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Empire of Lies
The arrival of the trailer for Empire of Lies signals a compelling shift for director Matthew Hope. Known for the gritty, tactical pacing of The Veteran and All the Devil’s Men, Hope appears to have traded the high-stakes battlefield for the claustrophobic confines of an interrogation room. This first look suggests a film that is less about external conflict and more about the corrosive nature of grief and institutional distrust.
Produced by Magus Films, the project marks a significant milestone as their debut UK theatrical and digital release, scheduled for 27th March.
The trailer introduces us to David "Dave" Harris, portrayed by the versatile Joseph Millson. Harris is a man living on the fringes, haunted by the unresolved murder of his daughter. What begins as a standard interview quickly descends into a psychological tug-of-war.
Millson, a veteran of high-octane productions like Casino Royale and The Last Kingdom, seems to be operating at a different frequency here.
Matthew Hope’s signature exploration of paranoia remains intact, but the aesthetic has evolved. The trailer leans into a "two-hander" structure, focusing heavily on the dialogue and the mounting tension between Harris and his interrogator. It is a more intimate, performance-led approach that prioritises psychological depth over traditional action beats.
By partnering with international sales agent Exit 44 Entertainment, Magus Films is clearly positioning this as a high-calibre independent feature with global appeal. If the trailer is any indication, Empire of Lies will be a somber, thought-provoking examination of where truth ends and self-deception begins.
Empire of Lies arrives in UK cinemas and on digital platforms on 27th March 2026.
Power Ballad
What has us incredibly excited about Power Ballad is the dynamic friction between its two leads. Paul Rudd seems perfectly cast as the rugged, everyday musician who just wanted a shot at the big time, acknowledging with a heavy heart that having his name on a song of that magnitude would have completely changed his life.
Dune: Part Three
Picking up roughly seventeen years after the seismic events of Part Two, the trailer immediately signals a shift in tone. While the first film was an act of world-building and the second a visceral war epic, Dune: Part Three—an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah—looks to be a far more claustrophobic and tense affair.
