Empire editor-in-chief Mark Dinning is to leave the film magazine after eight years.
Dinning, who has been the 25-year-old magazine’s longest serving editor, is going to edit Time Out Dubai.
Dinning took up his position in autumn 2006, joining from Total Film, where he was editor. He first joined Empire in 1999 as a staff writer before leaving in 2003 to help launch Zoo.
When Dinning joined the title, it had an average circulation (for the second half of 2006) of 175,854. The monthly magazine's circulation peaked under Dinning at more than 194,000 in 2009, and in the second half of 2013 stood at 145,117, according to ABC.
Bauer Media listed his biggest achievements at the title as having recruited Steven Spielberg as guest editor for its 20th birthday edition, inviting 32 directors across the world to put together its 300th issue and signing up JJ Abrams for a special edition before he was announced four months later as director of the new Star Wars film.
"I started reading Empire when I was 14 years old, and it has been, without exaggeration, my dream come true to edit it. I would like to thank everyone on its incredible team, Bauer Media and everyone in the industry who has contributed to its huge success,” Dinning said.
“Editing Empire has genuinely been both an honour and a privilege. I am very sad to leave but after eight years I felt it was time to hand over the reins to a new editor and to embark on a new personal challenge. I am very much looking forward to editing Time Out Dubai which is an amazing opportunity in an amazing part of the world."
Bauer Media is now seeking a new editor-in-chief for the magazine. While a successor is being appointed, executive editor Ian Nathan will be acting editor, working alongside assistant editor Ian Freer.
Abby Carvosso, group managing director of Bauer Media, said: “We will miss Mark’s tremendous energy, vigour and editorial brilliance which has been the driving force behind Empire becoming the biggest movie magazine brand in the world. Mark leaves with our very best wishes for the future. Now we’re looking forward to appointing a new editor to take Empire to the next level and into an exciting future.”
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
