In the high-stakes world of television, few dare dance with danger quite as literally as “The Pendragon Cycle.” The latest installment of the popular series has gone off the spectrum for adrenaline pumped, edge-of-your-seat drama, replacing glitzy sets and CGI with a gripping spectacle that saw the cast tangling with real live bulls. This risk-taking audacity unfolded in Rome, during the shooting of episode eight, as revealed by Jeremy Boreing, the series director and co-founder of the Daily Wire.
In the behind-the-scenes footage, made available to Daily Wire members on Thursday, Boreing relayed the herculean extent of preparation that the crew undertook before the cast was let loose in the bullring. The presence of actual bulls, advancing the action with no green screen parochiality, marked an uncharted territory in contemporary productions.
Boreing, who returned recently from Europe, described the week leading up to the filming of the bull dancing scene as indelibly remarkable. “Real people, leaping over real bulls, in character, no cables, and no CGI,” he remarked, clearly satisfied with the result of the daring but planned maneuvering.
The bull dancing scene was not shot impromptu but required meticulous groundwork. It demanded rigorous discipline, both to preserve creative precision and to ensure uncompromised safety. During the episode’s filming, measures were undertaken to enhance the reality and uniqueness of the representation, including special attention to camera angles to avoid the banality of typical sporting event coverage.
Renowned production designer Renato Cseh, commenting on the safety measures devised for the shoot, revealed that concrete walls were erected on a stringent five-week timeline. He furthered, “When you have wild animals on the set, you have to be really careful,” adding credence to the stern safety measures employed by the film crew.
Dallas Sonnier, the executive producer, shared his excitement about the episode, lauding the quintessential Spanish bull leapers as authentic and fearless, unfalteringly performing without the insurance of wires or protective padding. Sonnier elevates anticipation as he portrays the reeled bulls, ready to be unleashed.
In a more insightful revelation, Boreing narrated how the challenge magnified as time spent in the ring increased. These bulls, he stated, possessed an astute intelligence that allowed them to anticipate human moves after about 20 minutes.
Undeterred by initial skepticism and ample adversities, the team comprised of devoted creatives, displayed an inordinate level of commitment bringing the bull-dancing sequence to life. The executive producer beamed of achieving the extraordinary, proving naysayers wrong by completing the daunting task successfully.
The resulting high-octane drama hits screens in 2024, exclusively on DailyWire+. The impending season carries the promise of sustaining suspense as it recasts the legendary Arthurian fable. Set in an era after Roman-occupied Britain, it paints an intriguing canvas of budding Christianity, battling the darkness of spiritual and physical disturbances.
With a slew of barbarian invaders launching an assault on what is envisaged as the Island of the Mighty, only those fortified by an unwavering faith in the True God are expected to triumph. The Pendragon Cycle, based on Stephen R. Lawhead’s acclaimed Christian novel series, promises to be an intense, action-engorged epic favoring reality over artifice.
Thus, as the television landscape is morphing, daring to redefine creative boundaries, “The Pendragon Cycle” deviates from the expected, and takes real-life storytelling to a wholly new level. With vested faith in their singular vision, and the courage to defy conventional expectations, the creators of “The Pendragon Cycle” continue the compelling and ground-breaking narrative set forth in previous seasons. As the story unfolds, one thing is clear: bravery has a new face and it takes on the form of both man and beast. The creators have taken a leap of faith; it remains to be seen how many viewers will make that jump with them.
