- I think the writing this year is incredibly strong.
I think Stephen Butchard's on fire this year
with his writing team
and there's a gorgeous through line
throughout the whole of the 10 eps this year,
whereas season two split quite clearly
into two separate stories.
What makes this year very exciting is
it's one continuous narrative and every decision
that any character makes completely affects
the world of every other character in it.
It's a very dangerous place to be in season three.
(indistinct)
- Yeah, I think the scale is just much bigger
and everybody's at the peak
of what they really, really want throughout the story.
So it's like an amalgamation
of season one and two put together
but everybody's fiercely trying to get what they want,
whether it's a kingdom or winning a battle or, you know,
avenging somebody or whatever, everybody's at their best.
So it's very scary. - I think it's
got like the right mix
of battles and war and these epic fight scenes
along with these very intimate scenes between two characters
or whether it's more about the intellectual battle
that's going on and how they go about fighting
within these, with it, fighting with words.
- I think also we, we knew from reading the episodes
that it was going to be a really epic season,
but even when we all watched the first episode,
everyone was just like, "Phew. Whoa."
Because when you when you see it, I mean,
it's a huge, it's a huge kind of surprise for us
to see how it all comes out
because you don't really know when you're filming.
And so yeah, we were super excited when we watched it.
I don't think we could have ever imagined
how that opening would be.
Everyone was really, really excited.
- I mean, even in the description in the script
of people hanging and being burned alive,
the imagery that was written on the page,
I was just thinking, "How are they going to do this?"
And then watched it and was just like,
yeah, that's how you do it.
It was awesome.
- There's something quite special.
We've had the same DOP and same crew generally
for all three, because the same cast.
So we all care about it enormous amounts.
And to think the DOP was determined that if, you know,
when there was green lit to go again
that you need to make it bigger and better than ever.
I think they've achieved that.
- In some ways Netflix gives you a bit more freedom
to maybe go to that stream
of the more violent sides of the show and things like that.
But I think it's just the fact
that the scripts are just so epic
that we almost had to go to those lengths,
so it does look more cinematic and epic in those ways,
because it just matches the scripts and the stories.
- It's amazing. - We love it there.
It's such a, we were just saying earlier,
it's, like, amazing place,
but also the fact that the landscapes are similar
to England's landscapes,
but there's a lot more space to play with
and there's....
We're really lucky to film out there, actually.
It's a really amazing place,
especially there in the summer as well.
It's so great in the summer.
(actors laugh)
- It feels like a real ensemble show
in that every single member
of the maybe 20-odd principal cast
all get fully fleshed out, rounded objectives
and get time to breathe.
Now we have 10 eps, slightly longer feat
for an audience to get to know these people more,
and to care about them.
- I mean, my character is new to the series,
so I, I had nothing to base that on.
But when you kind of go about
getting information on your character,
it comes a lot from looking at the text
and seeing what they say or what other people say about them
or what's going on in the environment that they're in.
And then the director can kind of nuance certain hits
that you're, certain points that you're hitting in a scene
or more emotion.
We had a fantastic director who was so good
at kind of getting you to renew every time.
He'd say, "Renew before you do the scene again."
So you're not getting kind of bogged down
in just doing the same scene over and over,
but to kind of find the, uh -
- New life.
- The freshness, yeah, the new life in it.
- I think what makes the show special to be in is that
we've all been together, working together,
the majority of us for years now,
and that kind of friendship on set and away from set,
means you're in an environment that's incredibly -
- Safe.
And when you're working in an environment
that feels incredibly safe and surrounded by support,
you feel more fearless to take risks,
and you can fall on your face
'cause no one's going to laugh at you
and be brave in your decisions with your character.
And that's a real luxury
of being in something that's run for now three seasons.
- Yeah.
And also, I think, being able to play antagonistic scenes
with people that you are so close to,
I think it's easier in a way.
You've got more of a,
you've got more of a dialogue with that person
on and off set, and you can play with it a lot.
And I think it helps.
And it's fun as well, acting with your mate,
and having to have a load of arguments with them
or to fight against them on a battlefield.
It's really fun.
- [Interviewer] Are there any outtakes?
- Yeah.
- They made us a blooper reel at the end.
- Oh, that was amazing. - At the wrap party.
- Yeah. - Is that ever going to -
- People falling off horses. - I hope so, maybe a DVD.
- Unloveably brilliant.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- Really fun.
- You have a good one.
- Oh, falling flat on my face?
Yeah.
It was a bit where I was like running down,
leading a charge,
and I didn't even trip
over anything. - You just fell
over your feet!
- I just started running too fast and just fell over,
and Harry filmed it from the, on the monitor,
and put it on the WhatsApp group.
And it's, it's -
- It was very good.
It's all good stuff.
(actors laugh)
- There's an awful lot of respect for the cameramen
because they really wanted to get
right stuck in to the battle,
surrounded by passing horses,
and, you know, fighting stuntmen,
because they really wanted to show how terrifying battle is
and how, the horrors of it.
And I think that's what I love about "The Last Kingdom."
It's quite an ugly show.
It's not glamorizing the awful things
these people are going through.
Very brave cameramen.
- Yeah.
Last season on Episode Six, was it?
There was an amazing scene where Thyra is screaming,
"Death is coming, death is coming,"
and it was a continuous shot, like a few minutes.
And one of our cameramen leaped in
underneath the horse at one point,
just to get the shot perfectly.
I mean, that's just incredible,
but it just makes for such good television.
- It's an art isn't it?
They're, like, an amazing team of stunt guys,
and everything's choreographed to like an inch of its life.
So they're a really safe group to work with
and you, you always feel really safe in their hands as well.
So all of those epic battle scenes, even,
they look so like gritty and real,
but they're all choreographed by these amazing stunt people.
So we all feel quite safe doing them.
- And I think you see that come into play more this season.
You see lots of character development, don't you,
with everyone this season?
Probably the most that we've had.
- If I look at it, it's kind of two parallel stories.
It's Uhtred's journey to find out who he is
and to reclaim his birthright.
And then there's the wider story of the creation of England.
So I think even though there may be quite a large cast,
both are trying to follow these narratives
quite, you know, very clearly.
Yes.
- All 10 episodes, yeah.
Which is really exciting because I think
the fans have waited and it's brilliant for them all
to get it at once and to follow that story
and binge it, yeah.
In this day and age, it's the best.
- [Interviewer] Regard to new audiences (indistinct)?
- Yeah, that would be incredible.
- Yeah, I think so.
- I think being a Netflix original
will really help with that, I think.
- And the fact that one and two are already on there.
- Yeah.
- Go right back and watch it all.
- Exactly.
And it's accessible worldwide as well.
So we'll reach a bigger fan base, which is great.
- 25 eps, it's about 24 hours of -
- Content, yeah. - Drama to watch.
- Yeah, it's awesome.
And there's some strong women. - And the new character
of Skade coming in this season.
That's like, I think the audiences will love that.
She's our first, she, yeah,
she's just this amazing, amazing baddie
that's kind of got control over -
- All of these big, like, Danelords and stuff.
- And that's, that's -
- That's really brilliant. - Very cool.
- Yeah, she's very fierce
and she doesn't take anything from anyone
and she's just fantastic,
the way she can just manipulate
all these big alpha male characters.
It's really cool to see.
- I think there are a lot of messages and themes
that are so universal and stand the test of time.
Just family, friendships, identity.
- Religion's quite a big theme.
- Religion.
And politically, I mean, we have seen that
the countries are made up of people from all over the world.
And this just shows that, you know, to kind of -
- It's always been that way.
- It's always been that way. - Yeah.
- And to try to think any other ways is crazy,
because what, what really is English?
What really is -
- Yeah.
- Made of all kinds of cultures
and nationalities put together, which is fantastic.
- The Anglo-Saxons, they're all Germanic tribes,
none of which are from England, you know, "England."
Yeah, it's incredibly multicultural.
And it's the richer for it.
All these different cultures.
We are who we are now
because of everyone who came before us.
[Interviewer] And how's your Comic-Con experience?
- Oh, I love it here. - Fun.
Yeah, I love all - - It's mad.
- The amazing characters, the way people dress up.
I mean, they think about it for months, if not years,
what their costumes going to be.
- I just got distracted earlier.
I was pointing to Tim,
just a young boy with a Superman outfit,
just with it flapping in the wind.
And he was just there, just going, "Ah!" by himself.
- "Life cannot get better that this!"
- Just by himself.
So, sorry for that.
You'll just seen me halfway through this, just going -
(actors laugh)
- [Interviewer] And how was the panel?
- Oh, that's so exciting.
To see all those people
who come to support us was fantastic.
- [Interviewer] Was that the first panel you've done?
- Pretty much - You did one, didn't you,
to hear someone in -
- Yes. - Was that in America?
- Oh, yeah, we did in, like -
- Oh, yes. - Yeah.
- But this has been really special.
We were saying, we were really moved.
One man, he was a dad, stood up and said, "Thank you."
His daughters watched the show.
And it means a lot to have, you know,
strong inspirational women in this.
'Cause you asked me for what, you know,
what have we learned about our history?
And like one of my favorite things is learning all
about Aethelflaed which is, I don't think,
we know a little about Alfred and Edward and Aelswith,
but you know, without Aethelflaed,
there would be no England.
And she's this incredible female leader
that we know nothing about.
I'm glad this show shines a light on a true female leader.
- [Narrator] Ladies and gentlemen, you're watching
"Hey, U Guys!"
- Hey U Guys, huh?
- Hey U Guys, yeah.
Is that from "The Goonies"?
- It is indeed, yeah.
- Nice.
- Hey U Guys!