“The situation that women were in, at the time, was something that Dumas doesn’t really go into, but it’s a great subject to look at.”

They’re classic themes, which is why I think it’s such a great story to look at again.

Richelieu is not a villain, in his own mind. He’s doing what he needs to do.

It’s not fundamentally different to any other genre, that action is a particular thing.

On a simple level, you need directors who are good at action and can choreograph an action scene

I think there’s an element in Milady where she sees her own innocence in D’Artagnan.

You can use the fun of the genre, but I also really wanted to come at it from the point of view of some really complex characterization.

And we make quite a big thing about that. I won’t give too much away.

One of the problems of this genre is that there are cliches everywhere, and you’ve got to be careful and watch out.

Milady is, in one sense, a villain because she does bad things.

The thing about villains is that villains always have their own logic, and they don’t necessarily see themselves as villains.

You’re always looking to make it a bit fresh.

He’s not cruel. He just does what he has to do. And in his own mind, he’s absolutely right.

You do see a few people and you are thinking of how that chemistry is going to work, but it’s not really fair to put people who are auditioning together in a room.

I didn’t want to do that. But what I did want to do was have a real look at the adventure genre because I thought it was ripe for reinvention.

I always want the action to be witty. I don’t want it to be merely routine.

Our rule with cliches is to either gently acknowledge them and make fun of them, or do something else.