Caspian Loses His Accent for VDT
BenBarnesFan was sent a scan yesterday of an interview between Kingston University’s student magazine, ‘Mouth’ and Ben Barnes.
Mouth Magazine: How did it feel reprising your role as (the now) King Caspian?
Ben Barnes: It was a great experience reprising the role. It’s a different take on the character with a new director and new studio invovled. We decided that Caspian and the Telmarines will no longer have European accents, as they felt CS Lewis is a quintessentially an English writer. The story is my favourite of the seven books and it has a feel of a roving, mythical, adventure tale.
The Telmarine accent in Prince Caspian got a lot of mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. As the accent has now been removed for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, it should be interesting to see how everybody reacts.
Thanks to ‘Cass’, ‘Sir Jack’, and ‘bkey’ for the information!
Vary vary Interesting.
Ditto!
Whether or not someone from Belfast would consider themselves to be "British" or "Irish" would be something of a controversial and complicated issue as far as the history of Northern Ireland is considered. Not sure whether there is a technically correct answer, but you could probably argue it either way.
In the pre-PC days, when Caspian was generally accepted to be 13 or so, Lucpian were quite the couple in many fanfictions. I think the trend mostly died with the introduction of Suspian.
And I believe C.S. Lewis was born in Ireland, but not raised there.
Belfast is in the UK, thus he was British.
Hurray! No more lame Inigo Montoya wannabe accent! 😀
I'll be mad if they do it, too. The reason I brought it up is because there are a lot of fanfictions about Lucy/Caspian that are dawn treader themed and I was worried that fox was going to get the wrong idea…that we fans actually LIKE that…um, no, Ramandu's daughter/Caspian all the way, please!
So much for continuity. 🙁
"Hello, my name is Caspian, I am suddenly britsh just like the kings and queens of old, prepare to die!" Hee hee, I couldn't help it!
Hmmm well i wasn't a big fan of it but wish they would just be consistent
Hmm this will be interesting. I love Ben's english accent so I will be fine with it but I am not sure how some other people are going to react to it.
YES! No more accent. I hated the accent in Prince Caspian. I am so happy that they decided to leave it out.
Uggghhhh…. Now its going to seem less Narnian. Not happy about this!
I never cared too much about the accent, but now… I think they shouldn't have removed it. Lack of continuity. Blergh. 😛
All my friends did not like Caspian's accent, so this is a relief for them…
I didn't have any problem with it, but I think other people did and it was a big reason for PC doing so poorly
I LOVED that Spanish accent! And I'm sure I will miss it terribly! Bother! oh well, it's just a movie, not the end of the world or anything…. 🙂
I think it could. The Telmarines hadn't had any contact with the real Narnians (British accents) since they forced them out. Now that the Narnians are back, their accents would influence the Telmarines' accents. It's just like someone from America moving to England for a year or so. When they come back they sometimes have a hint of British accent!
Yeah I guess continuity doesn't matter anymore.
*laughing*
Do you remember the Telmarine in PC that had one line?
"But you're a…you're a mouse!"
He had a flat out American accent! That was even worse than the spanish/italian/mexican one…
What about LOTR movies? I always felt (and not to mention Tolkien and Lewis were friends) that Lewis and Tolkien had created similar worlds in their fantasy stories. Yes, Lewis was definately more mythological, but still similar. The LOTR movies had everyone with British or semi British accents. I didn't feel that made it flat in any way. So I don't see how it would make Narnia seem "boring" if everyone spoke in a similar way…
Was this interview conducted on April Fool's Day? This makes no sense at all.
Yes!! This is awesome! I hated that accent! Though it will sound kinda weird that he had an accent in PC and then suddenly sounds British in VDT…
The accent in PC basicaly just made me laugh. When I asked friends what they thought of Caspian they would all make fun of certain lines of his etc instead of talking about his character. It was very distracting.
YES! I feel that one of the downfalls of the Caspian film was the accent, which was VERY distracting (they should have used either American to distinguish from the Brits, or none at all).
HALLELUJAH!
He's Caspian again! Not Indigo Montoya!
Or he's Aragorn. But whatever. I'd rather have Aragorn for Caspian than Indigo. Not that I want Aragorn for Caspian…
i dont remeber that part. i thought it was "you're a mouse"
It's Inigo Montoya. Not Indigo. 🙂
I thought that the "waxing and waning Spanish accent" was sort of weird. It sometimes distinguished him and sometimes didn't. I wanted them to finally DECIDE which to use. Was he going to sound like the Pevensies or his fellow Telmarines. I vote for the Spanish-like accent on the basis that it sounds at least somewhat similar to Castellito as Miraz, Alcazar as Sopespian, and Favino as Glozelle. As well as Ms. Borrachev (I don't know how to spell her last name) as Prunaprismia. But I think, since he will be the main Telmarine in this one, with not much screen time with any other Telmarines (besides Drinian and Rhince) it might be a good idea to lose the Spanish accent. As long as I can tell Ben's voice apart from Skandar's! In the latter bits of LWW, sometimes I couldn't tell when Ed (Skandar) was speaking and when Peter (Will) was speaking. And in PC it was even worse. If you listen to the commentary on either movie, sometimes it's hard to tell their voices apart. So, here's to the voices being different! (like Caspian's being deep and Edmund's being slightly deep, although, I know, good luck with that happening)
Indigo Montoya does not sail on this ship! Curious to see how they speak!
*Inigo.. my bad 🙂
what!? No I liked his accent! 🙁 arg!!
I'm disappointed about the change. Continuity-wise its a disaster. it really takes away from the mystique of the Telmarines and destroyed some of the depth created in the Narnian world in the previous film. I just hope the average movie-goer doesnt notice that continuity inconsistency.
YES! Hallelujah! This makes me so happy. 😀
A wise decision, it's best to forget they had those awful accents. It will make this film MUCH more enjoyable for me.
And I don't really think this will ruin the series or cause troubles for continuity either. Some won't notice and others who do notice, won't really care once the movies out.
NOTE: In case you didn't know, I didn't like the cheesy accents in PC. 😉
You can easily say his accent has changed because he's been around the Narnians for several years and now speaks more like them. It's not that big of a deal and I doubt the audience will care. It will likely go unnoticed.
In this instance: Thankfully, I'd say that the average movie-goer isn't a Narnia fanatic like the freaks that roam this website… Just Kidding! About the freaks part, not the average movie-goer part.
Concerning continuity: Well, what I have heard from Ben's real voice (his normal English accent) sounds fine for a Narnian king who has been reigning for three years.
Random note to self: If production changes the number of years that Caspian has been reigning, for any reason, write a veeeeery looooooooong email condemning that decision. And blog and write comments about it expressing extreme displeasure. End random note to self.
elanor, I disagree with your statement that "Lewis is more mythological than Tolkien". Tolkien is actually far more mythological than Lewis, he just disguises it better. Also, Tolkien's mythology is not Greek, it's based on Northern legends (Norse, Germanic, Saxon, Goth, Finnish etc.). Anything that's not based on those legends is Tolkien's own mythology. The mythology in Narnia is more obvious because it's Greek creatures (Fauns, Centaurs, Satyrs, Naiads, Dryads etc.) with on the Carlomen side of things some Arabian legends. There are dwarves and one mention of King Arthur, but other than that, there is not much northern mythology in Narnia.
To address your other statement elanor: the LOTR movies had everyone speaking with slightly different accents. The thing about LOTR is that everyone has their native language (Elvish, Dwarvish, Rohirrim, Entish, Mordor Speech etc.) but they all speak the "Commom Tongue" to each other. If you are listening you can hear the different accents (for instance: the Hobbits sound far more rural, the Orcs have very harsh accents, The Elves have very pure voices vs. the Men of Rohan and Gondor who sound a bit rougher. The Dunadain Rangers, aka Aragorn, have a far more "Americanized" accent than the other characters although that is probably to do with Viggo's own accent). But anyway, the cast did have accent training and there is variance in the different species/people's accents.
Have to say I'm disappointed too. It really is a continuity disaster. No tan, no accent, does this mean all Telmarines will no longer have an accent or is it just Caspian? All the "reversals" make the production appear like it's trying to cater to a specific audience and is no longer an independent creative endeavor. I enjoyed the pride the team took in their work. I don't know if these changes are true creative corrections or just bending to a particular crowd.
In addition to that…why don't they just make Ben Barnes blond already?
According to the article scan they got rid of the accent for ALL the Telmarines. Most of the crew is supposed to be of Galma origin so I can see that being a loophole for why no one uses the Spanish accent anymore.
That guy was one of the guys who animated Reepicheep. They let him have a short role as a treat.
I feel the same as you do. The accent and the creative liberties taken with the Telmarines brought the story to life for me. When I read the books I see a cast entirely of Anglo-British characters, excluding the Calormenes of course, and that feels less enjoyable to me. When I view Narnia with these creative touches it's more fun.
Well that's kinda cool. Although I thought the fake accent was rather hott, I still think he sounds a bit handsome in his normal voice accent. Can't wait to hear how it comes out!
Glad to hear this. His accent in PC was ridiculous.
You never know they might actually give us a reason for why Caspian talks with a new accent. For example; the picture in the thumbnail? "Edmund, I'm so glad to have you on board!" "Yes, although you're talking funny, Caspian." "I know, now everyone can understand what I'm saying."
Whether they give him a reason or not will make or break continuity for me.
Uhh…
This is more than I can take. First Caspian's beard, then Reep's voice, now the Telmarine accent. I don't understand why this change is necessary. A lot of people will think that they got someone else to play Caspian. Okay, I'll admit that I'm not a fan of most of the Telmarines' accents, but I do like Caspian's better. Even if it's not always a realistic sounding Spanish accent, I still like it. I think that people will notice, too. I mean, you can notice teensy little things like something moving from one place to another in different shots. A total change in one of the main characters' voice, effecting every line of his… Well…
So glad to see another fic writer on here! I think changing the accent is a mistake too. Also you brought up something interesting, if CS Lewis being Irish is considered British then it should be fine if Caspian suddenly spits out the Irish accent Ben Barnes is using in Killing Bono or even Scottish. I bet that wouldn't sit right with the anti-Spanish accent crowd lol.
While I agree that Caspian's accent was extremely put on, it would be better, like aforesaid, to keep it for the sake of continuity. Well, whatever, I'm extremely nitpicky,lol ;). I'm sure it will be awesome 😀
Okay now I have another question…For those who saw the footage at the BIOLA conference, I remember Caspian had a line or two in it. How come no one mentioned the loss of his accent?
I agree with Tooky. I'm glad the accent is gone.
I really liked the accent…at least the idea. Ben didn't pull it off that well but I loved that they had Spanish actors for the Telmarines. I'll be kinda sad that they're not going to have Spanish actors in VotDT but oh well :P. So much for continuity, seems like they want to make this a totally new and seperate film.
Whoa, now THATS really going to tell the difference between the prince and the king!
I don't know if I like the change or not. I sort of liked the accent on the other Telmarines, but I know I hated Ben Barnes way of doing it. My friends hated his accent too; though I know that a lot of people, like my parents are going to be like, "What the?", "I thought they were supposed to have a Spanish accent or something!!?". Oh, well I don't really care myself.
Very interesting you guys. Tolkien also says that his books, most especially LOTR, represented the Catholic Faith, its history, and part of Revelation, and its people. He says that fantasy must in some(from a prolouge in "The Silmarillion")way very closely related to religion, meaning the Catholic Faith, but not so explicitly. Being a Catholic, and a harcore Tolkien & LoTR fan, we or I already know, and can guess who and what in his stories represent in the Catholic Faith. Like Sauron & Morgoth are Satan, the Elves are the Angels or "humans" who were not born of original sin, because if Adam & Eve have not have sinned then we would be immortal,etc. Lembas is the Holy Eucharist, Elbereth Gilthoniel(Star Queen), & Galadriel are both similar to God's mother, Mary, for the Elves, and some humans and other respectful creatures revere both of them. A Note: We Catholics do not worship Mary as you Christians think; we simply pray to her in a lesser manner (praying in a lesser way is simply speaking in an reverent way, not worshiping, adoring.) asking her to pray to God for us. 'Coz u know God loves her dearly then any of us weaklings, 'coz she's free of Adam's sin, 'coz Jesus did not want to be born of an imperfect human. Anyhoo, don't mind me if being very random. Just making a few pointers.
To be honest, we were so enraptured by what we were seeing that we just didn't notice. I only remember one line–after Edmund says something like "Well, if Narnia is at peace and there are no threats, why are we here?", and Caspian responds with a worried "I've been wondering the same thing". Both lines were delivered within a few seconds and in low voices so his accent wasn't very noticeable either way. (That's probably a longer answer to your question than you needed, but there it is!)
My first reaction to this news was "but what about continuity?"–however, if he is no longer living among the Telmarines, but the Narnians, it is not stretching credulity too terribly hard to think he's picked up more of a Narnian accent. So all in all, I'm kind of glad to hear this. 🙂 <><
Thanks for the info! Maybe that means his change in accent isn't too strong (different accent but same pitch and intonation, same emphasis on lesser contractions, etc. etc.) I much prefer there be a natural transition for his accent to change too instead of a big Hollywood Handwave!
well indigo montoya eventually becomes the dread pirate roberts, right? 😉 so they both set sail on a new adventure… haha
His accent was pretty nice 😉 But I guess since he's been in Narnia for so long, he has accostomed to everyone else's accents maybe? 🙂
Let's be positive – we all love the books and want the film to be a success (well I hope we do) so we need to stop grumbling and be pleased it's coming out – none of us would make the mythical 'perfect' movie version anyway. I'm sure they are striving to make it the best possible so let's be encouraging. I'm not totally sure what to make of the accent thing but I'm sure they've thought carefully about it and made an informed decision so that's good enough for me. Can't wait for Dec 10!
I think the real reason for the accents in PC was that they decided to have "Mediterranean" looking people for the Telmarines, to show them as a different sub-racial group from the Narnian humans (Archenlanders and other descendants of Frank & Helen). They didn't want them to look Polynesian as there had been Polynesian actors playing Narnian creatures in LWW. So Mediterranean was a good alternative. Unfortunately most of the actors they chose were not native English speakers, so had accents. End of story.
Hi Elf Maiden Archer of Rivendell, I find what you have to say really interesting. Especially the part about Catholics, now I'm not looking at getting into a theological debate, but could you please explain a little bit more. What sin is Mary supposedly free of (I mean you said "Adam's Sin" but what is that)? Also were your 'Coz statements true or were you over exaggerating? When you said "You Christians" were you just meaning you non-catholics, because I thought that Catholicism was a branch of Christianity, correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always thought that Catholics were Christians.
Thanks again