Challenges faced by Prince Caspian's Italian baddies

Two Italian actors starring in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian have discussed their excitement at playing the baddies in this summer's fantasy blockbuster.

Meeting reporters in Rome, along with director Andrew Adamson, Sergio Castellitto and Pierfrancesco Favino talked about the challenges they faced in making the film.

Castellitto, who has won multiple awards for his acting and directing, said his role as the arch-villain, King Miraz, was his first experience as a bad guy.

''It was like being a student again,'' he said. ''I rediscovered my pleasure in the detail of acting.

''This was particularly thanks to Andy [Adamson] who managed to hold such a massive transatlantic project together while also placing a great deal of importance on the psychology of the characters. It was a great lesson in cinema for me''.

Favino, who is currently filming Angels And Demons, the follow up to 2006 hit The Da Vinci Code, said playing the part of King Miraz's general, Lord Glozelle, was like a dream come true.

''It meant doing as an adult what I'd always wanted to do as a child: playing cowboys and Indians,'' said the 38-year-old actor.

''For my character I drew not only on some of Shakespeare's captains but also looked to classic fairy tales''.

Both men underwent a period of intensive training to prepare for the film, which was shot in New Zealand, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Poland.

In addition to hours on horseback to become comfortable with riding, they also had coaches who taught them how to handle weapons and fight.

''On a set like this, they train you until you cannot make a single mistake,'' said Castellitto.

The final battle scene was particularly demanding, he recalled.

''It took two weeks to film. By the end of the fourth day I just wanted someone to put me out of my misery,'' he joked.

BOTH ACTORS VETERANS OF INTERNATIONAL MOVIE CIRCLES.

Although both Favino and Castellitto, 54, are used to moving in international movie circles - having worked with Tom Hanks, Ben Stiller, Penelope Cruz and Luc Besson among others - it is unusual to find two Italians in a Hollywood film.

Adamson explained he had wanted a very specific appearance for people from Telmar, the land next to Narnia.

''I wanted the Telmarines to have the appearance of Latin people, so I started looking at actors in France, Spain, Italy and Central America,'' he said.

Although an English actor, Ben Barnes, has the central part of Prince Caspian, he had intensive voice coaching to learn how to speak with a Spanish accent.

The third baddie, Lord Sopespian, is played by Damian Alcazar, a well-known Mexican actor.

Despite the ''Latin'' similarities, said Adamson, the three baddies all have distinct characteristics.

''There is one who is evil through and through, one who is Machiavellian, and one who redeems himself,'' he explained. ''Sergio, Pierfrancesco and Alcazar played off each other very well indeed''.

The film is based on the second book in C.S. Lewis's fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia, and follows on from the 2005 movie The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

The four Pevensie children return to the magical world of Narnia and find that 1300 years have passed since they were last there.

While there, they help Prince Caspian struggle for the throne against his corrupt uncle, King Miraz.

Speaking in Rome, Adamson reassured fans he planned on making as many of the seven books in the C.S. Lewis series as possible.

''We will carry on so long as the public is interested,'' said Adamson. ''Recent reports that Disney wanted to stop after the third film arose from a misunderstanding''.

Prince Caspian, which cost 200 million dollars to make, has so far earned just 301 million dollars at the box office compared to revenue of nearly 745 million dollars for the first Narnia film.

Prince Caspian, which was released in the US in May and the UK and Australia in June, will appear in Italian cinemas on August 14.