The stars of “The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power,” including Rob Aramayo (Elrond), Trystan Gravelle (Pharazôn), Megan Richards (Poppy Proudfellow), Sara Zwangobani (Marigold Brandyfoot), and Owain Arthur (Prince Durin IV) discuss their new addition to the “LOTR” world in this interview with CinemaBlend from San Diego Comic-Con 2022. They discuss how the original films inspired their show, the epic set design, fandom, and more!
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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]