#493 — Hannah John-Kamen, Riz Ahmed, Benedict Cumberbatch

This week's Empire Podcast sees a triple whammy of guests as Chris Hewitt natters away with three of Britain's finest actors. First, there's Hannah John-Kamen, who talks about being cold on set of her new film Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City, her aptitude for fantasy, and singing with Steven Spielberg. Next up is Riz Ahmed, star of the touching sci-fi drama Encounter, who talks about that movie and whether or not he's moved to Los Angeles. And then Chris sits down in person with Benedict Cumberbatch, star of the new Jane Campion film, The Power Of The Dog. Together, they talk about Love Hearts, what Cumberbatch learned from Campion, and what we can expect from a Sam Raimi Doctor Strange film. (Chris had a faulty microphone cable on this one, which explains why he ducks in and out from time to time.) Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and Katie Smith-Wong to discuss great family collaborations, talk about the week's movie news, from Nicolas Cage playing Dracula to a heartfelt tribute to the great Stephen Sondheim, and review The Power Of The Dog, Encounter, C'mon C'mon, Boxing Day, Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City, and Silent Night. They also discuss the movie-themed Christmas gifts they've got their eyes on, and Chris talks about the epic and ambitious plans for the 500th episode of the podcast, which will be recorded live in London on February 5th. Enjoy!