Sam Mendes Guest Edits Bespoke Bond Collector’s Issue of Empire

The November issue of Bauer Media’s Empire magazine is guest edited by British film director Sam Mendes.

Sam, director of the eagerly anticipated new Bond release Spectre, stepped up to the editor’s chair to oversee a bespoke edition of the world’s biggest movie magazine.

The November Collector‘s Issue of Empire, on sale on Thursday, September 24, features 38 pages of globe-spanning Spectre exclusives as well as Mendes‘ personal on-set pictures and contributions from Daniel Craig and Christopher Waltz, as well as a host of Mendes’ director friends including Steven Spielberg, David Fincher and Sophia Coppola.

Sam Mendes commented: “Working with Empire on this special edition of their splendid magazine has been a really enjoyable two-way process. We welcomed the team behind the closed doors of the 007 set, and revealed the odd secret or two; and they in turn have accompanied the Spectre team on our journey around the globe.“

He added: “It’s been said before that Bond belongs to everyone… So what better way to encounter the first sighting of many of these stories, people and images than in a magazine for true movie fans, written by true movie fans?“

Empire’s Executive Editor Ian Nathan, who commissioned the issue, commented: “Having Sam at the helm our Bond issue has been a very special experience. Not only has he redefined how any magazine has ever covered a Bond movie — in-depth doesn’t begin to cover our Spectre features — but he has contributed to every section of the magazine, fascinated by what we do and challenging us to do it ever better. We have come to think of him as our M.“

Previous guest editors have included Lord of the Rings Director Peter Jackson who took the reins in November 2014 to celebrate the culmination of his Hobbit trilogy and Steven Spielberg, a long-standing fan of the magazine, who took a hands-on role in commissioning the magazine’s 20th anniversary issue in 2009.

About Empire:

Empire (m) – 144,653 (print + digital)

Empire dominates the film market and outselling its nearest competitor by over two to one (against Total Film JD14 release). 2015 has seen the introduction of a new vision for the brand expanding its breath of content to cover every cinematic form from movies and TV to streaming and mobile. Connecting with 3 million fans across its multiple touchpoints, Empire continues to deliver compelling entertainment content and unique creative cover treatments with world-first reveals for films such as Spectre, Jurassic World and Terminator: Genysis.

About Bauer Media:

Bauer Media UK reaches over 22 million UK consumers through a portfolio of world-class, multi-platform media and entertainment brands including heat, Kiss, Grazia, Empire, Magic and Absolute Radio. It creates and curates entertaining media content that audiences love whenever, wherever and however they want through a multi-channel strategy and a focus on product excellence and audience insight. The result is an exciting array of influential brands, content and talent which provide compelling and engaging advertising opportunities with valuable audiences for UK commercial partners. Bauer Media UK is part of the Bauer Media Group, one of the world’s largest privately owned media businesses with media assets all over the globe.

For more information please contact:

Jess Blake

Communications Director, Bauer Media (London Lifestyle Magazines)

Tel: 0207 208 3424 jess.blake@bauermedia.co.uk