Andrew Adamson Chats to Disney Adventures

Andrew Adamson briefly discusses some of the finer points of the film, including his favourite creatures and the additions to the story. This article is from the October 2005 issue of Disney Adventures. Thanks to SpottedFeather for the scan.

DA: How does the movie differ from the book?

The main difference is in the fleshing-out of the characters. I found upon rereading the book that the children were written in a way that was typical of children’s books of the time, a little too perfect and not entirely three-dimensional. The film also has a more epic feel. This is mainly because C.S. Lewis expanded the world as he added to the Chronicles, and I wanted the world of Narnia to reflect what I remembered from reading the books.

DA: Of all the creatures in Narnia, which is your favourite?

That’s a tough question. Minotaurs make great bad guys, and the Gryphon is a pretty cool good guy – like a flying eagle/lion. I love Centaurs too, for how magnificent they can be in battle.

DA: Is there anything used by the White Witch in the movie that wasn’t in the book?

The most notable item was the White Witch’s polar bear-drawn chariot. C.S. Lewis didn’t go into a lot of detail about how the witch engaged in battle. I couldn’t imagine her just walking into it. I wanted something that was reflective of her sleigh and her frozen world, but was impressive and practical on the battlefield.

DA: How about for any of the kids?

Although Father Christmas gave gifts to three of the children, he didn’t fully equip them for the battle. We had designers come up with armor and weaponry for the Pevensies for the final battle. Edmund also needed something, so we had the Centaurs make weaponry for him. It’s all pretty cool stuff.