‘Silver Chair’ Plot Hints
Most fans are still waiting to see the third Narnia film, but Michael Apted has already started dropping hints about what to expect in the fourth.
SFGate included this bit in a recent report:
“[Dawn Treader is] a rather difficult book to adapt – it doesn’t really have a central core to it. That really doesn’t work in a movie,” [Apted] says, explaining that they took a key story element from the next book, “The Silver Chair,” and seeded it in “Dawn Treader” – the idea of kidnappings in “Chair” became the thread to tie the films together.
Why wait until The Voyage of the Dawn Treader comes out? Let the speculation on The Silver Chair begin now!
This is good. The Silver Chair should be made next.
FIRST COMMENT!
I wonder what their excuse will be for their changes to the SC plot?
Still don't agree that VDT is difficult to adapt. It's a quest story. There's pretty much a quest (something to accomplish against evil in every book). Maybe what he means it's just that it's hard to get a good script together that gets the story's essence right? It isn't a dull book and neither is The Silver Chair.
I would hate them if they change the plot of the silver chair, it's not fare… but I want the movie!!!
I think they'll have a lot of trouble marketing The Silver Chair- it's quite a dark and eerie book. Not really magical like VDT
I guess its nice to connect the two films together…man I really hope VDT does well so we can all finally see SC, MN, HHB and LB on the big screen 🙂
I know what you mean Rhys …i guess its dark due to the snake, the giants maybe and definitely the underground scene…oh yeah i forgot the scenes of liliandill and caspian dying is definitely tough for children to watch…but i hope somehow it does attract alot of audiences…i wonder how harry potter became successful…if parents let their children watch HP..then narnia should be their option too…besides its not as dark as HP…we will wait and see 🙂
..what 'kidnappings' in SC? Only Rilian and the gnomes from Bism, right? I'd hardly think that's similar to what the kidnappings at the Lone Islands sound like they're going to be.
Blegh.. and I wanted SC to be unspoiled by the weirdness that is bound to be VDT. 😛
The UK BBC version of Silver Chair was really good. Children will love the Owls and there's a great scene with Aslan near the beginning. Puddleglum is a great character and the back story of 'Lilandil's' death and the Prince's disappearance was told like a flashback fairytale (but obviously as a real event in the story). Also you see Caspian in Aslan's Country at the end. The Eustace Jill relationship is great too. I love the book – loads of scope for a great film 🙂
If they make the movie I'm happy.. Think it's an interesting idea.
I just went to the Dawn Treader this afternoon and I thought it topped the whole series! Silver Chair is very film worthy as it is and it doesn't need major changes. I can't wait for the Sliver Chair after how amazing this one was.
i'm glad u have enjoyed the film…u have made my day by increasing my excited hehhee…btw did u end up shedding tears at the end of the film…
At least in The Silver Chair, I don't think they will invent a whole new plot like in Dawn Treader. I would think that trying to find the kidnapped heir to the throne of Narnia would be a strong enough unifying theme for the movie without making up anything new.
It looks like they are going to make the Queen's underground army bigger than just Rilian and assorted gnomes, but hopefully that won't really change the plot or any major events in the story.
Exactly my first thought – what kidnappings? I guess he's talking about the gnomes, but as they were all underground to begin with, that took me a moment to realize. I just hope they aren't kidnapping anyone from the surface.
So this means they are going to connect the green mist and the LotGK. Interesting. I would rather this then just evil mist floating around. I wonder if there won't be gnomes and instead will be kidnapped people working for the LotGK or they could just be discussing the kidnapping of the Prince.
My biggest concern at the moment would probably be making the green mist LotGK. I mean what else could it be? Then again, making LotGk the WW would be much worse(film makers, do NOT get any ideas from this). However, even though things are maybe to change with filming for The Silver Chair, it turns out Tilda Swinton has a few roles she is busy with in 2011( which would maybe be the start of filming)leading to the chance she won't be the LotGK, just maybe a cameo(not that I want that to happen).
Hey has anyone ever wondered why the green mist is green? Hint: maybe it's for the lady of the GREEN kirtle
Hmmm hmmmm and hmmm again.
Actually, I would have preferred The Green Mist being its own evil entity. I like that idea much better, actually. But I can see the connections to the Green Lady anyway.
I'll probably get attacked for this, but I really want Tilda Swinton to be the Green Lady. I love Tilda in these movies. She has such a captivating screen presence. That would be the coolest. And it would bring back Jadis (in some form), which I think is what many non-book fanatics have been hoping for since they've been teased in "Prince Caspian" and "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" now. And anyway, neither Eustace nor Jill would know there was anything to worry about (they never met the White Witch), so it would be kind of like the Turkish Delight scene. What I mean is, when they meet the Green Lady the first time, the audience would know something was up, but Eustace would not. Like it was when Edmund met the Witch. This could be so good. I hope they adopt the "White Witch-Green Mist-Green Lady" theory, because that would be so good. And since the Witch has been coming back in small snipits in the past two movies, it would make sense she would finally be made whole again. Moviewise, I mean. 😉
I have found that most of the time, when the filmmakers use words like"uncinematic," what they really mean is "not commercial."
And when they say things like "difficult to adapt," what they really mean is "difficult to commercialize."
They are trying to appeal to absolutely everybody on the planet, even the people who probably would not like the books.
Can I just add that I love that book cover up there. The Green Snake looks really neat in that depiction. 😉 And oh how appropriate that it seems to have a foggy mist behind it and bits of green, misty tendrils coming off of its face? 😛 Yep…. White Witch or not, it looks like The Green Mist will incarnate itself as the Green Lady come "Silver Chair."
And if not Tilda Swinton, then might I suggest Cate Blanchett? They look so similar that it would be very possible for them to be "of the same crew." 😉
Next thing we know, they're going to say that Silver Chair was "hard to adapt to film". And then HHB, and then MN. It's like filmmakers wouldn't recognize a good story if it slapped them in the face! PEOPLE LIKED THE BOOKS FOR A REASON!
Obviously, we have a kidnapper in Narnia. So ya'll need to hide yo' kids, hide yo' wife, hide yo' husband, 'cause they're kidnapping everyone out there!!
I don't know how many people will understand this quote, but it was so funny that I just had to do it. Look it up on Google if you don't get it. 😉
Four of the seven books end with a battle. VDT is one of the three that don't. Six of the seven books have a villian. VDT is the only one that doesn't. In LB, Jewel says that the "children from beyond the end of the world" only come to Narnia when she is in distress. VDT contradicts that statement, though it is true for the rest of the books. In all the books, there is a mission to be completed, and only the children from our world (or Shasta and Aravis in HHB) can do so. One might note that this is because they have been chosen by Aslan. Also, a lot depends on if they succeed or if they fail. In VDT, however, there is no central villian to defeat. Caspian could look for the lost lords by himself without Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace. Furthermore, if they should fail in their quest, they're still heroes because they have gone much farther than anyone else. I'm not quite sure that's the story that will compete the intense, action-packed, good vs. evil fantasy movies of today, and if VDT is crushed by those movies, we shan't have SC. Just my opinion, but I really can understand why Apted thinks this movie is so hard to make.
That is a very good observation ! Seeking to find / avenge banished Lords that cold have been his Father's supporters, is not as 'glitzy' as flashing, glowing swords…
Silver Chair here we come! 🙂 Maybe the Green Mist kidnapping wasn't such a bad thing after all…
Now I think this quote is crazy. VOTDT is, in my humble opinion, is probably the most cinematic of all the Narnia films. It has adventure, action, friendship, good characters, and plenty of really cool places in it. There is also an atmosphere of epicness to it, and if you squint your eyes, a sliver of romance.
It should would not have been hard to adapt, if they had just kept to the fantastic book that C.S Lewis wrote.
To say that it isn't cinematic is nonsense.
To say "it doesn’t really have a central core to it." is pure absurdity.
Sorry, I meant "robably the most cinematic of all the Narnia books" not "films".
I dont know why, but I would love Rachel Weisz to play the lady, she has a perfect voice
The worst of it is, the 'commercialism' is obvious to most moviegoers, so the whole thing ends up reflecting badly on Lewis and Narnia as a whole. People aren't going to watch a cliched plot about finding swords and go "well, by jove, I must read the books!"
hints already????? wow!!!!!
You make a lot of good observations on what makes VDT such a unique book. It works despite not resorting to the same old cliches and formulas. It doesn't even have a villain and yet it works! Amazing story. It's something totally different.
Seems like the filmmakers are taking something unique and turning it into something we've seen a million times,
You said: "I’m not quite sure that’s the story that will compete the intense, action-packed, good vs. evil fantasy movies of today, and if VDT is crushed by those movies, we shan’t have SC."
…In other words "the material in the book is not easy to twist into a typical, cliche, formulaic, fantasy film." The filmmakers seem to be trying their best though.
And if the approach they are taking to these books is to make them as formulaic as possible in order to make as much money as possible, I'm not sure I want to see SC.
Wow! Nice thinking 🙂
You hit it on the nail there glumPuddle. There had been some few movies that sticked to the book and it worked out wonderfully. It's too bad that first it was Disney, and now, Fox is controlling what it must be before they invest into it. They want their money. I can understand that, but what makes the book special is it's originality and not some generic thumb down exposition.
Wasn't the MLG's mother captured or KIDNAPPED by the green mist? I always the mist looked snake like, but that could just be me.
(thunks herself upside the head) Of course! And the White Witch/sea serpent = Lady of the Green Kirtle/serpent. But the kidnappings in VoDT are apparently for human sacrifice (?), whereas the kidnapping of Rilian is to lead the Green Witch's underground army. Don't see much of a connection there.
"jadis/jade/green lady/white witch"….as a kid i wondered if there were a connection. also, jadis enters narnia in magician's nephew, right? i saw the vodt last month in a prescreening and loved it. i think the crux of the story is that life is a journey and everyone has a different cross to carry. the scenes of eustace, his journey, are spot on….very moving for me personally. i'm so excited to see it with nephews and nieces.
Oh don't worry I've been speculating… and worrying…and celebrating…all at the same time for SC…add that to VDT and its a miracle my brain hasn't melted yet.
also, at the last scene of the movie, when the kids are returned to eustace's home, his mom calls from the other room….."jill pole is here to see you". as she is with eustace in the silver chair, i think that's the direction they are going. i asked the guy from walden media which movie was next and he said he preferred "magician's nephew", but he did not answer my question; he stated his personal preference.
OMG The Silver Chair is my absolute favorite book in this universe!!!! I've been waiting ever since I finished reading it for the movie. And yes, I saw the connection with the Green Mist and the Green Witch a.k.a. The Lady of the Green Kirtle. So kidnappings start here and they sort of continue in "The Book C.S. Lewis Didn't Write", and the overall final defeat of the source of those kidnappings is in The Silver Chair.
Alberta says WHAT NOW? I'm sorry, I'm so stunned I don't know if I find it totally awesome (because who doesn't love a good Jill Pole reference?) or oddly out of place (because why would Jill go to visit Eustace before she knows that he's changed)
Anywho, does Eustace's mother REALLY say that, or are you just pulling our legs?
Now I'm even more curious about this movie and I didn't think that was humanly possible, darn it!
I love that bit in the film!!! 🙂
this is VERY interesting 🙂
i so hope they make Silver Chair. the story would make such a beautiful movie, i can just see it. Silver Chair is so daunting and exciting, it would be spectacular in film!
I agree. Its been done chronilogically so far
Good one!!! Love that video!!! 😀
DJ: Hahaha, my roommate got a kick out of that.
Hmm, I don't have much to say about this. It could be good, but could be bad. Attaching VDT and SC's plot might work, or it might be really pathetic. This would explain the green mist, alright, and this could really affect SC's plot. And I'm not too upset on the fact that the green mist and LotGK are attached, as long as the you-know-who witch isn't involved in ANY way.
I guess I'm still on VDT mode (four days!), but I'll begin really worrying about SC's changes when I get a better idea of what those changes are or might be. At least they've decided it's SC they're doing next, though! 😀
I think one of the central themes in the silver chair is 'obedience' I can't wait for that movie….hopefully they honor it and don't butcher it. So far I don't think they've butchered any of the movies. Wardrobe was a very good movie but I feel it missed greatness because the film makers didn't develope Aslan enough. Prince Caspian butchered Peter's character from the book but other than that it was also a very good flick. I am very concerned for Dawn Treader however. Hopefully after seeing the flick I will be pleasantly delighted.
Haha, Hilarious!
well, that's good news! 😀
I'm guess by 'uncenimatic' when they say that, they mean that if you were to put that story on film it wouldn't do as well because it doesn't flow the way a movie should flow?
Everyone says 'uncenimatic' about all the Narnia movies. PC wasn't 'cenimatic' but it was more cenimatic than VotDT. I *agree* that DT wasn't cenimatic because there isn't a 'climax' and that's what people who watch movies go for. It's sad, really that they have to have this 'high' in a movie.
But since people who haven't read the book are going to look for a climax of some sort, I guess they had to do the best. 1. They can't (obviously) rely on JUST the book fans to make this movie work (as far a finances go) I mean, they do need to get some profit out of it or they just wasted money; but they also have to reach out to people who *haven't* read the books. That means for DT you had to have it stay true to the book for the fans (us Narniawebbers) 🙂 And then you also had to give something that 'makes' sense to those who haven't read the books. Because I'm afraid 'just finding' Lords wouldn't 'make a movie' for people who haven't read the books.
It works for us book lovers and would as a movie, becasue we've loved Narnia all along and we'd be happy with that. But not everyone's read the books so… I suppose they have to tweak it a little.
I'm also guessing this means that it looks like LotGK is the WW? I can see how that was easy to confuse. But I'm fine either way 🙂 New witch, or old one.
I don't think Lewis would have a cow either… he was so vauge on that so he'd have to forgive confusion 🙂 It had me confused for nine years! and convinced LotGK=WW.
other than that, I am *SO* looking forward to SC!! 😀 It's ALWAYS been my favourite book! 🙂 I love it! And I'm so glad we have Will as Eustace. He's delightful onscreen! 🙂
The only kidnapping I can think of that they may be referring to is that of Rillian — but that's ONE kidnapping, whereas Apted uses that term in the plural. So, yeah … ?
I love Tilda too, but don't you understand what this will do? It will mislead even more people into thinking that LWW and LotGK are the same person. Sorry, but this is an awful idea (and not particularly original either, for that matter).
Swinton and Blanchett are really too old for the role anyway.
and maybe sometimes when the flimmakers look at a story that looks different from *us* maybe it's because that's what they honestly thought that Lewis was trying to say? I mean, I'll admit, I 'translated' some things about the books different from some of you all, but I still respet all of your views. People's minds work different, so maybe that's why there's different adaptions because the director is looking at it differently?
A donkey and a lion both look at a rabbit differently. One sees a 'creature' andother sees 'food' 🙂
I'm glad someone other than myself would be okay with the Green Lady being the White Witch because I think it is probably going to happen. If not, Jadis will probably show up in some other way–perhaps the Green Mist will be involved in "Silver Chair" too–
I know the book doesn't support White Witch = Green Lady theory. But it does not necessarily disprove the theory either. "One of the same crew" only vaguely suggests they are different people. It does not exactly spell out that "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE." And anyway, perhaps the owls are confused. 😛
Point is…. there are ways to justify it. And I think it is going to happen.
oh yay!
Ok, I kind of see what they're doing, but it's annoying. A number of people who have reviewed this film so far have already complained that all the stuff the filmmakers have added to the story is confusing, unexplained or ambiguous. If SC can help make sense of that, then good for them.
This doesn't really seem like news, unless there's more to this than I'm understanding. They're trying to connect VDT and SC simply because VDT didn't have good enough of a reason for the journey to happen, in their eyes. <_<
I hope we get to see a SC movie. Can't wait to see what they'll screw up in that movie. It's not what you'd call an action packed, epic story, at least in Hollywood's perspective. 😛
And how are they going to handle the climax with the snake? Especially since VDT's "climax" is supposed to be with the sea serpent? Doesn't really seem very perilous or epic in comparison, you know? I'm betting they'll have some big underground battle for the climax.
If only they'd stop trying to make these movies so commercial, and more original.
There Apted goes again, talking like the VDT book is just a bunch of random events that aren't about anything.
The central core of the VDT plot is the search for the lost lords. The central core, thematically, is the longing for one's true home.
Yeah, well, don't pat me on the back 🙂 I just happen to have the same Narnia idea as you, and there's hundreds of others who think differently about WW and LotGK 🙂 And they're entitled to that opinion 🙂 I just need to be sure that I'm not being a jerk to anyone else if they don't agree. I don't mind if they think different 😉 For heavens sake its a story 🙂 They can think what they want about it 🙂
I'm really glad you're around to point that Longing for One's Home to us, because I never caught that before. I knew it about HaHB, but I didn't ever think that about VotDT 🙂 I should read it this week with that worldview in mind and enjoy it with that theme in mind. *runs off to find the nearest VotDT copy*