There’s a major feature on Merlin series five in the latest issue of SFX – #227, on sale Wednesday 19 September – featuring interviews with all the main cast (and newcomer Alexander Vlahos as Mordred). To whet your appetite, here’s an extract from the section with Colin Morgan (Merlin) and Bradley James (Arthur):
How have things changed for Merlin and Arthur since series four?
Colin Morgan: “Things are serious. There’s stuff happening up North in the frozen lands. The big thing is there’s a three-year gap, so immediately you see Camelot in a different state, one that [Arthur’s] wanting it to be, and Merlin finds his place in that as well. There’s definitely a maturing in general of the whole series, but the banter’s still there between the two characters because that’s who they’ll always be, even though their situations are a lot more serious.”
Bradley James: “I can’t better that at all! The one point to pick up on purely from my character’s point of view is we’ve got a lot closer to the Camelot Arthur’s been trying to achieve, and having got there it’s now under threat. You put it so well, I really can’t… tough act to follow.”
Have you shot in any memorable locations?
Bradley James: “On the hottest day of the year we shot in what was supposed to be a frozen landscape. It was roasting. We were sweating. And they were like, ‘Could you shiver more?’ ‘No. We can sweat more.’”
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Colin Morgan: “We were getting snow blindness as well because it was essentially just a big reflector up in your face all day, but I think that stuff’s gonna look awesome.”
Dave is a TV and film journalist who specializes in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He's written books about film posters and post-apocalypses, alongside writing for SFX Magazine for many years.
