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FEATURE DVD &BD
What are the most challenging aspects of
producing and filming Hell on Wheels?
For me, the challenge is to figure out a satisfying
story that will sustain over the entire season, and
to get the scripts out in a timely fashion. For the
producers and crew in Calgary full-time, the rain,
mud and cold is probably the most challenging,
physically. Two years ago, I remember standing
on the bank of the river when The Swede killed
the Dutson family [in Season 3]. That very
afternoon, we were all evacuated because of
thunder and lightning. The river rose so far, and
by the next day, the place was no longer there!
Have you started to get sentimental about
the show entering its final season
– and can you give us any hints about
what to expect in Season 5?
I am getting sentimental. Both Anson [Mount, who
plays Cullen] and I spoke about the bittersweet
nature. We all feel gratified that we’ve had this
many episodes to tell this story and that we’ll
be able to tell it through to the end. I can tell you
what the end to the story is: pounding the golden
spike at Promontory. I can also say that we’ll be
exploring the Central Pacific side of the railroad
next year, including the Chinese laborers; Cullen
will be searching for his family; we’ll see a lot more
of Huntington and his relationship with Cullen;
and we’ll be dealing with building the railroad
through the mountain, which may perhaps involve
tunnelling. That’s about all I can say!
In Season 1, the focus was Cullen‘s search for
vengeance for his family. Now it’s the search
for his family. Did you go back and study
Season 1 when planning Season 4?
JOHNWIRTH: In life, we sometimes go in
circles when we don’t necessarily want to.
It is a common theme that runs through the
series. Cullen’s search for his family now is
more about healing himself and becoming
a whole person, as opposed to just trying to
get the anger and anguish out.
Do you know what will happen to each
character by season’s end, or do you allow
the characters a chance to develop with the
storyline as the season progresses?
The writers have a lot of lead time before we
begin production, so we have a pretty good
road map before we get started. We have an
idea of where we want to take them over the
course of the season because we develop
themes and storylines for each character,
but we’re always open to things that pop up.
We start watching the film as we make it,
and start seeing actors working together and
certain onscreen dynamics sometimes dictate
the story. That’s always a fun discovery.
After four years of Hell On Wheels , it’s clear
that no character is safe from the dangers
of life on the frontier. How do you decide
who gets killed off?
The advent of cable television allows us to
put people in situations where their lives are
in danger all the time. In our world, Hell on
Wheels is a dangerous place. Cullen Bohannon
and Thomas Durant – being a historical person
who didn’t die [then] – are probably the only
two people who are safe. It’s not an easy thing
to kill somebody off. It requires careful thought,
consultation and respect for everyone
involved, including the actor.
With the release of the penultimate season of Hell On Wheels ,
showrunner John Wirth talks about the challenges of location shooting
and deciding on which characters will live or die.
It’s not an easy thing to kill somebody
off. It requires careful thought,
consultation and respect for everyone
involved, including the actor.
MARCH 2015 JB Hi-Fi