Batfans rejoice, there’s a new trailer for Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, out today.

Those people who are joining Tom Cruise for another Mission Impossible in certain IMAX screens will have their chance to see the short prologue for the film, which is rumoured to divulge the origins of Batman’s latest nemesis Bane, played by Tom Hardy and glimpsed in a thousand set pictures.

The viral winds have already started to kick up around this film, and as it’s Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. you can bet that there will be all sorts of information hunts and wild goose chases until the film is out, you can see the opening salvo in the campaign here and here, so it’s nice that there’s something substantial following from the teaser we saw a few months ago.

Source: Apple – Click to view in HD

It was bound to happen sooner or later and it appear that it’s right now as Wired and Empire have released what appears to be the first piece of viral marketing for The Dark Knight Rises on their website. Wired have a confidential ‘CIA Bulletin’ that gives us info on “Dr. Leonid Pavel” and an image of Alon Abutbul with some blocked out text while Empire have released a document communication with much of the document blocked out with a CIA stamp on it.

That’s all we know so far but I’m sure this isn’t the last of it. Keep your eyes peeled for more and make sure you add in the comments your initial thoughts and if you know what it means, feel free to share with the rest of us!

For the rest of our Dark Knight Rises coverage including the teaser trailer, poster and images, click here.

We’d heard it was coming but now Warner Bros. have released the information that we all want to hear about the six minute prologue that will come to the UK 21st December at only 5 IMAX locations. Those locations include:

• UK – BFI London – London
• UK – National Media Museum IMAX Bradford – Bradford
• UK – Glasgow Science Centre IMAX Cinema – Glasgow
• UK – Odeon Manchester IMAX @ The Printworks – Manchester

Scroll down for the full press release with all the information that you need to know about the prologue.

The Dark Knight Rises is released in the UK July 20th, 2012, just in time for my birthday! Anyone excited?!

OPENING SEQUENCE OF “THE DARK KNIGHT RISES” WILL BE UNWRAPPED JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The film’s prologue will be released exclusively in select IMAX® 70mm film theatres.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises”—the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy—is one of the most anticipated films of 2012, but moviegoers won’t have to wait until next year to see the six-minute opening sequence of the film.  The film’s prologue will be unveiled exclusively in select 70mm IMAX® theatres worldwide.  The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The Prologue will be released in North America on December 16, and in the UK on December 21, 2011.  Additional international dates vary by territory and will be announced soon.

In making the 2008 blockbuster “The Dark Knight,” Nolan was the first to use IMAX® cameras in a major motion picture release, and, as now, audiences were given an advance look at that film’s prologue months prior to the Summer 2008 opening.  Nolan employed the extremely high-resolution cameras even more extensively on “The Dark Knight Rises”—including the film’s prologue—to achieve unprecedented crispness and clarity and a truly immersive experience for the moviegoers.

Christopher Nolan stated, “Our experience on ‘The Dark Knight’ shooting and projecting IMAX 15 perf 65mm/70mm film was inspiring.  The immersive quality of the image goes beyond any other filmmaking tool available, and in revisiting Gotham, we were determined to shoot even more of the movie in this unique format.  Giving the fans an early look at an IMAX sequence is a great way to draw attention to what I believe will be an incredible way to experience our story when it comes out next summer.”

Below is a list of the theatres in the UK in which the Prologue of “The Dark Knight Rises” will be revealed on December 21th:

• UK – BFI London – London
• UK – National Media Museum IMAX Bradford – Bradford
• UK – Glasgow Science Centre IMAX Cinema – Glasgow
• UK – Odeon Manchester IMAX @ The Printworks – Manchester

Opening on July 20, 2012, “The Dark Knight Rises” features an international all-star cast, led by Oscar® winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) in the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.  The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.  Reprising their roles from both “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” Oscar® winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) plays Lucius Fox.

Nolan directed “The Dark Knight Rises” from a screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer.  The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on “Batman Begins” and the record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight.”  Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull are the executive producers, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer.  “The Dark Knight Rises” is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.  Batman created by Bob Kane.

“The Dark Knight Rises” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.   www.thedarkknightrises.com

Empire Magazine have now released their interview with Director Christopher Nolan and Tom Hardy where they talked to the duo about Hardy’s character of bane from The Dark Knight Rises and if you’re a fan of the latest Batman franchise then you’re going to love this! In the interview they talk about the traits of the villain from the latest movie due out next year and why Nolan cast Hardy in the role.

The transcription comes from Deadline but make sure you buy the latest copy of Empire which is out now and has some amazing Dark Knight Rises covers in your local news agents NOW!

Tom Hardy
On Bane: “He’s brutal, brutal. He’s expedient delivery of brutality. And you know, he’s a big dude. He’s a big dude who’s incredibly clinical, in the fact that he has a result-based and orientated fighting style. The result is clear. “Do you know what I mean? It’s: f**k off and die. Quicker. Quicker. Everything is thought out way before. He’s hit you, he’s already hit somebody else. It’s not about fighting. It’s just about carnage with Bane. He’s a smashing machine. He’s a wrecking ball. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it’s nasty. Anything from small joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. It’s anything he can get away with. He is a terrorist in his mentality as well as brutal action. So he’s horrible. A really horrible piece of work.”

About filming the fight scenes: “It’s very overwhelming. When you’re training in a rehearsal room you go, ‘Okay, I have a contact with seven people. This guy I chin, this one I slip and I punch, this one I pick up and suplex, this guy I kick in the face, and this one, he stops a hammer with his head. And then I meet Batman.’ That’s all alright in a rehearsal room, but then you add 1,000 people that are all dressed the same as the seven you’re supposed to hit — ’cause they’re all police officers — and I don’t know where my police officers are. But the stuntmaster’s like, ‘Don’t worry. They will find you.’”

About Christian Bale’s Batman: “He looks really intimidating! There’s a three-year-old in me that’s going, ‘Oh my God that’s Batman! That’s Batman and he’s going to hit me! But I love Batman!’ Then I look in the mirror. And I hit him back. Twice as hard.”

Christopher Nolan
On Bane: “With Bane, we are looking to give Batman a physical challenge that he hasn’t had before,” says the film’s director, Christopher Nolan. “With our choice of villain and with our choice of story we’re testing Batman both physically as well as mentally. Also, in terms of finishing our story and increasing its scope, we were trying to craft an epic, so the physicality of the film became very important. Bane’s a very different kind of villain than Batman has faced before in our films. He’s a great sort of movie monster, but with an incredible brain, and that was a side of him that hadn’t been tapped before. Because the stories from the comics are very epic and very evocative — very much in the way that Bruce Wayne’s origin story is epic and evocative. We were looking to really parallel that with our choice of villain. So he is a worthy adversary. What Bane represents in the comics is the ultimate physical villain.”

About casting Tom Hardy in the role: “He has this incredible disjunct between the expressiveness of the voice and the stillness of the movement of his body. He’s found a way to play a character who is enormous and powerful with a sort of calm to it, but also is able to be incredibly fast at times. Unpredictable. He just has a raw threat to him that’s extraordinary. It’s a very powerful thing when you see it come together, beyond what I had ever imagined. That’s what you get from working with great actors.”

Hot on the heels of last night’s release of two new The Dark Knight Rises covers from next month’s Empire, subscribers to the magazine today received a treat through their letterboxes – namely the issue itself, in all its glossy, papery splendour! Complete with a ‘Limited Edition Subscriber Only’ cover image of Tom Hardy in Bane regalia, the magazine boasts a behind the scenes feature on the film, including some of the first official images and fresh interview snippets from the cast and crew.

Though it can be fun to play guessing games a with movie that carries such high anticipation levels, the authorised nature of the pictures and quotes is a welcome breather from the constant flow of candid snapshots and rumour that has followed the film’s production.

Indeed, though it may seem like news about Christopher Nolan’s upcoming sequel to The Dark Knight breaks almost every week, official releases from the set have numbered only a handful: an early preview of Tom Hardy as Bane, a poster for the film that was quickly followed by a teaser trailer, and, back in August, our first official look at Anne Hathaway as that feline lady of mystery, Selina Kyle. Believe it or not – that’s all. Yes, it’s been over two months since we had our last sanctioned newscast from Gotham and now – finally – we can a bit more of what Mr Nolan and his crew have finalised for release, not just the eager fans.

So, what have we got? Well, if you’re hungry for some picture fuelled goodness then scroll to the bottom of the page (and click to enlarge), but first we’d like to pick out a few of the Empire article’s best little nuggets of plot and character info. The first surprise offered by Nolan is not one of ‘what’, but of ‘when’, with the director revealing that The Dark Knight Rises is set “eight years after” Batman’s last outing.

“It’s really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne’s story, ” Nolan states, “we left him in a very precarious place.” The film, he continues, will see “an older Bruce Wayne…not in a great state” being challenged by a villain and a story that will “[test] Batman both physically as well as mentally.” This may just mean that the Caped Crusader’s confrontations with Bane will involve more fist fights than they did with Ra’s Al Ghul or The Joker, but with one of Bane’s most famous comic storylines seeing him break an exhausted Bruce Wayne’s back, it’s a quote that will no doubt leave fans desperate to find out more.

And, speaking of Bane, thanks to the film’s costume department we can finally find out a little more about what makes him tick. With the character known in the comics for having superhuman strength bestowed by an experimental toxin named ‘Venom’ (taken every 12 hours to avoid adverse side-effects), it was always likely Bane would see slight alterations in the more grounded Nolanverse. However, as costume designer Lindy Hemming explains, Nolan’s Bane will keep his drug dependence, albeit with a slightly different origin. “He was injured early in his story. He’s suffering from pain and needs gas to survive. He can’t survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jawline and feed into the thing at his back, where there are two canisters.”

But a lack ‘strength serum’ does not mean that the Bane of The Dark Knight Rises will be by any means soft. Describing the character as both “brutal” and “clinical”, actor Tom Hardy tells Empire of a Bane whose assaults are based on results; “it’s not about fighting. It’s about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it’s nasty. Anything from small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns.” Sounds like this film is really going to push the PG-13 rating! Yet this is villain with brains as well as brawn, Hardy concludes – “a terrorist in mentality as well as brutal action.”

And then there’s the pictures (see below; click to enlarge). With Batman surrounded by the bodies of collapsed soldiers in one shot and Bane rallying support whilst clutching a picture of Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent in another, they probably offer more questions than they do answers. In fact, Empire’s whole feature is a bit of a tease, but – crucially – it’s a tease Christopher Nolan wants us to see; not something dug out from impatience, but a wonderful allusion as to how much (or how little) he’s willing to show us before the release date.

So, without further ado, scroll down and have a look! With our next official glimpse of the film likely to be either a trailer attached to screenings of Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, or a six minute prologue attached to IMAX screenings of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (one that Nolan promises will provide “introduction to Bane, and a taste of the rest of the film”), we can only hope  these satisfy your current appetite.

The Dark Knight Rises will be out in July 2012 and stars franchise regulars Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine alongside newcomers Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Juno Temple, and Josh Pence.

Source: Empire Magazine, with scans by ComingSoon.

Comic Con may be going on in the US at the moment but what we really care about is our very own Con here in the UK and fortunately, the Empire Big Screen is coming on August 12th – 14th at the O2 in London! We’ll be there and hope you will be too so that you can catch all the amazing movie first that are going to be there.

Following on from the Kim Newman schedule we released yesterday, The Big Screen organisers have just released the first look at the full schedule and it looks rather fantastic! I’ve embedded it below for your viewing pleasure.

What are you looking forward to seeing most? Tell us in the comments section below.

Book your ticket to go along on the official website here.Big Screen Schedule

With just over three weeks to go until Empire’s Big Screen hits London’s o2 arena there’s a definite buzz around the event, which is billing itself as the biggest of its kind held in the UK.

The full details of the three day programme are due to be revealed over the next few days but we’ve got our hands on the full line-up for one of the event’s key programmes – Kim Newman’s Chamber Of Horrors.

Newman is an estabished author, long time Empire contributor and is a bit of a legendary figure in the UK movie scene having been the man who, thanks to his countless TV appreances,  converted many a shy, retiring movie fan into blood-hungry horrorphiles and he’s just the man to preside over the darker side of the Big Screen event.

The full details are below but a few obvious standouts include the screening of Kevin Smith’s Red State (I hope he knows the screening is going ahead this time…), the interview on censorship with Human Centipede man Tom Six, the Hammer horror show with a sneak peek at The Woman in Black (but sadly no Twins of Evil) and my own personal favourite – the screening of Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now.

If this hasn’t convinced you that the Big Screen event is worth visiting then the full schedule is sure to tempt you further and there will be a very secial competition relating to the event on HeyUGuys tomorrow so check back then.

Here’s the line-up:

Friday August 12

Panel: The Eternal Appeal Of Dracula: Kim Newman, author of Anno Dracula, discusses the eternal fascination Bram Stoker’s great vampire has held over film and books.

On Stage: Tom Six And The Human Centipede Censorship Crisis: Incendiary horror director Tom Six and producer Ilona Six will be at Big Screen to defend their shocking sequel, The Human Centipede 2, recently refused a certificate by the BBFC. As they appeal the decision and the film heads to a US release, this is a rare chance to put your questions to the controversial filmmaker.

The Signal Screening: Every cell phone, radio and television starts sending out signals causing psychotic chaos. “It’s a really weird virus outbreak movie, and not enough people have seen it…” says Kim Newman. Directed by David Bruckner, Dan Bush and Jacob Gentry.

Hardware Screening: Arguably one of the most influential British horror debuts of the last 25 years, mixing dystopian sci-fi, killer robots and a grunge aesthetic to startling effect.

Red State Advance Preview: Director Kevin Smith’s eagerly anticipated venture into the horror genre, although not without a satirical edge, finds a group of sex-seeking teens falling into the clutches of terrifying fundamentalists.

Saturday August 13

Footage: Kill List, presented by director Ben Wheatley. Plus Footage: Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark.

Rogue Screening: The best man-eating crocodile movie you will see all weekend. Directed by Greg McLean. According to Kim Newman, “It’s better than McLean’s famous Wolf Creek!”

Hammer Horror Special: Join horror expert Kim Newman, and Hammer Films executives Ben Holden and Nic Ransome, to recall growing up with the British horror institution and the recent reinvention of the studio. Including a panel on the forthcoming Hammer adaptation of The Woman In Black.

To be followed by a double bill of Hammer old, Quatermass And The Pitt, and Hammer new, Wake Wood, as introduced by Kim Newman!

Sunday August 14

Tenebrae Screening: A fantastic opportunity to see the classic Dario Argento Rome-set serial killer flick on the big screen.

The House Of The Devil Screening: A college student takes a babysitting job at a remote house during a full moon. Need we say more? “Utterly terrifying, ’70s-flavoured horror,” says Empire editor Mark Dinning. Directed by Ti West.

Kim Newman’s Horror Quiz: Test yourself against the mind of the country’s leading horror expert and win prizes, the respect of your peers and a high standing in the undead community.

Special Screening: Don’t Look Now: One of the most provocative and powerful exercises in horror ever put on the screen.

Today Empire unveiled the first details of Big Screen, which set itself up to be the biggest movie event in the UK, with premieres, cast and crew Q&As, screenings of new and classic films and Muppets.

Hear that? Muppets.

On the 12th-14th of August the O2 arena in London will house over 250 movie related events, performances and sneak peeks of some huge films and they are casting their net wide, with something, they hope, for everyone.

First up there are the premieres. The opening night will see the UK premiere of Jon Favreau’s Cowboys And Aliens with some of the film’s stars in attendance, the film will also be playing throughout the event so audiences will be able to see the film before it is released across the country. Closing up Big Screen is the premiere of Craig Gillespie’s Fright Night which looks to be a lot of fun, and Dr. Who fans will have their chance to see David Tennant who will be attending.

The other events across the three days show the range Empire are going for. In anticipation of the Star Wars films making their Blu-ray debut ILM will be on hand to talk through and reveal new content from the forthcoming discs, something that will surely appeal to hardcore fan, alongside something they are calling a Padawan Training School which is more focused on younger fans (although I know of a few thirty-somethings who will be signing up).

Other films at the event include Brendon Gleeson’s latest The Guard, with a Q&A with John McDonagh, The Woman in Black will flashing an ankle or two (in movie terms of course), the acclaimed  Norwegian film Trollhunter will be there as will Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. There will be a look at the 3D version of Titanic, a film which will have a huge impact on the technology if all is well.

Other events which jumped out at me was the epic undertaking to screen all of the Pixar films and shorts as part of “To Infinity and Beyond – Celebrating 25 years of Pixar Animation Studios”, Composer David Arnold will be on hand to deliver a masterclass, Empire’s own Kim Newman will be luring passers-by into his Chamber of Horrors, part of which will include a screening of Don’t Look Now.

And there will be Muppets.

It seems that this will be a worthy extension of the Empire Movie-Con events which were a great success over the last few years, there’s a genuine sense that the potential to bring in huge crowds of film fans will be met, with some great events and screenings on offer. We’ll be there covering every second and it seems as though the event will hopefully rival the very best of the conventions in the US.

Find out more and book tickets at EmpireBigScreen.com. It should be a very fun few days.

We are moving rapidly towards the end, and July the 15th brings about the last chapter in the whole Harry Potter saga and with a darker touch being applied to the series as each new film emerges it’s no shock that the final film will see a whole heap of trouble before the credits roll on one of the most successful film franchises of all time.

You can expect the Deathly Hallows Part 2 marketing machine to hit its stride in the next couple of months and there’s a new TV spot out for you lucky Potterites and here it is.

It was those cool kids at Latino Review who pointed us thuswards.

Following yesterday’s ‘It All Ends’ poster featuring Daniel Radcliffe it is now Emma Watson’s turn to look with well lit angst into the Voldermort shaped distance. Ron and the rest are sure to follow over the next few days so eyes out for them.

The film’s Facebook page revealed the image and EW have a new image with Dame Maggie Smith and the Dumbledorians in what’s left of Hogwarts.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is directed by David Yates and sees Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint all back as Harry, Hermione and Ron respectively. The film is released in cinemas 15th July, and it’ll be in wand thrusting 3D.

Here’s the Hermione pic and the new production image follows,

Warner Bros. have released this quite frankly bloody brilliant new poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. This follows the new images we put up earlier from the latest issue of Empire Magazine which this month has gone Harry Potter barmy!

I do love this poster a lot but why is the ‘It All Ends Here’ tagline so close to the edges? I’m being picky! Check out the first trailer for POtter 7.2 here.

If you missed the first trailer for the final part of J.K. Rowling’s epic tale, you can check it out here. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is directed by David Yates and sees Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint all back as Harry, Hermione and Ron respectively.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is released in cinemas 15th July in crisp 3d!

Source: Facebook

Here’s something rather nice for a Monday morning. Empire have released images of their brand new cover which this month focuses all around Harry Potter and the phenomenon that we’ve experienced over the past ten years. The special edition will feature an extra book which Empire tell us will feature the following:

The Ultimate Movie Celebration of Harry Potter that’s free with this month’s issue combines exclusive photography, a plethora of interviews with the key cast and crew, and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes images from the Warners vault to bring you the untold story behind all eight films. Inside the magazine, meanwhile, we have an oral history of filming on Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2‘s massive Battle of Hogwarts.

The Sun have also released some images from the magazine which I’ve placed below. I love the one of Helena Bonham-Carter (what would Tim Burton say?!) and the set photo showing the biggest clapper board you’ve ever seen in your life!

If you missed the first trailer for the final part of J.K. Rowling’s epic tale, you can check it out here. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is directed by David Yates and sees Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint all back as Harry, Hermione and Ron respectively.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is released in cinemas 15th July in crisp 3d!

HeyUGuys were at the Jameson Empire Awards last Sunday and during the course of the evening we were tweeting from the red carpet, live blogging the awards, and interviewing the winners and presenters as soon as they got off stage.

We also managed to carry out quite a few interviews with guests on their way into the awards. We’ve got some interesting stuff coming up in the videos, which we’ll publish over the next few days, including Gareth Edwards talking about Monsters and Godzilla, Jane Goldman on X-Men: First Class, and Gary Oldman discussing the differences between the Potter and Batman films.

First up for you is a video featuring Ian Hislop praising last year’s crop of British films, Neil Marshall and his wife Axelle Carolyn discussing their future projects, Chris O’Dowd talking about writing and whiskey, and  Andrew Shim not giving much away about This Is England ’88.

Down in the HUG Bunker, we’re pretty big fans of flame-haired screenwriter Jane Goldman, so it was a pleasant surprise to find out that she’s pretty fond of us too!

Not only did she tell us how much she liked the site, but she also let us know the progress of Kick-Ass 2, what she thinks of X-Men: First Class (she’s seen it), and her next projects, the adaptation of Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem and several things she was very cagey about.

Watch the below for more info or click here to view the rest of our coverage from the Jameson Empire Film Awards 2011.

By now, you’ve hopefully caught up with our coverage of the Jameson Empire Awards. If not, check them out here.

We’ve still got loads of videos from our red carpet interviews coming up, including Dexter Fletcher and Will Poulter talking about their next project, Wild Bill, which with a cast that includes Olivia Williams, Marc Warren  and Andy Serkis could well be this year’s breakout Britflick.

The video below features interviews with Gary Oldman and Tom Felton. In it Oldman discusses his brief appearance in the final Potter film, his fondest memories of working on the franchise, the differences between the Potter films and the Batman films, and his flourishing bromance with Tom Hardy. He also very briefly speaks about his work on Thomas Alfredson’s forthcoming Soldier, Sailor, Tinker, Spy.

Tom Felton discusses the Harry Potter reshoots, post production on Potter 7.5 and the films he’s been working on since he wrapped.

It’s worth pointing out that the best questions in these interviews came from the amazing girls from SnitchSeeker, who kept us company on the red carpet.

We’ll be posting last night’s interviews that we took from the red carpet at the Jameson Empire Awards today and tomorrow. If you haven’t watched them yet, you can keep track here.

This time round we’ve got Gareth Edwards, the man responsible for the phenomenal Monsters, and who will shortly be bringing Godzilla back to the big screen.

Just as Gareth arrived in front of me, we were surrounded by the cast of The Inbetweeners to my right, and Tom Hiddleston on my left, causing everyone around us to surge forward, and forcing Gareth and I to move much closer together than is entirely comfortable for, well anybody to be honest.

In spite of the slightly odd interview conditions, we spoke about Monsters, and how he feels about the focus of much of the praise being on the production values rather than the story, how close Godzilla is to filming, and whether this concept art from last year’s San Diego Comic Con had anything to do with his movie.

While we were on the red carpet for the Jameson Empire Awards, we had a chance to talk to Son of Rambow and Narnia star, Will Poulter, who seemed to be competing with Gareth Edwards and Tom Felton for the title of nicest man in the British film industry.

During the conversation, he spoke briefly about his love for The King’s Speech, before talking about his next film, Wild Bill, which is directed by Dexter Fletcher. After hearing how excited Will was for the film, we had to stop Dexter on his way in, and get him to give us some more details. To find out more about it, check out the video below.

The Empire Awards turned sweet sixteen last night and the Grosvenor House Hotel was the venue once again to celebrate, drink, clap your palms numb and drink some more in a toast to the best in film.

Jameson were on hand again to sponsor and thus sobriety quickly beat a hasty retreat and the awards were afoot. Returning host Dara O’Briain leapt on stage and led us through the awards, not squandering the chance to take the assembled guests down a peg or two on the way.

Two films which unjustly missed their mark at the box office were among the winners tonight;  Scott Pilgrim and Kick-Ass were popular choices for Edgar Wright’s Best Director win and the ebullient Jane Goldman was both irrepressibly excited and humble when she took to the stage to collect her Kick-Ass’s Best British Film gong.

Empire’s readers are difficult to pin down and herd into a category, so you’re never quite sure which way the votes will go, but Wright is a firm favourite with the readership, and his Empire Inspiration Award is testament to this. He singled out the Done in 60 Seconds competition as being akin to what he was doing when Empire’s first issue was published and how fans are now making their own cuts of his work, or making Scott Pilgrim fan films and this was a case of the inspiration coming full circle. He was a humble inspirer of people, and if nothing else it made me want to watch Scott Pilgrim all over again.

Eli Roth took home the Best Horror award for The Last Exorcism and promised to continue to make disturbing films which is a far better promise than it is a threat, maybe he’s the right guy for the marooned Pride & Prejudice & Zombies film, I think I’d like to see his take on Austen.  I enjoyed the other films nominated in that category but it was fitting to see the only film which wasn’t a remake or a sequel win the day. While I had problems with some of the choices made for The Last Exorcism it did succeed in chilling bones and laying on a very creepy vibe throughout, clearly the readers of Empire thought so too.

The absent Chloe Moretz won Best Newcomer and while everyone loves a purple wigged ten year old assassin I found her role as the haunted, lonesome Abby in Matt Reeves’ Let Me In to be something special and hopes could not be higher for her future.

It was almost crushingly self evident that Colin Firth would be clutching another award come the evening’s end, but his Best Actor speech was as dry and self effacing as ever, and you got the impression there was genuine love for the man. Noomi Rapace paid tribute to her inspiration when collecting her Best Actress award for Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (which itself collected the award for Best Thriller) in singling out Gary Oldman, as did the Empire awards moments later as the Empire Icon spotlight was on him.

The man Firth handed over the award after a montage of Oldman’s work played out including what I’m sure was the first glimpse of Oldman in  Tomas Alfredson’s new version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and in accepting the award Oldman praised the directors who cast him in what is an eclectic and impressive body of work. He’s a class act and his directorial debut Nil By Mouth is well worth seeking out if you’ve not already done so, it’s uncompromising and brutally harsh but all the more effective because of it. Many people I know haven’t heard of it so get on to Lovefilm or wherever right now.

The other big winners included Harry Potter and Inception, which divided critics and certainly didn’t impress the British and American Academies but did well with the voting masses, and it was genuinely pleasing to see Chris Morris’s Four Lions win Best Comedy.

Last year I was on the red carpet and endured the press room scrum, this year I was fortunate to be on the table with sponsors Citroen, who were presenting the Best Actress award and it’s a far more relaxed and fun affair than the BAFTAs as a recent and pertinent example. And in a show of blogger solidarity I think – and bear in mind that I was four or five whiskey sours down at this point – that I gave Charlie from Ultra Culture a bottle opener at a crucial point in the evening, perhaps moments before he did a guest spot on Ben’s live blog of the awards.

All in all a great night, hangovers assured and the future of British film looking a little bleary eyed this morning, but bright nonetheless.

This evening, the Grosvenor House Hotel played host to the 2011 Empire / Jameson Awards ceremony. These awards are always great as they’re voted for by the readers of the biggest Movie Magazine in the world (that would be Empire) and you never quite know who may turn up to the awards and today we were pleasantly surprised with the turnout.

While Jon was at the awards themselves and Ben and Kelly were on the red carpet and them blogging live and chatting with the winners of each award, I was back at HeyUGuys HQ breaking news like the fact that Amy Adams is going to be Lois Lane and collating all the info from the awards themselves.

In that vein, here are the official images from tonight’s awards ceremony which I’ve placed in this rather handy gallery below. As you’ll see, the turnout was rather impressive and included Tom Felton, Keira Knightley, Lily Cole, Colin Firth, Talulah Riley, Edgar Wright, Mark Strong and Gary Oldman to name but a phew.

Our videos and photos from the evening will be posted in the coming hours but in the meantime, you can find out who won what here and click the images below to enlarge.

HeyUGuys are currently sat in the press room of the Jameson Empire Awards, editing our video from the red carpet (which you’ll be seeing shortly) and live-blogging the Awards.

This page will be updated as and when things happen, so keep hitting refresh on your browser for updates.

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19:50 – Looks like that’s the end people. The press room is beginning to empty, and everyone is winding down. This is a good thing, as my laptop battery is dying. Hope you’ve enjoyed our live blog, and stay tuned for our video from the red carpet, and our short, post-award interviews with the winners/presenters.

19:45 – The ceremony’s just about done inside. IN the press room we’re waiting for the last few interviews.

19:41 – Best actor winner Colin Firth has just presented the Empire Icon award to Gary Oldman.

19:39 – Mark Strong just told Kelly we can expect some more pics of him in character from Green Lantern in June.

19:35 – Kiera Knightly picks up the Empire Hero award.

19:34 – Kelly is talking to HeyUGuys fan Jane Goldman. Meanwhile the paps have now noticed Edgar Wright. They seem rather excited.

19:31 – It would appear that Colin Firth managed to sneak past everyone on the red carpet, as he turns up to collect his award.

19:28 – Best Actor award time. Nominees are:

• Leonardo DiCaprio
• James Franco
• Colin Firth
• Jesse Eisenberg
• Aaron Johnson

- Winner: Colin Firth

19:26 – As Edgar Wright picks up the award for Best Director, the paps in the press room have noticed Talulah Riley and gone mental.

19:21 – Best director time. Nominees:

• David Fincher
• Christopher Nolan
• Edgar Wright
• Tom Hooper
• Matthew Vaughn

- Winner: Edgar Wright

19:20 – The world is spared from Kelly’s rage, as Inception takes the award.

19:17 – Kelly might get very upset if Inception doesn’t win.

19:17 – Best Film time. Nominees are:

• Inception
• Kick-Ass
• The Social Network
• Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
• The King’s Speech

- Winner : Inception

19:14 – Kelly just interviewed Tom Hiddleston. Unfortunately she can’t tell me what he said, because she was distracted by his good looks.

19:11 – Best British Film  time. Nominees

• 127 Hours
• The King’s Speech
• Kick-Ass
• Four Lions
• Monsters

- Winner: Kick Ass

19:07 – The Inspiration Award has just been presented to Edgar Wright. He seems happy about this.

19:04 – Eli Roth just told Kelly that he loves doing dialogue-based films. Again, full transcript to follow as soon as we get a spare moment.

19:01 – After a quick hijack by Charlie, we’re back.

19:01 – Hello, this is Charlie from Ultra Culture. I’ve said some slightly mean things about HeyUGuys in the past but I’m actually quite a fan. I am at the Empire Awards and I’ve put too much Jameson in my Diet Coke. Will be on the floor soon. Bye pals!

18:59 – Kelly is now talking to Tom Felton. Waiting to find out waht they’re talking about.

18:55 – Best thriller time. Nominees are:

• The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
• Shutter Island
• The Town
• Black Swan
• 127 Hours

- Winner: Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

18:51 – Done In 60 Seconds Winner was Maeve Stram for 127 Hours.

18:51 – Noel Clarke’s just told Kelly that he’s working on two films, both British. A horror and a rom-com. Full quote to follow.

18:48 – It’s time for Done in 60 Seconds. Check out the nominees on Empire’s Website

18:45 – The show on stage is going hell for leather, with a swift move to Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Kelly is waiting to talk to the guys from Four Lions about their win.

Best Sci-Fi/Fantsy Nominees:

• Inception
• Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
• Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
• Kick-Ass
• Alice In Wonderland

- Winner – Alice In Wonderland

18:40 – Moving on now to the Best Horror Nominees:

• Let Me In
• A Nightmare On Elm Street
• The Last Exorcism
• Paranormal Activity 2
• The Crazies

- Winner: The Last Exorcism

18:35 – Flying through, on stage we have the award for best actress (nominees below), meanwhile in the press room Dexter Flethcer is posing with the cast of The Inbetweeners.

Best actress nominees:

• Natalie Portman
• Noomi Rapace
• Emma Watson
• Olivia Williams
• Helena Bonham Carter

- The Winner – Noomi Rapace

18:30 – Dermot O’Leary is on stage to present the award for Best Comedy. Nominees are:

• Four Lions
• Get Him To The Greek
• The Other Guys
• Easy A
• Toy Story 3

- The Winner – Four Lions

18:25 – The cast of The Inbetweeners are on stage to present the Best Newcomer Award.

Nominees:

• Gareth Edwards
• Chloe Moretz
• Jaden Smith
• Jennifer Lawrence
• Mia Wasikowska

- The winner – Chloe Moretz.