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They loved us in Xena and now the legend of New Zealand is about to grow even more in a new drama for American television audiences.
The new adventure-fantasy series Legend of the Seeker is described as a quest through the reassuringly familiar: it's a once-upon-a-time retreat into the lush wilds of New Zealand (where the series is shot), jazzed up with eye-popping visual effects. Plus enough female cleavage to ensure the audience's menfolk are amused.
The series is produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, co-creators of past syndicated hits Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess.
It stars Bruce Spence as Zedd, the venerable wizard who assists with wisdom and sorcery. And playing Richard, the Seeker, is Australian actor Craig Horner.
It is based on the Sword of Truth novels by Terry Goodkind, which the 25-year-old Horner had never read. "But I have a lot of geeky friends who are really into sci-fi books. One of my mates, when he saw my script for the pilot, said, 'Dude, you have got to audition for this!"'
Bridget Regan (who plays the pretty protectress character Kahlan Amnell), a 26-year-old San Diego native, scored her role while living in New York, where she had appeared in Law & Order: Criminal Intent and The Black Donnellys.
"Bridget's from America," said Horner, "I'm from Australia, and we're shooting in New Zealand. It couldn't be more perfect! Our two characters are from different worlds, put on a journey together. So when Bridget and I arrived for the series, we were like: 'We can do this!"'
Horner had visited the country once before, but Regan had never come close. "I had been to Canada and Jamaica," she reported with a laugh.
"When we got cast, we had a week to pack up and get there," said Horner, seated beside her during a spirited joint interview in Manhattan.
Regan said getting uprooted helped to connect her with her character, who, just as suddenly, throws in with the Seeker, for whose mission Kahlan is ready to lay down her life.
"Kahlan gives up everything to fight for what she believes in: she's only got the bag she's carrying and a lot of faith."
"But as soon as we got to New Zealand," Horner recalled, "we found out the series had been delayed for six weeks. They said, 'You know what? We're not quite ready.' We said, 'Now what?"'
"They kept us busy," Regan hastened to add.
Riding lessons, sword-fighting lessons - there was plenty to do.
"I needed to look like someone who had ridden a horse and fought with daggers her whole life," said Regan.
Though the production is based in Auckland, most scenes are shot in the great outdoors, on the city's pristine outskirts or as far afield as 1130km south in the mountainous regions around Queenstown.
Regan: "We were dropped off by a helicopter on top of a mountain! And they said, 'All right, Craig, just jam the sword into the ground - "'
Horner: "'- a chopper's gonna fly over and you gotta jam it at the right time!"'
Regan: "You can't see anything around you, and the makeup artists are hiding behind a shrub, and that's it."
Along with fantasy, mystery, action and adventure, Legend of the Seeker has its flirtatious moments.
Regan (smiling saucily): "We have some scenes where the old wizard is sleeping ... "
www.legendoftheseeker.com/
