Empire UK – Issue 418, September 2023
English | 116 pages | pdf | 60.08 MB
Welcome at Empire UK Magazine Issue 418, September 2023
LET’S GET THE big thing out the way up front. Since we started putting this issue of Empire together, words I never imagined myself typing have come to pass: Hollywood has shut down. Stalled. Imploded. Collapsed. Frankly, no word is too dramatic, because every member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America has gone on strike, protesting unfair treatment on a number of issues, from decreased residuals to the threat of artificial intelligence. With studios and streamers failing to meet their demands, a full-on civil war has broken out, and much of the movie and TV industry as we know it has gone silent.
You can read all about this historic event in our major report, beginning on page 10, speaking to actors on the picket line such as Rosario Dawson and Samara Weaving, as well as director Christopher Nolan. But what does it mean for Empire? Well, no more interviews or shoots with actors for the time being, as they rightly take a hiatus from promoting new projects. All access to an actor in this issue was conducted before the SAG strike began.
Including our cover story, in which we speak to the one and only Joaquin Phoenix about taking on Napoleon Bonaparte, his first-ever interview about the daunting role — and his last one for the time being.
As the unprecedented situation plays out (the last time both actors and writers went on strike was in 1960, but it wasn’t anywhere near the magnitude of this one), we plan to continue making every issue of Empire special.
We’ll be following the events in Hollywood closely. And starting with the issue you hold in your hands, we’ve revamped the look of the magazine, with new regular features and even a quiz at the back to keep you busy until Hollywood sorts itself out. If you get question #9 right, you’re doing a lot better than me.
Enjoy the issue.
NICK DE SEMLYEN
EDITOR
@nickdesemlyen
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