NarniaWeb Radio Interview!

A little while ago we had the privilage of being contacted by Gordon Hayden from the We Love Movies on Ireland’s Spin 103.8 FM. After a lot of planning and luck we were able to get togeather for an exclusive Narniaweb interview to discuss the upcoming movie.

The clip was so good that it was played twice on “We Love Movies”, Spin’s movie show airing on Sunday Night. Check out the Spin website at www.spin1038.com and listen to their live stream of the ‘on air’ action. The interview was originally played on Spin’s Plan B, Saturday the 24th of September at around 1.30pm (Irish Time) and repeated on October 9th.

Thanks to Pshawn and to Gordon from Spin 103.8 for his interest in the film and tremendous support of Narnia! Below we have a transcript of the interview:

Gordon: Without doubt one of the most anticipated films of 2005 has to be the Chronicles of Narnia the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Daniel Swann from naniaweb.com joins us now. Daniel, How you doing?

Pshawn: Doing great mate! Hows it going?

G: Aw good, good stuff. Daniel big exclusive news, there has been a first screening of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe?!

P: Yep, that’s true. We actually just got news a couple of hours ago. Yeah, in Southern California at the moment actually they have done a few test screenings. So we are getting the news filtered back through at the moment of what’s been going on and people’s first reports.

G: And what have the reports been like Daniel? Positive, Negative?

P: Well there has been a couple we have had posted at the moment and all in all I think they have been pretty positive. One of the people there recorded the feedback and 21 of the 26 people said it was excellent.

G: Brilliant!

P: Now I mean that is a pretty good start.

G: So let’s just talk about some of the other big news, Liam Neeson has been cast recently as the voice of Aslan. What are your thoughts on that?

P: Yeah, we’re delighted about that. Its one of those things where he is an absolutely fantastic actor, he shows really great maturity and depth of character, which you know he shows it on screen and off screen so its going to be something that he is really going to bring through with the character. And early reports from what we have heard from the screenings he really does a good job of it. So its going to be really exciting for him I’m sure.

G: Because he really wasn’t, Daniel, the first choice, if I’m right in thinking, for Aslan?!

P: Yeah, apparently originally Brian Cox was going to be playing the role, but for some reason he has pulled out or they have decided to replace him and Liam Neeson was the next choice. I’m absolutely ecstatic about it. I think he will do a great job.

G: Now a lot of magazines, Daniel, have been calling the Chronicles of Narnia the new Lord of the Rings. Do you think that is a fair comparison?

P: Ah, it is in some ways. I guess Lord of the Rings has set itself up as the big blockbuster of family movies in recent times and it sort of paved the way for a lot of the Harry Potters and the other fantasy movies that are really coming to the fore now. I think that the Chronicles of Narnia really stands on its own in a lot of ways because it was around at the same time as the Lord of the Rings. They were completely separate. The only real comparisons were perhaps that the authors were both really good friends and they are both fantasy. Apart from that they are both very unique in many different ways.

G: Now Disney right, this is going to be their big movie now his year, it has to be said. How big are they going to push this film Daniel?

P: Well we have heard the term roadblock used a lot lately. Basically what they are doing is they are going to absolutely flatten everyone with the sort of media and the sort of press coverage that is going to come from this. Its going to be one of those things where come December and come when the film actually comes out were going to be seeing absolutely everything pasted with all the Narnia stuff and its going to be a lot of fun for all the collectors and all the fans because there are going to be plenty of things for them to look at, plenty of things for them to buy and see. Yeah it’s going to be a really good experience.

G: What merchandise can we expect to see when the film is released?

P: Well this is one of the funny things. We’ve got a list on the website actually of all the different things. I couldn’t read them all out. You’ve got toys, computer games, things like toothbrushes, different collectables. They have got 3 different sound tracks already that they have worked out, the inspired by, the original score and you know another one in there as well. We’ve got apparel, we’ve got shoes, we’ve got books, we’ve got videos, jewellery. The list goes on. They’re even going to do Turkish Delight.

G: You’re joking?! No way!

P: No, no it’s all happening. It’s well and truly underway.

G: It would be so interesting to think what CS Lewis would think of that with them bringing out toothbrushes and oh my god it’s to mad.
Now obviously Daniel Narniaweb, it’s always the fist when it comes to stories and the news breaking about The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. What interesting bits of gossip have you heard from the set of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe?

P: Well we have had a few different reports. I mean obviously we had an interview with Doug Gresham ourselves and he actually talked a bit about some of the experiences he had with his family, where he took his grandson along to one of the sets one day. Just the atmosphere of the sets where they got to walk around before the filming started and see the fog and different things laid out and he was saying that his grandson was sitting there saying “This place is evil”. I mean it is really good to know that the locations they are using, the sets that they have set up are going to be of the quality that we need. But even some of the other characters that are being played, they have all said about how grandeur the scale is going to be.
We’ve had a few spy reports…

G: Excellent!

P: … that have been interesting for us. Nothing too incriminating, because obviously people are under contract not to slip up too much, but it just sounds like the scale is going to be immense and they have been having a lot of fun on the set and a lot of fun really making this movie good.

G: Because it is a big undertaking to bring a film like this to the big screen. Are you confident that the director Andrew Adamson will deliver the goods?

P: Absolutely, he is someone who has come from a bit of obscurity, he’s sort of come out of nowhere. But we have seen with his past work like Shrek and Shrek 2, he really does have the quality that is does take to make these sorts of movies. He has got a great idea for the visual aspects of it. I mean he was a visual director on a few other movies in the past and we can see with Shrek and Shrek 2 just that sort of appeal that he has to the younger kids and us older kids as well.

G: That’s very true.

P: He does a really good job and I’m absolutely confident. I am sure everyone else that is around the place will be impressed with his work.

G: And let’s talk about the cast of the film. Very little is known about the child actors but of course Tilda Swinton as the White Witch, Jadis, She will really bring something to that role.

P: Yeah, we’ve already heard wonderful things about her performance in this. The kids on the set were all talking about how awe inspiring she is to be around and she has that real presence when she walks onto the set even if she is not in costume. She’s 5ft 11 I think and so she has quite a good height on her anyway and her acting is absolutely immense. It’s one of those things that I think she will be one of the great actors of the next 20 years.

G: If the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe does well, which we hope it will, we can almost certainly expect Prince Caspian next?

P: Yeah that’s the report. I actually have a friend who was involved in the early production and before they actually had the movie underway, they had already planned out all seven movies if the first one went off well. So we could expect to see all seven of them. From the sounds of it and the way that The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is getting the reception at the moment before it has even come out, I expect that we will. And I certainly hope that we will.

G: Because that’s the worrying thing cause obviously the BBC could only push it so far. Because it obviously went The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader then silver chair. And I was kinda worried thinking will the film makers go down that same route and just that they would be the Four movies that we would see. But fingers crossed we could all see all seven?!

P: Yeah, that’s the plan. I mean the talk [is] if it isn’t going to be Seven then there is at least going to be Five. But there are some great storied in there with like with The Magicians Nephew and with The Horse and His Boy which are too good not to be told. And so it is just a toss up of if they were to do only five which ones would they leave out? So it is one of those things that it is almost for sure that thy will go down that track. When they do they are going to have to plan to do it in a way that gets all the fans completely satisfied I think.

G: Daniel just before we let you go for anyone that hasn’t checked out Narniaweb.com just exactly what they can expect if they were to check out your website?

P: On the Website we’ve got all the latest news and reviews of what’s been coming out with Narnia as well as a really great chat forum which we keep, I guess try to keep it as for the average person as possible, but make it as child friendly as possible as well so that anyone of any age can come along and really enjoy the community, enjoy talking about Narnia and all the wonderful aspects of it. It’s what makes Narniaweb the community that it is and as much fun as it is.

G: And one thing actually that will really get people going is they have a clock Narniaweb that counts down the date until December 9th when the movie is released. We can’t vouch for the website enough! Daniel Swann from Narniaweb.com thanks a million for taking time to us.

P: Yep not a problem mate. Thanks for that!

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