Empire issue preview: Rogue One, Assassin’s Creed, Lord Of The Rings

Rebellions, so they say, are built on hope. The latest issue of Empire is built largely out of paper, but in a more lyrical, metaphorical sense, it's built on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. There's six covers to choose from this month – yet those covers are merely the galactic cherry atop a bumper cinematic sundae, so to speak, with 154 pages of unrivalled film coverage from the world’s biggest film magazine. Here’s just a taste of what to expect from Empire issue #331, on sale now.

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Rogue One

With six covers (plus an impossibly cool Death Star-themed subscriber cover), Rogue One naturally takes up plenty of focus this month. There’s new images aplenty, and new interviews with all the key cast and crew (including visual effects supervisor John Knoll, who first came up with the idea). Plus, we delve into some of Darth Vader’s lesser-known cameos. Essential reading for Star Wars fans – so, everybody, basically.

Review of the year

Goodness gracious, has it been 12 months already? Though 2016 will not go down as a vintage year for multitudinous reasons, there was still plenty of joy to be found on the big screen. We pick out a few highlights, including Captain America: Civil War, Stranger Things, and a fantastically foul-mouthed interview with our Superhero of the Year, Deadpool.

The Empire Interview: Casey Affleck

We go deep with one of Hollywood’s most consistently surprising and challenging actors (and occasional directors) about his latest Oscar-tipped role in Manchester By The Sea. Our interviewer describes the Affleck-encounter as a "less intense" and "more forthright" experience than expected.

The Lord Of The Rings: 15th anniversary feature

Would you believe: there have been fifteen Durin’s Days since The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring first arrived in cinemas. To mark the occasion, we asked each of the nine members of the Fellowship to ask nine questions to one another. Choice quote: one member of the Fellowship describing another as a “piss-taking pointy-eared devil”. Want to know who said this, and to whom? Again: buy the mag!

Assassin’s Creed

The movie nobody’s calling Fassassin’s Creedbender is barely a month away from release, so we parkour-hopped our way to the film’s Malta set for exclusive access to director Justin Kurzel and his stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. The article features the quote: “This is tame as fuck.” To find out who said this and in what context, buy the magazine!

Max Landis interview

Max Landis is a divisive figure in Hollywood – but aged just 31, already a powerful one, with five of his screenplays produced (including the brilliant Chronicle) and 14 projects currently in development. Naturally, we went to Los Angeles to chat with him while he floated on an inflatable unicorn. As you do.

Preview: Hugh Jackman in Logan

After seventeen years in the role, Hugh Jackman is hanging up his claws as Wolverine. And it certainly looks as though Ol’ Scissorhands won’t be going out with a whimper. Two exclusive images from X-Men spin-off Logan lead up a packed Preview section, which also looks at Trainspottting 2, La La Land, the latest season of Sherlock, and an exclusive first look at baldy Matthew McConaughey in Gold.

On Screen: Bleed For This

Miles Teller’s boxing biopic Bleed For This offers the headline bout of this month’s On Screen section, alongside reviews of Moana, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, and Snowden; plus TV reviews to include Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life; and games including Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Want to know what ratings we gave these? Once again: buy the magazine!

Re-view: Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond co-writers Simon Pegg and Doug Jung walk us through the thirteenth film in the series; elsewhere in the back section, we boldly go to Yonderland, David Brent’s Slough, La Dolce Vita’s Rome, William Friedkin’s Los Angeles, and Trading Places’ New York. We get around.

And that’s just the tip of the magazine-iceberg. The new issue Empire lands in all good and evil newsagents from Thursday, 24 November. Spare yourself the undoubtedly lengthy journey to the newsagents by subscribing to Empire{ =nofollow}, which, let’s face it, would also make an excellent gift for the film fanatic in your life. Beat Santa at his own game! Give the gift of Empire!