CAN YOU IMAGINE what it would actually be like to be Harrison Ford? As a Star
Wars and Indiana Jones-obsessed sever-year-old, I sure as hell tried. To my little movie and
comic-book lovin’ self, he was basically a god: a totem of masculinity that flew spaceships, got
the chicks and had a giant dog who could tear your arms off as a best friend (yes Luke had a
lightsaber, but he was a dork compared to Han Solo’s cooler-than-Hoth-during-a-severe-
blizzard space pirate). And Indiana Jones? He had a whip and a sweet hat — ‘nuff said.
Although he’s appeared in dozens of great films over the decades (Witness and The
Fugitive being two non-Lucasfilm affiliated faves), it’s nice to see the now 75-year-old Ford
ease back on the grumpiness and lighten up in his old age, performing somewhat of a career
victory lap by returning to some of his most iconic characters (respectful note to Steven
Spielberg: please, fortheloveofgod, make the next Indy film so mind-meltingly great that we
forget all about Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull). As evidenced by our on-set visit to Blade
Runner 2049 (p. 32), the actor is relishing playing replicant-hunter Deckard for the first time in
35 years (“the best script ever sent to me” Ford says of the film, which should push your
Anticipation-O-Meter into the red).
Elsewhere in the mag, we see some of cinema’s most visionary directors back doing what
they do best. Returning from the world’s shortest I’m-done-directing-films retirement is Steven
Soderbergh, blessing us with his new crime caper Logan Lucky (p. 40). Featuring Adam Driver
sporting a prosthetic arm (note to self: compile list of greatest movie characters with
prosthetics, starting with the One-Armed Man from The Fugitive and ending with Eddie
‘No-Nose’ from Baby Driver) and Channing Tatum as a couple of hicks planning a heist at
a car rally, this looks like it could be one of the funnest flicks of the year.
“What else?” I hear you wonder, thanks to my heightened ESP abilities. There’s Netflix’s
Marvel team-up series The Defenders (p. 46); The Fifth Element director Luc Besson giving us
an insight into his career (p. 52) and unleashing some of the most insane aliens ever in
Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets (p. 58); an exclusive chat with Stephen King
about The Dark Tower (p. 64); Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds teaming up — hopefully
to swear lots — in The Hitman’s Bodyguard (p. 70); a blow-by-blow behind-the-scenes account
of the bonkers making of Nic Cage schlockbuster Con Air (p. 76) and, last but not least, some
of moviedom’s biggest names reveal their crappest ever jobs to us. (Mine? Putting tiny plastic
bits in fridges on a mind-numbing assembly line. It was not chill.)‘Til next time: I love you. (My ESP allows me to hear your appropriate response: “I know.”)THIS MONTH
AT EMPIRE
JAMES JENNINGS
EDITOR
CONTRIBUTORS
Michael Adams, Liz Beardsworth, Elizabeth Best, Simon Braund, David Michael
Brown, Jeremy Cassar, John Catania, Simon Crook, Nick De Semlyen, Phil De
Semlyen, James Dyer, Danny Eccleston, Angie Errigo, Ian Freer, Alex Godfrey, Luke
Goodsell, Jethro Haynes, Chris Hewitt, David Hughes, Dan Jolin, Luke Lucas, Danny
Mackenzie, Ben McEachen, Jim Mitchell, Justin Metz, Anthony Morris, Ian Nathan,
Kim Newman, John Nugent, Helen O’Hara, David Parkinson, Patrick Peters, Nev
Pierce, Jonathan Pile, Kate, Poole, Olly Richards, Anna Smith, Damon WiseADVERTISING
Brand Manager Kate MacMillan 02 9282 8643
South Australian Advertising Nabula El Mourid 08 8267 5032
Queensland Advertising Judy Taylor 07 3101 6636
West Australian Advertising Chris Eyres 08 6160 8964
Director of Sales Fiorella Di Santo
Sales Director, NSW & QLD Jo Clasby
Sales Director, VIC, SA & WA Jaclyn ClementsMARKETING AND CIRCULATION
Brand Manager Georgia Mavrakakis 02 9288 9650
Subscriptions Marketing Coordinator Thea Mahony 02 9282 8583
Circulation Executive Samantha Nelson 02 8116 9336PRODUCTION
Production Controller Chris Clear 02 9338 6175
Production Co-Ordinator Dominic Roy 02 9282 8691EMPIRE UK
Editor-In-Chief Terri White
Associate Editor Liz Beardsworth
International Director Simon GrevesBAUER MEDIA
Publisher Ewen PageEmpire is published in Australia by Bauer Media Action Sports Pty Limited, part of the Bauer Media Group, ACN
079 430 023, 54-58 Park Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000. © 2013, under licence from Bauer Consumer
Media Limited. All rights reserved. The trade mark “Empire” and certain material contained herein are owned by
Bauer Consumer Media. Printed by PMP Print, 31-35 Heathcote Road, Moorebank, NSW 2170, (02) 9828 1350.
Distributed by Gordon & Gotch Australia Pty. Ltd 1300 650 666. Empire accepts no responsibility for loss
of or damage to unsolicited contributions. ISSN 2205-
PRIVACY NOTICE This issue of Empire is published by Bauer Media Pty Ltd (Bauer).Bauer may use and
disclose your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, including to provide you with your requested
products or services and to keep you informed of other Bauer publications, products, services and events. Our
Privacy Policy is located at http://www.bauer-media.com.au/privacy/ It also sets out on how you can access or correct
your personal information and lodge a complaint. Bauer may disclose your personal information offshore to its
owners, joint venture partners, service providers and agents located throughout the world, including in New
Zealand, USA, the Philippines and the European Union.
In addition, this issue may contain Reader Offers, being offers, competitions or surveys. Reader Offers may
require you to provide personal information to enter or to take part. Personal information collected for Reader
Offers may be disclosed by us to service providers assisting Bauer in the conduct of the Reader Offer and to other
organisations providing special prizes or offers that are part of the Reader Offer. An opt-out choice is provided
with a Reader Offer. Unless you exercise that opt-out choice, personal information collected for Reader Offers
may also be disclosed by us to other organisations for use by them to inform you about other products, services
or events or to give to other organisations that may use this information for this purpose.
If you require further information, please contact Bauer’s Privacy Officer either by email at privacyofficer@
bauer-media.com.au or mail at Privacy Officer Bauer Media Pty Ltd, 54 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000.(...and our favourite Harrison Ford character)EDITORIAL
EDITOR JAMES JENNINGS 02 8268 4621
Han Solo
ART DIRECTOR CRAIG CARROLL
Mack Tannen
PHOTO EDITOR KRISTI BARTLETT 02 8114 9493
Indiana JonesCLASSIC
LINES
OF THE
MONTH“All of a sudden
they’re unleashed in
Vegas. It was like the
Vikings attacking,
looting and sacking.”p.
“By the time I’ve
put my pants on,
I’ve really done what
I’ve set out to do for
the day.”p.
“I was a busboy at
the Monkey Bar in
Glasgow and I got
my bum felt by a lot
of women.”p.