, panels, and collaborations with festivals such as BFI London Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and fan conventions tied to San Diego Comic-Con.

Editorial Staff and Contributors

Editorial leadership has included editors and writers with backgrounds at publications like Total Film, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Radio Times, and NME (magazine). Contributors and columnists have ranged from critics and journalists who have written on Roger Ebert, Pauline Kael, Peter Bradshaw, Mark Kermode, and David Thomson to interviewers who secured access to stars such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Helen Mirren, Natalie Portman, and Denzel Washington. Regular photographers and illustrators working for the magazine have collaborated with agencies like Getty Images, Magnum Photos, and studios' publicity departments.

Reception and Influence

Empire's lists, cover stories, and awards have influenced public and industry perceptions of films including The Dark Knight, Parasite (film), Mad Max: Fury Road, La La Land, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Critics and academics have cited Empire in discussions alongside scholarship referencing Andre Bazin, Sergei Eisenstein, Laura Mulvey, and Murray Pomerance for its role in popular film criticism. The magazine's blend of mainstream coverage and auteurist appreciation has shaped fandoms around franchises such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Marvel Cinematic Universe, and DC Extended Universe, and contributed to promotional ecosystems involving studios, festivals, and award campaigns.

Category:British film magazines