Horowitz: This time Alex Rider is not sliding down the slope on the ironing board, but the level of emotion is just as high

How did your fans like the first season of the series?

I was most pleased that the fans of books about Alex Rider were delighted with it. I haven’t seen a single person say, “This has nothing to do with the book I read as a child” or “It was different. How could you have skipped it?” Guy took quite a risk in his adaptation, as it differs significantly from the source material. However, it seems that all his decisions turned out to be the right one. I am here in two roles – author and executive producer. As an author of books, I really wanted their fans to be satisfied.

This is not a faithful adaptation that clings to the books, yet fans seem to like the changes and additions introduced by Guy.

In my opinion, it is really faithful because it reflects the atmosphere of the cycle well. People realize that it’s impossible to make a show from books like the Alex Rider series without making changes. Even so, the fans didn’t really lose anything. The series remains faithful to the story, characters and ethos of Alex Rider. All I can say is that when Sony and Eleventh Hour Films asked me if they could make the show, I replied yes, but on the condition that the ironing board chase was left – and a truly delightful scene was created.

How does it feel to see a story that was written in your head years ago come to life?

It’s always exciting, but also a bit unbelievable. This time it was a bit different because, unfortunately, due to COVID, I was rarely able to appear on the set. So I didn’t have a chance to come over to the venue, see the actors in costumes, with weapons, props and the rest, and think, “Gosh! Is this all born in my head?” When such an opportunity arises, it is always a special moment. And if everything is going as well as it has been with Alex Rider, the moment is also a lot of fun. And here everything looks as it should.

Let’s talk about Otto. Did you like his role?

Otto is an exceptional actor, and one of the most interesting aspects of working on Alex Rider is seeing the start of many careers and meeting artists who are sure to go far. Anyway, what absolutely amazed me about the series is its entire cast. Not only Otto, but Brenock, Marli and Charithra, that is, extremely talented young people. It’s great to be able to meet them now, at the beginning of their journey. Otto enriches Alex with realism, intelligence, sensitivity and depth of feelings, which means that he develops my vision of this character. It pushes the bar even higher, and at the same time understands very well what is contained in the novel. I couldn’t be happier.

This season, we will see new cast members including Toby Stephens and Raka Ayola. What do you think about this selection of actors?

Once again, I am very, very pleased. Toby is an old friend of mine, we’ve known each other for many years. He previously collaborated with Eleventh Hour Films on the TV series “Vexed” in which he was insanely funny. I am very glad that this time it showed a completely different face! It plays its role perfectly. I wanted – and Guy certainly wanted – that this character was real and kept both feet on the ground. Toby did great and I think the viewers will be very pleased.

Tell me a little about Jo Byrne.

Rakie is also a great actress. You won’t believe it, but she’s not really American! She is incredibly persuasive. In fact, it’s so authoritative, who knows, maybe she even works for NASA or the CIA! It works great as a counterweight to Alan Blunt and is a valuable addition to our Alex Rider family. I am convinced that if we shoot the third, fourth and next season, it will definitely come back in them, because it is very important to us. Don’t forget that the action of many books with Alex Rider is set in the USA, where the CIA and FBI kidnap the hero and use him for their own purposes. For this reason alone, I hope that Jo Byrne will appear on the screen much more often.

What can we expect in season two?

If you’ve read Eagle Strike, you’ll be pleased to know that once again Guy Burt is light years away from either the plot or the spirit of this novel. The action begins with an attack on the Pentagon, in which the perpetrators almost manage to obtain the codes necessary to use nuclear weapons. Then we meet Damian Cray, who is about to release the massive video game, Feathered Serpent 2. Meanwhile, Alex Rider is on vacation – not in the south of France, we sent him to Cornwall – where he is surfing with his friend Tom, and I meet Sabina Pleasance. So he enters her world. Sabina’s father barely avoids death, and the events lead Alex to Damian Cray.

Contrary to the first season, in the book, the Department is not interested in our spy at all. Alex Rider works on his own. Alan Blunt broke off contact and turned his back on everything, so the young hero has to solve the problems himself. As a result, we are witnessing a stunning climax, a fantastic fight scene unlike any other in this series. However, you have to wait until Episode 8 to see where the fight will take place and how it will go.

You can take the risk that there is even more action in Season Two! Maybe Alex doesn’t slide down the slope on an ironing board, but chased by drones, he escapes through greenhouses in the Dutch countryside. This is a comparable level of emotion.

Is it a special feeling to see something in the film that was born in your head?

Definitely! There is no chase through greenhouses in the book, but it certainly has a climax. It’s hard to describe. I felt a certain mixture of satisfaction and surprise. “Gee, did I really think of something like this? It looks like it, and now I can see it on the screen.”

We know of course that Alex is a hero despite himself. How does he get caught up in Faculty affairs again?

This is a very interesting question. After writing 14 novels, I can say that one of my biggest doubts about Alex was that despite his reluctant attitude, he very often gets involved in various adventures! Attempts to involve him in the plot of subsequent novels were one of the challenges I had to face 20 years ago, when I started writing the series. This time at first, Alex is very devastated. He seems to suffer from PTSD, doubts himself and his mind, has visions and keeps repeating that he saw the killer – Yassen Gregorovich. Because of this, he makes a mistake, and because of his passivity, Sabina’s father almost dies. Alex blames himself and feels he needs to get involved now – with or without MI6 help. So it is a very personal and very moving story for him. And it is in these emotions that her strength lies. Not a savior. He is not trying to save the world, he would just like to lead an ordinary life. But circumstances always intertwine in a way that puts him in danger.

Is it important that the show deals with adolescent mental health?

It is very important for young people to understand that feeling depressed or worried, anxious or stressed is not cause for embarrassment. Today, such emotional states are known to people all over the world, both young and adults. Alex goes to therapy but hides it. He does not mention it to his schoolmates because he is ashamed of it. This is a kind of example for others – these are precisely the problems that we should not be ashamed of.

The series and books are also about friendship between teenagers, right?

Guy Burt is great at creating teenage characters. It has been some time since my last closer contact with young people. My sons are 30 and 32 years old! Guy, however, definitely has his finger on the pulse of how young people communicate with each other – and what goes wrong with that communication. I’ve already mentioned how great Otto is, but we’re also so lucky that Brenock is playing Tom. He and Ott became friends during the auditions and remained friends on the set. Their bond is a very important element of realism in this fantastic series. No matter how uncreated things happen on the screen, how much action or adventure there are, thanks to the true friendship of these two, everything remains rooted in our reality. We are very lucky to have Brenock with us.

Let’s move on to the female characters. Fans obviously love Jack. Under what circumstances will we see her this time?

In the first season, she managed to complete her law studies, and now works as an intern at one of the law firms in London. Her dilemma is that she doesn’t know how to care for a career while caring for a teenage spy and helping him with all things. Two worlds collide this season, that is, her desire to pursue her career and his reluctant entry into the world of espionage and action – and the effect of this collision is not particularly positive. Jack has an interesting way to go. Will she stay with Alex and look after him, becoming part of his world, or would she rather take care of herself? This dilemma is a huge field for such a great actress as Ronke, who definitely uses her potential.

Since we are talking about future seasons, we have to ask this question, although we know that it cannot be fully answered – how long can it take?

Well, there are 14 books and maybe seven or nine short stories. One thing that limits us is that when Otto turns 30 it will be hard to believe that he is a teenage spy, so some doubts arise. But let’s take into account that the public reacted wonderfully to the first season – not only in the UK, but around the world. There were no critical voices. Everyone liked Alex Rider, which in itself gives us a kind of energy to shoot the second season and start planning the next ones.

I think we should only stop when we feel a bit too old and tired to continue shooting. But with any luck, it won’t happen in the near future.

I have one silent hope. I would like to make an adaptation of “Russian Roulette”. Apart from Alex, my favorite character from the book series is Yassen. I wrote a whole novel about him. I sincerely hope that no matter what happens in the world of Alex Rider, one day “Russian Roulette” will be brought to the screen.

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