Empire Magazine Issue 397 (February 2022)

Empire Magazine Issue 397 February 2022) The Batman

Out with the old, in with the new. That’s certainly the sentiment as we head into the final days of 2021 – and it’s also the approach being taken by Matt Reeves as he readies the release of The Batman. With 2022 arriving imminently, excitement for this all-new iteration of DC’s iconic crime-fighter (and, crucially for this adaptation, the world’s greatest detective) is reaching all-new levels – and in the new issue of Empire, we get a world-exclusive look at what’s in store, packed with interviews, brand new images and more. All that, and we take a major look at the most exciting movies coming our way over the next 12 months.

The Batman - Matt Reeves behind the camera. Robert Pattinson in the cowl. A horror-tinged serial killer mystery plot. Get ready for an all-new take on the Caped Crusader, with a whole new outlook – and a distinct new tone. Empire gets the low-down on next year’s most exciting blockbuster, featuring exclusive interviews with Reeves, Pattinson, plus fellow stars Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano and Colin Farrell, plus producer Dylan Clark, tons of new pics, and everything you need to get dialled into an all-new DC adventure.

2022 Preview - A new year means tons of new movies – and that means an epic breakdown of all the most exciting stuff coming our way in 2022. Stuff like…

Avatar 2 - Never bet against James Cameron. With the return trip to Pandora nearing, we get the low-down on what the legendary director’s been up to on the sequel, meet a brand new character, and talk the reunion of the filmmaker with a certain Kate Winslet.

Jurassic World: Dominion - It’s their world – we just live in it. Empire interviews Colin Trevorrow about the third chapter in his Jurassic World trilogy – meeting the terrifying new Atrociraptor, and talking the return of the original trio of beloved characters.

Much more! Plus, we look forward to a swathe of major Marvel and DC superhero flicks, Robert Eggers’ Viking epic The Northman, Pixar’s sci-fi spin-off (of sorts) Lightyear, the bonkers Earth-shattering Moonfall, Tom Holland’s take on Uncharted, and much more. Plus, on the small screen we talk to James Gunn about Peacemaker, prepare for the return of Peaky Blinders, and discuss the massive blockbuster shows bringing behemothic budgets straight to our homes. Phew.

Nightmare Alley - Guillermo del Toro is back after his Oscar wins – with a dark, twisted tale of men, monstrousness, and mentalism. The director himself writes for Empire about what it took to bring his non-supernatural noir thriller to the screen – which he says is the hardest movie he ever made.

Pedro Almodóvar - The legendary filmmaker behind All About My Mother, Volver, 2019’s Pain & Glory and more has been cooking up unpredictable art for four decades now – and with his latest film, Parallel Mothers, he’s heading further out of his comfort zone. He tells Empire about what took him there.

Gods Among Us: Tilda Swinton - In our latest celebration of Hollywood’s brightest stars, Empire takes a deep-dive into the world and career of Tilda Swinton – from Orlando, through Narnia, to We Need To Talk About Kevin, Only Lovers Left Alive, her regular work with Bong Joon Ho and Wes Anderson, and her work in the MCU.

Review - In this month’s home entertainment section, the time has come to talk about Bond. Specifically, the major developments of No Time To Die – with director Cary Joji Fukunaga and cinematographer Linus Sandgren speaking for the first time on that ending. All that, plus Kemp Powers talks One Night In Miami, Tomas Alfredson revisits Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the team ranks the best movies of 1997, and much more.

Take 20 - In this month’s news section, we plug into the artificial world of Mamoru Hosoda’s anime tale Belle, talk to the songwriter’s behind Hawkeye’s Broadway smash ‘Rogers: The Musical’, talk musicals and romance with Cyrano’s Peter Dinklage, get the low-down on Colin Trevorrow’s Atlantis reboot, meet the new Jack Reacher, and explore why now’s the perfect time for Magic Mike to return.

On Screen - Reviewed in this issue you’ll find Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza, Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or-winning Titane, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter, Matthew Vaughn’s espionage prequel The King’s Man, Mahershala Ali dual-rolling in Swan Song, Adam McKay’s apocalyptic satire Don’t Look Up, musical Cyrano (of ‘de Bergerac’ fame), Aaron Sorkin’s Being The Ricardos, Spielberg’s West Side Story, and Ridley Scott’s House Of Gucci. Plus, on the small screen, Marvel’s Hawkeye and the return of The Witcher on Netflix.

Read about it on the Empire website.