PHOTOS + VIDEOS: 'The Mortal Instruments' Cast at the Mexican Premiere!

 

Godfrey Gao, Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower and Kevin Zegers hit up the red carpet for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones premiere in Mexico City (August 27)!

Lily and Jamie were interviewed on the red carpet, check it out:

More photos from the premiere below!

PHOTOS + VIDEO: 'The Mortal Instruments' Photocall in Mexico City!

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones cast—Jamie Campbell Bower, Lily Collins, Kevin Zegers and Godfrey Gao have arrived in Mexico City for the final premiere and yesterday (August 26) they had their press conference.

The video below is from their photocall (hint: Kevin smacks Jamie's behind!)

Check out the photos below also from their photocall:

EXCLUSIVE: Godfrey Gao talks boxers, teasing Kevin Zegers and the Magnificient Magnus Bane

Godfrey Gao, right, with co-star Robert Sheehan at the LA premiere of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.
PHOTO: Amber Pruitt/TMI Institute

Magnus Bane walks into a room and sits down by you. What do you say? How do you react? What questions would you have? After seeing The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, I sat down with other TMI super bloggers, Katie from Mundie Moms, Kristen from TMI Movie News and Erin from Fangirlish, to interview the actor portraying the High Warlock of Brooklyn, Godfrey Gao. 

Katie, Mundie Moms: You walking around in your little boxers, and the whole Magnus Party scene, how was that?

Godfrey: When I went to the first day on set, I had to do a fitting right? So they were like "So we're going to have you wearing this nice purple velvet blazer" and I was like ok, cool. And then, "I'll give you this nice dress shirt to go with it, it kind of matches and some necklace and accessories", ok, cool, I'm liking the sound of that. And then, I looked over to the right and there's a rack of boxers [he laughs] and underwear, and I was like "So, what's that?" and they said "uh, yeah, those are the bottoms that you're gonna to wear for the scene". I was like ok. There were some boxers with hearts on it and there were some with...I don't know, it was pretty crazy. But there was a rack of boxers and then she was like just pick the one you like. I was like, mmm how about none of those? And then the director came in and was like "those boxers kind of look too much like an outfit. It's like boxers with the blazer and everything else, with the dress shoes, it just looks like an outfit. I want something more shocking, ya know? When people see the scene they go 'Oh, he's not wearing any pants." And then Harald said "So, um, Godfrey, what are you wearing today? I was like uh, just some briefs. They were really tight too, I was like uuuh some grey briefs. Then Harald was just like, "Why don't you put that on. I want to see it". [He laughs again]. This is like the first day for me in the studio and I had to be in front of like maybe 10 people; producers, and Harald, and ya know the wardrobe people. I was like here it is...here's my grey boxers. Harald's like "Yep! That's the one! Let's use that one!" And I was like are you serious? And then I remember I had to go to the Producer's that were shooting on set so I had these tear-aways on and went over there and they were like 'oh, ok, sure. Whatever you say Harald. It looks good'. And then we just ended up using that. That was my first scene for Magnus Bane, it was pretty crazy.

Amber, The Mortal Institute: Fans feel that you are one of the overall most beloved and important characters in the Shadowhunter world. What have you thought about the fan reaction to you being Magnus? How excited are you going forward with this franchise?

Godfrey: I'm very excited. Very excited. I'm very overwhelmed by how many followers and supporters there are for this movie and for my character Magnus. I've really got to thank the fans and the people that support this whole series and this movie. I'm really excited just for this movie and future movies to come. I'm happy that everything is right where it needs to be right now. It's crazy because the movie hasn't even come out yet and there's so many people ya know, talking about this and they can't wait for the movie to come out. So I'm just enjoying work and I'm enjoying my first time in Hollywood and to be a part of all of this. I'm very honored to be a part of this project. Hopefully I can be in it for the long run.

Kristen, TMI Movie News: Are you prepared to come back for the 'Infernal Devices'?

Godfrey: Yeah, I hope so. Yes!

Kristen, TMI Movie News: Are you prepared for glitter in the mail?

Godfrey: Yes, I'm definitely prepared for that because it was actually pretty fun for me. I've never done anything like that, with my outfits. Just taking the time and detail to put all of that stuff on. The glitter, and eyeliner, eye-shadow and the nail polish. It was fun.

Kristen, TMI Movie News: Did you wear it around Toronto, on accident maybe?

Godfrey: Yeah, after the first day on set. I had all this stuff on and then after the shoot I was going to go back to the hotel and I was like 'Uh, should I just take these off, just in case the hotel lobby would be scared?' [laughs]. Ya know, if I came in like that.   But yeah, I took them off every time I was finished working just...I probably couldn't sleep in those. I enjoyed it, and it was fun. I can't wait to be Magnus again. To put that stuff back on.

Kristen, TMI Movie News: What's your favorite characteristic of Magnus? What do you like most about him?

Godfrey: He's a flamboyant guy. He's like none of the other characters in the series. Obviously he throws parties. It's just something different that I haven't actually become something like this before in my acting career. So it's fun, he's a very fun character and I just enjoy his whole outfit and his presence. The way he acts in those parties and he's a heavy drinker maybe? Or, he's a party animal. I love that about him. And especially his outfits. They're pretty cool. Especially the warlock outfit. It's cool too.

Erin, Fangirlish: Are you hoping to wear pants though?

Godfrey: Hopefully. Hopefully they'll have some pants for me this time. Actually I can say the warlock outfit was something, like for me was pretty cool because the whole um, the hat that goes over it. Kind of like a, how do you call that, a corset, like black leather corset wrapped around it. It goes all the way to my feet. I felt like a warlock, ya know. Just walking around, it was pretty cool. Hopefully I can borrow that for Halloween. [laughs]

Amber,The Mortal Institute: What about the vulnerability you showed when caring for Alec? How did you get into that frame of mind that I really like this guy?

Godfrey: I guess I had to imagine. Um, I think it was fun for me, actually just to tease Kevin. He's a pretty shy guy. But it was fun. I just imagined him like the most incredible woman in my life. [laughs] I was like hey, Kevin and I'd give him a wink. And he was like 'Uhhhh' [laughs again] Ok, so that's enough of that. But it's fun ya know? He does a pretty good job too, as being shy and like 'is he looking at me?'. So, I enjoyed that.

Kristen, TMI Movie News:You do a good job of being the "keeper of the secrets" in City of Bones. Do you think we'll see more from you in City of Ashes?

Godfrey: Yeah. There's definitely more in the 'City of Ashes' and 'City of Glass'. So, ya know, hopefully I can be a part of it.

Katie, Mundie Moms: Have you read further in the series? Have you read City of Ashes?

Godfrey: Yeah, I've read City of Ashes and I'm just looking at it over and over just waiting for the script.

Katie, Mundie Moms: I like the scene with Lily where we get to see her discover that you're the one that buys her mom's paintings. A more personal side to your character, that he cares.

Godfrey: I like the scene with Lily actually because it talks about what had happened, more on a personal level too with Lily's character. It's kind of like helping her out in an emotional way. I think it's great, ya know, you get that personal level between the two characters and what their history was and why they're doing it. And ya know, it develops into a good relationship in the whole series.

PHOTOS: Godfrey Gao attends Taiwan Premiere of 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones'!

Godfrey Gao stars as the high warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane, in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. 

Our Magnus Bane looked very dashing in a pinstripe suit at the movie premiere in Taiwan (August 22)! 

Check out these photos of him at the red carpet:

NEW INTERVIEW: 'Mortal Instruments' star Godfrey Gao on his character Magnus Bane and more

Godfrey Gao is making his English-speaking film debut this week as he takes on the role of Magnus Banes in the big-screen adaptation of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

This is the first of The Mortal Instrument series to be adapted for the big screen, and Harold Zwart is in the director's chair.

We caught up with Godfrey to chat about the movie, his role and what lies ahead.

- You are going to be back on the big screen this summer with The Mortal Instrument: City of Bones so can you tell me a bit about the film?

It is my first English project. The Mortal Instruments is based on a series of novels by Cassandra Clare; it has been a New York Times bestseller so it is pretty popular. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is the first book in the series to be adapted for the big screen.

It was an exciting project for me as it was my first English feature, and I had never really worked on a Hollywood production before. It was fun to work with a Hollywood production, director and actors. I was really glad that I got the part.

- This is the biggest role of your career to date so how did you find stepping into such a huge project?

I think it was pure luck. Like anybody else that has been cast for the film I went through a casting process - actually I was still filming in Shanghai at that time.

So I was going through Skype interviews and taping and everything that comes with the casting process. I had never really put myself on tape before, and I found that odd because you are just talking to a camera or your iPhone.

It was fun, and it was an experience that I appreciated because it got me the part. It was interesting to see how they cast people like that. I was flattered that they chose me.

- You take on the role of Magnus Bane in the film so what was it about this character and Jessica Postigo's script that drew you to this project?

When I first heard about the character, I wasn't really sure as I wasn't familiar with the story and the book. When I got to know more about the character and the story, it was really exciting as I have never played a character like this before.

It was something out there and something that I really want to try. It was fun for me because it was about using your own imagination. He is described as a flamboyant, higher warlock of Brooklyn, and so it was something that you would imagine in your dreams or in a fictional novel.

It was definitely a challenge as the role was part rock star part animal. During the filming process, it was fun and cool, and director Harald Zwart was amazing in the way that he described what I should be like or what I should sound like. It was just a fun experience overall for me.

- Can you tell me a bit about the character of Magnus and how we are going to see him develop throughout the film?

Magnus Bane is a high end Brooklyn's warlock that never ages and never dies; he is immortal. He is a party animal; he goes to a lot of parties and hosts a lot of parties with vampires, demons and werewolves. I suppose he is an underground party guy.

The City of Bones is really an introduction to him and The Mortal Instruments. Magnus is a bi-sexual warlock, and so he dates men and women (laughs). He is a fun character who spices things up in the story.

- Speaking of the books they have such a loyal fan base so how nerve wracking it is taking on a project that you know is so well loved?

It is quite nerve-wracking and quite stressful. As a fan favourite character you are trying to bring out the real life on the big screen.

It is always the challenging part, but it is always fun to see the reactions of the fans when I was cast for this role. They enjoyed it, I guess. They liked me and my look and so hopefully I can fulfil their needs on the big screen.

- Harald Zwart is in the director's chair for the film so how did you find working with him? And what kind of director is he?

He is a very kind and very sweet director to me and to everybody. I guess he is like a fatherly figure as he sits down with you one on one and talks to you about the character and want you can do on set.

He gives a lot of pointers; he lets you do your thing, and then he gives little pointers here and there. I thought he was very sweet. He is very focused on the film, and he has a lot of ideas about dialogue and the movie overall.

He has put a lot of time into this movie, and he is very creative. I just love working with him, and it was very easy and natural for me to communicate with him on set.

- Was there a rehearsal period before you started shooting?

There was a quick rehearsal for all the scenes; I think that is the normal procedure prior to filming. It was cool to rehearse; I really needed to rehearse because it was my first film in English.

I also had to play alongside Lily Collins, which was an honour. It was really nice to meet with her first and talk about the dialogue before we went to shoot on set. I enjoyed working with Lily as she was very sweet.

- A great cast has been assembled such as Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower so what was the feeling like on the set?

For my scenes, I met Lily, Jamie, Kevin (Durand) and Jemima (West) and it was very sweet to be able to work with them because it felt like... It was different to filming in Asia because we were all speaking English, for one.

But we were around the same age, and we were all hanging around on set. So it put me at ease as I didn't feel a lot of pressure like when I was filming in Asia; there are more famous or grown actors and actresses in China.

When I am working with them, I am always uptight but when I was working with this crew, it felt like I was just hanging out and having a good time.

- You have mentioned a couple of times that this is your English-speaking debut so how have you found stepping into this movie world?

It felt very natural for me. I grew up in Vancouver and so English was my first priority. So when I was on set I felt like I was at ease because everyone was speaking English.

I didn't have any screw-ups with my dialogue - I was pretty impressed with that. I thought my English was very good, and so I was quite surprised with myself.

- Finally, what is next for you? Now that you have had a taste of Hollywood is this where you want to stay?

Yeah definitely. I would like to come across with new projects and more action films. Hopefully, I can cross over into Hollywood and hopefully that will bring me a bigger name in China.

Right now, I think a lot of Hollywood productions are aiming for the Chinese market as well so I think it is a great time for me to cross over. It is a great time right now, and I am just glad to be on this journey.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones hits theaters on August 21st!

Interview was found at FEMALE FIRST

My spoiler-free review of THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES

Here we go, Shadowhunters! I've seen The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones not once, but twice now, and I'm ready to share my official spoiler-free review.

This isn't a dump....You just can't see it - Clary Fray

Nothing is as it seems. That's what we've heard for several months. For the Shadowhunter fandom, nothing was ever the same after we picked up Cassandra Clare's book and first started learning about the world of the Nephilim. First of all, waiting for this book-to-screen adaptation has been an event unto itself. We've discussed, fangirled and sometimes maybe even argued a little over every tiny aspect of the storyline: a seemingly ordinary young woman discovers a hidden world and an extraordinary destiny. When we first got a glimpse of the cast of TMI, we waited on baited breath to know how the young group would click. We've fretted about hair color, eye color, wardrobe choices, yada yada. FORGET ALL THAT, my dear friends.

Let me tell you one thing. THIS MOVIE DELIVERS THE GOODS!

I'm not just gushing over this film because Cassie is my favorite author or that I adore the actors. I absolutely loved the movie. From the start of the film, I was swept away into the world of Clary Fray (Lily Collins), who has been living quietly in Brooklyn for as long as she can remember, when she begins to see some startling things. When her mom, Jocelyn (Lena Headey), disappears after a violent struggle, Clary, with the help of her best friend Simon (Robert Sheehan) search for Jocelyn. This this adventure, Clary begins to uncover dark secrets and even darker threats in the hidden world of the Shadowhunters, angel-human warriors who have protected humanity from evil forces for centuries.
Surrounded by demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other supernatural denizens of the Shadow World, Clary joins forces with young Shadowhunters Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower), Isabelle (Jemima West), and Alec (Kevin Zegers) to locate and protect an ancient Cup that holds the key to her mother's future. Discovering abilities and courage she never knew she possessed, the Clary surprises herself as she proves to be a formidable opponent against an array of deadly adversaries.

There were so many things I loved about the movie. First of all it is visually stunning. They have managed to take the realistic life of a teenage girl living in Brooklyn and transform her world into this mesmerizing night life filled with incredible imagery. The filmmakers decided to shoot on film as opposed to digital cameras to give the film a lush and classic look. According to the director, Harald Zwart: "We actually shot this movie on 35mm Panavision Scope which makes it look absolutely gorgeous. I know I'm one of the few still holding back on doing digital. I'm not going to argue for or against either, but I think for this movie, where there's a lot of romance and skin tones and beautiful colors, shooting it in a traditional fashion on film gives it a very special look."

Those characters jumping to life on screen in this world of monsters and nightmares are just as incredible. I can't stress enough, and I told each actor this when I got this chance while in L.A., that they were absolutely brilliant in their roles. I can't speak enough good things about this cast. When I started watching the film and saw Lily and Robert up on the screen as Clary and Simon, cringing over Eric's awful poetry, I really felt like I was seeing this book brought to life. With getting to know more about Lily during the fun filled festivities that were the L.A. premiere, I realized that not only is she a really, truly sweet young woman, but she is also very passionate about getting her character right, just like all the actors were. Lily brings a warmth and spark to Clary that even I sometimes haven't read into the character. She is dynamic and intriguing. Her chemistry with Robert and Jamie is magnetic. I truly believe she was destined for this role.

Robert Sheehan, oh Robert. How the fans adore thee. I think when seeing Robert on screen as Simon, it confirmed to me that girls all over the world are going to be falling for the nerd guys in record numbers. Robert is authentic as Simon, nailing the much anticipated lines that we so expect to hear between he, Clary and Jace. He broke my heart in this film in those moments after the greenhouse scene. I'm not sure what all he did to research his role, but he solidified to me that he can not only be that funny sidekick we've seen in Misfits, but he can also be a leading man. As he told me after the premiere, he is very excited to bulk up and become all vampire-y! I'm looking forward to that myself!

After seeing the emotion on Jamie Campbell Bower's face during an interview with him the day after I first saw the movie, I realized just how much the role of Jace means to him and how much the fan comments mean to him. He's taken the good and the bad and used these rants and raves to chiseling out the best Jace he could be. Jamie nails the wit of Jace. He nails this vulnerability that I didn't even expect to see, but that I adore him for even more so now that its been uncovered to me. The chemistry between Jamie and Lily as our Clace is completely on fire. I could tell you about the greenhouse scene. I could tell you about the moment before that scene that made me just melt and how I even told Jamie how much I adored that moment as possibly my fave scene in the whole film, but I want YOU to see it for yourself. The delicacy of the Jace and Clary budding romance is there. The protectiveness on Simon's behalf over Clary is there. These are the crucial things I had to see, and it was delivered to me in multitudes.

Kevin Zegers slayed me as Alec. It didn't take much screen time to see him to know that I both loved and hated him! What I mean by that is Kevin pulls off Alec so well that even the facial features when you see him snap at Clary are enough to make me want to just say, "Please, Alec, stop your jealousy. We know you love Jace, but you have someone better coming. Just wait." Kevin does such a fantastic job in his moments on the screen. If there is anything I can say as a suggestion is that he needs more screen time, but he and the writers know this. Kevin told me that he expects much more of Alec in City of Ashes. As Alec's sister, Jemima West is also flawless as Isabelle. I think the thing that surprised me about Jemima's Izzy was that she was nicer than I expected from reading the book. But, to me, that's okay. I think if she had went bitchier, that it would have taken away from her performance. It was a very nice balance. The moments between Alec and Magnus (Godfrey Gao) were sweet and made me want more. (WE NEED MORE MAGNUS BANE!!) I was also very happy to see Aidan Turner and Lena Headey as Luke and Jocelyn. I do need more of both of them in the next film. I love both of them as actors.

I can keep going and going about the acting. Jared Harris delivered a brilliant and more complex Hodge Starkweather than I could have ever hoped for. The moments between he and Valentine (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) were electric. One of my favorite scenes in the film involved the two of them squaring off in a heated debate. I'll save my spoilery thoughts about Jared and Jonathan for my full review because I can't rave about their performances without getting into the nuisances of the scenes.

STAY TUNED FOR MY COMPLETE REVIEW ON AUGUST 21ST WHEN THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES HITS THEATERS!!

VIDEO: 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones' Cast Interviews

In one of the featurettes for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones we were shown snippets of interviews with all of the cast. Well, CelebsInterviews has now made the interviews available for all to see. Of course, we get interviews with Jamie Campbell Bower (Jace), Lily Collins (Clary), Robert Sheehan (Simon), Kevin Zegers (Alec), and Godfrey Gao (Magnus). A pleasant surprise though are that among the interviews are some with Jemima West (Isabelle), Aidan Turner (Luke), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Valentine), Lena Headey (Jocelyn), Jared Harris (Hodge), and CCH Pounder (Madame Dorothea), whom we haven't seen a lot of interviews from. They can be seen below.

What did you all think of the interviews? Let us know in the comments!

Shadowhunting at San Diego Comic-Con 2013

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones panel at Comic-Con happened on Friday July 19th, but that didn't stop Shadowhunters from taking over the entire weekend. If you missed Friday's panel, we have video coverage so that you may virtually enjoy the panel anytime you want - all you have to do is click the HERE! 

Hall H

After camping out in the hall H line since Thursday afternoon, the shadowhunters, downworlders, mundanes, tardises, doctors, and cyborgs at Comic-Con had finally made it in, finding a seat in a room fit for 6 thousand.

I bunkered down in my seat, fifth row back, prepared to make this spot my new home for the next several hours until Harald Zwart, Cassie Clare, Robert Sheehan, Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Kevin Zegers, and Godfrey Gao made their way to the infamous hall H stage. 

Hall H had transformed into a mass pandemonium as the stars took the stage, check out some of the live tweets from the event - These Mortal Instruments stars know how to make an entrance: 

I'm thinking I might take my shirt off pic.twitter.com/sTMtyMnQTw
— The Mortal Institute (@TMI_Institute) July 19, 2013

Oh yes! That is @RobMSheehan on the big screen!! ::swoon:: #sheesterwives #TMISDCC pic.twitter.com/Kb47NhV3qM
— CityofShadowhunters (@CoShadowhunters) July 20, 2013

Yeah I played him as a sassy bitch. I made him very grumpy pic.twitter.com/lj9akxkSt8
— The Mortal Institute (@TMI_Institute) July 19, 2013

Being cast as Clary was a dream come true and an honor to be chosen #TMISDCC pic.twitter.com/zYoV2xdpeh
— The Mortal Institute (@TMI_Institute) July 19, 2013

I loved the character of Alec from the moment I read the script pic.twitter.com/p0o3b5vYPi
— The Mortal Institute (@TMI_Institute) July 19, 2013

“@TMI_Institute: Welcome to my party pic.twitter.com/7Hp130bI3k” gimme an invite
— no (@smokedbaekhyun) July 19, 2013

I was pretty involvy. pic.twitter.com/zwXvDJ7YdI
— The Mortal Institute (@TMI_Institute) July 19, 2013

The hardest part was condensing the book to movie length pic.twitter.com/1LdGaBoHOA
— The Mortal Institute (@TMI_Institute) July 19, 2013

#TMISDCC pic.twitter.com/rbofYt0WRF
— The Mortal Institute (@TMI_Institute) July 19, 2013

A week after the sheer madness that is Comic-Con, I met up with Robert Sheehan (Simon Lewis) on the set of The Road Within - Robert is currently filming, in which he plays Vincent, a man with Tourette's Syndrome. During this visit we were able to debrief Rob's experience at San Diego Comic-Con.

In short, Robert lights up at the notion of his inner geek coming out on live television, along with mentioning the fact that this year he had popped his "Comic-Con cherry" - Robert not being a little smutty just wouldn't seem right. Finally, with a somber expression, he lets fans know how much he loves us by stating the fact that he would have preferred the panel at Comic-Con to be filled with questions from the fans, rather than the initial prompter.

Speaking of those fans that Robert Sheehan wanted to hear from more, I tracked down fellow Shadowhunters Caitlin Bowler, Val Mores, Jennifer Heinsius, and Bettina Kaiping for a quick interview.
A word from the fans ... 
After seeing the City of Bones panel, 28 year old Caitlin Bowler's face lights up as she exuberantly describes what she is most excited for in the upcoming adaptation. We all have our favorite parts in the book, but Caitlin is mostly looking forward to watching Lily Collins bring Clary Fray to life,

"She is such a strong heroine, she is going to kick ass and I can't wait to see her do that! She is a really good heroine for young girls because she fights for what she believes in."   

Caitlin's eyes go wide as she remembers Simon turning into a rat at Magnus' party. Hoping that scene makes it into the movie, Caitlin is also looking forward to seeing all of the Shadowhunters and Downworlders interact at Magnus Bane's party.      

21 year old Val Mores is dressed better in black as a proper Shadowhunter. She excitedly chats about how she is looking forward to everything when she pauses for a thought and states, Robert Sheehan. Val, like many fans, are excited for Rob - lets all just hop on the I'm excited to see Robbie train (who am I kidding, I'm the conductor of that train!)

Val Mores

"After seeing the clip, I thought the demon was PERFECT - when it came back together! By The Angel. I loved how it looked like Clary was yelling in the alleyway by herself; and Jocelyn kicking ass, THANK YOU!" 

20 year old Jennifer Heinsius and 19 year old Bettina Kaiping were also fangirling about the clip alongside Val Mores. Bettina turned to mush every time someone mentioned Jamie Campbell Bower - Bettina's favorite quote? Anytime Jace said 'Clary'. This group of Shadowhunters had camped out from 7AM that Friday morning, and still made it into Hall H with great seats!

You can watch that clip Shadowhunters are excited about HERE! 


Shadowhunting at San Diego Comic-Con: 

   

Let us know what you are looking forward to most about the Mortal Movie in the comments below!