Michael Apted on “The Book C.S. Lewis Didn’t Write”
SFX Magazine has a very interesting quote from Director Micheal Apted about the storyline of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Here’s a clip:
“We were able to steal, really, from the book CS Lewis didn’t write, which is the one that would have gone between The Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair. He starts The Silver Chair with the witches building up an army underground to attack the above world, and Caspian, having married The Blue Star of is an old man with a son, and he married the Blue Star of Ramandu. In other words, a lot of things had happened between the books.”
Read the entire quote here
What does Apted mean by “the witches building up an underground army”? In the Silver Chair book, there is only one witch: The Lady of the Green Kirtle.
Let the speculation begin. Thanks to Icarus for the link.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Tilda Swinton will play the Lady of the Green Kirtle.
I don't believe this!
Woah. He says, "…no real reason for the journey as it stands."
Has he read the book?
I think he's referring to the story that didn't get written…..
I think that's SO cool!
This comment stood out to me as well. What is he thinking??
At this point, I'm not sure if I should be panicked, or be okay. Is this considered true material to the series because it belongs to the C.S. Lewis estate, or is it more of film based material because it doesn't happen in the books? I need to do some thinking.
No way, they would never go so far as to cast Tila as the LotGK. I would boycott the series if they did, haha.
One of the cool things about SC (and VDT to a lesser extent) is how much time has passed. Eustace gets to Narnia and finds 70 years have passed. It's very emotional for him.
It's INTERESTING that so much is left untold. I really hope they aren't undoing that.
Lewis knew that some things are better left untold. Are they undoing all that for the movies?
Lewis' way was "cool." This sounds more "formulaic."
There is no proof that the WW is the LOTGK, that is all just speculation
One word, Weird.
You know, i always try to have an optimistic outlook on things and really look for the positives in everything, but sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say "ok, that is just stupid". This is one of those moments.
"He starts The Silver Chair with the witches building up an army underground to attack the above world"
Ahem, there's only ONE witch. It could be just a typo, but that would indicate (to me anyway) that if they made the SC into a movie, the witches would be the same.
Has Apted READ the book in it entirety? There IS a reason for the journey, and it worked just fine in the book without adding special swords.
This is so dumb! There is a reason the crew set out and if it's not to your liking, Mr. Apted, kindly leave the directing to someone else.
This just makes me feel sick…
I've always though this as a possibility…They might even make it sound like they are the same person…
Maybe, he just meant there was no peril involved in the reason they were going… Never mind that does not make sense…
This has made me more depressed than I've ever felt about this film. Now I just have to hope that the themes "accidently" made it into the film.
I am seriously thinking about not seeing this movie. Apted is making me MAD. He doesn't understand the books, or the fans, and doesn't know what he's talking about.
I agree with you, Rilian. It's very obvious what the whole meaning of the journey is in the book. The "Seven Swords" plot has totally very little, or downright nothing, to do with the book's main themes!
I am now really concerned for how far they've drifted away from everything that makes VDT special to me. I pray that is hasn't gone too far… 🙁
I'm with you. I'm seriously thinking about boycotting the series now actually. I'm infuriated with everything that's going on.
Tilda should deinitely play the Lady of the Green Kirtle – having given her a cameo in Caspian, they're obviously keeping her face in the series.
SOMEWHERE in one of the later books there is a reference to the two characters being from ' the same crew' I'm sure….wish I could remember where ! Lewis's enemies were always the same, whatever guise they took on down the years.
Also, since when is Lilliandil called the Blue Star of Ramandu?
Yeah I agree with you guys, there was only one witch, and there totally was a purpose for the journey. To find the lost lords!!!!!!!
I'm feeling the same way- I might PRINCE CASPIAN better then this. VotDT was always one of my favorite Narnia books, and I REALLY don't want it this messed up…..
If they do the SC, I really, really hope Apted does not do it.
oops, I meant I might LIKE Prince Caspian better then this
Oh, dear. I had been so looking forward to this movie, but this really does make me wonder if Mr. Apted has read the books? The reasons for the journey are quite clear: Caspian's desire to find the seven Lords his uncle exiled, and Reepicheep's to discover the world's end and Aslan's country. I don't see that the seven swords add anything to this.
But still, the film looks glorious, and I'll surely go to see it. Unlike many here, I thought PC captured many of the themes of the book; the thing I can't forgive the filmmakers is the damaging of Peter's character. If they remain true to the characters as written, I'll be okay with the movie even if there are some changes to the plot.
But I can't believe Mr. Apted thinks there is no clear reason for the journey!
well, maybe, but it seems that Lewis had another Narnia tale in minfd betwen VotDT and SC that wasn't written, so if they are taking from something Lewis wrote, then I, personally, have no problem with it! I am even more eager to see this movie now! yay! further up and further in!
That stood out to me too. I think there is plenty of reason for the journey. I'm beginning to think key people haven't read the books or if they have they aren't the books I've read. The whole "marrying the Blue Start" thing wasn't in the book or at least not in that way. I don't like the whole "book not written" thing. One of my favorite things about the series is the lack of a through story / connection. Each story can stand alone and each story is different. The characters (except for Aslan) change.
oh I know! I was thinking about how much I hate Prince Caspian and then how bad this is and I was like "what the heck?! PC is a purist's dream movie compared to this crud!" I'm really really mad about this.
No, I think you misunderstood. Apted is basically just saying that a lot of things happened between VDT and SC and they want to show them.
Agreed!
"What does Apted mean by “the witches building up an underground army”? In the Silver Chair book, there is only one witch: The Lady of the Green Kirtle."
I think this is a typo. He probably means "witch's".
I was more than a little worried about the plot of the movie, but I did have faith in Douglas Gresham. I'm still sure he wouldn't just sign off on anything. Knowing that the plotline comes from Jack's notes is a little more comforting – that the idea came from Jack's head rather than some know-nothing down in Hollywood.
That said, I still believe that a simple exploration movie would have been fine, and recovering the seven lost lords is a perfectly fine plotline, but those know-nothings are the ones with the big bucks and the screenwriting jobs. Hence the weird plot we're now getting.
As for the multiple witches, sounds like they were in an early version of Silver Chair, and then were cut out in a rewrite in favor of just one. So you can't say "Apted's wrong – there's just one witch" if Jack's notes say different and there were originally a whole bunch of witches, sort of how the Pevensies were originally named Ann, Martin, Rose, and Peter. We haven't seen these notes, so we can't say.
I still have faith in Douglas Gresham and the Lewis Estate. I really believe they wouldn't let Walden and Fox make junk. And as long as the essential message of the books remains the same, to me, the rest is negotiable.
You took the words right out of my mouth I agree 100%
Maybe like "the witch is"-> the question is which witch?
I think perhaps Mr. Apted was quoted wrong. "with the witches building up an army" could have been a mis-hear of "with the witch is building up an army"
'no real reason for the journey'?! There is a very real reason for the journey! They're going find the lost lords – and I think that's a bigger reason for the journey than finding some swords. I respect Apted for his work on 'Amazing Grace' but I do hope he knows the true story he's telling here in VDT.
This is sick. Seriously. Mr. Apted, do us all a big favor and please just read the book.
All you folks who are blowing a gasket about multiple witches should really go back and read THE SILVER CHAIR again:
"Those Northern witches always mean the same thing, but in every age they have a different plan for getting it."
Sure sounds like there's more than one witch to me.
Having said that, there's a clear theme throughout the books that evil itself (i.e., Satan) is reincarnate in the form of the witches, so it would make perfect sense for Tilda Swinton to play the role of the Green Lady.
Folks, why not relax and just enjoy the film, instead of picking everything to pieces? It's a work of fiction, after all. It's supposed to be entertaining.
I am so infuriated right now. I am infuriated because I don't believe the film makers read the book. Or they did and they didn't get it. Or worse of all they read it, understood it, and didn't care. WHY DO WE HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD ALL THE TIME!!!!!???? And honestly, I love SC so much, its my second favorute book. If LotGK ends up being the WW I will not see anymore movies. At all.
I'm mildly concerned now. I was skeptically optimistic before. Douglas Gresham is the only source of hope in all this. I understand adding a bit more flesh to the story to make it more cinematic, but there is fine line that they sound really close to crossing. Part of the tone of the Silver Chair is the missing pieces (missing King, missing Prince, missing backstory). There's absolutely no need to make a connection between the two other than Caspian and Eustace.
Oh, I know there's more then one witch in all of the Narnian world- buts there's just one in the SC who is trying to build an army underground and attack Narnia
Sorry a few typos…I was typing so fast b/c I was angry…:@
I pray that you are correct.
There is a reason Lewis did not write certain books. "Unwritten books" that sounds ridiculous. Is that their justification?? Is that it? Well I for one won't accept it. Unwritten books….hahaha.
This seems to be betrayal of the worst kind. Why can't they just accept that the series is what it is, and make great films out of what have been CLASSIC books. I highly doubt that they would do this much editing and rewriting, and make such blasphemous statements about Dickens or Austen. . . *UGH* I have absolutely no hope for VODT, or the rest of the series as far as that goes.
My goodness…why didn't they just expand on the Lost Lords. Maybe as it stands in the book, it wouldn't have been very cinematic. But if the film makers could make us connect with the Characters and their goals, it would be perfectly cinematic!Must we always save the world. They're are smaller goals which are just as noble!
don't be too concerned about the witchES, they might have misquoted him.
But,yeah, this basically means that somehow the start of the SC plot line is going to be in VDT. I hate that. Yeah, maybe Lewis had some Idea's about another book, maybe he knew what happened exactly between the two, but for some reason he chose NOT to write about it. He wanted the fans to fill it in for themselves. That's Lewis' way of writing. He hands the reader a story, the reader creates a world by himself.
They should respect that in the films.
I'm sorry about all the typos…again. I can't think straight. I need to calm down a bit….
You had better get your signs ready, then…
I want to type 'haha' but somehow that seems inappropriate.
Why would you boycott the series just because of something like that. It very well could have been the WW. She became immortal when she ate the apple in MN so why shouldn't she be able to come back to life? I think it would make the plot way more interesting. You have to remember that movies aren't and shouldn't be exactly like the books. You have to think of movies based on books as completely different stories. I swear some people take things to seriously sometimes.
Yes, evil comes in DIFFERENT forms. Evil is present in Narnia many times, but they come in different forms, different methods to achieve their goals.They have different demeanours They should have different actressess…
There are more than one witch in all of Narnia, but only one in SC
Just because Tilda Swinton played the Whitch Witch does not mean she can't play different characters like LOTGK, maybe they think she did a great job.
I may be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure that I read in one of Lewis' letters to a child that he left 'gaps' in the story for each reader to fill in with his own imagination……removing thoses gaps is kind of like removing Lewis' personal style.
I am in complete agreement with everyone who is horrified at Apted's remarks and lack of understanding book VDT – plot and purpose. Here are my thoughts on this story. http://www.aslanscountry.com/2010/10/apted-reveals-source-of-dawn-treader-plot/
I agree with Geoff. Most of you all are taking your fiction waayyy to seriously. I think Tilda Swinson playing the LotGK would make the plot really interesting.
If the Dawn Treader is a success and The Silver Chair is greenlit, I am so going to start a petition I am going to send to the director/scriptwriters to STOP WITH WW ALREADY!!! And they BETTER not make her LOTGK! Although I'm sure the trailers aren't implying it, what is the chance they will? Fortunately, I am going to see how bad the witch plot really is in the movie, and maybe it will be relatively much smaller than seen. I want the books to be movies, but can we at least just get good movies and stop including dead villains?!?!
It makes her sort of like the darth vador or satan of narnia
What Voyage of the Dawn Treader is REALLY about!
http://220lily.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-%E2%80%9Cthe-spiritual-life%E2%80%9D/