Empire magazine have announced their programme for their first Empire Live event, which will take place at the he O2 in London from 23 to 25 September, 2016.
20 years after Renton, Sick Boy and company first crashed into cinemas, Film4’s Trainspotting will be re-cast for a unique live performance, with an exciting group of leading talent and rising stars set to take on the iconic roles in a special one-off live script- read.
Producer of T2 Andrew Macdonald commented, “We’ve just wrapped on T2 — and what a fun way to remember the original before audiences can see the sequel.”
My Scientology Movie
Louis Theroux’s long-awaited My Scientology Movie is also confirmed to be screened at the event. A decade in the making, Theroux’s documentary provides the inside track on the Church of Scientology, set up by struggling science-fiction writer L Ron Hubbard, who famously said, “If you want to get rich, you start a religion,” and then went ahead and did just that.
There will also be a screening of Sundance favourite The Greasy Stranger (which is awesome by the way) followed by a Q&A with debut director Jim Hosking, as he lifts the lid on the creative process that saw him conceive one of 2016’s most unforgettable characters: a homicidal father who lathers himself in fat before engaging in brutal killing sprees.
The Greasy Strangler
Empire Live will also include a Family Entertainment programme — a double bill of The Gruffalo and Stick Man. Based on the much-loved picture books written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, both these magical animations have an all-star cast and will be guaranteed to keep both little ones and their parents entertained throughout.
The event will also see the magazine come to life with a series of panels and on-stage interviews, in addition to live recreations of popular in-magazine segments My Movie Mastermind and How Much Is A Pint Of Milk?. The Empire Hub will play host to a just-announced Women In Film symposium and will welcome award-winning screenwriters to the stage to discuss their craft. Fans will also have the chance to pit their wits against Associate Editor Chris Hewitt in his infamously tricky film quizzes; tune in to a live special recording of the Empire Film Podcast; take part in family workshops; and enjoy evenings filled with music, drinks, themed parties and — for all you Big Lebowski enthusiasts — a spot of bowling at the Brooklyn Bowl.
Empire Live will also host a screening of The Raid (featuring a live commentary from director Gareth Evans), Everybody Wants Some!!, The Martian (Extended Edition), War On Everyone, Stand By Me, Labyrinth, and a trio of hits from the vaults of THE CRITERION COLLECTION in the form of Easy Rider, Dr. Strangelove and Don’t Look Back.
Sounds like an awesome weekend. Ticket info here.
