Producer Mark Johnson’s Interview

And you’ve got “The Chronicles of Narnia” up next, right?
Yep. I leave here tomorrow night [on June 22, 2004] because we start shooting in five days in New Zealand.

Wait, you start shooting in five days? I’ve only heard about two confirmed cast members. There must be more people onboard now besides Tilda Swinton and James McAvoy.
I’m not talking (laughing). No, do you know what it is? It stars four young unknown British kids so I could give you their names but they won’t mean anything to you.

So they haven’t been in anything else?
No. Maybe little things but nothing that you’d recognize.

What about putting it in the hands of “Shrek” director, Andrew Adamson?
I think the guy is a genius. The first thing he said to me is, “I don’t want to make a movie based on the book. I want to make a movie based on my recollection of the book.” So it’s kind of like his imagination and the underlying material.

How will that play with real fans of the original material?
Oh no, it will still be very much true to it and the C.S. Lewis Estate is assured of that. But there are lot of things when you go back and read it, a lot of stuff is suggested. And this really fills in a good deal.

So the C.S. Lewis Estate is a big supporter of the project?
They are our partners every step of the way. Every change we make, they are involved in.

Will the financial success of the first film determine how many more movies you’ll do?
Hopefully we’ll do all seven. I’m excited about it.