Jamie Campbell Bower Discusses 'City of Ashes'

 

Digital Spy recently spoke with 'Mortal Instruments' star Jamie Campbell Bower at the launch event for BT TV's partnership with Curzon Home Cinema about the future of the franchise. Jamie had this to say about Constantin moving forward with the production, "We have seen a lot of [those films] flounder, and so if Constantin feel comfortable to move on to the next Mortal Instruments film, I'm happy for that." 

Bower admits that while being part of a huge franchise is great connecting with fans is what it's all about. He went on to tell Digital Spy, "Even from being a small part of something like Twilight, I found out that actually, what's really important is having a connection with the fans."

"It's great to be able to sit here and do press, but if I can go out there and I can do a mall tour - which is what we did for Mortal Instruments and for Twilight - that actually can make somebody's day. And that's sort of what I'm doing this for."

We could not agree more! Hearing Jamie talk about the importance of fans and why he is eager to pick up where he left off as Shadowhunter Jace Wayland makes us all very excited!

It was only early September when we found out the production of the 'City of Bones' sequel was halted, and earlier this month we learned that City of Ashes would still be filming in 2014. Fans of 'The Mortal Instruments' collectively expressed their enthusiasm with renewed hope for the adaptation, and it's amazing to see the actors are just as happy to reprise their roles.

Since COA is moving forward what Jace scenes are you most thrilled to see make it from book to movie? Let us know in a comment or tweet us @TMI_Institute!

'The Mortal Instruments' Exclusive: Cassie Clare spills the details on fave scene

I was among three other TMI super fansites the weekend leading up to the LA premiere to discuss with the incredible Cassandra Clare about the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation of her novel The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. In this interview, we discuss Cassie's favorite scene in the film, the impact her writing has on her fans and seeing her characters come to life on screen. 

Katie, Mundie Moms: Besides the Greenhouse, what was your favorite scene to see on the big-screen?

Cassie: I think, um, my absolutely favorite scene, cuz I'm a sucker, is when they have the fight in Madame Dorothea's and then Simon comes in and whacks her with a shovel which I just enjoy cuz I love Simon. And then Jace comes out of the apartment and Clary's standing there and basically she's looking from Simon to Jace and then she goes over to Simon and hugs him, and Jace of course looks totally destroyed. I love that scene because it so underlines how significant that friendship is between Clary and Simon and how much it means to both of them. Even though they had that fight about their relationship, she  ya know, they truly love each another in a way that is not necessarily romantic but I love to see that kind of portrayal of  intense friendship on the screen.

Erin, Fangirlish: What is it like to have written something that has changed so many people's lives?

Cassie: I think it's such a big idea I think it's really hard to encompass it. Individual people write me and are like, the book changed my life in this way - or this character had a big impact on me - then it really, each time, it's like equally startling and meaningful as the time before. But I never sit there thinking "I have written something that has changed many lives!" I just can't think about it that way.

Kristen, TMI Movie News: Previous authors have tried to stay a part of their movie adaptations, but how do you think you have done this differently? To stay such a part and make the movie better?

Cassie: Well, I think that it's sort of a combination of flexibility and communication with the whole creative team that I had to be kind of like, when they would say, ya know, this is a thing that they can't do because it just isn't going to work. You wrote it, but trying to do it on screen. For instance, Simon turning into a rat. They went over and over the possible ways of doing the transformation, and how it would work, and the special effects and what not. While you can, obviously do an animated rat, there was no way to do it and sort of remain within the kind of aesthetic of the movie. So we had to discuss,  ok, well what can we do that's going to give kind of the same. To me, the essential thing here is Clary goes to save Simon. She goes to save Simon and that's the most important thing to her. And the second most essential thing is that Jace goes with her, because he's already at that point decided  this is a person that's important enough to him, that he's going to go with her. Ya know, to save a guy that he really doesn't like that much at that point. So we wound up having a whole discussion about how are we going to realize this and also bringing Alec and Isabelle in as well, so that we could see more of them and kind of experience more of their characters. So I think that, as a particular example, I think what we wound up with was something that fit with the unified esthetic of the film more than introducing Rat-Simon. Even though, of course, I thought of Rat-Simon. You kind of have to think of it as a different medium, it's an interpretation, and as you were saying - they have the benefit of my hind-sight. I'm on book five, I'd been writing book six, and I'm like 'Well, these characters, this is where there going to end up'. And now what you can do is for instance, Simon and Isabelle spend a lot of time together in this movie. And part of that is because they know that those characters are going to wind up having a - as you know- a romantic relationship further on down the road, and they wanted to set that up. And I think that was a really good idea. I was like, ok great, you have this relationship and you can really start building on it and make people kind of see them as a team and that they work together. I liked that they didn't push it too far, ya know, they weren't like 'and now, by the end of this movie, Simon and Isabelle are making out'. But, they definitely set them up as a pair, and they hinted at a lot of things that were going to come. And they took a gamble in doing that, because you have to think of each movie as a discreet kind of stand-alone thing. But they know what's going to happen, they went with the bite marks on Simon's neck. You see them, it's never talked about or explained. That and the fact that he no longer needs his glasses are an indicator of the fact that he's altering. And that's a promise like there's something to come here later on in this story and you're going to have to wait and see what it is.

Amber, The Mortal Institute: What was it like for you the first time to see the relationships between your characters grow on screen?

Cassie: The first time I saw it, I didn't know how it was going to turn out. I'd seen it in pieces, but until you see it together you're like judging pieces of a jig-saw puzzle without seeing the whole image. So I have no idea how it's going to be. I loved the action scenes and I loved the sets and I loved a lot of all the stuff that they did with the pacing, which moves like a train - never a boring moment. But for me, it's always going to be about the character interactions. Some of them I just love, and even the bits that aren't necessarily from the books. I love the scene where Jace tells Clary 'I'm a Shadowhunter, and I'll protect you with my life', I was like that's his mission statement. That's him that's what he believes in. For me, watching the characters meet has a magical quality the first time, you know Clary sees Jace. But not only that. The first time that Simon sees Isabelle the first time Clary sees Isabelle, these are all big moments for me.

EXCLUSIVE: 'Mortal Instruments' star Kevin Zegers on Alec and his co-stars

Kevin Zegers, who plays Alec Lightwood in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones walks the red carpet in Toronto.

I'll admit when I first read The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, I really didn't  like Alec Lightwood. I think the words dbag, meanie and a-hole came across my mind. But, after following through to the end of the book, and going on into the remainder of the series, I learned just how complex and loyal Alec really is. It's funny that while thinking about what I had originally thought about Alec, I was sitting beside Kevin Zegers, who plays the Shadowhunter in the film adaptation. Kevin, who I'd met on set in Toronto last year, was completely unlike his character: gracious, humble and a really very funny guy.

I sat down with the girls from Mundie Moms, Fangirlish and TMI Movie News to hear what Kevin thought of his role and what's next in the series.

Katie, Mundie Moms: You as Alec... we were telling Jamie that my favorite scene with you, you’re not even saying anything. You are looking at Clary when she’s in the library like you’re gonna kill her and you’re looking at Jace like I love you but you don’t know it. You brought a-hole Alec to life from the book.

Kevin: Right, we had this, there’s this instinct to sort of go, “but he’s the good guy,” and to sort of like stay away from him being too snarky. I was like if you can establish a reason why, it’s like why I love some horror films that involve the bad guy being the hero. Like you don’t always have to be nice, if you’re the nice guy, if you’re the good guy. People are sympathetic to people as long as there is a reason behind it. Like my favorite show is this, Ray Donovan show. It’s like he’s kind of an asshole, you know what I mean? He says some really bad things, but because you have sympathy for this guy and you understand where he’s coming from, you can sort of get away with doing whatever. So Harald and I had that conversation early which was to say let’s not pander to the fact that like he’s a Shadowhunter so he’s good so go easy on the him being a little unlikeable because it’s like, you don’t always have to be likeable. I think that’s like a cop out, especially in these kinds of films because the characters are so well defined. He doesn’t have to be the likeable gay character just because that’s where he ends up going. Like, there is so much other stuff to explore especially because we knew, we didn’t know, but I mean we’re certainly going back to do the second film so, there’s such a huge arc of where he starts and where he goes that you don’t need to pander to the audience and like, make him sort of one noted.

Katie, Mundie Moms: I think Alec is the most misunderstood, when I first read I thought he’s kind of a jerk, but then you realize, like one, he’s protecting the Shadowhunter secret. He loves Jace but then there's just so many layers to him and I felt like you brought the book to life perfectly, his mannerisms, you know those looks spoke volumes. I like that they didn’t make you in every scene like that’s the way he talks his whole mannerisms towards what was going on…

Kevin: Even in the script, there were scenes that my character wasn’t in, in the script, and Harald would sort of say it might be nice if…, we had this sort of running joke that some days I felt like an extra, because you know he’s [Alec] sort of hovering. It’s sort of like he’s there observing, and I love characters that are sort of a little enigmatic and a little sort of, you know, misunderstood, so there was a lot of stuff that I wasn’t intended to be in, but that I ended up in. That scene where we are bringing her to the library I don’t think in the script I was in. So once we got up there and we were sort of looking down at her, Harald sort of improvised that Jamie and I were like brothers anyway. It was sort of like it started out as a one line, and then in post, we sort of just became a scene which was like built out of the fact that Jamie and I are so close, and it seemed like a conversation we would have, and based on the stuff that we had shot with Lily, that it seemed like it fit in there at that moment. So, again, it was a lot of us priming it while we were filming, which is part of what you do when you make a film. You have to be flexible about what dynamics work. The dynamic between Jamie and I, we established was not one of like, I’m not goo goo gaga over Jamie, just like I’m not in person. We love each other, but like a mutual affection that we have and he would be someone that I would run across the room and go hug, but it doesn’t come from a physical place. Once we established that, it wasn’t like Alec was a creepy guy who wanted to jump Jace’s bones, he was just like, he loved him and there was a little more behind his love than met the eye but it wasn’t so overt, and it wasn’t so stereotypical. Once we found that stuff, and Lily and I have a good, even when we are sort of barbing with each other there is this understanding between the two of us, and Lily and I have that too. Those were the two central relationships I had in the film and the two people I remain closest with personally. We do have this good back and forth between the three of us. I think when we were on the mall tour we noticed it even more. There is like 3 very specific personalities with the 3 of us that are very distinct and very, we play off of each other well. So I think that as that relationship grows in the story there is so much room to explore. Even with talking with Harald about the next film, like such a great opportunity for, you know, put me and Jamie in a scene together and there’s, weird shit’s gonna happen.

Katie, MundieMoms: When we were talking too, the on screen chemistry, because you know with some movies you get fake chemistry or chemistry that doesn’t work, or even within a cast not all chemistry seem real, but the cast chemistry was phenomenal with everybody. When you were in a scene, we felt it. We could see the relationship they really had, and it really brought the movie to life.

Kevin: Right. I think Robbie is so good. There is the stuff with those two…there is this sort of, I think people are like “Oh” because we don’t have the script yet for the second movie and with us, this central group of people who are playing off of each other, there’s a really good foundation of…you can throw Jemima and I in a room together with a scene and we will figure it out.

Katie, MundieMoms: Your chemistry together was awesome.

Kevin: Right. No one is faking anything, there’s not this sort of manufactured, no one seems off kilter when it comes to this stuff. I think it is because A, we get along, and B, we have he same script motive, does this serve the movie? If it doesn’t serve the movie for me to be in a scene, I’m going to go to Harald and say “yo, it’s kind of weird that I’m here. Alec should be down the hallway.”

Katie, MundieMoms: Jessica (Postigo) asked us last night what we thought about the movie, and what we could do for City of Ashes. That was one of our things, give Jemima and Kevin more screen time because the brother/sister relationship is so crucial with the series.

Kevin: She is so good. She’s such a good actress, and I think Harald has…the best thing that he did was focus on the people. Because I think the external, I watch some of these movies, and it doesn’t really matter which ones, but they are so focused on the stuff, you don’t really care about the people, therefore it’s like “why would I want to go see another one when I can go see another movie, or another story, and just see the same stuff.” The only reason to go back and see a movie is to see the same people again. I think that is what makes these sort of things work like, I would go see The Hunger Games again because I love Jen Lawrence, and I’m interested to see what she is going to do with that character. And like with The Dark Knight, I’m interested in the characters of those movies, I’m not interested in the big car chase scene or the big fight scene. That’s great stuff to have, and I’m glad we have all that stuff, but that wasn’t the sole focus. We’d spend more time shooting these scenes and sacrifice other stuff. Always when you’re making a movie, you have to choose between one or the other, it’s just the nature of the business. Harald would always make sure we got the scene before we would go to something else.

Erin, Fangirlish: We told Harald you all brought the book characters to life, and then you made them relatable.

Kevin: There is a lot going on. There is a lot of characters. Part of what I think was fortunate about me, I didn’t find out I was doing this until like two weeks before, so I didn’t really have the time to sort of ask people, not that I would have, what everyone thought Alec should be. To me this was just a script, it was just a character that…when Harald and I first spoke about it, and read the book, we just talked about this character, and how me as a human being could bring this character to life, which is really all you do in a director meeting anyway. So I didn’t really have the consideration of what who people think Alec should be like. Is this the way…well I’m a little older than Alec is supposed to be. I’m maybe a little more of a dude than Alec is intended to be. You know what I mean? The way it’s written in the script he’s a little bit more effeminate, a little bit more, you know there’s a lot of things. Part of what I think was to my benefit was that I didn’t read into every sentence of the book because is doesn’t translate into a movie.

Erin, Fangirlish: Coming into that, and now a fan base who follow your every movement, is that a lot of pressure? Has it been a weird thing?

Kevin: It’s weird that it’s me. If I were to remove myself from the situation I would go “oh that makes sense, there’s fans of the books and…” It’s not weird to see a billboard for The Mortal Instruments, like 40 stories high on Hollywood and Highland, it’s just weird that I’m on it. To me that’s the only strange thing. So once you get used to that, um, but again we’re just making a movie. So to get wrapped up in this whole thing which is great and it gets people to go see the movie, and the fans of the books expectations, are all great, but the only thing I have any control over, like complete control over, is what I go do in the next movie. That’s it.

Kristen, TMI Movie News: You’ve set yourself up beautifully in the City of Bones, because you’re like a ultimate package, really. You’re going to come out in the next movie, with much more involvement I’m hoping.

Kevin: That’s for sure.

Kristen, TMI Movie News: Talk to us about your preparations for that, what are you honing into?

Kevin: I think part of what works, and what I liked about him, is that I don’t think you should totally ever get Alec completely. Even when he opens up I think there’s always something withheld. There’s a lot of stuff, certainly I’m in a lot more of the second movie. There’s a lot more fighting, there’s a lot more training, so physically for the last month and a half, I’ve been going sort of like, okay, I need to, because I didn’t have any time before we started this first movie so, I knew there was physically a different place I want to get to because I know there’s a lot more physical stuff to do. Also, I started defining the plan as to, again, I’ve read the book now, so I know what the template is going to be. I don’t know what is going to end up in the film, but there are things, specific scenes, that I’m sure will end up in the film that I’m a little more wide open in terms of the exposure of Alec that I think I will close down a little bit. Because I think the audience is a lot smarter than actors give them credit for and I don’t think that you…nobody is an open book, no matter how like, you know how Lily seems like she would be an open book and it’s her personality, she’s a very open, warm person, but there’s other stuff. You know what I mean? We all have these sort of like, and I think Alec is just, he does have these moments of really opening himself up, but I don’t think he opens up quite as much as you may expect.

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.

ET EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Behind the Music of 'The Mortal Instruments'

An incredible brand new video has been released by ET Online going behind the music of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. It can be seen below!

Mirror Mirror star Lily Collins faces a variety of decidedly nasty demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures in the new thriller The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, now in theaters, and we have an exclusive look behind the scenes at the making of the original motion picture score by Atli Örvarsson.

Örvarsson was hired on the spot by Harald Zwart at the premiere of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (for which Örvarsson provided the music) to compose the score for City of Bones -- with only three weeks to complete the score for the film after replacing an Oscar-winning composer who left the project.

"I came out of a screening of another film Atli previously scored and there was a certain energy about it," says Zwart. "I thought, 'He's the perfect man for the job.'"

After watching the film's first cut, Örvarsson immediately presented Zwart with a piece of paper containing the main heroine's theme. In a short time, the soundtrack was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, incorporating a full orchestra and choir.

"He handed me music scribbles and said, 'This is the theme,' and it is the beautiful Clary's Theme we hear in the film," explains Zwart.

Based on Cassandra Clare's best-selling book series, City of Bones casts Collins as Clary Fray, a seemingly ordinary teenager who discovers that she is part of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret force of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother (Lena Headey), she must embrace her fate and battle supernatural forces in a dangerous alternate New York City called Downworld.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones also stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jared Harris, CCH Pounder, Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, Kevin Zegers, Kevin Durand, Aidan Turner, Jemima West and Godfrey Gao.

Video and Full Article were found at ET ONLINE

VIDEO: Cassandra Clare talks writing, her movie and dresses!

 I literally teared up with pride when I saw this video because I see so many people I know in this fantastic interview of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones author Cassandra Clare talking with CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Serena Altschul.

From fans to fellow TMI bloggers, we all shared in this magical journey over the weekend at the LA premiere of the first movie for the TMI series. In this interview, Altschul discusses Clare's life, her work and a passion for dressmaking!

Let us know what you think of this fantastic interview!

Special thanks to the CBS Suinday Morning crew for being so nice on the carpet and even getting a shot of me and the other TMI bloggers at the end of the segment!

Lily Collins shares new footage of 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" with Jimmy Fallon

Check out the interview with Lily Collins on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. She talks about a creepy ghost on set of her film in Dublin as well as all about The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

Be prepared for not-so-great quality and me fangirling a bit!

Want to Skype with the stars of 'The Mortal Instruments'? Here's how!

Have you been dying to ask Lily Collins about playing Clary? Eager to know what Jamie Campbell Bower REALLY thought of that Greenhouse scene? Curious to know if Robert can give us the inside scoop on the pranks on set? Now's your chance!

MSN UK is providing your chance to Skype with the stars of TMI. Here's the details!

If you want to get involved in the Skype video chat (and let's face it, why wouldn't you?) all you have to do is tweet your question to @msnents using the hashtag #AskTMI. They are looking for the most imaginative, creative and brilliant questions so get your thinking caps on people!

You'll have to follow them on Twitter and tweet them your question before 9pm on Sunday 11 August, so spread the word!

Here's a video from Jamie inviting you to Skype with them!

Note that in order to participate you'll need a computer with a webcam and Skype installed, and connected to a high-speed internet connection.

Additionally, by participating you agree that Microsoft and its affiliates may transmit and archive your image and likeness as part of the interview and this interview will be accessible via the internet throughout the world entirely at Microsoft's exclusive discretion.

Lily Collins to appear on 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

If you are a night owl, get prepared for the start of a Shadowhunter fiesta as Lily Collins makes her first appearance on the late night circuit to promote The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

Lily will appear on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC, Monday, August 5th. The show comes on at 12:35 am ET/11:35 pm CT and will also feature former SNL star Seth Meyers.

What do you think Lily will share with Jimmy and the fans of the series? Share your theories below.

TMI SET EXCLUSIVE: Lily Collins talks Clary, her mom, and a determination rune

A young woman walks in a room, destined to find a mortal cup that will bring her one step closer to finding her father and unraveling the evil plans he has in mind for the world. She looks fearless, strong, confident. With a best friend charging in to help save the day and a Shadowhunter who has come to guide her this new, mysterious world, it's no wonder that the force that Clary Fray is unstoppable.

On the set of 'The Mortal Instruments' last September in Toronto, I found out a lot about the lovely Lily Collins, who plays Clary Fray in the film. Lily has a lot in common with Clary. She is passionate, loves her mom, is a bit of an artistic girl (she loves fashion and writing), and just truly seems to care about the world around her. It was fascinating to meet her in person and to even learn about what makes her stand out from her character.

TMI INSTITUTE: How do you think you are different from Clary? How have you worked around that aspect of it?

She needs a little bit more of encouragement from other people. Clary has one main friend – Simon – who she confides in and has confided in forever. I’m not someone that has a bunch of friends but I do have a close-knit group and so, I think I have kinda of grown up with so many different types of people that I’m not easily shocked by someone that’s different. My Mom would take me to all different countries and I would travel a lot so I’ve been kind of more exposed to the quirks of different people and such where I think Clary has been very sheltered in that sense which, rightfully so, her Mom wanted to keep her sheltered from this world so as to protect her and my Mom obviously wanted to protect me too but I feel like I have been more exposed to different types of people than maybe Clary was. So in those situations where she is very shocked and going to Pandemonium and going “I don’t fit in here”. I’m not necessarily saying that I would “fit in” to Pandemonium but I think I would maybe feel more comfortable in different situations than her because I have been exposed to different types of situations and people than her. Still protected, but less sheltered.

BOOKSHELF BANTER: If there is one word that explains an attribute of your character, but could also be used to describe yourself, what would that be?

I would say Passionate. Definitely passionate because another thing about Clary that I love so much that I completely feel the same way about with her is that my Mom and I are best friends and so if something were to happen to my Mom, I would do everything in my power to get her back or to find her. I’m so passionate about our relationship and I would do whatever it would take to get back and so I think Clary is passionate about so many things and that translates to any generation. Whether it’s her artwork or family or a guy, or whatever it is, she puts a 100% of her heart and soul into what she does and I’d like to think that I am a very passionate person too.

MUNDIE MOMS: What was your first impression of Clary when you read the script or the book?

Oh wow. I think she is just amazing, she is a heroine. But she is a normal girl at the same time and this kind of encompasses another question that maybe one of you have but it goes towards Clary..Is that this whole series is based in this fantasy world yet is still so realistic because it’s based in modern-day New York, in situations that every teenager goes through as well as having this parallel universe and it’s completely fantasy, but it marries the two together so well. I love that Clary lives in our world and also lives in another universe and she goes between the two and she’s fighting these demons of a fantasy world but also demons that every teenage girl goes through and she is able to do so without losing herself completely. I just love the way that she’s comedic and doesn’t take this fantasy world too seriously but knows when to really stay focused. She is such a well-balanced character and she is so much fun to play as well, especially in the version that we are doing, we do play up Cassandra’s comedy because that’s the beauty of the book. You read and you start giggling because they’re really funny and yet there is demons and this fantasy world going on and you’re like this shouldn’t be funny but because you’re not taking it too seriously, you’re able to agree with what’s going on and to actually understand it. That’s what I love most about Clary is that she is able to play that balance…and kick butt. It’s been so fun doing all the action! I was like, “do I get to do all this hanging from a wire and sword fighting?!” I LOVE the action part of it and they’re letting me do as much of it as I can, and that’s really fun.

HYPABLE: What scene were/are you most nervous to shoot when you were cast as Clary?

There are so many intense moments in this, especially in the script, the way that they’ve translated parts of the book that you wanted to, to do it justice. One of the scenes I was most nervous about I think was my first encounter with Jace in the alleyway because I’m doubting everything that I’ve ever known to be what I thought my life was and who I was and I’m confronted with this mysterious person who is both intriguing and extremely frightening at the same time and I have no idea what’s going on. The way that we’re doing this film, it’s really trying to stay true to a realistic sense of the fantasy world, it’s not just taking the book and making a movie version of it, so I wanted to stay as real as possible in the sense of freaking out about “if you found out that your Mom wasn’t your Mom” as opposed to just keeping it that “I’ve got these special powers”, it was really about making the fantasy realistic…so trying to act out being paranoid and intrigued at the same time and threatened but also curious – so many emotions going on at once that a normal typical teenage girl doesn’t have to go through. I was kind of nervous about that, and especially since it was the second day of filming with Jamie, and we were just thrown into it, and it was like “ok, go ahead and have that moment”, so I was nervous about that but again it was the second day and it was really really fun and when you feel it in the moment and then you watch it on playback, you’re like “ok I think everything I wanted was coming out of my eyes” so I am happy with that. But it was really really fun

NEXT MOVIE: If you could create a rune like Clary can, what would you make one for?

I think it’s something that I feel I have but maybe could use a little more in different situations. Determination. I think that sometimes it’s easy to get told “no” and maybe give up right away or be told something that you can’t do something and then take someone’s word for it and not continually try to push forward. So if you had a Determination Rune that when you’re feeling down, you could then use it to encourage you to keep going or go after something that you really want. Just that extra oomph of enthusiasm to keep going.

PAGE TO PREMIERE: What was it like getting to wear the awesome Shadowhunter all-leather outfit for the first time?

It was fun. What I love about this is that you do see this normal Clary, you know, kind of hippie chic artsy girl, wearing boyfriend jeans and Doc Martens, going into this tube top of a dress and then into the Shadowhunter leather gear. When I first saw the outfits on the rack I thought they were Isabelle’s and then they were like “no, no, actually these are yours”. And so, I love it. It’s really fun to be able to have this other persona of Clary brought out in the clothes as well as in her situations and what she’s put through. But I would not wear what I saw in Pandemonium because they really went there, which is great, I mean, it looks beautiful on screen, um, but it’s very edgy and very sexy and very much how it should be in that fantasy world.

FANGIRLISH: Were you familiar with the series before you acquired the role?

I was and that’s what made it even more…I was a fan of series and all of a sudden it was like I was being cast as a heroine that I admired. My Mom’s read all the books and the prequels. My Mom is just like “you remember that scene when…” and I’m like “Mom oh my god, I’m doing a movie, I need to focus on the first book right now. She and I would talk about it all the time and then I had just done Priest and Screen Gems and there was all this talk about making it into a movie and I was “just letting you know, I LOVE the series” and then I was cast and it was amazing because I was so passionate about the series of books and so aware, wasn’t aware of the huge fan base and the blogs and everything about that side of it until I was cast – when all of a sudden everything blew up about casting – Oh my god, I can’t imagine if anything had been taken badly in the Twitter sphere and the blogging, because I had no idea about how big the books were, I just knew that I responded to the literature of it. So for me this is like I’m a FAN that got to play a heroine that she admired. It’s really cool.

TMI MOVIE NEWS: The novels have appealed to both teens and adults... How in your perspective, will this movie appeal to both teens and adults?

Well, I think the fact that Harald, is making it so character-driven and emotionally-driven and not based on just trying to aesthetically appeal to an audience – It’s beautifully shot and Geir is an amazing DP – but I think the fact that he’s spent so much time on making sure that what we are doing is believable and is not silly or too CGI or too heavily relying on post-production. It’s something that my Mom as I do, enjoy watching old movies, where – black and whites – you can say so much through your eyes and you don’t have to speak to actually convey a message. That’s why Audrey Hepburn, those types of actresses are my favorite, because you can she see her on screen and she conveys a message without saying anything at all, and the way that we are shooting this film, you could almost watch it on mute and understand what’s going on because it’s so emotionally charged and it’s not relying on instant gratification – image, image, image- and it’s not based on just the aesthetics. When reading a book like this where you can laugh, you can cry, you can side with the characters, it’s something that no matter what age you are, you can relate to. You can relate to passion. Passion is universal. It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you are passionate about something you feel for it, and our film is so filled with that and it doesn’t rely on just the imagery – that no matter how old you are you can become invested in the story, it just keeps you on your toes.

TMI SOURCE: What do you love most about The Mortal Instruments series?

I have been a huge fantasy fan since I was little. I would read every series of books that involved anything to do with magic or fantasy because I love because I loved disappearing for a little while. But what I love about this is that you can disappear for a while but still feel involved in it because it’s based in reality as well. It’s got this really cool parallel universe going on at the same time as keeping you grounded and, like I said before, Cassandra includes humor into it so it’s not this dark story taking itself so seriously that you kind of just play it off as a series of books, you actually become invested in the story, you laugh along with it, you side with the characters. And at the end of the day, yes it’s a fantasy series, but it’s got so much realness to it that you can get involved in the story and not just reading about these fantastical creatures that are unbelievable. And Harald has taken that kind of feeling of the series and brought it to the movie where we’re not relying on CGI in order to convey the scariness of a situation or the fact that people are actually demons. It only enhances the movie because he’s made it so character-based and emotionally-driven and that’s how the book has already made as well, incredibly emotionally driven and the characters is what sells the story not necessarily the fantasy world itself. I think no matter what generation you are you can always associate yourself with a character and an emotion as opposed to a fantasy world.

CHECK OUT ALL OUT EXCLUSIVE SET INTERVIEWS:
Cassandra Clare
Jamie Campbell Bower
Robert Sheehan
Kevin Zegers and Jemima West

TMI SET EXCLUSIVE: 'Mortal Instruments' Lightwood siblings Kevin Zegers, Jemima West talk characters and costumes

A concerned Isabelle Lightwood, completely covered head to toe in Shadowhunter gear, kneels beside her unconscious brother. Her face is full concern as she yells to Jace for help. The tension in the air could ignite a room. We are glued to our director chairs as Harald Zwart calls cut.
I'd always wondered how I'd feel to see the Lightwood siblings on screen and how the chemistry between Jemima West and Kevin Zegers would be. When we walked into the conference room to catch up with the two actors, I was quickly impressed by how they felt about the opportunity to take on the roles of Alec and Izzy.
TMI Institute: What were you doing when you got the call to join the cast?
Jemima: It was 2am so I was about to go to bed. I saw an email from my agents and that was after about a few emails back and forth asking where are you and I was like uh-uh. After that, I stayed up for a little while.
Kevin: I was playing golf with my best friend near my parent’s house here in Canada but I actually got the job in this room funny enough. I was shooting another movie and they flew me in to meet with Harald, read a few scenes with him. So it was actually right here. So, thankfully I didn’t have to wait for too long. That’s probably the worst part about being an actor. Because you do sort of, whether you like it or not, start thinking about what would I do with the character and how fun would it be to be a part of something like this.  For me it was more relief than anything because I really let my guard down, and I was really hoping that it would happen, more than usual. I usually keep myself guarded until it happens. So I was very relieved that I was gonna get to do this.
Page to Premiere: What has been the most fun experience on set?
Kevin: Usually some people are just working to work and that makes the vibe a little bit different but everyone seems very invested which is nice. The fighting stuff is great because it’s not something we get to do so often as actors and we all kind of dove in as much as we could. Harold said very early that he wanted us to do all of it ourselves and that’s what we’ve been doing. We had one sort of sample period at the Hotel Dumort and had about a week of fighting so that was kind of our barometer to see where we were at. I think it went really well and from that point on Harold said great you’ve proven you can do that. The fighting stuff I have to say has been the most fun because it’s a whole character in and of itself I mean the fighting stuff is a huge part of the movie and the way that you fight is kind of a good indication of who the character is. We don’t all fight the same, there’s very different styles for all of us. Jamie and I fight quite differently, and Jemima has her whip so... It’s been a lot of fun. That’s been the most fun for me I’d say.
Page to Premiere: What was your reaction when you got your role?
Jemima: I was very surprised. I wasn’t really expecting it. But after the moment of thinking “really?..wowwww” it was a amazing. I was so happy, so happy. Working on the adaptation of a book was really a great surprise and then getting to do some work in English and getting to do something with this great team I was super excited and I couldn’t wait to start.
Next Movie: Kevin, you said that some of your characteristics are like Alec’s, which ones of your traits resemble those of Alec?
Kevin: Well Alec’s a little tricky because again, the audience has a certain expectation of where he ends up because most of the people that have read the books have read all of them so you know I didn’t want to create a sort of one dimensional character based on what his sexual preference was; Which is tricky because I think people have the expectation that you have to sort of give all his secrets away early on but if this one’s goes well we’ll have plenty of opportunities to sort of lay that all that out. Just being someone who is unsure of whether who he is going to be completely okay with everybody. The reason I think the fans like the character so much is because he is a lot like what kids in their teens are like; a little uncomfortable in their own skin.  He definitely has a core belief system in place, and that’s something that I have. He’s a little pigheaded in the way that he deals with things but not in a way that offends too many people. Yea, it’s been fun to create, because he is kind of the bummer in the movie until you realize he’s the one that really doesn’t want Clary there and makes it pretty well known. Originally in the script he was kind of around but you never really got a since of how he felt about everything but it reveals itself to be much more fun. From the moment he meets her he’s really not a big fan and doesn’t want her around. And not just because he has a thing with Jace but because I think it’s more about the whole family, the structure of the way things are with them he doesn’t like someone interrupting that. He seems pretty happy with the way his life is right now so. I don’t think anyone has to stretch to find the “wanting to make everyone happy” but you know having this other side of yourself that you don’t reveal too often. So that’s the most fun, pretty subtle. We’re not doing big. Our characters aren’t really showy. The acting is fairly understated. It’s not really over the top. Harald allows us to do our own thing and let the audience figure out what they catch and what they don’t. It’s been a lot of fun. Not what I expected to be honest.
Next Movie: Jemima, the costumes are really fun for your character, so how much did it influence on bringing the character to life?
Jemima: Oh massive, a massive influence. I think for every role as an actor, costumes, hair and make-up help a huge deal. On this movie in particular we have an amazing costume designer called Gersha Phillips who’s just fantastic. And she came up with the most brilliant ideas. I had no idea it’d be so cool. It’s very contemporary and very avant-garde in a sort of way. Like she’s come up with a whole load of accessories and things that I think really sets a huge trend. I mean the second I put my leather on and really high boots I feel like I’m someone else and that’s good. I’m definitely Isabelle when I’m in those heels.
Mundie Moms: What was your first impression of Alec when you first read the book or script?
Kevin: First impression for me are pretty telling, I always liked him the most, I always had the most affinity to him, I felt like he was the most misunderstood of the whole lot. I think as an audience the less you know sometimes the more interesting it is. The actors who I like the most are the people who reveal the least about themselves and as you watch it more and more you try to figure out where they’re at. Alec has a lot of that. Even if he does one thing and you can see that it kind of contradicts his attention. He has a lot of that and I think he’s aware of his own shortcomings and I like that about him also. There’s a lot of action in this movie, there’s a lot of stuff going on so for the amount of stuff we have to do as actors we want to make it work. We want to make it interesting enough that the audience cares. I don’t like these kinds of movies unless I care about the characters. I think that’s why people like the books. I think they like the fantasy and they like the story but I think the characters are really the reason why people keep reading them and why they’re still interested. Which is big, because you know there isn’t so much to do as an actor. It’s not a movie about acting, it’s not an hour and a half of dramatic scenes. There are specific moments that have to work. Jemima the same way, she has a few big scenes where they lay out the character as a whole and who she is. So we really focused on that and making them work as best as we could because they really sort of set the ground work for whether the movie works or not.
TMI Source: What’s your favorite part about the series?
Jemima: I think it’s kind of what Kevin was saying. The fact that we get all these very strong and complex characters in a world that’s our world today and a fantasy world. I think it’s the mix of all these things and as an actor I feel very lucky to be able to play a character that I like but also be a part of this whole mysterious new world. The runes, having tattoos, and all these weapons; it’s a mix of all of this that’s really exciting and this is what I really love about the Mortal Instruments. I get everything in one.
Fangirlish: Isabelle’s such a strong independent character; getting to play her in a predominantly male environment what’s it like?
Jemima: It’s fun. As a girl, yes, she’s probably quite hard to get through to, but the boys she’s with are just as tough so I don’t take it as she different to the others I feel like they’re all tough in their own way. She grew up with them so they’re hers, their blood.
Fangirlish: If you were to get one rune tattooed on you which one would you get?
Kevin: Permanent Tattoo? Probably this one on my neck because it’s the hardest to put on in the morning. The block and deflect. They gave us the runes and they were sort of working with us to figure out where we’re going to place them. I always imagined him having something that makes him visually alarming. And he does have this very big neck tattoo that covers the span of his neck. Because a lot of the time we’re wearing clothes like this with the vest on or whatever so I wanted him to have something very predominant whether he was dressed casually or not. Whether he’s at the institute or not. I think he’s very proud of that, as much as anybody very proud of what they do. I felt that something predominantly placed would be, and it just looks cool.
TMI Movie News: The books appeal to both teens and adults so what do you think of the movie will appeal to teens and what to adults?
Jemima: I answered that same question not that long ago actually and I think it’s a movie that will appeal to teens just as much as adults because as we were saying there’s a lot to do with the characters, the characters are very important. And the acting aspect is important so I think that’s what will draw the more adult people towards the film. And then the world of fantasy, fighting etc. will be to teens and adults too because who doesn’t like a good fight?
Kevin: Sometimes you make a movie for young adults and you play to that the way that you shoot it and the way that the acting is and I think Harald was very…It’s a movie, whoever likes it will like it. And I think sometimes the mistake is to kind of gear a movie too much as you’re making it towards one group or another. The fans of the book are going to go see this movie anyway because they’re interested. So the responsibility for us is to make it appealing to everybody whether they’ve read the books or not. So that’s been kind of the focus, obviously to make the fans happy to have this world brought to life but also make a really good movie. I’m sure you’ll get to see some stuff but it’s not a light and fluffy movie, it’s not what I call a lollipop movie. The colors are not bright. It’s a pretty intense. The fighting, it’s all very full on. There’s no punches pulled so it’s super appealing to like 12 year olds, it’s a movie. That’s certainly been Harald’s focus from the beginning was just to make a great movie and hope everyone likes it. Whether there fans of the genre or not whether there young or old, male or female, there’s obviously a lot of pretty girls, and a lot of boys who look like Jamie and Jonathan. That’s all we can really control, is to make a good movie.
Jemima: You know where really enjoying doing it and I hope the fun were having will translate and as many people as possible will like it. But we’re definitely doing our best working on characters properly and enjoying ourselves.
Kevin: And another great thing is you’ll notice there are not a lot of people on set. Not a lot of studio folks or…And normally with something like this there’s 100 different opinions coming in and so everything sort of ends up in the middle because they don’t want to offend this group, and don’t want to alienate that group and I think that they smartly gave Harald the keys and obviously said just make a good movie. Harald’s heart is in the right place. He’s knows the story and he knows the expectations but I think. There’s not a lot of chirping going around the camera like “ohh that might be a little too dark and if we too dark here then maybe the audience won’t like Alec or maybe the audience won’t like Isabelle”. I think the film allows itself for the audience to feel how the audience is going to feel and there’s not a lot of pandering to the audience as to not to not offend anybody. Sometimes I watch these movies and I think let them just do what they’re going to do and people are going to like certain characters and other characters are going to have to grow on them. You don’t just always have to play into the audience because then you end up somewhere in the middle and your with an okay movie.
I was very excited to meet Kevin and Jemima. I thought they were both very genuine, very thoughtful people. Jemima was gorgeous, and I loved her accent. Kevin completely convinced me that he was the best choice for the role of Alec. I was super impressed at how much they love their characters and how they want to make the fandom proud of their work.
Be ready for our final interview tomorrow with the one and only Lily Collins!
CHECK OUT ALL OUR EXCLUSIVE SET INTERVIEWS:
Cassandra Clare
Jamie Campbell Bower
Robert Sheehan

TMI EXCLUSIVE: Set report and interview with 'The Mortal Instruments' author Cassandra Clare

Welcome to the City of Bones, population, 1.

 It feels that way at least as I stand in the center of the actual City of Bones. Just for a moment, time seems to stop.  The people around me fade away, and I imagine what it must have been like for our protagonist, Clary Fray, to stand before the Silent Brothers.  Intimidating, amazing, magical....once in a lifetime. I feel all those emotions inside me. To get to this moment, though, we must step back to the beginning.

It's September 20th, 2012. Happy birthday to me! I just got off a flight from Little Rock to Toronto for an all-inclusive trip (thanks to Sony Pictures for the hook up) to see the set and interview the cast of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.   After a stop at the hotel, I headed down to meet up with a group of bloggers and friends for a dinner with TMI author Cassandra Clare.  While waiting outside for the group to arrive, several of us got a close encounter with Harry Potter star Gary Oldman and actress Abby Cornish.  I thought right then that if this was an indication of my experience ahead, I would be in for a huge treat. We got a lot of inside info from the dinner with Cassie. She was so gracious and happy to explain as much as she could about the set, her books and pretty much anything that wasn't too spoilery.

Dinner with Cassie! (photo courtesy of @Shadowhunting)

 September 21st, 2012

We had breakfast in this very spot!

After a late breakfast with some friends in the spot we first saw Lily and Jamie photographed together and almost running into actor Donald Faison in the hallway, I find myself sitting in a van traveling with a group of giddy bloggers, who are all chatting anxiously about what we are about to see. It was about 3:15 on a gorgeous afternoon when we left for the set.   It could have been about the longest 15 minute drive ever just because we were all so excited! There were so many expectations and so many things I wanted to ask Cassie and the cast. The group of bloggers with me were Alyssa from TMI Source, Katie  from Mundie Moms, Kristen from TMI Movie News, Amanda from MTV Next Movie, Kimmy from Page to Premiere, Kallie from Bookshelf Banter, Erin from Fangirlish, and Jen from Hypable. All are awesome ladies with enough knowledge about the fandom to make an encyclopedia.

When we arrived at the sprawling studio complex that housed the large sets for the TMI movie, they took our phones (no pics, tweets or texts on set). For a blogger, that lack of instant social media connection is almost your worst nightmare, but we were assured that we wouldn't want to miss a second of the action. We met up with Cassie, who seemed just as eager to show us the set as we were to be there.

On the way to the wardrobe department, our first stop on the tour,we spot Lily Collins, our very own Clary Fray, chatting with a crew member. She gave us a quick wave and we were on our way. The wardrobe for the cast was truly incredible.  The costume director took us on a tour of her area.She took us up to her office, and we saw where all the cast photos were hanging. 

***Here's some random trivia for you: Stella Zwart, daughter of director Harald Zwart, was supposed to be in the movie as the 10 year old demon girl, but was unable to at the last moment.***

There was even a photo of Jamie Campbell Bower with foil in his hair from a coloring session. It was adorable! We headed down to check out all the concept sheets for the actors’ wardrobes. There were photos of actors and models with clothing styled much like what the TMI characters would wear. We saw Jemima’s dress for Pandemonium and  Lily’s  micro mini party dress that Izzy lends her. To be there and be able to go up and see those pieces first was incredible.

The room was enormous with racks upon racks of clothing (a girl's dream come true) with signs indicating which character the garments belonged to. We were able to get a peek of Brother Jeremiah’s robe. The burlap robe was a heavy, massive piece. We went to an area of the room where two of the costume artists were working to distress leather pants by painting them. It was so neat! We also checked out paintings that were created on set for the movie, including a stunning one of Raziel.

To add to this experience, we went up to interview Kevin Zegers, Jemima West and Jamie Campbell Bower. I'll be sharing those interviews in the coming days, but I thought I'd give you the lowdown on what Cassie thought about Lily playing Clary.

TMI Institute: When Lily was first cast as Clary, what advice did you give her for portraying the role?

Cassie: When Lily was first cast as Clary, I was actually surprised. I didn’t realize they were going to cast her and so I think that I gave her the advice not to feel pressured by the idea that there were a lot of people who had investment in the character and who wanted to see the character portrayed this way or another way, not to get too hung up on people on wanting to make sure she had the right red color of hair or the right green color of eyes, but to try to capture what she felt was the intrinsic spirit of the character and I really believed in her ability to do that and from what I have seen, she has.

But that's not all... She had a lot more to say in this round table discussion with the bloggers.

Hypable: Is there a character, costume, or set piece that you saw and thought ‘wow that is exactly how I pictured it?’

Cassie: I think the first time that I saw the City of Bones, I thought wow this is exactly how I pictured it. It’s…I don’t want to say too much about it, but it’s really amazing and incredibly detailed. Every little tiny piece of the set is different and it really felt like a real place to me.

Page to Premiere: The story of City of Bones/Mortal Instruments was inspired by a trip you took to a tattoo shop. Do you have any tattoos, and are any inspired by your novels?

Cassie: I do not have any tattoos, I have never been able to commit to a particular tattoo, unfortunately, but I would love to get a tattoo and I’ve been thinking that maybe when the movie comes out I’ll get one of the Runes.

Page to Premiere: What inspired your awesome pen name?

Cassie: It’s the name of Jane Austen’s sister and she used to write stories for her sister so that was the inspiration.

Next Movie: For your readers, what do you think the film is going to add to this/your story they already know and love so well?

Cassie: Well I think that a film always adds another layer of meaning to a story the same way than a play adaptation or a piece of music inspired by a story adds another layer of meaning. A film is an interpretation of a book and so I think that it will provide people with an opportunity to see another interpretation to the book.

Mundie Moms: What scenes are you most excited to see?

Cassie: I think that for me it would really be a tossup in terms of the scene that I’m most excited to see between Magnus’ Party and the Greenhouse scene with Clary and Jace that we all know and love.

Bookshelf Banter: Is there a piece of advice you've given to a specific actor, in regard to their character, that surprised them?

Cassie: I’m not sure that I’ve really given a piece of advice that really surprised them but I’ve certainly talked to them about giving themselves the freedom to interpret their characters the way that they see them and not to worry about trying to hue to any of the particular other interpretations that you can find. You know, every different fan has their own interpretation of what those characters are like and I really wanted the actors to feel like they should interpret the characters the way they saw them.

TMI Source: What makes Harald Zwart the right director for this film?

Cassie: I think Harald is the right director for this film because he is actually not a fantasy guy in the sense that he hasn’t done fantasy movies before. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t like fantasy, he is a fan, but he comes at the project from the point of view of someone who has always concentrated on the emotional relationships between characters in his work and so, in these stories he does the same, he concentrates on the emotional work between the characters, their different relationships, he’s very committed to underlining that every character has a relationship with every other character and I think it’s that kind of basis that’s required to make a fantasy feel real.

Fangirlish: Is it difficult releasing control of your story to a screenplay writer and letting someone else translate your words to the big screen?

Cassie: Well I am a bit of a control freak so it is difficult to let go of a story and let someone else takeover their, you know with their interpretation of it, but, working with Constantin has been really great. They’ve certainly talked to me a lot, taken my opinion into account, and thought about the things that I have said. And at the end of the day, I am also excited, just as my readers are, to see the final product and ready to be surprised.

ON SET

The Portal (photo from the Shadowhunters Guide)

Next, we took a tour of the set. As we were making our way around, I spotted a dome shaped building to the right of us. I asked Cassie what it was. She told me it was the City of Bones and that we would see it later. I could tell she was excited to show us.  We walked through Clary and Madame Dorothea's apartments. They were unfinished at the time, but it was neat to see it first hand. The library was also unfinished, but they had the main structure with the portal. It was an extremely surreal moment to walk down those library steps to the portal, knowing what lurks on the other side in this literary adventure. 

***Random trivia: We were told on set that the portal was built on some type of naturally occurring stone and the Institute was built after that. There was an amazing spiral staircase in this two-story set with a stain glass window of the Angel Raziel. My impression overall of this particular set was that they had done an incredible job getting the tiny details.

The Mortal Cup (photo from BEA party)

We also got the honor of getting our hands on some of the props from the film. The seraph blades, crafted in resin to make them light and more durable, were beautiful. There were 45 of these specially designed blades made for filming. We each took turns wielding the blade. The Mortal Cup was extremely heavy! It has a drop of the Angel Raziel's blood in a compartment just below the goblet. There was a lighter version of the cup we were able to see, too.

We held both Jace and Izzy's stele and tried on Jace's Morgenstern ring. We all fangirled a bit about the fact that Jamie would be wearing it, and we've seen him in lots if photos with the ring on.

Morgenstern Ring (photo from BEA party)

Izzy's Stele (photo from BEA party)

Group photo time! (that's me, back row all the way to the left!)

We took a break to take our group photo with Cassie and hit up the ice cream truck that comes on Fridays as a treat to the cast and crew. Heading back inside, we finally went inside the City of Bones. The outer hallway was just how you'd imagine it: lined with intermingling skulls, full skeletons and runes. It was truly intricate and incredible! It really felt like being in the Bone City. When went in the main chamber, we were welcomed with director chairs with our names on them (of which we got to keep the chair backs).

My director's chair!

 There were TV screens set up, and we got the first sneak peek of CCH Pounder as Madame Dorothea as she becomes demon possessed. She walks to the door and gets tackled by Clary's best friends, Simon Lewis (Robert Sheehan) and Jace comes timing in to pull Simon off her and stab her with the seraph blade. Lily enters, grabs the Mortal Cup and puts it back in the card. She runs up and hugs Simon, and Jace looks at them both with a mixture of hurt and sadness. He hears his name called from another room. Isabelle (Jemima)

is kneeling over Alec (Kevin Zegers) saying that the rune (to heal Alec) isn't working. They take a break from filming, we talk with Harald Zwart, Lily Collins and Robert Sheehan. You'll see interviews with Lily and Robert in the coming days.

One of the coolest aspects of the City of Bones is the audio effect directly in the center of the room. It has a sort of reverb or echo effect when you stand in that spot and talk. I thought then that I couldn't wait to see how that effect would come to life on the big screen. In that moment, as I stood in the center of the City of Bones, I thought about Clary Fray, the girl who put her fear aside and entered a brave new world of strange and beautiful beings. How intimidating it would be to be interrogated by the Silent Brothers, yet Clary was strong. I thought about the journey I'd taken and all the incredible new people I'd meet along the way. The journey of a Shadowhunter to get to the City of Bones is a pretty fantastic one, and I'll be sharing my next part of my journey, an interview with Jamie Campbell Bower, on this blog tomorrow!

 

Check out all the interviews:
Jamie Campbell Bower
Robert Sheehan
Kevin Zegers and Jemima West