Intriguing Detail Revealed about the Dawn Treader Storyline
In a recent interview with Examiner’s Carla Hay, Ben Barnes dropped a very intriguing tidbit about the overall The Voyage of the Dawn Treader storyline.
Let’s talk about the “Dawn Treader” movie. I know you can’t reveal any spoilers, but what’s in the movie that’s different from the book?
Barnes: They’ve stolen a couple of ideas from some of the later [“Chronicles of Narnia”] books. [It’s] a very difficult book to adapt, because it’s very episodic. It’s chapter by chapter. They go on the voyage, they go to one island, a bit more voyage, another island, a bit more voyage, another island. It’s very satisfying to read; every chapter by chapter, it’s very exciting. But it has no real through line. And so they have to kind of steal other elements to sew it all together. I think they’ve done it in a really clever, unobtrusive way.
Could this perhaps have something to do with the “unfathomable fate” we’ve heard about in the production’s written movie synopsis? It certainly seems like a strong possibility, but until we get more information, let the speculation begin!
Thanks to JadistarkilleR for the heads-up!
Aunt Letty, I love your name 😀 I thought we had run out of Narnian characters… I guess not!
i heard they are going to ruin the movie. They will follow a blue star to the end of the earth.
The green witch will show up somehow and the 7 lords will take the knife to ramandu's island. ramandu's daughter will be the blue star. they will also have a battle in the lone islands and will bring a mermaid out of the water instead of lucy staring at it. its going to be a mess. LWW was good, PC so so, VDT ?! i hope they stick to the true narnia not this tashlan garbage. Long Live the Real Aslan. I'm going to live like a narnian, even if there is no NARNIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
i heard they are going to ruin the movie. They will follow a blue star to the end of the earth.
The green witch will show up somehow and the 7 lords will take the knife to ramandu’s island. ramandu’s daughter will be the blue star. they will also have a battle in the lone islands and will bring a mermaid out of the water instead of lucy staring at it. its going to be a mess. LWW was good, PC so so, VDT ?! i hope they stick to the true narnia not this tashlan garbage. Long Live the Real Aslan. I’m going to live like a narnian, even if there is no NARNIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
I hope they don't change it too much. I know they have to add to it a bit to make it into a watchable movie but when they add so much new stuff and leave out major things like never even mentioning the Emperor beyond the sea I get realy cross!
Well, the director of this film also directed that movie about slave trade…..Amazing Grace. That story was all about God, so hopefully this one will still have those good moments. 😀
Where are you getting all that stuff from? I am hoping that it is just rumors and speculation and not what they are really doing. sigh….this could get interesting.
I'll wait and see the film before reacting to it.
This is so sad…I used to look forward to having a new piece of news from Cleveland Point or something EVERYDAY. New pictures, trivia, videos, etc. sniff, sniff… Now it's been more than a week with no news coming our way. Oh well, at least we know filming's still going on, even if we don't know exactly what they're shooting everyday like we did a few weeks ago. Now the comments section has become a total open forum 🙂 which is fun too. And kudos to the people who are always contributing to and posting the articles so that everybody can keep up with the news.
tableknight, are you getting this plot thingy from the script that leaked a while ago? I think I remember reading about something along the lines of what you're saying..but we were told to disregard that so hopefully things will turn out all right and faithful to the book! Yay, long live Aslan!!
yeah, I think it was from the leaked script. I know that the leaked script was supposed to be scratched, but it sounded a little like Ben Barnes description. And they did change it so that trumpkiin and cornelius aren't included but they still could have kept some of the other stuff. what scares me is that they even considered it in the first place. maybe they want us to disregard it because they dont want us to know
http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/24810141.html
here is the link for a summary of the old leaked script
yeah now that I look at this again I remember coming across it before and going WHAT??!!! when i read it because it was so out there and convoluted/strange. I know what you mean by how scary it is that they even thought of this stuff in the first place; but, again, we can only hope for the best and be patient and pray that VDT has a clear message that reflects CS Lewis's original intent like LWW did.
Yes, let us hope so…
Geez! That was the craziest thing I've read in a long time. What would possess the screenwriters to think any of those changes would be good? Here's to hoping that they have realized the error of their ways and returned to the original plot…
yeah, me too. 🙂
ugh! that is bad bad bad!!!!
I thought it couldn't get any worse after PC, but I guess I was wrong….I really hope that they throw all of this out. grrrr….. >:(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d99yGV17mRQ
I read elsewhere that this was obviously either tossed out from the very beginning or it's an elaborate hoax. Fingers crossed it's one of the two, preferably the latter.
I hear you! Not seeing anything new on the front page is killing me.
Sounds a bit too Child Thief for me… I'm hoping if the LotGK is involved her part will be more of a supporting role, something mysterious that implies villainy but not clear cut on screen nor the main point of the movie. Hinting at the Silver Chair by setting up a reason for her revenge is more preferable to me, that way when they do make the SC film people unfamiliar with the books can view it then recall what he'd done in VDT that to LotGK warranted horrific revenge.
I hope it is a hoax. The thing that scared me is that the script mentioned Eustace landing on the ship's mast, something we all know has already been filmed.
i know this is really random, but in one of the narnia audio dramas, doug gresham mentioned that cs lewis had ideas for more narnia books, do any of you know what these ideas were, i wish i knew, just to give me an idea what an eighth narnia book would have been like.
i have one bit of "news" for you. shane rangi will be a minotaur called "Tavros". This is starting to sound a little un-narnian. tavros, really!
wow i just read the leaked script from the leaked script and I'm panicking It sounds rubish!
"Tavros" is Greek for minotaur and Lewis never had a problem including a few Greek myths, so that's fine with me! But I am one of those people who is more than happy to see a few more Narnians on the Dawn Treader. Just as long as Tavros isn't the people-eating kind of minotaur.
I think a dragon landing on the mast is generic enough to be excusable, at least it's only a point of action and not a dramatic alteration of the plot. I am really hoping they don't have Lucy using Coriakin's spell for her crush on Caspian. It's bothersome to me not because it isn't in the book but because too many other films and shows made available to a young audience already shift the female protagonist's focus onto romantic drama (or in this case puppy love).
Whether this script was a hoax or not (which, hopefully, it was) we know from Cleveland Point that this script is missing a lot of what they're filming right now. For example, it doesn't mention anything about the MLG, Edmund and Caspian sparring, Edmund being in a dungeon, or Edmund being the best big brother in the world ^^(besides towards the end of the "script" where he's really protective, that's not what we saw being filmed). Plus, Cornelius and Trumpkin aren't going to be in on the voyage. So we can probably safely assume that they've thrown out most if not all of whatever nonsense they originally had, if they had it at all. hopefully.
NO That is the truth.
You go tableknite
You know everybody's in a bad mood now so maybe we should turn the topic of discussion to a happier one. People were talking about this before, but I'm curious to find out more people's opinions: Which scene in VDT is your favorite? I think for me it's the scene where Eustace comes back after being de-dragonized 🙂 and has a long talk with Edmund. It's really subtle but it shows how much Eustace has come around and how much Narnia has changed Edmund for good, for the better. Plus, Edmund admits "you were only an ass but I was a traitor" and it shows how humble Edmund is and how he really wants to help his cousin get back on track. Also it's one of the first times in the book that readers truly like Eustace for being the good kid he becomes.
I'm about clueless about that! 🙂 I would have a few guesses that perhaps it might be about one of the various few instances in the books when Lewis says something like, "If I ever find out how the Lone Islands came under the crown of Narnia and if the story is at all interesting I may put it in another story." Or else perhaps something about Susan? Really hard to guess!
Long Live King Skandar — I think you're probably about right. If it eases anyone, I think the filmmakers said they were really sorry about any concerns the leaked script might have caused, and that the script was a very early draft. It's probably been changed quite a bit since then (I should know because I write quite a bit; my stories seem to morph!), and since it says nothing about the various things you mentioned, I think what you're saying is very reasonable.
And it's plain stupid. Book canon aside, what does everyone think of first the oldest sister Susan getting a crush on the new Narnian king and then the younger sister getting a crush on him, and THEN finally Ramda comes along? C'mon, something sounds weird to me!
I love the books and movies. But since 20th Century Fox is doing it. It will be screwed up. Look at Eragon, Fantastic Four, and X-men Origins: Wolverine. I'm still going to c it but it will be screwed up.
Magician's Nephew and the Last Battle are my two favorites. I hope they get a good composer for the creation scene, and I hope they do the creation and the end of Narnia RIGHT!! Those are my two favorite scenes in the entire chronicles!!!!
Amen! Aunt Letty, I'm so glad to see that some people are willing to see both sides of the story. It frustrates me when people are closed-minded and bash on the movie-makers for not following the book exactly. I was a little disappointed with the way Peter behaves in PC at first, but as I kept an open mind and thought about the reasoning behind, I came to the same conclusions as you did, although I couldn't have said it any better than you did. I like how the Pevensies show more feeling for Narnia, for the way of life they had been used to for fifteen years. I always wondered what it was like for them to go back, and how hard it would be to go from Kings and Queens to schoolboys and schoolgirls, and what it was like for them to come back and find Narnia in a total mess and the Narnia they knew long since dead and gone. I think C. S. Lewis focused more on the events than the characters themselves, leaving room for us readers to imagine what it was like. I think the movie-makers captured those feelings very well in PC, especially with Susan and Peter, and how they eventually came to accept that they wouldn't be coming back. As tenthofthatname pointed out, Peter very much acted like the High King during the second half of the movie. I also applaud Andrew Adamson and the others for a job well done. Let's hope Michael Apted does just as well or even better than Andrew Adamson did in capturing the theme of VDT.
I can see that this is a very sensitive subject. I'll try my best.
I think that the duel was very well done. Obviously this is a matter of opinion, but Andrew Adamson did say that he wanted to make it "different from other duels we've seen" and he didn't want it to be a repeat of the Jadis/Peter fight (I'm paraphrasing, so don't hold it against me). I admit that I've got to agree that some fights do end up looking too well choreographed, but, on the other hand, the Westley/Inigo Montoya duel felt more real because it was so choreographed, but that was because it was a fight between two men who had spent years studying the art of fencing. I haven't seen the other two example fights, so I can't give my opinion on those. With Peter and Miraz, I think it was very well done. It would have been nice to see a little bit more swordcraft, but I really like that it ends up being more of a desperate struggle to win. It felt all the more real to me, more like death was on the line, than if it had been simply choreographed swordplay. It seems more realistic to me that they might lose grip on their swords and not have time to fetch them, and therefore have to defend themselves or attack with what they've got. I especially liked the use of the sheild as a weapon. I thought that was very creative and very realistic.
I don't think they'll potentially cut this scene because it might make Hollywood uncomfortable. I can, however, see them cutting it down so it fits Walden Media's "G and PG" only standard. This was my favorite scene as well, but I can see it becoming a little graphic (I hope not). Hopefully they'll find a way to keep it so it has the same impact and keeps the movie within Walden Media's standards. By the way, Aunt Letty, I also love that scene when they overthrow Governor Gumpas. That was probably one of my favorite scenes from the BBC series (then again, I haven't seen the whole thing). I also hope they do the sunrise with Ramandu and the birds right. I love that part, and can see it either becoming a beautiful, moving scene, or a total flop. I also can't wait to see the end of the World. Lewis's description painted such a vivid picture in my mind, and I can't wait to see what the movie-makers do with it!
Quit doing this to me, Aunt Letty! It makes 422 days seem like a lifetime!!! You make a good point, though. All of these scenes could translate beautifully to the screen. It'll be interesting to see what they do with them.
Now where did THAT come from? That sounds like one of those FanFics made by a fan that doesn't get enough from the original stories and has to make up some crazy, embellished story to satisfy their thirst for more. Seriously, the Green Witch stealing the souls of children?? That sounds so….so…cliche. I thought the whole point of Narnia was to avoid the cliche (okay, maybe not the WHOLE point, but C.S. Lewis hated cliches)! And since when was she called the Green Witch? The Lady of the Green Kirtle sounds so much more refined, and therefore so much more evil. In my opinion, the whole point of the Lady of the Green Kirtle was to show that evil can be very beautiful and appealing. They better not "Hollywood-ize" her and make her into a cackling, ugly hag. That would ruin everything! I don't mind her being in VDT so much, as long as they don't completely screw up the plot and her character. Like this idea of her stealing souls of children…..eww.
I don't even know what to say. It makes me shudder. They have said, though, that the leaked script is nothing like what the actual script is like. Let's hope that's a good omen. *crosses fingers*
Very interesting! I didn't know that "Tavros" was Greek for minotaur! Besides, "Aslan" does mean simply "lion" in whatever language it was Lewis used (I forgot).
*coughs, chokes, would have spat out drink if had been drinking something*
Ick!! That's so…so…cliche! How else can I say it? Dramatized? No, that's too nice…"Hollywood-ized"? It just…*shudders*…it's just wrong!!
Good thing they have come out and said that the leaked script was not meant to be seen and that we shouldn't be concerned…it makes me feel a little bit better! That whole thing was absolutely…ridiculous! Preposterous! …….gaahh!!!
LOVE that scene. But then again, I also love the "un-dragoning" of Eustace, Lucy and the Albatross (Aslan), Lucy and the magician's book, the Sunrise with Ramandu and the birds, the mermaids, and the end of the world with Aslan! Great scenes…hope they do a magnificent job!
Not so fast…
Don't forget that Walden Media is doing it as well, and they are very good at staying true to the overall spirit of the books they make their movies out of. Be a little more optimistic! Besides, aren't the people from Walden Media more in charge anyway? I thought they were only letting another company help due to financing and all that.
Very good idea.
Well, C.S.Lewis was a Major in Greek Mythology before he became a Christian, so all the different creatures are a little of that previous training coming through his books, even after he became a Christian. 😀
My thoughts exactly. 😀
Agreed! 😀
that's a good idea! thanks.
Either way, it's on my list of Things to Look Forward To. How nice to know that whatever happens in the next year or so, I can look forward to enjoying this movie. And I do expect to enjoy it. I thoroughly enjoyed the other two, despite them not being "perfect".
Come to think of it, just based on what I've read here, they'd have to make some half-dozen versions just to please each of us perfectly, right?
Oh, and in response to the geek-discussion (I can say that because I AM a geek, and proud of it) above, regarding the merits of the duel scene in PC, I just had to say that I live within walking distance of a world-class museum of historical armaments where men and women often demonstrate the skills of hand combat with long-sword, broadsword, and any other kind of sword or dagger you might care to mention. They pay meticulous attention to historical accuracy because although they do it because they love it, they're part of an educational and research project. They practice constantly, and are probably some of the most skilled in actual use of these weapons that you'll find, short of time travel.
The thing is, the duel in PC was the first time (other than the duel scene between Ivanhoe and Brian de Bois-Guilbert in the A&E version of Ivanhoe) where I've seen sword-and-shield combat on film that came even close to looking anything like the very "real" combat demonstrations they give at this museum. The fisticuff nature of Peter and Miraz' duel struck me as being amazingly natural and convincing. It's still acting, but it looks a lot less like acting than the fight between Hector and Achilles ( and I really appreciated that fight, too.).
I think the duel felt like two people who didn't know how to use a sword and i think that both Peter and Miraz were people who would have known how to use a sword. I was extremely disappointed. PC is one of my favorite books and the duel is very exciting in the book and it just wasn't, for me, in the film.
I don't think walden did a very good job at staying true to the books, so this isn't comforting at all. The most comfort for me is that VotDT is one of my least favorite books.
decarus:
Can you name a few movies that weren't true to the books that they have done? I would like to see some facts behind your statement. 😀
Is it just me, or do we need an update on what has been going on the past couple weeks? 🙂
Going back to scenes in the book that we liked and trying to stay in a good mood I loved all the scenes mentioned above (Eustace changing back from a dragon, Aslan at the end of the world) but the scene that really made me laugh was when Lucy was trying to explain to the Dufflepuds that she thought that they looked very nice 'True for you chief she's saying as how we used to look nice but there's no denying we're awful ugly now!'
Aunt Letty, I'm here to geek out with you. My favorite part about the acting behind the duel is that William was shocked at how aggressive Sergio was in doing their own stunts. I think the quote William made was "But Adam, Sergio really is trying to kill me!" Stage combat association fodder: if it doesn't look like you might get hurt then it isn't real. Like you said, it's still acting, but it was much more natural and organic of a fight compared to other staged or structured ones. It worked out well for Peter and Miraz in my opinion.
I don't think they would make the LotGK to be a hag of a witch. When they made LWW they specifically wanted to avoid villainous cliche for Jadis. They didn't want a shrieking cackling witch, they wanted a fearsome, ambitious, and cold woman. I think they succeeded there, and knowing LotGk is of the same 'stock' as Jadis, I feel they would take a similar approach.