Apocalypse Then
Empire|May 2017

Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac pair up for a hard-hitting epic.

Martyn Palmer
Apocalypse Then

THE PROMISE, A love story set against the backdrop of the Armenian genocide, was always likely to ruffle feathers — and so it’s proved. When Empire met director Terry George on set in Spain, he was expecting hostility from the Turkish government. As he points out, they have form.

Back in the 1930s, MGM scrapped plans to adapt The Forty Days Of Musa Dagh, a bestseller by Franz Werfel about the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915, after threats from Turkey. Even Rocky took one on the chin trying to make a movie about it — Sylvester Stallone was interested in directing the novel, but dropped out after pressure by a genocide-denying group.

This story is from the May 2017 edition of Empire.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 2017 edition of Empire.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM EMPIREView All
Jungle Boogie
Empire

Jungle Boogie

They Could Have Shot Their Monster Movie in a Green Screen Chamber. Instead,the Makers of Kong:skull Island Journeyed Into Some of Earth’s Most Far-flung Corners. And Empire Tagged Along, Every Glorious, Snake-infested Step of the Way.

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 2017
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Empire

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The Franchise’s First Stand-alone Instalment, Sends a Squad on an Impossible Mission, and Is Star Wars’ Biggest Change-up Yet.

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 2017
To The Max
Empire

To The Max

The Future of Hollywood? Or a Brat Who’s Lucked Out? Prolific, Hyperactive Wunderkind Screenwriter Max Landis Welcomes Us Into His World.

time-read
10 mins  |
January 2017
Adapt Or Die
Empire

Adapt Or Die

Michael Fassbender and Justin Kurzel, the Duo Behind Assassin's Creed, Think They've Finally Found the Secret to a Great Video-game Adaptation: Treat It Like Shakespeare.

time-read
9 mins  |
January 2017
Choosing Life
Empire

Choosing Life

The years drifted by. The players drifted apart. But despite all the odds, Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie are finally back in T2 Trainspotting, a sequel with a surprising link to The Likely Lads.

time-read
10+ mins  |
February 2017
The Seven Year Switch
Empire

The Seven Year Switch

After a long break, comic actor Adam Sandler gets serious again in The Meyerowitz Stories 

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2017
The Rite Stuff
Empire

The Rite Stuff

The makers of The Ritual’s five steps to creating a British Blair Witch Project

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2017
Alpha Female
Empire

Alpha Female

Her race to the big screen has lasted an astonishing 75 years. But the indomitable WONDER WOMAN's journey is almost at an end.

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 2017
The Vault
Empire

The Vault

The Vault

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2017
The Jedi Returns
Empire

The Jedi Returns

Once the Golden Boy of the Rebellion, Luke Skywalker Is Now a Hermit on a Far-far-away Planet. Can Plucky Padawan Rey Persuade Him to Return to the Fray? Director Rian Johnson and Star Mark Hamill Set the Scene for Star Wars: The Last Jedi 

time-read
10+ mins  |
October 2017