Ben Barnes and his luxurious coats of fabric are ready to dazzle you Shadow and leg, which premieres this Friday on Netflix.
The series, adapted from Leigh Bardugo’s best-selling fantasy trilogy, follows Alina (Jesse Mei Li), an orphaned teenager whose life is revived when she shows the ability to summon light. Her newly discovered gift puts her on the path of General Kirigan (Barnes), a powerful man who was looking for someone of her talents.
As the charming leader of the Grisha – a secular group that practices Small Science, also known as witchcraft – Kirigan possesses the ability to evoke and manipulate darkness. Alina’s solar power compliments his own and is the key to his mysterious plans for the fold: a dangerous piece of land shrouded in impenetrable darkness, which also connects the Ravkan capital with its port cities on the west coast.
In the books, Kirigan is mostly known as the Darkling. But in the Netflix series, he works under the name Kirigan for reasons that will become clear once you immerse yourself in eight episodes the first season. Despite the name change, Barnes says his view of the recognizable character is not relatively different from his counterpart.
“I would outwardly feel him feel on the page,” Barnes told TVLine. ‘When we filmed the first day [with the Grisha army in the Fold]”I called Leigh Bardugo that evening and said, ‘I feel like I’ve stepped off the pages of the story.’ ‘While Barnes appeared in literary adaptations such as The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Dorian Gray in the past, “I’ve never felt so visceral before.”
Kirigan uses his charm and authority to get closer to Alina, whom he takes under his wing, to help hone her newfound skills. As the story unfolds, viewers will learn more about Kirrigan’s motives behind the extreme actions he takes for what he considers to be the protection of the Grisha, who was once persecuted and now lives like royalty in a grand palace with the Ravkan-king.
“He does not believe that his methods are unjustified in light of his plight,” Barnes explains. ‘I think it’s very difficult to approve of many of his behavior according to modern standards, but it raises interesting questions as to whether we forgive people more if we understand the reason. Forgive our people more than we believe [he has] humanity and we believe it [he has] a kind of nobility of agenda to protect its people? Or does he have the potential to change and love someone again? ”
The series by showrunner and author Eric Heisserer (Bird box, Arrival) combine elements from Six crows, a companion of the book trilogy, which focuses on a group of thieves, or the Crows, in the city of Ketterdam. The ragtag crew consists of Kaz (Freddy Carter, Pennyworth), a rising star among the Crows who is willing to do anything for the right price; Inej, or the Wraith (Amita Suman, The outpost), a capable spy who can get around without anyone noticing; and Jesper (Kit Young, Try), a lovely sharpshooter with a gambling problem joining the crew to pay off his many debts. The trio of anti-heroes provide much-needed comic relief, as well as several action-packed sequences as they wander through the fold.
Young, who plays Jesper, reveals that it is intimidating to step into a complex fantasy world with a dedicated international fanbase. He says he felt a nervous energy when he filmed one of his first scenes. ‘I was holding these cards and this coin, and both my hands were just shaking. I do not know if it was the pressure of [it being] the first time I really have to be this guy or just know it means a lot to people, ‘Young recalls.
‘The part of the story that Kit leaves out,’ Carter adds, ‘is that he had to kick himself back in a chair that day, running the risk of hitting his head, a coin 10 feet in the air to turn and fire a gun within about two seconds. He had a lot going on. ”
Suman also admits that he was fully aware of Shadow and leg‘s great popularity when she signed up for the project. Before stepping into the set, she makes sure she reads the books and undergoes training – she only completed a stunt training course in drama school – to capture Inej’s fast and acrobatic fighting style on screen.
‘I did not really go to the gym. I was not active, I was not fit, and when I finished reading the books, I knew I had to do a lot of work, ”says Suman. “I said to myself, ‘I can not respect this character if I do not practice and feel what Inej feels like when she does all her spying and fighting scenes. ”
While Inej is known for carrying a set of small knives, Kaz’s brand is an ornate cane with a gold tip that he proudly displays during the series. The beautifully crafted object serves as a walking aid and as a handy fighting weapon for Bardugo, who has been diagnosed with osteonecrosis and sometimes uses a cane to get around.
‘I had many conversations with [Bardugo] about how she wanted to see someone who walked with a cane but was not a villain, ‘says Carter. ‘Kaz is an antihero and he does morally dubious things, but he’s definitely not a villain. I think it was really important for Leigh [Bardugo], and then for me, to make it something he was just very proud of and loved himself and never stopped him from doing something. ”
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