Douglas Gresham Talks Prince Caspian
“NarnianPrincess” has done a great interview with producer Douglas Gresham. He reiterates what we know about Prince Caspian as well as adding a few tantalising tidbits. You can read a selection of his answers here. Visit NarniaFans.com for the rest of the interview!
NF: At what stage is Prince Caspian right now?
DG: We are pretty well advanced in pre-production with most conceptual realisation about done and a lot of pre-vis animatic being done. Location choices are about settled. Set design is under way and casting is well advanced; in other words we are pretty sure what the movie will look like.
NF: When will you find out who is playing Caspian?
DG: Well that is very hard to estimate, but we are down to a pretty short list now I am told. I am off to Prague tomorrow to attend some meetings at which this question will be further addressed.
NF: What is your favorite part of the book?
DG: I think that the first meetings of Caspian with all the “Old Narnians” are some of the most charming and exciting scenes in the book.
NF: What is the main message that you think Jack (C.S. Lewis) wanted Caspian to illustrate?
DG: Prince Caspian is about a return to truth and justice after a centuries long corruption. Jack was also trying to illustrate some of the most important personal and interpersonal qualities that we need to have as individuals.
NF: What do you want people to get out of the film?
DG: Several things, first, a great deal of enjoyment and excitement, and also a realisation that the great historic concepts so prevalent in the 19th century and before, such things as honour, loyalty, commitment, personal responsibility, courage, duty, honesty and chivalry to name but a few, are important and although they were more or less discarded in the 20th century, they are vital to the success of the societies of Man and we need to get them back. Also an understanding of the value of myth and fantasy, and the great delight of imagination.
NF: How do you think Caspian will compare to LWW?
DG: I think it will be a faster moving and in some ways more exciting film than LWW, and also there are lots more Narnian characters to get to know. I think it’s going to be fascinating. It is our challenge as filmmakers to improve and raise our standards of excellence with each succeeding movie, but of course we did set the bar pretty high with the first one.
