‘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!
jill and eustace simply go to school together. his transformation in narnia has nothing to do with his knowing jill in that world. i do not remember if they meet for the first time at school (in silver chair) or if they were already friends. either way, it's a nice teaser to have that the last line in the film.
u got that right,Liberty!
I wonder (again) who will be Jill….. 😀
hehe Pepper Darcy …i like how u put ur words together….i'm one of the fans that don't prefer the WW and the witch in SC be played by the same actress and i respect ur opinions…hehe…i guess when i read the books…i didn't think they are the same character…i don't know i just thought they were different in their behaviour, their ways of treating the heroes and what they want from them…hmmm i guess we will wait and see 🙂
Meeeeeeeee toooooooooo hehe….how do u imagine jill's appearance…i always thought of her with a fringe runing across her forehead..and has that soft personality hehe 🙂
and i wonder which young actor will play rilian…hmmm
Yeah watered down for mass consumption. I do understand that. 🙂 Too bad they can't have one version for the masses and one version for the book fans. 😉
I really think they should up the rating to PG-13, that might allow the dark stuff to be addressed without diluting for younger kids.
Oooh like the idea of Rachel as TLOTGK.
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. 😉
I'm a book-fan first, and even I agree that the Lady of the Green Kirtle works well as Jadis. I always suspected there was a connection when I first read the books, and cinematically, it makes the most sense. I don't think it should be obvious, however. Tilday should be given a different look and characterization. It should be left ambiguous as to whether it's actually Jadis. It could be a sister, or a weird aspect of the witch that survived and became this being.
Either way, The Silver Chair is most definitely NOT a commercial, standard fantasy film for children. Even the BBC one is appropriately dark.
But if Fox is going to insist that it be colorful and "magical" (damn that overused catchphrase), and geared for five year olds, they can choke on the ticket I would've bought.
A lot is riding on not just the commercial success of this film, but on its success with viewers. "Nothing happens the same way twice," said Aslan in the adaptation of Prince Caspian, and yet Fox (a horrendous corporation) and the filmmakers have failed to comprehend that and are trying to replicate the commercial success of TLTWATW. It won't happen.
The Silver Chair, assuming it gets made, needs to follow in the heels of Spike Jones' "Where the Wild Things Are," and dare to be unique, unsettling, grounded and powerful. And I wouldn't complain a bit if Pixar decided to move into live-action films and bought the franchise from Fox.
I Wish they make this next,The perfect5 role for Puddleglum should be the films original Director Andrew Adamson seeming how he looks ALOT like the worrier and Tilda Swilton should be the lady of the green kirtle and if there grateful enough to do The Magicians nephew,MAKE HER JADIS!!!
The serpent in HP should really pay a visit to SC…
bahahahhaha i love the song version of that! best youtube video ever!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I want the Magicians Nephew next. 🙁
I could have sworn that Eustace was more of a bully than a friend to Jill before The Silver Chair (I haven't read TSC in years, so I may be wrong).
If they did change that, I wouldn't freak out, but I really did prefer it the original way.
I SAW THE MOVIE TODAY IN THE pREMIERE HERE IN PUERTO RICO, LET ME TELL U FANS, THIS MOVIE IS TOTALLY AWSOME!! I STARTED TO CRY AT THE ENDING OF THE MOVIE, THE SEA SERPENT BATTLE IS AWSOME, THE VISUALS LOOK REAL!! WHEN THE MOVIE WAS OVER I WAS LIKE… I WANT MORE!!!! I WANNA SEE IT AGAIN!! THS MOVIE WONT DESAPOITN ANY ONE, IT HAS ALL THE IMPORTANT THEMES AND DETAILS THAT R IN THE BOOK!!! IM GOING TO SEE IT AGAIN FRIDAY!!! YEY!! GO NARNIA!!!!
I just died laughing…that was epic.
She's gorgeous. Totally agreed, actually I thought of her when I read SC.
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. . .
I so think that the most frighting book would be the last battle made me cry the 1st time I read it!!!!
sooooooooooooooo cool going to see it Wednesday!!!!!!!
I completely agree!
Nitpicking here, but to be technically accurate, it's not chronological but rather in published order. LLW, PC, VDT, SC, HHB, MN, LB, if that holds true for the films.
Careful, not everyone has seen the movie yet. (where I live, it won't come out til friday. Or rather, thursday at midnight) I'd bet most haven't. And although I'm not spoiler-free by any means, I would prefer to save some things til I'm watching it, to learn. I feel I've heard quite a bit of things, seen lots of pictures. I'd like to have SOMETHING that is a surprise. Don't feel bad, though… what's done is done. Just keep things like this in mind in the future, please. Thanks.
P.S. Say it's so, that's odd. A neat plug for book fans, but weird. Like others have said, sure, they were schoolmates. But they weren't friends til after he changed, and they were both targeted by the bullies. (if I'm remembering correctly, that is)
Ok, I'm a little confused. Yes, SC has never been brought to the big screen… but it had been made for television. By the BBC in the early 90's, remember? It was their fourth and final installment (unless you count their PC and VDT as one, since they were jammed together. cutting out a LOT from PC).
So, your remark puzzles me. Also, I don't think ANY of the seven had been made as feature films (for the big screen) before Walden Media started this. Four of them were on tv (by the BBC, as I said. LWW, PC, VDT, and SC), and one was a cartoon film (LWW). But to my knowledge, that is it. Care to explain what you meant?
But I agree with you wholeheartedly that VDT has to do well, so that they can continue til they have made all seven. My main, and possibly only, problem with the BBC versions, is that they stopped halfway through the series. I wanted to have visual representations of each story. So, if Walden made all seven… that would be a dream come true.
I think most of us that have read the book series caught the "green" reference with the kidnapping mists as a foretelling of the LotGK.
I'm going out a limb that they're going to be giving a revenge story, (in defeating the "mist") for the LotGK against Caspian by killing his wife and seducing his only son.
Again this is a very dark book, I hope they attempt to be a little bit more grounded in family entertainment as opposed to VoTD and dark enough to capture the story.
The BBC adaption is beautiful. Rillian was played as a mixture of Hamlet in his madness and the Man in the Iron Mask, which was very affective and for me, the right way to go about playing the tortured Prince.
Here's hoping they get a very good actor in the role, because Rillian was meant to be at least thirty, so that does leave a window for some very good actors to play him.
glumPuddle is right, you have made some pretty good observations. However, I want to question just one thing.
You wrote: 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.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but they WERE needed. Or, at least, Lu was. Isn't she the only one that could have made the Duffers and Coriakin visible?
And I know that Narnia wasn't in distress, really. But it was a really crucial part of development for Eustace to go on that journey. In other words, Narnia didn't need them… didn't need Eustace. But by the Lion, Eustace sure needed Narnia… and more importantly, Aslan. Think how different his life might have been if not for that one first visit. He wouldn't have helped Jill, and countless knows how many others. Would Tirian's faith in the stories, and Aslan have been shaken badly… his last fight not how it was, if Eustace (and because of going with him in SC, Jill) wasn't there to assist him?
I guess this is one of those things like why most Nwebbers don't like PC. "not enough action, etc" (is how I read some of the posts) But just because the "action" or the "mission" isn't of great peril to the home, or creatures (on the outside)… doesn't mean that their souls aren't in danger. That the internal stuff they learn isn't as important as the whole "saving the world" thing. If you ask me, Aslan saving Ed… Ed sticking up for Lu (and telling Eustace about Aslan)… Ed and Eustace both having their whole lives and perspectives changed. Those are the real important journeys. Think about it… Narnia, and our world will fade away. But the people? The lives touched? Or consider this… one person can make a difference, but if the difference isn't made in them first… how can they help others? I know what a difference one person here and there have made in my own life, my own story. If not for them, my path would have been very different. That is why PC is my favourite. I'm not saying the worlds don't need their help… that they should take a back seat just for ONE PERSON's salvation. But, personally, the inner journeys mean more to me than the battles. Evil can hit you from any and all sides. and the tougher, in my opinion would be the inner battle. I'm not saying I'd love being in the front lines of a war.. I'd be terrified, and disgusted. I hate pain, but if it helped others I'd like to think I'd do what I had to. What scares me more is how it can strike at you from the inside. So, yeah. Sorry this is long winded, but Ed, Lu, and Eustace weren't brought as just guests on a cruise type thing. It was what was needed. It was a growing up, and moving on lesson for the brother and sister. And a life changing beginning for the cousin. So, this time it wasn't for the good of Narnia. Ok, that's not always such a bad thing. 😉
(sorry for the long post. I just felt it needed saying. and it's not just your post made me say it, I've been thinking on these things for quite some time. Thanks for your patience)
You have a point Caspian.
Do the producers have such little foresight as to not realize that the books are "poor cinematic" material according to some??
Yet they make them into movies anyway, and because they stuck with the story so well in LWW, they made big $$.
Now they are diverging, and hopes for a complete series are dwindling.
*ahem*REMAKE*ahem*
i never realise the witch in the silver chair seduces prince rilian…i seriously didn't notice that…because i always wondered why exactly the witch kidnaps him..i guess i havn't read the book for a year now but yh…
Hehe Princess Anna…what I meant was I hope we can all see the rest of the films finally made with the advancement of technology but also good adaptions as well..and with MN, HHB and LB we all definitely excited to see them finally be adapted and made…and for SC like u said it has been made into tv series…but i am definitely excited to see the new version and i am sure all of yous are because simply because i hope they pick actors that are the same age as the character hopefully …and i think prince rilian in the tv series was a bit too old for the age..but the series is still done well…also i'm soo excited to see the actor that played eustrace in VDT in SC..sorry i wasn't specific but I hope it helps and tell me if you disagree or agree 🙂
where did you hear they were for human sacrifices? You better no have already seen the movie and just now spoiled it for me.
Definitely.
I agree with Reepicheep, Knight of Narnia. VoDT was a successful book. But the disorder and radomness of the plot would look bad on the big screen to those who had never read the book. I had never read a narnia book before seeing prince caspian and my friends and I loved it. The writers are trained to know what will sell and draw peoples attenting. So I trust them sometimes.
Honestly, it never really occurred to me that The Silver Chair is an especially darker story than the other Chronicles. When I first read the books as a child, I found the sacrifice of Aslan in the LWW more disturbing than anything that happens to Caspian or his wife in the SC, and I found the White Witch to be a more troubling character than the Lady of the Green Kirtle. Puddleglum is of course depressing in his outlook, but I mostly just found him amusing. Likewise, I simply found the cannibalistic giants entertaining and exciting when I was a child.
At any rate, I think The Silver Chair would be a fairly easy film to market if they do it right. Giants, gnomes, a whole new imaginary world underground, a witch almost as interesting as the White Witch, a handsome young prince, a trek through the previously unseen North of Narnia, a new type of talking animal (owls), and of course Marshwiggles. To me, a witch, cannibalistic giants, gnomes, and strange Marshwiggles are more interestingly fantastical than the creatures we saw in PC (almost all of which we'd already seen in LWW).
And, of course, all that snow will help them better market the film as a Christmas movie, and I think they have a real asset in Will Poulter as Eustace. Beyond this, the story is pretty straightforward, so it shouldn't have to be adapted so much like they did with Dawn Treader.
I'm looking forward to The Silver Chair, and I see no reason justified by the story why they should have a PG-13 rating for the movie. Even if they do make it somewhat darker, which would be fine if handled carefully, they needn't loose the fantastical feel of the story (take Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as an example of a somewhat dark but still very fantastical film).
I have a pretty strong feeling that its going to be both gnomes and kidnapped people who are enchanted like Rilian. Knowing the moviemakers' track record, I wouldn't be surprised if there were also additional types of creatures in Bism beyond gnomes and people.
I do agree with you about the "not commercial" point, but I would like to remind everyone who is being pessimistic that pretty much everyone who has seen the film (that I've read reactions/reviews from on here) has said it is the best of the 3 and that it best reflects the true spirit of Narnia, despite the plot changes.
Not trying to shoot anyone down. I'm just pointing that out, because the overwhelming pessimism has been really getting to me lately. Not that I don't have my doubts as well, but I'm just tired of people complaining about VDT without having seen it yet.
And in terms of a film being "cinematic" or not, I definitely see the commercial aspect factoring into that, but as a person considering going into filmmaking, I can see how VDT would be at least a little bit difficult, merely from a technical standpoint. It is a quest story, but even as a child I thought it was somewhat strange that there wasn't too much of a plotline driving it other than the search for the Lords. Not that I didn't enjoy it–I love the book–but I just found it odd. And it is hard for filmmakers, especially the screenwriters, to make a cohesive script with a story that's so episodic. It worked really well with the BBC version because it was a television miniseries and the episodic nature of the book lent itself really well to that medium. But when you've got a 2-hour linear time slot, you need to be able to tie in all the little "episodes" a bit more strongly than I thought they were in the book.
But this is not to say that VDT is not an extremely difficult book to adapt to film, because it's not. It's a BIT of a challenge, but not insanely complicated.
Anyway, I'm done now.
Awesome! Way Cool! I love Narnia! The Silver Chair is one of my favorite Narnia books! I am looking forward to watching the movie! Wonderful!
Totally agree!!
"Magician's Nephew" all the way!!
All of the producers say it's their favorite and they "have to make that book." So I say, why don't they make it already??!
Nothing to back this up with.
But maybe the human sacrifices (if they are human–I haven't seen the film yet) are some kind of "payment" in order to reincarnate the White Witch as The Green Lady.
Yes, VDT isn't the most easiest book to adapt unlike LWW and PC which were fairly straight-forward to make into a film and i can see why Michael Apted seeded the aspect/theme of stealing from the SC into VDT, But that dosen't mean the SC won't still have that aspect/theme to it, and that dosen't mean it will be harder to make SC. The SC will be only not made if it dosent have enough numbers viewing VDT, which would result in a shortage of funds for SC and then and only then would it be more likely not to make the SC, and if they do have enough numbers for VDT, it is more than likely that SC will get the go-ahead….no matter what aspect/theme is taken away from the story, the story can always be ajusted and every story that is converted into a film is changed in somesort of way from the original story anyway…..there truely is no point in nink-picking on the film as long as it still has same point as the the book and in Narnia's case the same magical feeling and there is no doubt in my mind that VDT will still be as amazing as it's book and (if it gets the go-ahead)The SC will be the same.
after seeing Voyage twice now (sorry to rub it in hehe) the green mist DEFINITELY links the Lady Of The Green Kirtle in the Silver Chair along with the kidnappings you will understand when you see it 🙂 For me the second time was SO much better and I will be going to see it as much as I can! Still cry everytime I see Aslan
Is anyone else under the impression that Michael Apted will be directing the Silver Chair?
My favorite thing about the Chronicles of Narnia is that whenever someone from our world goes to Narnia, it is for a dual purpose: Narnia needs them and they need Narnia. Yes, Edmund's and Eustace's transformations from bad to good are the most important part of the books. No argument there! Yet, the C.S. Lewis put a very clever formula into these stories, which contains and needs action plots. Essentially, by being needed, the main characters grow.
However, the screenwriter for Narnia know their business better than I. They know better than I what people will want to watch. If they deem in necessary to change the storyline a little for it to sell, that's fine with me. I'm glad to put up with a little green mist in order to see the other four wonderful books in the Chronicles of Narnia on screen.
My own perspective of the (seemingly never-ending) White Witch/Lady of the Green Kirtle debate is to view it in a similar vein to Mr Darling/Captain Hook being played by the same actor in Peter Pan. It can be a tradition of the production – by accident or design. That is not to say there is no basis in the literature. Just as Barrie writes "all grown-ups are pirates" Lewis describes them “as one of the same crew”. A logical inference that in the eyes of Wendy/Narnians they see the former character in the later. To make the extra leap that they are the same character is Freudian interpretation IMHO. Tilda Swinton was an excellent White Witch. She would be an excellent Lady of the Green Kirtle. Voyage of the Dawn Treader is best film to date. Bring on The Silver Chair next please.
Doesn't Susan like EPICLY fail in that one? (been a while since I have read the story…)
Can Anyone tell me when and where the auditions for the Silver Chair will be held? I would love to go and audition for Prince Rilian! I loved the almost psycotic intensity his character gives off while under control of the snake lady and the silver chair.
MEEE!!! Hopefully!… Haha… but no, seriously though, I would love to go audition for that part… Rilian would be such an intense part to play… or should be.
I think I am close to the right age for his character too… Maybe…
the book the silver chair is good but intead of the lion the witch and the wardrobe the horse and boy shold be the first