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Otto Farrant: Tried not to recreate much from 'Alex Rider' books

'Alex Rider': Spy games that schoolboys play.

New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Otto Farrant admits of having immense pressure to bring teen hero Alex Rider to life with a series of the same name, but the actor said he has tried to create a new version of the superspy by infusing a fresh vibe.

"There's definitely pressure to breathe new life into the character and to bring it to the screen. The books have sold millions of copies around the world, have so many fans, and I really hope that the show that we've created does justice to it. I hope that they enjoy our take on it and my performance," Farrant told IANS.

Based on Anthony Horowitz's young adult spy novels which have won a legion of fans, the series is about Alex Rider (essayed by Farrant) and his transition to a spy from a schoolboy.

Asked about the process of adapting from the book, Farrant said: "I had a meeting with Andreas Prochaska, who directed the first four episodes, and Anthony Horowitz.

"Anthony was very open and trusting of Andreas and I got to sort of create something fresh and new while keeping to the source material. With Andreas, we just talked about trying to bring truth and honesty to the role and to make it more human than maybe what we had seen before.

So we wanted to bring that to the table and I tried not too much to recreate what's from the books. I tried more just to create what's on the script and build the character of that."

For Farrant, "Alex Rider" is a story of a young kid "whose world is turned upside down when his uncle dies and he finds out that his uncle was a spy".

"Now, he has to go and save the world with the company that his uncle was working for," he said, adding: "It is a thrilling show that appeals to all audiences so you can watch it with the family. It has got something for everyone."

Talking about the show, Farrant shared: "Just to see your own name on something is really speciala It was a pinch me moment for me when I saw it for the first time. So that was amazing."

The cast also includes Stephen Dillane, Vicky McClure and Andrew Buchan.

The show streams on Sony LIV.

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)

--IANS

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