Confirmed: Walden is Talking With Fox About Making The Magician’s Nephew
Dekkie attended NRB’s Sunday Super Session in Nashville today and has posted the following report which confirms that Walden is leaning toward making The Magician’s Nephew next.
Michael Flaherty just confirmed that Walden was talking with Fox about the Magician’s Nephew.
I just got back from attending NRB’s Sunday Super Session in Nashville, TN, where Flaherty and Simon Swart from Fox spoke about “Connecting with Audiences in an Age of Distraction.” And Narnia, of course. A few noteworthy tidbits:
When asked by Phil Cooke of Cooke Pictures and host of this session if Walden would make any more Narnia movies, Flaherty responded, without hesitation: “Yes. We are talking to Fox about making the Magician’s Nephew next.” The audience clapped. He then mentioned that there was some debate about whether SC or MN should be next, and asked the audience to clap for their favorite. A few (including myself, loudly) clapped for SC, but the majority cheered for MN.
Flaherty also referred to Gresham as “the CS Lewis Cop,” and talked about when the production team would wonder what Lewis thought of something, Gresham would say something like about how once he was having dinner with Jack and he said that if there ever was a movie made it would have to include such and such. Flaherty, laughingly, added that he wondered how many of those stories actually happened.
Phil Cooke talked about the time he was at the first screening of the VDT trailer, 20 minutes after the trailer was shown, he received a notification on his phone from Google about all these Narnia sites having detailed reports about the trailer. “These people are crazy.” I laughed – because we are.
Flaherty gave a “huge, heartfelt thank you” to the audience for their support of the film, saying that many thought the franchise was “dead” after PC. He seemed pleased and not worried that VDT made “only” $100 million domestically.
Swart also talked about how excited Fox was to be able to pick up the franchise: “We get a shot at Narnia?” and saying that they “jumped in with both feet in.”
Michael Flaherty just confirmed that Walden was talking with Fox about the Magician’s Nephew.Thanks to Dekkie for the report!
It makes no sense to do The Magician’s Nephew next.
oops in posted it 2 times
I'm just so happy it's not stoping after VOTDT!!!!
I have mixed feelings on this. I really wanted to see the series made with continuity, meaning The Silver Chair, then The Last Battle, so that the characters could continue and grow as they do in the book. However, I believe the Magicians Nephew has the best chance of drawing people back into the magic of Narnia, with fresh characters, and multiple worlds.
On a side note: one thing that's been in the back of my mind since they started making the series, is that I think John Hurt would make a perfect Uncle Andrew!
Okay so WOW, having ALOT of mized feelings now. Okay, I will say that I am VERY EXCITED that another film will be made. It shows that it will continue and look forward to another film in the franchise. However, I do say it upsets me because A, Will Poulter will look so much older by the time of The Silver Chair comes out (if they make it) and that would look weird to know that the time between The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair was only a few MONTHS, VDT was in the Summer, SC was in the Fall of Earth time. And B, it just seems weird to be going back to the very beginning instead of the next in the right order. Oh well, hopefully there will be some light in this.
Skandar looked much too old in the last two movies. It was jarring. The only reason why it didn't ruin those movies for me is the fact that he's "always playing second fiddle." In the movie PC, Peter and Caspian were expected to carry the movie, while Edmund was almost like a comic relief character (almost). In the movie VDT, the focus alternated between Lucy and Eustace, with the occasional moment alotted to the rest of the ensemble, including Edmund.
In SC, Eustace is a central character, so it's critically important that the performance ring true. If we have an actor who looks like a teenager, playing a pre-adolescent character, it will ruin the movie.
Re: funding all-in-one production of LotR
Never hurts when the source material is among the top-ten bestsellers of modern times.
Shows how out of touch those who make films are with the fans. Polls have overwhelmingly shown that fans want Silver Chair next.
If they're insistent on doing Magician's Nephew, then they should film both simultaneously.
Silver Chair is my personal favorite of the Narnia books, but I'm hoping for a fresh start with the Magician's Nephew. Good as Will Poulter was, I think he is already too old NOW. Have you seen his pictures in the premier events? He's practically an adult.
My feeling is that the entire series started off too old. Remember LWW? Lucy was so cute, but Peter and Susan were already almost adults. Narnia's main audience will always be the younger set. LWW was the first and only movie that appealed to the younger set. Even VDT felt too old: there was the horrific fight scene at the end (there was absolutely no fighting in the book!), and all the "kids" were old.
My hope is that MN reboots the franchise by casting younger leads, and be more kid-friendly. Narnia's heroes and heroines were innocent, vulnerable children who surprised us with their courage, who were young enough to receive Aslan's love unconditionally and affectionally. Let's have more of that, rather than merely action heroes who don't shave.
Eustace will have to be recast for SC, but SC is really about Jill anyway. I know this is not the emphasis adult fans want, but really, that's where the audience is (look around the theater at any Narnia movie). I'd love to see more intelligent, substantial movies that young children can appreciate. Apart from Pixar's stuff, we mostly get moronic shows with rude body noises that throws in off-color double-entendres to appeal to adults (their idea of "wit").
I've loved browsing the forums, but I feel compelled to speak out on this issue.
I was just as crestfallen as most everyone when I first heard that Magician's Nephew might be next – but then I got to thinking about it, and…
Look at the big picture. If Silver Chair were next, then what? HHB? LB? Then when would they do Magician's Nephew?
I think this decision actually makes a lot of sense:
1) The franchise needs a reboot, and let's face it VDT was not it. As much as I love the latest film, most of us acknowledge they could have done better. Let's have a fresh start (and more faithful to the books, please!)
2) Tilda will be absolutely perfect as Jadis, and it's a role with tremendous depth. Let her exit the franchise in a blaze of glory, while rekindling interest. Then the first four movies will have had her as a bit of a recurring/unifying theme, coming full circle. Nice and tidy.
3) I think the producers are committed to doing all seven films, and the best way to do that is very probably to do SC & LB back to back after MN, with Jill and a new Eustace featuring in both films. As great as a job as Will did, we'd certainly lose him for LB anyway – so just bite the bullet and let the man off the hook, people.
4) Doing HHB as the very last film actually opens up a ton of possibilities. For one, who wouldn't want to see Anna in that role in 10 years? Moreover, delving into the Golden Age of Narnia might even open the door for some new films not based on the writings of Lewis.
So, I actually think that LWW-PC-VDT-MN-SC-LB-HHB is the way to go.
And let's make an even bigger effort to stay close to the book, shall we ? I completely agree with everything you wrote, best comment to date, I think, but let's not encourage the idea of making Narnia sequels independent of Lewis' writings ! that would be a irritating…
Consider VOTDD has now made 386 mil and might hit 400mil, they should have more confidence in this franchise. Both "The Silver Chair" and "The Magican's Nephew" should be in the works, and they should be filmed very close together. Each with a budget from 110-130 million, and they should be both releases in either 2012 and 2013 or 2013 and 2014. Bring it in a quick time so people don't forget, and go from The Lady Of The Green Kirtle to The Magican's Nephew. Cast Tilda Swinton in both roles, and let people go gaga over it. Each is totally different in mood, formular, and storytelling. This franchise is doing well and its time it be showed.
After these two then they should do Horse And His Boy.
@Arvan I think I might join you in being a wet blanket. I so wanted to see Silver Chair next for Will P. I cherish the Focus on the Family audiobooks for at least getting the books right when the 2nd and 3rd films failed. VDT was such a disappointment it still hurts some.
I don't believe SC is only about Jill. There is a focus on her as another new Narnian "convert" but it involves the relationships of all involved in the quest for the Prince. I can't believe I'm saying this but if it gets to the point where Will is really unable to be dressed down to look like a high schooler, then ….*eek*….I guess I could tolerate them casting a new Eustace. I hope they change their minds at the last minute and decide to film Silver Chair instead though and then tweak the script to allow Eustace to be a high schooler. Will's talents were seriously wasted with the horrible Dawn Treader script he was given. They did not give Will the screentime he deserved.
Okay, if the MN is greenlit and going in production, please, for once, stray not too far from the book and make it engaging entertainment. LWW had sets the standard and then PC derailed it, but it was VDT that dug a hole. No more Tilda Swinton and Douglas Gresham should be ashamed of himself if MN fail. Being the only living inheritor of the Lewis estate, as a quote found in the SPIDERMAN universe, "With great power comes great responsibility."
While Silver Chair has always been one of my favs personally (I may die if I don't see a big screen adaption of Puddleglum!!! He's a respectibiggle, marshwiggle.)
But I'm just glad as long as they continue the series, I love the Narnia books and one more movie is one more chance for a film to do well and one more chance for them to continue it again 🙂
I wonder seriously how much of a say Mr. Gresham really has though. I could not believe that that script of VDT was filmed with his full approval?
Is there a possibility of doing two movies at the same time Magician and His Nephew/ Silver Chair
I think it's important that Tilda not play LGK. That way, when we meet LGK, we don't know if she's good or evil, and we can relate better to the children's trust in her.
I disagree that they need a "fresh start." What they really need is good quality films with well-written scripts and fully-developed, relatable characters. I think the film producers, as well as a number of narniawebbers are focusing too much on unimportant details.
I don't think general audiences have an automatic interest in anything associated with Narnia. Some industry commentators have pointed out that the Narnia franchise has become synonymous with desperate attempts to milk the success of LWW. MN will just look like more of the same.
I disagree. When Cooke asked if there would be any more Narnia films, Flaherty said "Yes" not "hopefully" or "maybe." That suggests that the only hold up on the official green-lighting and pre-production process is the decision of which film to make.
No, they don't have the money for it.
First of all, the other kids are supposed to be youngish adults in LB, so it really doesn't matter. Second of all, how would you do LB without introducing the Calormenes in HHB first? Or introducing the rings in MN?
do not get what all the fuss is about, Magician's Nephew is much better than Silver Chair. Also, Will Poulter was good as a Dawn Treader Eustace, but I don't know if he could pull off a Silver Chair Eustace. Anyway, I never really liked Silver Chair or Last Battle, and Horse and His Boy will never get made anyway, so I'm glad their doing Magician's Nephew.
Douglas G. was actually quoted saying he felt Lewis would be proud of his policing of Prince Caspian.
Wow.
He seems like a nice guy, but maybe out of touch with reality. I don't think he is taken so seriously by the producers. The first time I saw him in an interview ( past year ) he looked really strange…all in black, odd beard, and looked like a cult-leader ( lol I am sure he isn't but he seriously looked it ) I am a christian, and not ashamed to let the world know, but that giant crystal cross on his chest was really over the top…
Why do you say Will couldn't pull off a Silver Chair Eustace?
Andrew Adamson said once that the three most beloved stories are
LWW
Dawn Treader
Magician's Nephew
Douglas Gresham, Mark Johnson and co. have said many times that they "Have to make 'The Magician's Nephew'"
If they decide to go with "MN" next, is it really that much of a surprise?
Not really. Plus, as was stated above, "Magician's Nephew" is a much stronger story.
I love the Radio Theatres! They're pretty good!
I don't see that at all, even with make-up. This says more about Andrew than it does about Carrie, but I just don't think he's weird enough for the part.
I think he would have done really good. 🙂
I think Martin Short would be good as Uncle Andrew, except I don't know if he's tall enough! =)
I agree. I think we should write letters to producers to show what we want in the movie. For example SC. If enough people send etters, we might get SC next.
Frankly, if I was C.S. Lewis, I'd be ashamed to admit to having written PC, never mind worrying about how people adapt it.
Now when I read that, my first image was of Barty Crouch Jr., and I thought "too creepy." Then I remembered he was also Casanova. Uncle Andrew's character should be a balance of the frightening and the ridiculous, and I think Tennant is just the person to pull that off.
As much as I want to see Tilda Swinton again, I kinda wanted to see how the Lady of Green Kirtle would be made in the bigscreen 🙁
Forget her, I want Puddleglum! 😛
As long as he has a really mad wig prosthetic, DT could fit. He plays serio-comically/maniacal so well.
I (ahem) most definitly agree.
Me too. I want to see a CGI Glimfeather doing his "translation" duties for Trumpkin.
Do both The Silver Chair with Tilda Swinton as Lady Of The Green Kirtle, and then The Magican's Nephew with Tilda Swinto reprising her role as Jadis. Both will make excellent movies (they are better stories than Caspian, Horse And His Boy, and Last Battle in my opinion). Set them back-to-back for 2012 (The Silver Chair) and 2013 (The Magicans Nephew." Do it "you saw how the witch's reign ended…now see how it began." But the Magican's Nephew first can work.
I mean, look at the franchise "Underworld." They did two stories and then went and did a prequel, and then are back to the main story again. Narnia doing three stories, going back to a prequel, and then continuing can work. That, and in all honesty, in terms of what they feel will be the most sucessful, I think they will choose "Silver Chair" over Horse And His Boy and The Last Battle. Not that I don't want to see Horse And His Boy, but I feel it's better left as Number 6, and can probably be made on a lower budget too (just in case box office numbers don't quite hold up).
I keep asking, and hope some producer is reading, why not do both at once? It would solve the problem of the children getting to old for the part, and still introduce the professore at a young age.
I notice a lot of complaining on this site.
I thought Narniaweb was supposed to be a source for FANS of the movies.
It seems to have devolved into a place where a lot of disgruntled so-called "fans" come to complain about what the movies are supposedly doing wrong.
Why don't we turn our attention to more positive things?
If they do "Magician's Nephew" next, how about embracing it?
After all, they are at least planning on DOING ANOTHER MOVIE.
I'm sorry, I'm just tired of seeing the same comments and complaints.
I shudder to think of what "the producers" think if they do visit this site on occasion.
No wonder so-called "Narnia fans" are not taken seriously. There's very little enthusiasm for the project here any more. They are probably wise to ignore you. Frankly, I'm thinking of ignoring you too and going elsewhere. It seems like there's 80% Narnia movie hatred here. You guys do a nice job covering the news, but you could really use a refill on your enthusiasm for the films. It's no fun coming here anymore.
For those of you out there that do support the movies, (and embrace them for what they are) I salute you. They are planning on making another movie. And I'm sure it will be a lot of fun as we anticipate it's arrival. 😉
Cheers.
I'm very…conflicted about this. One one hand I'm ecstatic that they've gotten to the stage of even talking about another movie, and I think the Magician's Nephew would look absolutely AWESOME on the big screen…but on the other hand, I LOVE the Silver Chair. And what about Will Poulter? I loved him so much as Eustace- I can't bear the thought of him not coming back for another film! And I'd cry with happiness at seeing Puddleglum on the big screen and I've always loved Jill…urgh, I'm whining.
Anyways, I'll warm up to whatever they eventually choose to do- I'd just set my heart on seeing my favourite book of the series made into a movie I guess 😉 Hopefully the next film will reboot the series 😀
apparently it's not that easy getting funding for one, let alone 2. that was the advantage of disney producing, they have bucks.
Well this is good news. I was hoping for Silver Chair next. But Magician's Nephew could be interesting. Especially since no movie version exist of this book yet. If thet can sell Fox on International Sales. Domestically Narnia dipped some more this time. But Internationally the movie made as much as last time well not including inflation rates.
perhaps someone web savvy can make SIDE place for additional POSITIVE commenting only. any takers??
I'm disappointed that their doing Magician's Nephew and not Silver Chair next, don't get me wrong I love all the narnia books a lot, but this is mainly because if they don't SC soon Will Poulter's age could become a huge problem, but at the same time I'm happy that their doing another narnia movie. With the kind of response that VDT got from people I thought the narnia series was dead.
Now in order to make this new narnia movie work they must put it in the hands of a much better director then Micheal Apted was and better scpirt writers, because let's face it Micheal Apted was the wrong guy to direct VDT.
I don't he think he was as passionate about C.S. Lewis's vision as he should of been and didn't have enough experience with epic, fantasy movies, before VDT he was making indy dramas and documentaries, and is best known for directing a James Bond movie from what I read, does that sound like the right guy to make a narnia movie. NO! Of course not they need a director whose more experienced in epic, blockbuster, fantasy movies, and whose way more passionated about the narnia books and C.S Lewis's vision.
Then the narnia movies will star being back on the right track, better and more successful. That's why Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings was so successful. It's where it all starts good directors and good scpirt writers.
Well said ! I am also very excited about The Magician's Nephew, it is a masterpiece.
Let's talk about our favorite scenes, and how we think they may do it, instead of: 'nooooooooooooooI wanted SC'
no.
I DON'T WANT MN YET, believe me! I am a big book fan! i agree… 🙂
Forget Martin Short! I want Kenneth Branagh! I've wanted him for the part since I heard his voice reading MN. He's absolutely the perfect voice for the part and I think with some clever makeup he'd be the perfect look as well! 😀
(He'd have to have a white wig, lose some weight and be shot so he looks taller… but they shot Georgie so she looked taller in DT!!)
For those of you non-Shakespeare-ians, Mr. Branagh was in the second Potter movie as an arrogant lying cheat.
Another reason why I want to see SC be made before MN that I forgot mention before is because I believe that all the narnia movies should be in chroniclogical order, because that's what makes the most sense. They are called "The Chronicles of Narnia" after all.
But after hearing what GlumPuddle had to say, he makes a good point. People might be more interested in seeing a naria prequal, showing how narnia was created then a sequal to PC and VDT. So it might be more successful at the box office for that reason.
But I'm still worried about Will Poulter's age becoming a problem by the time they get to filming SC, and I don't want him to be replaced, he's a really good actor and did such a good job as Eustace in VDT. I also hope to God that Micheal Apted will NOT! direct this movie, if he does it'll be like George Lucas directing The Phantom Menace.
In other words the death of the narnia movie franchise.
WOW PuddleGlum, it's like your reading my mind, I was thinking they should do the exact same thing. I mean since the filmakers are so keen on skipping The Silver Chair and The Last Battle and going straight to The Magician's Nephew.
ah, your right High Queene Shelly Belly its not to fund a movie, especially a big blockbuster movie like The Chronicles of Narnia. But do you really think a huge, major Hollywood studio corperation like Fox can't afford to make the narnia movies. Remember this is the same studio that produced most of the Marvel superhero movies and Avatar. So I really don't think Fox will have any issues producing narnia; wheather it be The Silver Chair or The Magician's Nephew.
yeah, i want sc next like all of you. but at least we get another narnia flim, right? will is probably gonna age a little, and i hope they still use will anyways!
how are they gonna do sc, hhb and lb then?
I do support the movies. I loved LWW and VDT, and I enjoyed PC. The thing is, they haven't made up their minds. The pro-SC crowd are hoping that they'll hear our comments and respond. This is especially true for those of us who have zero interest in seeing a MN movie. You don't hear the SC supporters telling the MN supporters not to share their point of view, why do you guys tell us to shut up? It's really bad on the movie discussion forum, where some of the pro-MN mods are acting like dictators.
Actually, Fox has been experiencing something of a dry streak lately. You can read about it on Box Office Mojo.
I think script-writers are even more important. I loved VDT for giving me such a brilliant depiction of Eustace, and for showing me some of my favorite moments from the book, but I couldn't help cringe at the script-writers attempts to turn Narnia into Shrek.
>:(
I see a few people bring a positive feel to this forum,
but you do not let this happen. I think practically every person on this site wants to see MN, just maybe not next. that's o.k. they have the right to thier opinion, io completely identifie with it,
but it is not normal to only concentrate on this fact.
They are continuing the series ! The news we have been waiting for so long.
Why don't you stop your bitterness, this is very far from a 'Narnian attitude.'
You need to take on a positive attitude, stop poisoning this site with your bitterness, and grow up.
You sound like a child who has just been told he will be getting cherry ice cream for desert, instead of the expected chocolate.
Let the rest of us enjoy this AWESOME news. If you don't like it, keep it to yourself
Stop spoiling it for everyone else.