SFX Magazine’s Interview with Michael Apted
Last month SFX Magazine gave a sneak peek of their interview with Michael Apted, and it caused quite a stir here on our site. Specifically when Apted mentioned he was going to “steal from the book CS Lewis didn’t write.”
Now the full article is out and icarus has sent us a scan. Here’s a new snippet from the article.
Although the one-giant-footed Dufflepuds are among the silliest of CS Lewis’s creations, Apted was adamant they remained. “I thought they were iconic so you had to do it. I mean, they were expensive; way more expensive than they earn in screen time. But I just thought there were certain things you have to deliver.”
You can read the full interview here.
Thanks icarus for the scan!
Cool photo of Eustace. 😉
I think Apted knows what he's doing.
I trust him completely.
Oh, and, "the witches building an army" is probably just a typo. He probably said "The Witch's (Witch is) building an army" and was misheard or misunderstood. Likely, Apted was referring to the Green Lady in "Silver Chair."
I am soooo glad Michael Apted left the Dufflepuds in the story. Maybe they don't do much for the plot, but he's right, they're iconic, and you don't see them in other movies. I would have been extremely upset if they had been cut. Thumbs up to him for keeping them in. I just hope they'll be on screen for more than the few seconds we've seen in the trailer.
Still not sure what Apted means by "the book C. S. Lewis didn't write", and I guess we shouldn't worry about it too much. But it is kind of weird.
I like the picture of Eustace. 🙂 I know some people think he looks odd, but he's a dragon, and that's enough for me. I can't wait to see that scene with him and Reep in the movie. (Hmm. What cheese does he mean?)
Agreed. As long as it IS the Lady of the Green Kirtle (and not You Know Who), I'll be happy. I don't think they would dare put more than one witch in the movie. (You hear that, movie-makers? I'm trusting you to do the right thing! Don't betray me!)
It really sounds like Apted knows what he's doing so well. I'm glad to have a veteran director in the chair for VDT!
22 days left!
Good article. I think Micheal Apted will do good for Narnia. I can't wait to see the movie. The Voyage is nearer and will soon be here.
I LOVE what I read here! Thank goodness he seems to be so on track with everything I've read about him so far. Each book of CoN is short so to inject it with more storylines for a film (drawn on things hinted at by other books!) is wonderful to me as long as they stay true to the "character" or "spirit" of our beloved books.
Interesting read; lots of information in a relatively short space. I like most of what Apted has to say, although he's obviously off the mark when he says "there is no real reason for the journey as it stands". I guess going off to find the lost lords didn't strike him as important. But aside from that, I'm still really looking forward to the film. Virtually everything I'm hearing from advanced screenings is very positive, so I'm willing to set aside my nitpicks for the sake of the franchise. Bring on The Silver Chair! 🙂 <><
Dear Micheal Apted:
THANK YOU!!!
I'm so glad he left the Dufflepuds in, even though they were expensive. And started the book in our world. And all that good stuff.
ONWARD TO DEC 10th!!! It's so soon…
first? Oh wow :')
Ohhhhhhh computer playing up 😎
wow. I feel sorry for Apted. He has to put up with a bunch of snotty book fans who shriek about 'they didn't put that in' when it could have been cut for price reasons (i.e. the dufflepuds) Goodheavens. He would have been HUNG for leaving them out, and yet you have to commend him for keeping them in despite the price.
Apted, you are worthy of the title of DIRECTOR of NARNIA! 🙂 You are VERY great at this. I HOPE you do Silver Chair, Last Battle, and Magician's Nephew! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!! 😀
Say guys, what movie do you think should be first after SC?
Off subject: how did you make a smiley face with glasses??!!
The Last Battle! Because after that you wouldn't have to worry about Eustace or Jill's ages! And you could do MN or HaHB at leisure (i.e. no kid's age to worry about)!! And by then the other kids would be old enough for HaHB (Pevensie actors 😀
a great interview. i love that Michael kept the Dufflepuds, despite the price. they are one of the main things i am looking forward to see. ever since the book i always wanted to see how they'd appear on screen, and i cant wait to see how they look. very excited!
Actually, Eustace and Jill are like five to six years older in LB than they were in SC, so that wouldn't really matter.
That's not a very movieish reason, is what he's saying. If you had never read the book, and you watched the first two movies, you'd be expecting another war, right? And then what if you found out the reason the Pevensies and Eustace were there was to find someone who might be dead? Wouldn't you be disappointed? The series has to make sense to the non-readers too.
I am also very excited. 😀
Who CARES if the Dufflepuds are silly? I love them 🙂 Those interviewers could have worded it a little differently. And if they had been left out… well… anyways. But if they (and/or their scenes) are done badly or wrong, it will be just as bad or worse than if they were left out.
I just read the whole interview, and I thought it was, frankly, a pointless one. Apted seems to think (like Adamson) that Prince Caspian is all battles and politics. Let me think here… there's ONE battle in the whole book, plus the single combat with Miraz. The battle is quickly over. So, that is shot down. Also, politics. I believe the only politics were, ummm… Oh, yeah, Dr. Cornelius explaining why Miraz wanted to get rid of Caspian, and maybe the way Lords Glozelle and Sopespian got Miraz to fight Peter. Erm, that's really a whole lot, isn't it? No, the movie was a complete flop, it barely resembled in any respect the book. AND I'm fed up with them saying that this Narnia book or that isn't cinematic. If VDT isn't cinematic, which of the books is? That has islands, the ocean, strange creatures, a dragon, a sea serpent, on and on. I think it's just too… too Christian for them or something. They are trying desperately to tone it down as much as possible, and that makes it hard for them, bless their hearts 😀 Hopefully they won't have toned it down TOO much, and at least it seems our favorite parts (the undragoning and Aslan's words to Lucy and Edmund) will be there.
I just saw a trailer for the Dawn Treader last night and it said, "The witch will rise". So I think with the Dawn Treader, they are going to lead in to Jadis becoming the Lady of the Green Kirtle, which I think is a good decision. It makes the overall plot interesting, and it would keep narnia noobs from getting confused when they see the silver chair.
I disagree, because there are characters at the end of the Last Battle that were in Magician's Nephew and Horse and His Boy. Also at the end of the Last Battle don't they go to that tree orchard place at the top of the hill that was in Magician's Nephew. People that hadn't read all the books would be confused. Also it would be weird watching a movie about the end of narnia and then seeing another movie about narnia.
SORRY BUT IN THE PRINCE CASOIAN BOOK THERE WHERE ALLOT OF BATTLES BUY THEY WERNY DESCRIBE. PRINCE CASPIAN IS A REALLY HARD BOOK TO MAKE IT IN TO A MOVIE!!!! U PPL CRITICIES TO MUCH WHY DONT U GO AND DIRECT THE MOVIE!!!! THE MOVIES SO FAR ARE AWSOME FOR ME JUST LIKE THE BOOKS I LOVE NARNIA AND I ALWAYS WILL!!!
WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY??? I COULD'NT READ IT!!!!
Good interview, I'm not sure about the whole trying to link the witches thing, but I guess we'll see about that. I don't really like the comments on the photos either. All in all, I'm really not going to buy that magazine, but good job Mr. Apted:)
I think they should do HHB, MN, and then LB. They've been doing publication order so far and I think they should stick to it. Besides, it makes the most sense for the actor's ages.
Lol "don't steal my cheese"? Haha can't wait to see that in the movie. Apted was smart to remember fans expect him to follow the book. I congratulate him!
I agree, Apted really seems to know what he is doing. I'm glad they are 'going back to the magic in the first film (LWW).' It was a rather abrupt change going from LWW to PC because PC IS quite a lot darker and with a lot of fighting than LWW.
I'm still not completely sure why they think that in the book they voyage doesn't have a point, but I'm going to try and trust them 🙂 I sometimes wonder what C.S. Lewis would think of the films if he were here now. Doug Gresham seemed to think he would be pleased, so I hope so!!!
filling up the bag of unwanted diaries is the food of undigested humor.
I agree with you Starlily. I would have been very upset if there were no duffelpuds. For some reason they were always my favorite (non-main:) character(s). In fact, it never even entered my head that they might not have them in the movie until I read that article 🙂
I'm pretty sure the smiley with glasses is B ) -take out the space- Let's see… B)
I don't think that "don't steal my cheese again" is actually a movie line (tho' it would've been pretty funny) The other picture in the interview had Caspian saying/thinking "Look out, its a bloody lion! Oh, actually, don't worry" That is obviously NOT a movie line, and it looks more like someone's funny caption for an isolated picture……
I thought the same thing at first, but remember what the owls say in The Silver Chair, how they thought this Witch and the white witch "might be part of the same crew,"?
I've been wondering if they would elaborate more on that, just thought though. But youre probably right.
I think the real plot of PC mirrors the protestant reformation in real life- the restoration of the church after a "corruption" . In a secular movie version of the book, they couldn't get into that , and so made it about battles.
Thanks for those words of wisdom, Nathan.
I like that order. The only problem I see is that the Pevensies should be a little older in HHB than the actors are now. But who knows how long it will be before SC is done. But yeah, I really want HHB to get made, and I think it would be a good one after SC. And then MN because it's a prequel. And then LB to finish it off, of course. Even if Will Poulter will be thirty by that time, I still think it should be made last. 😉
I think what they could do is have Tilda Swinton play the Green Lady in "Silver Chair," but never call her Jadis at any time. It would add an element of mystery to the whole thing. Is it The White Witch reborn? Or is it another Witch of the same bloodline? That could be fun.
Either way, it is very likely Tilda will play the Green Lady when the time comes. They've (film makers) built up this kind of subplot of Jadis trying to return to the living world. In "Prince Caspian," trying to return her to Narnia as The White Witch failed. Now, in "Voyage of the Dawn Treader," we see a much more complicated plot involving the dark island and souls being sacrificed to this Green Mist. Perhaps, since she doesn't have the means to perform the ice wall spell again, Jadis must sacrifice a number of souls to the darkness in order to be reincarnated. This is likely to fail also….. or will it? The Dark Island is likely to be destroyed. But perhaps The Green Mist has already accomplished whatever goal it has in order to reincarnate the witch beneath the earth.
It's only a theory, guys. But judging by Apted's comments about leading into "Silver Chair," I would imagine we will see Tilda again. 😉 Plus, the movie version of Jadis seems to have a relentless desire to live again.
The problem with the idea Tilda would just "fit in" to the role of LOTGK is that in The Silver Chair we're supposed to trust the Lady. Having Tilda play her would immediately make everyone go "White Witch! Stay away!" and would ruin the effect.
And Douglas Gresham oversaw production and was consulted with any changes. So I have confidence the changes in this film will comply with filmmaking standards and deliver to the fans of the book.
I remember Tirian said in his review of the movie (since he got to see a pre-screening of it) that the trailers blew Jadis' "role" in the movie WAY out of proportion and that technically she actually isn't a character in the story, just part of Edmund's nightmare. So I highly doubt she is going to end up being LOTGK. Now, they may push that she is somehow related in nature to LOTGK, like it was said in the book (SC), but not actually attempting to "rise" again as a new witch. Trailer narration is always random when it comes to these kinds of things…
I'm glad that Apted has been thinking ahead to SC this whole time. Here's hoping that it will be made next! It seems like he really wants to do it 🙂
I think its a little joke added by the editors.
I have been thinking, about the clip with Eustace snatching up the treasure.
I think they missed about ten minutes between each clip, I think we could see Eustace transform, that would be cool
of course finding seven swords to shine a batlight in the sky is far more exciting, right?
And now that ridiculous quote is in print. Brilliant.
I saw VODT last night at a special showing near Chicago. It was AMAZING. Perhaps the best of the Narnian movies yet. Eustace is perfectly played. You WILL be moved.
Yes, there were huge changes – and the Lewis fan within me was a tad upset, BUT the changes do make sense and for those who have not yet read the book they will certainly work.
Less enchanting than the first film and less raw and intense than the second film it is perhaps the most spiritual and thought provoking of the three.
Please don't be spoiled by your expectations. This movie is an instant classic and doesn't let the series down in the least. The first two are among my favorite movies of all time (I'm a 42 yr. old pastor) and this film ranks with them. I hope Hollywood makes more epic films of faith like this. I also hope that Disney regrets there choice to drop the series and that Fox is well rewarded for taking it up.
If Narnia can maintain this level of brilliance then let us hope the entire series gets made!
My biggest complaint is that the movie is 10 to 20 min. too short.
Hmm… That's really interesting, I'd never thought of it that way 🙂
"Don't steal my cheese again!" Lol, I'm glad that's NOT going to be in the movie (I hope 😯 ). judgeing by the line (In the Prince Caspian book I think?) "If I hear anyone talking about toasted cheese…" I don't think Reep likes the whole "You are a mouse… SO YOU MUST LIKE CHEESE!!!" reputation of one of the most honerable creatures, the talking mice of Narnia.
So far the running time is the only complaint I've heard from early screenings. It's also one of my chief concerns at this point. But longer isn't always better. I am very pleased with the look of this film, however. It appears to have kept true to Lewis's themes.
Fire Apted NOW
Mayor Wilkins? Fellow Buffian? I hope.
Disagree. Agnostic who has never read the books=potential problem later on.