Peter: [The Fighting Uruk-hai] The book hints at the concept of the Uruk-hai being created as an amalgam of Orcs and Goblin-Men.

Philippa: Yes, we did… We went through that deeper into another mythol[ogy?] –. We went into Tolkien’s other writings to draw on this concept that they were, in fact, once Elves.

Peter: But we create, you know, we created the Uruk-hai, really, as being these formidable foe, who do ultimately provide us with out climactic battle of the film, really. (beat) Lawrence Makoare, who plays Lúrtz, a most incredible job of bringing the prosthetics to life, because, obviously, he’s covered in this make up, and, you know, an actor can easily get drowned in the make up, and be lost inside it; but Lawrence was just an absolutely brilliant master at just punching… using all the energy in his natural performance to just punch through the rubber and the mask to bring this creature of Lúrtz to life. I think he did it remarkably well.

Philippa: The whole thing we were constantly trying to show is one of the reasons Saruman has fallen is, just as Melkor fell – the original spirit of evil within the world fell – is because of the jealousy of the power of Life, the power of Creation; and he’s playing God, and that’s what I love about the look in his eye in that scene between Saruman and Lúrtz: he says, “And now perfected.” [Fran: Mmm] Meaning that he is… he has that power, that power is now in him, and I –.

Fran: Genetic engineering.

Philippa: Genetic engineering, exactly! Exactly.

Peter: In the –.

Philippa: [at same time as Peter] And, of course, Tolkien is saying – [to Peter] sorry – within the greater... the thing of his own faith is that there is only One source of that Power.