Why is Walden Making ‘Magician’s Nephew’ Next?
The Christian Post caught up with Micheal Flaherty to talk to him about the future of the Narnia films. Flaherty confirmed that Walden plans to make The Magician’s Nephew as the fourth Narnia movie (which we already knew) and that they’re currently in talks with Fox and the C.S. Lewis Estate about it.
But what was interesting was one of the reasons he listed as to why they were making The Magician’s Nephew next instead of The Silver Chair.
Looking ahead, Walden Media believes The Magician’s Nephew has the potential to be a blockbuster hit like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe because it is the second most popular book in the Narnia series.
Flaherty explained that box office performance for Narnia films appears to mimic the amount of people’s interest in the books.
“What’s interesting is that the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe over this period of time sold twice as many books as Prince Caspian and it did twice as much at the box office. Prince Caspian sold a third of the books as Dawn Treader and did a third at the box office,” he noted.
“So while it’s not always a correlation between books to film, so far with these first three films, it has been.”
The full story is available here.
seriously??!?!?! And i thought i would pass out when i saw THIS post!!!! now it's OFFICIAL??!?!? oh my gosh…
guys, don't we have other things to argue about that are just a little more important than what the green mist signifies? I know it's important when we think about the impact the concept has on the other films, but SC is at stake here! MN is gonna be greelight before any of us will realize it!
Go to
http://www.narniafans.com
if you want to see it 🙂
I thought I pushed reply. Whoops!
Awesome name! Can I call you Bree? 😉
Ok, this is a random question, but does anyone know if there is a place where you can find the music from the Radio Theater productions by John Campbell?
I was just wondering if any of you does know that Dawn Treader has been Nominated for Crystal Dove Seal Award for “Best Adventure” Film of 2010. you can check it on http://www.aslanscountry.com if you wanted too. does any of you wonders who will be better to play Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer for MN? So it's going to be The Magician's Nephew for the next NARNIA film to be released.
@Anhun-LOL Love it! @Conqueror-SC is not dull at all
I did not argue. I simply posted a theory as to what the Green Mist is.
This is mostly friendly discussion. Not argument.
As for the future of the series… I have already embraced "Magician's Nephew."
Truthfully, it's my second favorite book after LWW. I was supporting "Magician's Nephew" as the fourth film long before any of this news was posted. 😉
SC is among my three faves: MN, SC, and VDT. I also like LB, but probably not a major fave. It would be missed sorely!
No idea who they would get to play Digs.
But they usually find these wonderful children to play the roles.
So I'm not too worried. Look at Will Poulter, Georgie and Skandar, etc….
I'm pretty much set on Moonwood's idea for John Cleese as Uncle Andrew.
And of course Tilda should play Jadis.
to high queene shelly belly: que frase tan rara.Haber puesto algo mas sencillo.
They should cast us Narniawebbers. You know, actual Narnia fans. That would be sooo cool. 🙂
To Alambil and Tarvis: Actually, it wouldn't be that hard to cast a Jill. Jill is supposed to be shorter than Eustace according to according to LB.
I'm taking a poll. What does Polly Plummer look like to you? List hair, eyes, and height. You can list more if you find something I didn't think of. To me she has brown hair, hazel eyes, and is not real short, but not real tall. Please take the poll. 😀
🙂 I don't think we have anything to worry about regarding T.Swinton, they are counting on her Awesomeness. it's probably one of the main reasons they are doing this movie…
Wilkins, I think the operative word was "important" not "argue." Fangirl feels that a discussion of the green mist and its symbolism is beside the point.
I have to say I disagree, fangirl. Many of us are concerned about MN because it's not a straightforward quest or mission, which means that the filmmakers are more likely to feel a need to "improve" it. A number of fans use the Green Mist as an example of such misguided cinematic changes. Wilkins is trying to make the point that the Green Mist isn't misguided at all, and that it was perfectly appropriate as a part of Narnian lore.
Personally, I didn't feel that the Green Mist was un-Narnian, I just felt that it took away time from canon material that I would have loved to see on screen. If you have a plot that's already full to bursting, don't add a plot element that requires much more screen time to develop properly.
Glumpuddle once suggested the idea of a mystery (a la Sherlock Holmes :D) as the central plot of VDT, in which they look for clues as to the fate of the lost lords. This would have required very little added time, since it only involves taking the existing central plot and giving it more dramatic impact. . . . But now I really am getting off topic.
The reason why LWW was more successful than the other two films is not because of book popularity but because it was a better adaptation. The moviemakers can't see what's under their noses. Quite simply, the first movie is the most faithful adaptation. They messed up VODT big time and they wonder why people are losing interest.
The Narniafans news item was quoting the same Christian Post article quoted in fantasia kitty's post above. So this is really the exact same information, just posted on a different fan site.
I disagree, LWW has sold more than twice as many copies as the rest of the books in the series combined. It is frequently sold as a stand-alone work, rather than "Narnia 1" or "Narnia 2." Many people who love LWW don't even realize that there are other books in the series. I agree that the quality of the film contributed to its success. It had excellent word of mouth, and it was mostly respected by critics, but the fact that the original book is culturally iconic helped it to become a mega-hit. None of the other books in the series have that status, not even MN.
I personally am VERY glad that they are making MN next. My only concern is: Will Poulter might be too old by the time they get to SC. On the other hand, it seems to me that Will is most likely not going to be growing much more, and so my concerns might be for naught. So overall, I personally think that the choice they are making is a very excellent one. And even if they were doing it just for the money, it doesn't make much difference, they're making the right choice. And doing it for the sake of money isn't that bad of an idea anyway. They have to be sensible, and we must remember that if they don't think about the money, no other movies will be forthcoming.
I agree, but for one thing- that is, some of the fans are just so silly they faint every time an actor walked by. And we can't have that on the set! ;-P But yes, I do want very badly to be Jill. VERY badly.
I think that Polly has very long light brown hair, blue/brown eyes, and a very pale complexion. She's very short, and slightly plump. SLIGHTLY! And her eyes are very large, her cheekbones are high, and her ears are small. Her hands are very little, and her eyebrows are are very light.
That's the way I see her.
So it's all about the money. Awesome. Glad to know they're making these for the fans.
they made up there own plot for the book which is so off. Theirs no mist taking over Narnia in the book. in the book there just looking for the lords not saving Narnia from an evil mist. that's what disappointed me with VDT.
Not that Magician's Nephew isn't good, but "The Silver Chair" is longer and better. Couldn't they have waited one more movie?
You are speaking from the point of view of a small slice of very local culture.
In Europe the books are far better known, and VDT nearly as well known as LWW. Plus, C S Lewis was awarded the 1956 Carnegie Medal for The Last Battle.
Prince Caspian didn't impress me much when I was young, but as I grew older ( it will happen to you too, don't be discouraged ) I came to see it as a masterpiece.
The movie was ruined by Adamson . He had no respect for the story, and implied it several times. I'm talking about the guy who–in his Shreck movie– had Pinnochio, the beloved children's book character, grab his own crotch , Michael J. style 'dance move'. This was his usual respectable tribute to classical tales…
con mucho gusto. arroz con pollo. yo no tengo mucho dinero. porque la falta, mariquana que fumar.
agreed, reep. and you, Will?
i think the mystery thing is a geat idea. too bad today's market only allows for explosions and fighting.
they are hardly making money off the sequels. trying to keep their heads above water is more like it.
LOL, I suppose, if thats all you can pronouce…XD
8D !! sorry I don't have an answer to your question, it's just so awesome to see that someone other than me has listened to the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre Narnia's! Man, I love those things! They should hire the Odyssey team to make the movies…they'd be awesome.
And if Liam Neeson cant voice Aslan anymore, I vote for David Suchet! 😀
I picture her with blonde, rather curly hair and blue eyes. Height being on the shorter side.
Perhaps you're right for John Cleese can play Uncle Andrew in magician's nephew. And Tilda Swinton should be Jadis for she portrays her in 3 consecutive Narnia movies as well as Liam Neeson for Aslan's portrayal. Well, they must get a better role for Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer.
So it's finally official (for all Narnia fans know) that "The Magician's Nephew" will be the fourth Narnia film. Does making MN the fourth Narnia film better than SC? Is it really official that MN will be green-lit? MN is all about how evil entered Narnia and how Narnia was made. Then when the Producers must begin to make MN? Hope the production-team will do MN as early as they can.
I can see that.
Agreed. Most definitely agreed.
🙂 LOL
Crumpets! (very good)
I don't know if anyone feels the same as I do, but HHB is my favorite book and it's the one I most want to see made into a movie. I love Aravis, Shasta, Bree and Hwin! MN is my second favorite though, but I hope people don't get mixed up about the order when they make this one next instead of SC. I guess they had to find some place to put it because it really is first in chronological order…
Well, here's what I think is going on, if they make Magician's Nephew next.
What they might end up doing is putting Silver Chair and The Last Battle together back to back, with A Horse and His Boy coming before them,
Consider how that works. TMN, for all of its mythological heft, has perhaps one character who must be cast from the other films. AHAHB has the Pevensies in charge, with the added benefit that the actors can be presented at their current ages without a problem.
Silver Chair has Eustace, but since they're being kind of loose about the ages of the characters in the films, they can have Eustace and Jill be teenagers. Then, having done TSC, they can go on to the Last Battle, which can more or less have everybody they introduced up to that point, minus Susan, of course, who might get a cameo at the beginning or at the end anyways.
One thing that benefits the series is, in terms of flexibility, is that the series already out of chronological order. A little more juggling won't hurt it. In this case, it might make it easier to pull the cast together for different movies, and keep actors in the audience's minds.
How could this happen? I want silver chair to be next! I was working so hard to be Jill pole…
Who agrees???
I can't wait to see HHB on film! If they had announced HHB as Narnia 4, I would have been dancing with joy. 😀
Though, if they had announced SC, I would still be pleased. I'm interested to see what Walden would do with that. With the right cast, script, visual design, and marketing, it has the potential to attract casual or new fans and become really popular, as well. Even though Jill is very different from Hermione Granger, she could easily fill the void of strong fantasy heroines left by the ending of the HP series. If SC did well, that could pave the way for future Narnia films, including HHB.
I actually prefer them doing the Magician's Nephew next. I loved reading the book so I'd love watching it. It is the best Narnia book ever. MAKE A MOVIE! MAKE A MOVIE! MAKE A MOVIE!!!
Sorry Alambil and Tarvis. I'd say that the MN is probably slow in the way your saying (no battles or anything). But think of the suspense! The dread of Uncle Andrew,the terror of Jadis, and the teptation. The darkness, the magic rings, the mystery of undiscovered worlds,. I would have to say that MN has more going for it than VDT ever did (in the book or movie). All I can say is-that MN might be a little freaky and dark, but lightened by Aslan and morals that are within the story.(:
I love the Magician's nephew too !
Would't it be awesome to have John Cleese as Uncle Andrew ? Tilda Swinton vs John Cleese–who could wish for more ?
I totally agree with you there. I personally think that HHB would do really well in the theatres. And I would really like to play Aravis. 😉
I definitely agree with "Aslan's #1 Fan": All that stuff makes MN one of the three most thrilling books. My opinion is that HHB and LB have a lot of thrill too, because after all, HHB has all that daring escape and travel across desert and battles, and LB has the END OF THE WORLD! Those three are my fave books: LB, MN, HHB.
I know I will go see it in the theatres at least twice, not only to see how good it is but (sorry if this sounds a little weird) I feel very strongly about the Narnia series (having grown up on it as a child) and I want to make sure they're doing a good job with the movies.
Her hair and cloths will certainly have to reflect late 19th century England…I would also expect long curled hair and a bow…
I think it would be hilarious. In a good way.
Cleese is so funny and contrasting that against Tilda's coldness…. it could be absolute gold.
"How long am I to wait for my chariot?"
"See here, Madam!"
Ha ha ha. I can hear it now.
Ha Ha you find the best quotes…
The fact is, Everything that is Uncle Andrew, is in the range of his beloved 'Basil Fawlty' Character. + he is very tall…
acctually, people thought that the witch from SC and the WW might be the same witch, so they could put her in SC
I agree that Focus on the Family did a phenomenal job with the audio stories of Narnia, and they have also made close to 700 episodes of Adventures in Odyssey. I think someone should do a miniseries of the best episodes of Odyssey and show them on T.V. They wouldn't need a large budget, or even many special effects, just a classic small town in America.
I know! The writers of Odyssey wrote some amazing episodes, with great themes. They would make epic tv shows, and I love the idea of it all revolving around a small town… 🙂
i don't miind MN next, but for the other flims i want the original characters in it. kids grow up pretty fast, and if they plan on making the rest of the series with them in it…
HHB is totally the most awesome book in the series, though there are few who share my opinion. 😉
I'm actually quite disappointed that they are making The Magician's Nephew instead of The Silver Chair next. While it may bring in more viewers, it's totally messing up the order. And Will Poulter is going to be too old by the time they start shooting The Silver Chair.
"Green was considered the color of calamity and evil, and was associated with the Devil himself."
Gives you pause when thinking of the current politically correct fad of "going green," "green jobs," Greenpeace, etc.
I don't see how MN would bring in more viewers. I wouldn't be nearly as upset about the choice if I did. You could certainly argue the point that MN has more of a built-in fan base (people who've read the book and want to see a film of it, and avid fans of Tilda Swinton). But none of the Narnia films left have nearly enough of a built-in fanbase to make back a massive budget. If they can't attract and entertain casual fans and new fans, the movie will flop. Silver Chair and HHB, if well-made, are dramatically more likely to become popular with the casual fans. If they get a really charismatic actress for Jill and she has good chemistry with Eustace, I can picture audiences clamoring for Silver Chair 2 😛 (okay that might be a bit of a stretch).