Happy Sad Confused - Henry Cavill (2020)

Episode Date: July 6, 2023

In this flashback episode from 2020, Henry Cavill gets his geek on, talking everything from LORD OF THE RINGS and THE WITCHER to Superman. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS  RocketMoney -- Go to RocketMoney.com/HSC To watch episodes of Happy Sad Confused, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh's youtube channel here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Happy Sad Confused patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes of GAME NIGHT, video versions of the podcast, and more!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Fear, I have to make them afraid. He's got a motorcycle. Get after him or have you shot? What do you mean blow up the building? From this moment on, none of you are safe. New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts. I actually have enjoyed everything I've done,

even if it hasn't necessarily gone my way or it hasn't been something that I've enjoyed enormously doing, actually there's been stuff which I've taken out of it, which I can be thankful for because of who I am today. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins now. Today on Happy, Sad, Confused, I'm Josh Horowitz, and it's a happy, sad, confused flashback episode with Henry

Cavill. Hey, guys, as I said, I'm Josh Harowitz, and welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Well, with The Witcher coming back for the final season with our beloved Henry Cavill, I thought I would dig up an oldie but a goody. This is a 2020 conversation with the one and only Mr. Henry Cavill. It's a great chat that was done during the pandemic, during those crazy times. But it was one of our better geek out sessions, I will say, that we've ever had. We talked a lot about Inola Holmes at the time, a lot about The Witcher, about Justice League

at the time, Zach Snyder, and a lot about Lord of the Rings. This was his comfort movie choice. So it was a real fun opportunity to geek out on what makes Henry Cavill tick, and we know he's a born-and-bred geek, like myself, like many of you. So I know you guys are going to enjoy this vintage episode of Happy, Sad, Confused. Before we get into that, I want to remind you, folks, remember to like, subscribe, spread the good word, That's how this podcast grows and grows and grows, and I thank you in advance for that. Hit that like and subscribe button and join the fun of Happy, Sad, Confused.

As I said, a lot's transpired for Henry in the last few years. Look, the ups and downs of Witcher and Superman and all of it, but I have the utmost confidence. This man is going to rise and rise and rise. He's one of the most, how do I describe Henry? He is most courteous, kindest, conscientious, just a gentleman through and through, and it is all in the he-man body that he has cultivated. And yet inside, like I said, he has that inner geek soul that we can talk about video games

and The Rings and superheroes, and he just lives and reads that stuff. So he's one of my favorites. I know he's many of your favorites as well. So if you've never checked out this conversation, I think you're really going to dig it. There's no video on this if you're watching on YouTube. We didn't record video at the time. So you're going to be able to watch it as it were, but you're going to be able really listening to the conversation. And obviously, if you're listening to this podcast, conjure up the images of the beautiful Henry Cavill in your mind, and that will do all the work for you. Okay,

without any further ado, let me toss back to myself, September of 2020, me and the one and only Henry Cavill. It's good to see you, buddy. How you doing? It's good to see you, too. I am very well. Very well, thanks. It's been a long time. It's been a long time. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages, and we've known each other for so long, and now is only the first time I'm in your house. What's going on with that? Well, I was going to say, welcome to my apartment in New York.

Yeah. This is as close as I wanted you into the apartment. I don't trust you quite yet. We've known each other a while, Henry, but I don't know if we're in the stage to welcome physically into each other's homes. what do you think frankly I'm I'm wounded don't be um it has been a while you've been there for some of the formative moments of my life when I can't come into your apartment what I take it back I take it back you are always welcome my friend um but I was going to say I mean yeah I was doing the math when I knew I was going to chat with you today we're about to celebrate our 10 year anniversary Henry oh my goodness insanity we we need to um we need to get some kind of cake going some champagne or something Yeah.

I feel like I'm going to be the one that eats all the cake and you're just going to stare at me. You'd be surprised. You'd be surprised. I will stare at you if you eat all the cakes because I'll be pissed off because I will eat all the cake first. In fact, we can have two cakes. What kind of cake do you? What kind of cake don't I like? I'm a frosting guy.

I'll do red velvet, yeah. I can do that. What's your cake of choice? I like red velvet and anything salted caramel really. So even like a salted caramel or cheesecake, like, I'm into that. I'm glad that they prepped you to know that this was a 40-minute conversation about our favorite cakes. So this is just the beginning. Yeah, I mean, I've got I've got cake stories.

I know that about you. But in relative seriousness, even in these crazy times, I'm excited that I have the opportunity to catch up with you. I've always enjoyed chatting with you over the years. And congratulations on the new films. This is a delight. Anola Holmes is a super sweet and fun movie. but I am curious like looking back like because we have had a bit of a history 10 years ago if I talked to you on the and that was right when you were cast as Superman this was a

momentous momentous moment in your career what do you think about the 10 years that have transpired career wise like at that time did you set goals for yourself you knew Superman was going to be a hell of an opportunity and I'm sure as an actor you wanted to make the most of that specific opportunity but also what that would lead to let's analyze for a second the last 10 years. What do you think? I mean, I didn't set goals myself and I'm glad I didn't because, I mean, under normal circumstances, I would say it's always good to set goals. But I'm glad I didn't because there have been all sorts of curveballs and weird U-turns and lefts and right where I weren't expecting them, zigged when I should have zagged and everyone else zagged when they should

zigged and it just it's been full of surprises it's been full of full of uh things changing which i wasn't expecting and i certainly wouldn't have expected 10 years ago when we were first having those conversations and i'm i'm happy obviously there are some things which i wish would have happened differently over the past 10 years but i'm really happy they have happened that way because lockdown taught me a lot let's put it that way lockdown taught me a lot about appreciation of everything that we have. Life is surprisingly short sometimes and it's all about taking everything for what it's worth, which is if you can't take a positive out of it, then you shouldn't be doing it. And I actually have enjoyed everything I've done,

even if it hasn't necessarily gone my way or it hasn't been something that I've enjoyed enormously doing, actually, there's been stuff which I've taken out of it, which I can be thankful for because of who I am today. And it's led to things like this. It's led to things like The Witcher. It's led to things like having the opportunity to work with Millie Bobby Brown and Harry Bradbury. And so actually, the past 10 years, despite having their ups and downs and ebbs and flows, and not necessarily having gone the way which I wanted it to go in some scenarios, I'm very, very thankful for and very happy for. Well, and I'm sure there's a recognition, and you probably knew it back then, but you know it more so now than ever, that there's only so much you can

control as an actor in this business. You can control what you deliver and what you deliver each day on set and give it 110 percent. And there's just a myriad of other factors involved. And yeah, if you don't take something out of every experience good or bad, what are you in this for? And I know that's partially why I find it admirable, for instance, like the Witcher you went after. Like, you know, I don't think of like an actor like you who's like accomplished a lot as someone that's chasing roles, but you were still like, no, that's, that's worth like putting myself on tape for doing whatever I have to do because I know that's something that I will be passionate about and I can, I can, that can bring me to another level. Absolutely. And it's not

even about the other level. It's about it's about doing the thing you want to do. And again, referencing lockdown, thinking about things I want to do in the future. And I, I, I, I, I love fantasy and sci-fi. Those are the books I read. And so it's the kind of stuff which I want to do and it's made me be a lot more proactive and start chasing after stuff and saying, well, hey, you know what?

Don't wait for someone else to make the movie. Go after it yourself. See what you can do. And start putting a team together. Like, really work on that. And I'm excited because now, you know, it's a passion pursuit. Because some things are out of my control,

absolutely out of my control. It's all about patience with some things and it's all about proactive action with with others and so and so yeah lockdowns taught me a lot and uh i'm i'm looking forward to doing things that i love doing every day you know so i i definitely want to hit upon um bill of the fantasy where as you know we're we're talking about comfort movies and part on the podcast lately but i do want to ask a couple a couple things about this new movie of yours because honestly, I really dug it. I know Lo Holmes, as I said, a sweet sort of different take on some familiar characters.

You're no stranger to iconic roles. Clearly, you don't shy away from these challenges. Sherlock presents some interesting challenges in and of itself, though. I mean, not only is he as one of the most recognizable characters in the history of literature, but we have some very good recent examples of takes on Sherlock. We don't have to go that far back to see some really cool, interesting takes. So what makes this worth doing? Is it the fact that it is a bit of a different take

on the character than what Benedict's done, what Downey's done? I don't know if it was the different take on the character that necessarily drew me to it. It was the story itself. It was the messaging in the story. It was the way that Sherlock is utilized in this story to affect the new generation.

generation via Anola Holmes. And I loved that. I loved it. I'm not going to try and compare myself to these fantastic performances of Sherlock Holmes that have come before. And I think if you did, then it would drive you crazy because it has been done in so many different ways and marvelously so. And so for me, it was it was just looking at it and feeling something when I read the script and going, yeah, this feels really good. And I love what it's trying to tell people. I love what it's saying. And then, obviously, Milly Bobby Brown and Harry Bradbeer,

you think it's, it makes it an easy yes. It makes it, it makes it, you know, a no-brainer. This character is, you know, famously maybe the most intelligent man on the face of the earth. You've played, you know,

our most iconic, virtualistic, you know, superhero on the planet. Do you ever just want to play like a dumb, stupid guy that has no good attributes? Because you're setting yourself up for failure, my friend.

You meet somebody. And they're like, you can't possibly compare with all due respect. You're a great guy, but you can't be Sherlock. You can't be Superman. You're a mortal man, Henry. That's what I love about these characters. What I love about my job. I get to be these incredible characters, which I'm reading comic books and books.

And that's what I love about it. I get to exist in the skin of these icons temporarily and briefly and hopefully a little bit of them rubs off for me in the process. Right. And that is the blessing of doing what I do. And that's what I dreamed of as a kid. And I'm very, very lucky to be here doing it. Were you, I love Mr. Sam Claflin.

I go way back with that gentleman as well. I could see you two getting along well. Did you guys cross paths in the audition circuit? Did you know each other before this project? I think we had met a couple of times very briefly. But we hadn't really crossed paths. we actually we've auditioned for a bunch of the same stuff and yeah i think we met at a couple of bafta parties but uh yeah just just respect for the man absolutely respect for sam and and he's

he's very funny he had me laughing really really hard uh it was actually at some point it was a little difficult to keep it straight and keep it serious and professional because once he had once he had me tickled like offset then as soon as we were on an action was happening i was like just Just forget, just forget the thing he just did because it's going to kill your performance. We're not talking actual literal tickling. He's not like literally going. No, no, he's not literally tickling me. That would have been, that would have been too far. I mean, ah, you never know. You never know. A little bit of affection. We're missing it now, aren't we? We are. Now we could use a little tickle. Sam Claflin, where are you?

You've got the wonderful Millie Bobby Brown at the center of this, must have been all of 15 or 16 years old when she shot this film. Take me back to Henry Cavill at 15 or 16. Would you have had the wherewithal to be the actor and virtual icon that Millie is right now? You know what? I would love to say yes, but no, I don't think so. I don't think so. Millie is extraordinary and unique. When I first met her, the initial thought was, I was like, oh, no, this human being isn't getting to experience childhood

because they're so mature, they're so different from every other teenager I've met. And I just thought, oh, that's such a shame. And then two seconds later, I was like, oh, no, no, she's still a teenager. She does this amazing flip-flop between the two, where she's an incredibly mature person who speaks like they're 35 years old, who talks about characters, talk about performances, talks about directors or storytelling or whatever it may be. And then she starts talking to you about Love Island and trying to get you to do TikTok dances. And it's just, she's such a marvelous person to be around.

The energy coming off her is infectious. And she's going to have a massive impact on this industry. I'm just happy to be a part of her story. I was going to say, I mean, you're pretty good on social media. Millie, though, I mean, this is like what she was born to do, right? She's like the queen of social media. So did she, I assume you're not working on TikTok now. Has she taught you any moves in the social media space?

No, I'm, I don't want to encroach upon, you know, Millie's space. I don't want to cramp her style. I don't want to make her look bad. So I'm just, I'm leaving the TikTok to her. Yeah, you let her do the dances. You'll make your computers in the barn. You each got your skill set. Yeah, perfect.

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So you mentioned how you were at a different place when you were her age. From our past conversations and stuff I've heard you say, you were, I mean, I don't you describe it yourself. How were you as a teenager? You felt a little bit like on the outside looking in. You didn't feel like you had a place. Where were you at when you were a teenager? It's a good question.

I mean, I've been thinking about that a lot recently, obviously. I think I was probably a very openly emotional kid. I wore my heart my sleeve. That was for whatever reason where my personality landed amongst the personality of the five boys in my family. And yeah, I was just, I think it's interesting because boarding school was tough for me because I was so openly emotional. I think there's something about that where you do make yourself a target.

And if it hadn't been for my mom being such a tough, strong person, then perhaps it could have crushed me being that open. But instead, it didn't crush me. It just prepared me. And it helped me be more understanding of an industry that says no a lot and more resilient to it. It's just one of those things. I don't mind if people say no now.

I'm so used to it and rejection is okay. It's just one of those things that happens. And so I think as a kid, yeah, I was very openly emotional and I'm glad it was because that helps with the acting. It does. Are the legends of quote-unquote fat cavil true? Were you really called that as a kid? I mean, yeah, yeah, I was, absolutely.

And I was a chubby kid. Yeah. So, I mean, it was a fitting Nick. name. Yeah, you can fault them for many things, but accuracy, they had accuracy on their side. Yeah, they hit the nail on the head right there. I was like, my name is Cavill and I am fat, so can't argue with that. That's some pretty sound logic. Around what age are we talking here? I would say probably 13, 14, 15, 16, maybe towards 17. I started leaning out a little bit, but only in the face as I started to kind of stretch out and grow. But I was

definitely still porky. I remember when I first got when I first got the count of Monte Cristo the producers called my mom and they said so could Henry lose about 14 pounds and I mean if if they're saying that to you know a kid at the age of I was I was 17 at the time then and that's that's that's like a that's a large percentage of your body weight at 17 unless of course you're one of these you know sporting icons who somehow weigh 240 pounds at 17 and you work you know you're about to play for Kansas City Chiefs or something right then it's but yeah I was I was definitely an overweight kid and and that's you know that's fine that is what it is I think health is

really really important I'm really glad that in today's world we have a better handle on it there's better access to health tips and diets and stuff. And one of the good things about some of the pressures of social media is that it does inspire you to be fitter and to get in great shape. Right. Because even if it's all lies, at least it's a goal to work towards. And, you know, I would have, maybe it would have affected me. Maybe it wouldn't.

I mean, I'm looking at my nephews who are about the same age now and their interaction with social media. thank God that my my brother and my sister-in-law are such fantastic parents because those are two really well-rounded young individuals and you know God who knows who knows you can't really put yourself in their shoes but yeah yeah talk to me a little bit about um forming your tastes as a kid um you said that fantasy was a big part of your life growing up um who helped inform your your movie or television tastes was it one of your brothers was it friends who was the biggest influence on the on the films and TVs that you the TV that you gravitated towards i think it's

got to be my dad absolutely my dad still reads all the same books that i read um he got me into pc gaming it's he got me into type of pc games i play and yeah i you play against them still um i used to a bit i haven't done actually i don't really get to play with my brothers at all anymore um none of us have the time you know we're all too too busy adulting and maybe that's maybe that's something we should make more time for because it would be nice to interact with each other a lot more but yeah it was my dad my dad informed a lot of my my tastes in books movies and computer games um i saw your conversation recently in lockdown with the great patrick stewart uh you seem to be beaming in that i felt a little bit of like kind of geeking out

on your part were you is that just because he's a legend or were you in particular like did you grow up watching next generation were you Are you a Star Trek guy at all? Yeah, I grew up watching Next Generation and grew up watching that with my brothers and my dad. And so that is the only actor ever, only person in the industry ever, who, when I found out I'm going to be interacting with him, I've then immediately texts the group chat and go on, guys, guess what? I'm going to be talking to Sir Patrick Stewart. It's nuts. And what is this voice?

How did this happen? They're like, oh my God, that's cool. Make sure you ask him about this. And don't ask him about that because we watch all this. interviews and and it's just yeah he's he's not only a legend but sir patrick is is a very kind giving man and it was a real pleasure talking to me i i'm gutted that it was during this pandemic so i didn't actually get to see him in person uh but hopefully one day he and i can share a glass of wine or something and uh have a good old chat it's tricky talking to those

folks as you well know that are so associated with these roles or franchises that you love because and you know this better than anybody there these are complicated relationships with characters you're so well associated with like i've had patrick on the podcast a couple times and the first time i was a little scared to go too deep into star trek and that was one of like the gifts of like i had him on like right before lockdown and he was promoting Picard and i'm like oh my god i can actually ask him all the geeky start trick questions yeah this is my chance this is it that's the both worlds part two i have a follow-up question So was it fantasy books and TV and film, or was it mostly literature at first?

Like, what was the, what was, tell me you're like fantasy-like influences as a kid. It was, it was all of them. I mean, but my earliest experiences of fantasy was my dad reading to me. I had this very vivid memory of lying in bed at a house called LeCleuze in Jersey. and my dad was reading me a series of short stories and I yeah it was I think it was reading him reading to me and then and then me once I got into reading myself picking up books and finding finding stories that I loved

and I just the stories contained within these amazing worlds are so relevant to us and that's what I think is I really connect with it's yeah fun fantasy adventure crazy crazy stuff happens and dragons and shit like that, but also amazing moral codes and lessons on how to be and you see these heroes of yours who stumble and fall and get up again and you learn that lesson through them and somehow you want them to respect you even though they don't exist and so you try and emulate them and it's, I think stuff like that is really important and it's definitely formative to who I am.

everything you described describes the, not one, but three films you technically chose as your comfort movie today. And not only three films, but expanded versions of three films. I didn't have a chance since I just got them yesterday to revisit them again, though, of course, these are movies that are close to my heart as well. But Henry, tell us what your comfort film films are and why you chose them. Okay, comfort films, Lord of the Rings, extended edition. I chose them because that's one of those it's okay i think when whenever i've been hanging out with people whether it be previous girlfriends or whether it be friends and we're all saying what we're going to do or uh you know what do you want to do for christmas or it's it's you're all cozy inside and you know

the rain is blowing sideways outside in london and the house is nice and warm and you've just ordered you know chinese take away and like what should we do or a pizza or something go let's watch You check your watch. Let's watch Lord of the Rings Extended Edition. And then you just get into it. And it's such a, even though you've watched the story a hundred times, it's so well done. It's, you can watch the extended edition,

which is, I mean, what are they, something silly like three and a half to four hours each? Yeah, pretty much. I've got them here somewhere. But yeah, these are a long movie. You've got 30 more minutes in fellowship, 44 extra minutes in two towers, 51 extra minutes in return of the king's. It is a massive, massive movie experience. And I love them.

I love it. It's just so well put together, every single aspect of it. And you don't feel like you're watching, you know, someone who just walked out of a costume shop. They look like real characters. And, I mean, Andy Circus playing Gollum, people still think they do flawless impressions of Gollum. And they don't.

But everyone's trying to do it. And I just absolutely, I love. love those movies and the way you can just cozy up and watch them with anyone and even people who aren't into fantasy are like, yeah, okay, yeah, I'm into it. They are, they are, they are, they are, they are, they are, you can really lose yourself in that world, whether you've read the Tolkien books or not. They, so many of the qualities you mentioned, I admire in them, not to mention the great ensemble of acting that's in it, the impeccable direction by Peter Jackson. These, these were game changers of films. Obviously, Star Wars changed the landscape for, for, for,

fantasy sci-fi, but even Star Wars didn't win best picture. And Return of the King won best picture. And it kind of legitimized the fantasy genre and we're still seeing it all these years later. I mean, there's probably not Game of Thrones, but there's probably not Witcher, frankly, if there's not Lord of the Rings. Talk to me about where you were at in your life when you first saw a fellowship. You must have been probably 17 or 18 by my math. So I assume by then you'd read the Tolkien books and was that a big moment to see this vision realized on the big screen. Believe it or not, I have not read the Tolkien books.

Wow. Don't want you're, we're in it together, buddy. We're two geeks that somehow it missed it. Yeah, me too. It's one of those things where I think I have memories of listening to the audio books. And those are the only audio books I've ever listened to when it comes to fiction, fantasy and sci-fi and stuff in the car on the way to boarding school. I remember putting those on and the wonderful performances in there.

And then when the movies came out, watching the movies, and I didn't look at them and think, me, that's a performance, or I didn't like that, or that doesn't look real, I believed it. And that was the beautiful part of it. And I mean, it's, as you say, just so well crafted. And especially for someone who loved fantasy, it was just a reinforcement for my belief in that world and what fantasy can do. and what it can represent. Did the timing ever work out in your career when they were auditioning for either

War of the Rings initially or The Hobbit? Have you ever been up for one of these Peter Jackson Middle Earth adventures? No, I haven't. I have not. I'm trying to think that was Orlando Bloom's first movie, wasn't it? I think so, if not one of his first. Yeah, certainly.

Yeah. Because I think I went up for pirates. Oh, okay. but I never went up for Lord of the Rings that I remember or not knowingly anyway. It could be one of those things where they say, yeah, read this thing and I just didn't know what was happening. But yeah, yeah, it's, I never went up for one knowingly anyway. And I'm kind of glad.

I'm kind of glad. I'm glad that I just got to have the experience. Yeah, totally. Yeah. I think one of the things that people also enjoy in retrospect about that trilogy is how fully fleshed out it is from beginning to end. Peter Jackson had a vision. Obviously, the blueprint was there in the books,

but they shot it all simultaneously. He did a lot of additional shooting as it went, but he knew from the get-go. This was going to be two or three films. He knew the beginning, middle, and end of this story. And frankly, there's been a lot of, like, debate about this in, like, you know,

film geek community in recent years, Star Wars, the recent trilogy of Star Wars. I'm sure you've seen those films. You know, a lot of fans are like, oh, why didn't they have the trilogy mapped out from the start? And I think they're advantages and disadvantages. They're different approaches. Do you engage with that?

I mean, I feel like I know you follow all this stuff to a degree. Do you have a take on that? I mean, even applying it to your own work, like I think that's something that people really admire about what Zach did in your collaborations with him and what people were so excited by Justice League was he had a plan. He was opening up and expanding the universe

with all these Easter eggs for future films to come. um fair to say is that something that you you relate to your own experience at all i mean i the idea of the idea of uh a grand plan and and executing on that is that something is that the question yeah i guess so yeah it's i'm a details guy right yeah and bear with me i'm a details guy, I'm a law loyalist. And so when it comes to adaptations and stuff, it's important to me that things are faithful, faithful to adaptations and faith, sorry, faithful to the source material. And when you are just a carriage on someone else's train, it can be a dangerous place to be in. When you are the train itself, when you are the Peter Jackson, when you are the Zach Snyder,

when you are the Denisville nerve, it is, I'm sure, absolutely amazing because it's your vision and it's your version and you get to do whether it's an adaptation of the source material which you really want to see or whether it's like so, so beautifully faithful to the source material that you get to mention every single little detail and that has to be just this way and that has to be this way and no, we're not cutting that character and know that character won't do that, it exactly as I do in the book, then that's fantastic too. But the scary thing is when you're someone who's so into details and an almost psychopathic law loyalist like I am, especially when it comes to fantasy and sci-fi, then it can be a double-edged sword being just a carriage on the

train. And so it's one of those things. It's, I suppose it does keep it interesting, to say the very least. Hey, Michael. Hey, Tom. Well, big news to share it, right? Yes, huge, monumental, earth shaking. Heartbeat, sound effect, big. Mait is back.

That's right. After a brief snack nap. We're coming back. We're picking snacks? We're eating snacks. We're reading snacks. Like the snackologist we were born to be. Mates is back.

Mike and Tom, eat snacks. Wherever you get your podcast. Unless you get them from a snack machine, in which case, call us. We call us. Goodbye, summer movies, hello fall. I'm Anthony Devaney. And I'm his twin brother, James. We host Raiders of the Lost Podcast, the Ultimate Movie Podcast,

and we are ecstatic to break down late summer and early fall releases. We have Leonardo DiCaprio leading a revolution in one battle after another, Timothy Salome playing power ping pong in Marty Supreme. Let's not forget Emma. Stone and Jorgos Lanthamos's Bugonia. Dwayne Johnson, he's coming for that Oscar in the Smashing Machine, Spike Lee and Denzel teaming up

again, plus Daniel DeLuis's return from retirement. There will be plenty of blockbusters to chat about two. Tron Ares looks exceptional, plus Mortal Kombat 2, and Edgar writes, The Running Man, starring Glenn Powell. Search for Raiders of the Lost podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and

YouTube. Okay, it's official. We are very much in the final sprint to election day. And face it, between debates, polling releases, even court appearances, it can feel exhausting, even impossible to keep up with. I'm Brad Nilke. I'm the host of Start Here, the Daily Podcast from ABC News, and every morning my team and I get you caught up on the day's news in a quick, straightforward way that's easy to understand with just enough context so you can listen, get it, and go on with your day. So, kickstart your morning, Start Smart with Start Here and ABC News

because staying informed shouldn't feel overwhelming. Zach will always come up in your career in these discussions and I feel like it happens in my discussions with Mamoa too. I mean, you guys, you know, he really kicked started your career to another level. I feel like there will always be a loyalty and a simpatico for many reasons for what Zach Snyder did for you. What did you learn from your experiences with Zach?

What do you admire about what Zach Snyder brings to filmmaking, his approach, his attention to detail? What do you take away? It's Zach's attention to detail. Zach's visual talent is extraordinary. And the way he tells stories, you see it through the visual. He's such an exceptional crafter of moments. and love him or hate him.

Everyone talks about the movies that he makes. And so I've learned a lot from his version of storytelling in the sense that he relies on those moments very, very much. And he's very much the visual medium. And he's so good at it. Sax visuals are second to none, man. And it's something which I'm going to take with me. And absolutely. And I do take with me when I dream of of doing my own fantasy saga like movies or TV shows that's the visuals are a major aspect of it. And I'm sure I'm sure a lot of that is is down to experiencing what Zach Crofts. And he sets the bar very high for any aspiring filmmaker, anyone that wants to create a world. I mean, those first I will always think back to those like first like 10 minutes of Man of Steel. And it's just like what the.

fuck am I in this is amazing um i you know i don't want you get you into trouble with like snider cut discussion every every word is parsed out like insanity but yeah as his eyes go wide i can't see it but his eyes went wide i know it but i'm just curious and it sounds like we're going to see like four hours of this it's going to be a four-part series and that he's going to then put it all together like in your recollection did you shoot a four-hour movie with zach was there was there that much movie in what you initially shot with him? I mean, I didn't, because we know what happened to my character. That's fair.

That's fair. It was the script you saw a 250-page script, though? Was it? I mean, it's so long ago now. I've made five movies since then, Josh. Come on. I mean, yeah. I mean, it's everything that he's shot is what he's using.

And, of course, there's certain things you can add because, I mean, let's talk about, the opening of the movie with the invasion of earth and the gods defending earth, etc. Yeah, okay, that's all CGI, apart from a few characters. And so there's stuff there which you can build in post. You can spend, you know, $600 million on making CGI stuff. Sure. And so, and so, yes, I would say there is definitely a four and a half hour movie there.

It's in the can plus the stuff which they're going to craft in post now. And so, I mean, I'm just really excited to see his vision realized. I think as we were talking about earlier, he got to be the train. And I think it's only fair that train gets to reach its station, which it was aiming for. I think it's important that that vision is realized whether you agree with it or not, it doesn't matter. it's a it's a it's a it's a storyteller's it's a filmmaker's right to have that vision realized and and i'm excited to see it i'm excited to see what that vision was and and how it looks and especially he's got the advantage of hindsight now and it's going to be even better i just want i want to see a

good movie or series of movies and you're cool with growing the mustache back obviously so that they can just did oh absolutely i'm going to grow the mustache back just for the just for that event and then I'm just going to put like a little band-aid over it to hide it. That's pretty much what they did the first time around, so why not? Yeah, I mean... Yeah, I mean, we all saw it. So are you back shooting Witcher now? Are you in the thick of it?

Yes, I'm actually at Arborfield Studios right now. I don't know if it sounds like I'm in a cathedral to you, but it's... I'm in one of the studio buildings and they're shooting just over yonder. I just assumed your home was a scary black box. Well, actually, ironically enough, it's only black on the back. The rest of it looks like a super budget fortress of solitude around me. It's all white polystyrene walls. I wish we could turn to the camera around.

Oh, wow. So second season for this, and as I alluded to early in our conversation, this was a property that meant a lot to you. Something you chased must be so gratifying that the audience responded and you get a second crack at it to continue this character. What are the lessons earned for you from the first slew of episodes that you're applying to this next batch? What are the lessons I've learned? Or is it simply just an opportunity, like obviously the advantage of it, ongoing story is fleshing out the world, flushing out the character, more time to let it breathe?

I mean, yes, I mean, again, I'm a carriage on this train. And it's about finding my character's place within the overall vision of the showrunner. The showrunner has a particular vision for the show and for the characters in the show. And as you, I mean, I don't know if you read the books, but the books, certainly the first few, is very much from a Gerald perspective. And so with the shift of the showrunner's vision where it's an ensemble cast more so than a singular lead, And the perspective is shifted to be almost more of a Surilla Yenifer perspective.

And so it's about finding my character's place within that vision and making sure that I do everything I can to be as faithful to the source material as possible that I can be within the structure set out for me. And so, I mean, obviously I want to be a loyal soldier and I want to make sure the train keeps running. I'm not going to derail the whole thing. It's it's about making sure I play my part in it, but also maintaining my love and belief for the fantasy and the books and indeed the games,

because a big gamer and that the stuff which CD Project Red did, absolutely stunning, and they set the bar super high for when it comes to everything Witcher. And so, yeah, it's about being, it's about a finding, finding that place in that. where I can do both. I can help the showrunner realize their vision and also bring everything I can from the books and from that psychopathic, like, law, loyalist nature of mine into my own personal character.

It seems we're in a cool spot where technology is caught up and an appetite has caught up to these fantasy, video game, genre properties where there are opportunities to spend the money required and to attach the right, talent, the right actors like yourself and the right creative visionaries, see projects that are worthwhile. 20 years ago, you know, when we were growing up, it was few and far between. It was like until like, you know, Brian Singer did X-Men and stuff like that. It was like then finally, there was the shift. This is a conversation we've had a lot over the years with me and

other actors and yourself, like video games have had a tough time getting the proper adaptations. Is there another game that as a gamer that you are like, why have they not exploited that? Why have they not turn that into a great film or TV property. Does anything come to mind? Elder Scrolls. Elder Scrolls, Skyrim, Morrillwind. It's that there's so much that they've built such a universe there. But that's a tricky one.

That's a really tricky one because I think some of the mistakes of movies, which are adaptations from video games, are that they try and do the video game as a movie. movie. And that doesn't work because you, I mean, especially when it comes to something like Elder Scrolls, for example. But you just talked about yourself as the loyalist, as the guy that needs it all to be accurate. Absolutely. But it can be universe accurate. But if you can't do the Elder Scrolls as a movie and give the user the same experience, because the thing about Elder Scrolls is the sandbox environment. You can do whatever you want. You start off as this character,

which is a blank sheet and you can go in whichever way you want and you can even change direction halfway through and go back and do something else. Instead of being the emperor's guard or something, you end up being the most preeminent assassin in the land. You kill the emperor. And you can't give the viewer that same experience.

But what you can do is you can be a loyalist to the universe and the world and the rules which exist within that world. but you have to pick a story and that's where the trick or the tricky bit is for adaptations. If I were to ever adapt Elder Scrolls it's going to

be really difficult to please everyone you do something like Skyrim how do you play the character like which story do you take which story do you tell and that's where the difficulties lie because the gamer the gamer gets to choose

and when you take that choice away there's immediate resentment Yeah. It requires a certitude of vision, someone that you trust behind the camera or writing it. And someone with a confidence, again, you know, Zach Snyders of the world, good or bad, someone that knows what they want and will stick to that. Absolutely. If someone said, okay, you know what, James Cameron is going to make a Skyrim movie, everyone's on board. They're like, it's fine, it's cool. James Cameron knows better than I know. It's cool. Yeah. It's like, I wouldn't have done that, but it's James Cameron. It's great. And it's, that's the thing. You've got to trust, you've got to trust the filmmaker. You've got to trust the person at the helm. And that, I think, makes it easier for even the most resentful of gamer to be like, well, I wouldn't have done it that way, but you know what?

It's pretty good. As we wrap up, I'm just curious. We obviously don't know the future, the future of Superman, that those are rumors every day. I'm not going to pick your brain on that. But just as somebody that's been a part of that universe and is also a fan of that universe. Are you excited about the new films that are coming? I mean, we obviously have Wonder Woman coming with an Aquaman sequel that's going to come. The Flash movie sounds so cool in that it's

opening up this multiverse. I mean, Michael Keaton, Batman, coming back? Come on. Henry, does that make your brain explode as much as mine? Yeah, that's, that's going to be, that's got to be crazy. It's, yes, I am. I'm really excited. I want to see, I want to see, I want to see which direction they're going in. I want to see where they're taking it. I want to see, I want to see, I want to see gal's Wonder Woman again. I want to see, I want to see Jason be Aquaman again. I want to see where these stories develop to. It's exciting. It's exciting to see what they want to do. And I love these superhero characters. Obviously I do. And especially the DC universe. So, I mean, yeah, yeah. And I want to see how audiences react. I want to see how people, what they like,

what they don't like, because that to me is fascinating. As someone who wants to be a producer as well, and maybe even one day direct it's to see how audience react to stuff especially stuff that i've been a part of and may continue to be a part of it's it's like to know that to see how the reaction happens real time and be an experienced outsider as well or experiencing the thing from the outside as a viewer absolutely amazing absolutely amazing and uh i can't wait i just hope that everything opens up cinema wise and we're all clear of the pandemic so things aren't necessarily rated unfairly on you know certain circumstances like we look at tenant I haven't seen tenant yet same but tenant it's sort of it it hasn't done as well as everyone thought

as you're doing the box office but that's because we're at the tail end of a pandemic and everyone's going well I'm not going to the cinema and it's it was an experiment it was and that experiment didn't work for that time again I'm not speaking for the movie I'm just speaking for the The cinematic, I don't think anyone was ready yet. It's impossible times, yeah. All these next things that come out, they're going to be, everyone's going to be ready and people will be going back to the cinema. Thanks, as always, for geeking out with me, my friend.

Here's to another 10 years of talking about superheroes and Sherlock Holmes and genre and fantasy and just movies in general, and maybe you'll be, maybe in the next 10 years we'll be talking about your producing a directing career. I wouldn't be surprised. Hey, let's hope. Let's hope. All right. Thanks, man.

As always. Thank you very much, my friend. and I hope to see you again soon. And so ends another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley, and I definitely wasn't pressured to do this by Josh.

American history is full of infamous tales that continue to captivate audiences, decades or even hundreds of years after they happened. On the infamous America podcast, you'll hear the true stories of the Salem Witch Trials and the escape attempts from Alcatraz, of bank robbers like John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd, of killers like Lizzie Borden and Charles Starkweather, of mysteries like the Black Dahlia and D.B. Cooper, and of events that inspired movies like Goodfellas, killers of a flower moon, Zodiac, eight men out, and many more. I'm Chris Wimmer. Join me as we crisscrossed the country from the Miami Drug Wars and Dixie Mafia. in the South, to mobsters in Chicago and New York, to arsonists, kidnappers, and killers in California, to unsolved mysteries in the heartland and in remote corners of Alaska. Every episode features narrative writing and cinematic music, and there are hundreds of episodes

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