Chronicles of Narnia

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Laura Ingalls
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Post by Laura Ingalls »

I've read the books many times. My favorites are The Horse and His Boy and The Last Battle. We also own the BBC versions. While I still enjoy watching them, I don't like the animated creatures added in and the way Aslan "flies". And now I can't picture Reepicheep different than the little waddling creature they portray him as. :D

I think the movie sounds promising, but we don't go to the movies much. Maybe we can see it if it comes out on video...
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Post by Trent DeWhite »

Laura Ingalls wrote:I've read the books many times. My favorites are The Horse and His Boy and The Last Battle. We also own the BBC versions. While I still enjoy watching them, I don't like the animated creatures added in and the way Aslan "flies". And now I can't picture Reepicheep different than the little waddling creature they portray him as. :D
Heh, Aslan's 'flying' performances was pathetic. Then again, so was the flying of every other creature in those movies. ](*,)
Laura Ingalls wrote:I think the movie sounds promising, but we don't go to the movies much. Maybe we can see it if it comes out on video...
Considering movies take several months before they come out on VHS and DVD, you'll probably be waiting around May or June before they release "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" on video.
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Post by Trent DeWhite »

At NarniaWeb, you can read an exclusive interview with Douglas Gresham, co-producer of the film.

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Here are several excerpts:

NW: Knowing C. S. Lewis personally, do you think that he would insist that the books were adapted exactly as he wrote them or that he would be open to the filmmakers’ ideas as long as they did not obscure the meaning of the stories or change anything essential to them?

DG: That’s a tough question. I know that Jack would want to protect the integrity of each of the books, and preserve very carefully the messages that each is intended to convey. I also know that Jack was not enamored of film as a medium of communication because he felt that too little care was taken about what was being said in the movies that he had seen. Also, one of the hardest things to do is to preserve the literary integrity of a book when adapting it to either stage or film, and it is probably far more difficult with film. I think though that Jack would be amazed and fascinated with the wonderful technology that has been developed recently but perhaps less than delighted with the uses to which it has been put. I hope we address that failing to some extent with LWW.

NW: If you think that he would have allowed a little room for other ideas and made allowances for translating the written word to the moving picture, then how does it feel to be in the position he would occupy as the judge of these questions and how do you decide whether he would approve of one idea and disapprove of another?

DG: It’s rather daunting to say the least. As to how I decide; I put together all my memory and love of Jack himself and also of Warnie and my mother (great fans of Narnia not surprisingly), everything that they taught me, my understanding of and love for the book, my understanding of the necessities of the film medium and the needs of modern human society worldwide, and I pray a lot. Once all those and other factors have come together and been thoroughly examined in the light of whatever decision is to be made, I then decide what to say.

NW: Are there any major differences from the book that we can expect?

DG: That depends on what you mean by "major differences". Obviously a lot of what Jack could do with narrative, we have had to translate into action. Jack could tell about it, we have to make it happen. Also, for reasons of character development, balance and pacing, there will be things in the movie that do not appear in the book. I think and hope that we have added more value to it than we have taken from it. However, as a Narnian purist I ’feel’ that any and every change from the original book is bad and thus have to contend with my emotional attachment to the book warring with my intellectual faculties and understanding of filmmaking. I have probably been a pain in the neck at times to my colleagues in the production. (grins)

NW: There have been some rumors put forward by the studio that not all seven movies will be made or that some movies may be combined. What’s your reaction to this?

DG: I didn’t know that. But how many movies are to be made by Walden and distributed by Disney would almost certainly depend on how many folks go to see each movie as it comes out, so really it’s up to you guys. What they call "Franchises" in Hollywood do seem to have varying life spans, the James Bond series is up to about 20 movies now I think. Hollywood dudes do seem to tie themselves into patterns very easily and find them much harder to break out of than to slide into. However, I would like to live long enough to see all seven made into good films. I would certainly not want to see any of them combined, or skipped for that matter.

NW: If there are future movies, do you plan on being as closely involved with them as you have been with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe?

DG: Yes indeed, if not even more so as I would hope to become more useful the more I learn about making movies.

NW: What has it been like working with Son of Adam (Andrew Adamson) and the rest of the film crew?

DG: For the most part it has been a very enjoyable time. The crew was all extremely nice people as also were the cast. I never encountered any nastiness on set or at any of our locations from anyone, and that is pretty rare in film making. Come to think of it, it’s pretty rare in any endeavor. One of my particular friends on set was annoyed by something on one occasion so she went off and sat by herself for a few minutes till she had overcome her annoyance. She did not blaze up at anyone, or inflict her feelings on anyone else. I found that interesting, for while she is a pretty impressive person in her own right, it seemed to me to be what I would expect from members of that crew. An atmosphere of friendship and good-heartedness pervaded the work; in fact it was a bit like being in Narnia during the Golden Age. Andrew is a very nice bloke, and has a way of applying quiet charm to get things done his way.

NW: Which character do you think most matches their description in the books?

DG: Hmm, now that is a tough one because I think they all do - that was part of what we set out to achieve. Will just is Peter, Anna is absolutely Susan, Skandar plays Edmund to perfection (we teased him that when he got to the part where Edmund suddenly turns into a good guy, we would have to teach him how to act, as he had just been himself up until then) and Georgie is perfect as Lucy. Tilda plays the White Witch superbly and James is a brilliantly true to character Tumnus.

-----

You can read the complete article here.
Last edited by Trent DeWhite on Fri Apr 15, 2005 5:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Catspaw »

I'm really looking forward to the new movie. I've seen one of the old BBC ones, and thought that it was terrible. I've read all the books several times, and continue to love them. My favourite is The Horse and His Boy. I adore the way that FOTF Radio Theatre does all of the books, especially that one. I have all 7 Narnia Radio Theatres and enjoy them very much. The first time that I read The Last Battle I cried when it was revealed that Susan didn't believe in Narnia anymore. My name is Susan in the "real" world, so I had felt connected to her throughout the books. I couldn't believe that any author could be as cruel as to do that to me! I still don't read that one very often, and find it sad. I know that there's a lot of hope and symbolism of heaven and stuff, but I still don't like it as much.

The interview with Douglas Gresham was interesting. I'm glad that he's involved, since it seems like he would be a good person to be connected if the movies are supposed to be close to the books. He was the host for the RT versions.

For those who don't know, Douglas Gresham was C.S. Lewis's stepson. The "Wernie" that he referred to was C.S. Lewis's brother. Jack is the same as C.S. Lewis - apparently that's what he preferred to be called.

On a connected note, has anybody else seen Shadowlands? It's about C.S. Lewis's relationship with Joy Gresham, Douglas's mother. They eventually married. (She had two sons from a previous marriage). I saw for the first time about a month ago, and found it both interesting and moving. It doesn't focus on Narnia, but I think there was a reference to it. I can't remember for sure now.[/i]
Chandler

Post by Chandler »

Thanks for posting the interview Trent! :)
Trent DeWhite wrote:At NarniaWeb, you can read an exclusive interview with Douglas Graham, co-producer of the film.
Douglas Gresham. ;)
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Post by Trent DeWhite »

Chandler wrote:Thanks for posting the interview Trent! :)
Trent DeWhite wrote:At NarniaWeb, you can read an exclusive interview with Douglas Graham, co-producer of the film.
Douglas Gresham. ;)
That's what I said. ;)

:: koff ::

Here's another excerpt from NarniaWeb. Michael Flaherty, President of Walden Media, was recently interviewed by CCM:

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CCM: Since the "Chronicles of Narnia" series has such a loyal, even fanatical following, there’s bound to be huge expectations of "Lord of the Rings" proportions for a film like The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Flaherty: I know! But I love it because the director, Andrew Adamson (Shrek, Shrek 2), totally "gets it." As a company we also made a decision that we’d take an approach that would be completely faithful to the book. For example when Holes first came out, we made sure the author was intimately involved in adapting his book to the screenplay.

CCM: It seems that there’s an element of faith in all the films you’ve made with Walden Media.

Flaherty: Throughout human history most of the great events and figures have been motivated by faith. So you’re not a good storyteller if you avoid that aspect. But then, at the same time, if it’s not in the DNA, you can’t apply it like makeup-- like "Oh, we’ll put a faith scene here to appeal to the church crowd." They are a sophisticated audience, and they know when something isn’t genuine and authentic.
-----

Anyone interested in taking the Narnia Personality Quiz? :D
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Chandler

Post by Chandler »

I can't imagine that the Narnia movies will garner as much a following as LotR in the long run... but I'm sure they'll be popular among us when they are first released.
What a quiz! I came out as Shasta... not sure how but I did. Those are some funny statments they have about the characters, especially...
"As Prince Rilian, you are brave, noble and intelligent, but easily misguided! Just make sure you don't go after any green women." :lol:
"As Tirian, you are valiant, brave and loyal. While you may have a silly name, you help others in the face of adversity and always uphold what is right."
Hmm... Tirian might be offended to hear his name is "silly." :shame:
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Post by Elf of Rivendell »

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As Jill, you are confident, respectful, and a little bit bossy! You have an acquired taste for adventure, and love any challenge that you have to face.

It's pretty accurate, actually...
sorrowing you must go, and yet you are not without hope

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Post by Shadowpaw »

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You are most like Peter Pevensie, once High King of Narnia. As Peter, you are brave, loyal yet intelligent, and are greatly respected for upholding what you think is right.
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Trent DeWhite
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Post by Trent DeWhite »

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As Prince Rilian, you are brave, noble and intelligent, but easily misguided! Just make sure you don't go after any green women.

:-s
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Laura Ingalls
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Post by Laura Ingalls »

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As Bree the horse, you may be somewhat stubborn and proud, but you're still devoted to helping people, and are widely respected for your selflessness at times.


What...me--stubborn?? :anxious:
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Jonathan
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Post by Jonathan »

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Heh, I can't even remember who he was. I really need to read those again.

-Jonathan
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Post by Trent DeWhite »

Maybe this might help stimulate your memory, Jonathan. ;)

Rilian

A king of Narnia, the son of King Caspian X (better known as Prince Caspian) and Daughter of Ramandu, he is also known as King Rilian the Disenchanted. Throughout most of "The Silver Chair" he is held captive by the enchantment of the Queen of Underland, who killed his mother when the price was about twenty years old. Seeking to avenge his mother's death, Rilian instead falls under the witch's spell and goes to live with her in her underground kingdom. The story of Rilian's enchantment and subsequent disenchantment is superficially a story of the illusions of romantic love, but beneath that is the grim plot of the Queen of Underland to invade and rule Narnia.

--An excerpt from the "Companion to Narnia" by Paul F. Ford
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Post by Me »

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Post by Catspaw »

I am grumpy! All these cool people, and guess who I am?

As Puddleglum the marshwiggle, you are very much pessimistic and paranoid! However, you're respected and trusted, and have a heart of gold!
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I mya be slightly pessimistic at times, but I don't think that I'm very paranoid! (Hey, you - the one hiding behind the curtains! I am armed! Oh, wait - nevr mind, it was just my cat). The heart of gold is all right, I guess, but the appearance of the character is somewhat ghastly. Why couldn't have I been Aslan or Lucy or somebody like that?

*goes to redo the test with fake information so she can be somebody cool*
Chandler

Post by Chandler »

Oh I forgot to post this!

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Post by Trent DeWhite »

You can check out some behind the scenes of "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" over at Narnia.com. There are currently two video chapters, both available in .MOV format for Quick Time users and .MWV format for Windows Media Player users.

Chapter 1: Weta
Chapter 2: The Director
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Lucy Pevensie
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Post by Lucy Pevensie »

I've read all of the books- however, I'd rather spend my time pouring over Tolkien's works. ...since I've already done enough of that on CoN. :P
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Post by Larry The Pickle »

Catspaw wrote:I am grumpy! All these cool people, and guess who I am?

As Puddleglum the marshwiggle, you are very much pessimistic and paranoid! However, you're respected and trusted, and have a heart of gold!
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I mya be slightly pessimistic at times, but I don't think that I'm very paranoid! (Hey, you - the one hiding behind the curtains! I am armed! Oh, wait - nevr mind, it was just my cat). The heart of gold is all right, I guess, but the appearance of the character is somewhat ghastly. Why couldn't have I been Aslan or Lucy or somebody like that?

*goes to redo the test with fake information so she can be somebody cool*
GFY!! :lol:
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Post by JesusFreak777 »

well I am either Susan or Tirian
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