What are you general impressions of the movie?

Miranda - A sense of relief that there is actually a movie and I didn't just dream the whole thing. That it is good and better than what I've been sprouting to people for the last two years since finishing the film.

Karl - My fear was the film isn't going to be as good or as successful as the first and it's such a relief to finally get to see it. To sit there for three hours and just thoroughly enjoy it and to get feedback from people saying that they love it more than the first film has been great.

Miranda - And the middle story is a harder one to adapt because it doesn't have the real payoff ending that the third film will have. The battle at Helm's Deep is fantastic, it's such a high point at the end.

Karl - It's a more complex film. You've got these three individual stories going along. It's also a more intimate film as you go along these journeys and there's more character development, there's more black humor. You also get to terms with some of the heavier elements in Tolkien's book.

Tell us about your characters, how did you relate to them?

Karl - Eomer's a proud and willful character. He has that classic stoic, isolationist quality that the Rohan culture has. I enjoyed playing Eomer because of the polarity within him. He's fierce and headstrong yet you also get to see a compassionate and generous side of him as well.

What about the skill level required for the horseback riding?

Karl - I've been on a horse before but it was nowhere near the skill level that was required for TTT. I picked up some good riding skills while filming and if my day job fails, I can always become a sheep wrangler in the New Zealand high country (laguhter).

Miranda - With Eowyn, I liked the fact that she was the first real human female character. The elves are amazing, they're mysterious, strong, ambiguous, and they've lived for two or three thousand years but I could identify myself more with the human female character as a reader. Eowyn has the look of being a classic princess but she's also a strong and fierce fighting character with strong ideals who's just as capable as any man. She's a good role model for young female readers.

You've been tagged by People Magazine as a sexy up and comer. What's that like?

Karl - It's outside my area of concern. The media will do what they do. They'll put labels and mark you in whatever way but it's not a part of my day to day reality, but it comes with the territory from being in a production like this.

Miranda - I don't like it. I don't want to be seen as a sex symbol. I've been acting for fifteen years or so. That's what I'm interested in and I want to be taken seriously as an actor.

What's it like having your own action figures?

Karl - It's kind of weird and scary. I remember what I used to do with my action figures (laughter) and I don't like the idea of somebody doing those things to me but it's a part of the movie merchandising and marketing which George Lucas really helped to invent.

What about all the media attention?

Karl - I can't speculate on what's going to happen after the film comes out but I'll certainly get more exposure from this than anything I've done to date. I'll also be attending premieres in New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles, and Wellington (NZ).

Miranda - I've done six other character roles since TTT, but I don't know what will happen to me after the film's released. I still feel like the same person.