00:00 So every person in that wheel then is very important.
00:04 They're a very important cog to it.
00:05 And it just wouldn't revolve without any one of those characters.
00:09 I just repeated myself.
00:11 But what about the characters though?
00:18 [Music]
00:30 Rob, I'll start with you.
00:31 I just want to know when you guys are approaching your own production,
00:34 whether you touch the Peter Jackson films at all just to set the tone or for preparation at all,
00:38 or do you really want to separate yourselves and do your own thing?
00:41 Well, you know, the Peter Jackson films were like a big part of my life.
00:45 Sure.
00:46 I used to watch them as a kid and, you know, Lord of the Rings in general was a huge part of my life.
00:51 And so when you go into it as an actor, it's like a different sort of perspective really.
00:55 And so I went to, you know, discovered all of this material that I didn't even know existed about the fair stage.
01:01 And so I just really dug into that like a historian, you know.
01:05 To that end, you can get swallowed up, you know, researching the lore that comes with this.
01:12 And so how much of that did you rely on just the script versus branching off of it and sort of digging into further materials?
01:21 I think everyone was different really.
01:23 You know, I mean, he is a law master, you know.
01:27 So part of the, you know, part of the research for the character I felt like was learning as much as I could.
01:33 And I think that was more necessary for some people and less necessary for others.
01:38 Yeah, very true.
01:39 Tristan, when a series has this many characters and potential subplots, it can be tough for an audience to keep it all straight.
01:46 And I'm just curious how this series is tackling that.
01:49 Are there different ways that the storylines are broken up, whether it be visually or just the way the characters are grouped?
01:55 Well, I think every character is integral to the telling of the story.
02:01 So it wouldn't be the same without any one character.
02:04 So it needs all those characters, you know.
02:06 There's so many worlds in it and stuff.
02:09 And a fantasy world anyway is a very heterogeneous place.
02:13 And this is just true to type.
02:15 So every person in that wheel then is very important.
02:20 They're a very important cog to it.
02:21 And it just wouldn't revolve without any one of those characters.
02:24 I just repeated myself.
02:26 [Laughter]
02:30 But what about the characters, though?
02:32 [Laughter]
02:34 Honestly, are they important for this?
02:37 Megan, what was the moment on set when the enormity of what you guys were doing finally hit you, when it finally felt real?
02:44 I think one of the moments that was most poignant to me was seeing one of our sets for the first time.
02:53 We worked on location a lot, and we were on this farm that had this huge forest.
02:58 And the set designers were incredible.
03:01 They built all of the Halfords' homes, which are these carts, and they're decorated so beautifully.
03:05 And they are camouflaged to the environment.
03:08 But when I first walked in, there's a scene that you'll see in the show, which is really beautiful.
03:15 And it had all of our background artists who had been working very closely with Lara, who was our movement director.
03:20 And they were creating the sequence, and they were rehearsing it for J.A., who was also there.
03:26 So they were doing a camera rehearsal to see how it fit in the space.
03:28 And that's when I first walked in and saw the set.
03:30 So I got to see the set as a live, literally a live art form.
03:36 And that was when I really was like, "I'm in Middle Earth here."
03:40 And it was just gorgeous.
03:43 People talk about going to New Zealand to take tours of the sets that exist and how immersive it is.
03:48 I can't imagine. Is that what the experience is like when you're on those sets there?
03:52 Do you just feel like you're part of another world?
03:54 Absolutely. It's really similar for me.
03:56 One of the first times I was on the set, and there were all the background people.
04:01 But there was also just everyone around and all working so hard to create this very real, moving, vibrant beast.
04:10 And I was standing there going, "This is incredible."
04:13 I've said before now that I felt like I was cosplaying.
04:16 I was just like entering the space and just being completely overtaken.
04:20 It was just extraordinary, really extraordinary.
04:22 New Zealand is beautiful.
04:24 I love that you mentioned cosplaying because we're here.
04:26 Have you guys had a chance to see any Rings cosplayers at all?
04:30 I am desperate to. I haven't yet. Is anyone else?
04:32 Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They're everywhere.
04:36 We haven't gone out. We've been here.
04:39 He's breaking free.
04:41 I might take these out.
04:43 He's dressed up like someone and went out of his way.
04:47 Yeah, I've seen quite a lot of elves.
04:50 But I've not actually seen a dwarf.
04:53 Okay.
04:54 We'll have to fix that by tomorrow.
04:56 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
04:58 Wayne, when Tolkien's works came out, it had a lot of parallels to World War II.
05:03 And so I'm curious how you think this show, this series, if it does at all, reflects and comments on our modern culture.
05:10 I think we can relate to the world that we live in now, certainly with Middle Earth.
05:19 Sure.
05:20 Being out in New Zealand felt like Middle Earth because it's an island in the middle of the ocean, you know, and certainly with Khazad-dûm.
05:29 I related Khazad-dûm to Wales, to where I'm from.
05:36 I grew up on the side of a mountain and slate quarries and coal mines as well.
05:44 So it's a big part of it. I'm looking at Tristan here because we're both from Wales.
05:50 So, yeah, so I can relate to Khazad-dûm quite fondly because of Wales.
06:02 Gotcha.
06:03 Yeah.
06:04 Gotcha. That makes sense.
06:05 This is for anyone.
06:06 The show comes with so much anticipation that the internet is flooded with theories.
06:11 So how much have you guys allowed yourself to maybe dip some toes into what people are speculating before the show even drops?
06:18 Do you know what's wonderful about it is that no two imaginations are the same, like fingerprints.
06:24 So, you know, you've got to allow people to have their imaginations run wild.
06:29 Of course.
06:30 And then when they come and see the show, it'll be similar in some respects and then different in others.
06:36 But then it's consigned to memory.
06:38 So all they've got then is the memory, unless they can watch it again, of course.
06:42 If they can do, they can go back and it'll be all in memory and there'll be like a sort of a mesh, I guess,
06:47 like a marriage of these two imaginings of this world.
06:51 And that's a lovely thing just to sit down and mull over.
06:54 Yeah, that'll be wonderful.
06:55 That's very true.
06:57 I heard recently that you guys all got together as a cast and watched the first three episodes.
07:02 Were you guys able to participate in that?
07:04 What was it like? What was it like seeing it come to life?
07:07 There was a lot of shouting.
07:09 There was a lot of shouting.
07:10 A lot of emotions.
07:11 Yeah, often with someone cheering.
07:13 Because also we would see, because we were obviously so immersed in our own worlds,
07:17 occasionally we would get to see other worlds, but not often because we were working very hard.
07:21 And so, and we spent so long together and know each other really, really well.
07:26 And to then see all the hard work that we've been doing up on the screen was just, I mean,
07:31 we would see people and we'd be like, oh my God, you know, like all that stuff.
07:34 And then equally a minute later would be in absolute tears as a character,
07:37 something happened to a character.
07:39 So it was an odd experience of being, oh my God, is that what?
07:46 We were so excited.
07:48 I very quickly, sorry, Owen.
07:50 I was just going to say, it's a roller coaster.
07:52 Yeah.
07:53 I very quickly forgot that I was watching my friends, you know, which I think was, you know,
07:59 I'm obviously very, very quickly, I was just invested in the other world that I was watching.
08:07 Yes.
08:08 Best compliment.
08:09 Yes.
08:10 I'll get you out of here on this.
08:12 How do you all feel about the binge model versus, you know,
08:17 being everybody on the same page with each episode dropping?
08:20 I personally prefer when everybody's in the same point in the conversation,
08:24 because it's so hard when you get to a full season drops.
08:28 The first question you have to ask is like, where are you in the show?
08:30 What have you watched?
08:31 I agree.
08:32 You guys feel that way as well?
08:33 Absolutely.
08:34 I think it's brilliant how they're doing it.
08:36 I think it needs a week to kind of absorb it.
08:38 Yes.
08:39 I'm ready to go back on it.
08:40 There's so much information within each episode that, yeah, you do need to absorb.
08:45 And so much richness.
08:46 And it offers people an opportunity to then, you know, half a year a week go,
08:50 I actually need to maybe rewatch that again and absorb it and then be ready for the next episode.
08:55 And also to sort of maintain that, hopefully, excitement.
08:58 And anticipation.
08:59 Like how wonderful to see something and go, oh my gosh,
09:01 and have theories with your friends and chatting and all that.
09:04 And then you all get to sit down and watch it the next week.
09:06 I think it's great.
09:07 I'm so happy to have you guys come through.
09:09 Thank you very much.
09:10 Thank you.
09:11 It's lovely to be here.
09:12 Thank you so much.
09:13 [Music]
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