Opinion: Sequel? Prequel? Reboot? What now?
NEWS DROUGHT ALERT!
In the middle of a news drought, fans have a tendency to let their imaginations run wild on what the future could hold. In this video, I embrace that tendency and examine possible routes Walden Media could take for a fourth Narnia film.
Outline:
1. Sequel: The Silver Chair
- Fourth book to be published (1953)
- Logical next chapter
- Will Poulter’s age
- Set up in Dawn Treader film
2. Prequel: The Magician’s Nephew
- More popular book
- Clear connection to the first film
- The opportunity to give Tilda Swinton a prominent role again.
3. Reboot: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- Start from scratch: New cast, new crew
- Would need to be fundamentally different from Adamson’s version. (Animation? PG13?)
4. Reboot: The Magician’s Nephew
- Re-cast Aslan and The White Witch
5. Prequel (to VDT): The Horse and His Boy
- The Pevensies would likley be given bigger roles
6. Re-read the books! I have read each book a dozen times, and I’m still discovering new things.
How would you feel if Walden announced a LWW reboot? Scroll to the bottom of the homepage and vote now!
Another idea for a reboot: 7 musicals!
Am I the only one who thinks a reboot could be done well if we get the right people? Why do you guys who don't want a reboot done don't want it done? I asked that to some people earlier and they said it would be too strange without the current cast because they are the characters. No! The cast we have now are people, not the characters. Georgie Henley is Georgie Henley, not Lucy. Will Poulter is Will Poulter, not Eustace.
Any other reasons why you think a reboot would be bad? Are you scared the filmmakers would do something wrong?
No reboot, please. Walden's versions of both LWW and PC were quite adequate. I can't see anyone making a better film adaptation for PC, at any rate.
I'd like to agree that Silver Chair would be the next most logical effort after VDT, but BBC has already been down that track with their 1980's adaptation. It was their reuse of their Jadis/White Witch as the Lady of the Green Kirtle that caused the confusion between these two characters ever after. Furthermore, it closes down Walden's options. They would have no alternative but to do Last Battle next.
That leaves Magician's Nephew, which has never been screened before. Tilda Swinton has a rightful place in this film. As does LWW's Professor. It has a strong tie with LWW in explaining the Lion, the Witch, the Wardrobe, not to mention the Lamppost. And since in VDT the Professor tutored Peter whilst Lucy and Edmund were at Eustace's place, it is the only other logical alternative to VDT.
A good Magician's Nephew could be followed then by HHB, then SC and finally LB.
Can you tell me where it says that in the LWW book Dylan? I've read the book nearly a dozen times and I recall Aslan killing the Witch. Then again, it's been a while since I last read the book, so perhaps it. Please present your evidence.
A reboot would be bad for several reasons:
1. LWW was an excellent and extremely popular movie. To the modern movie going public, Tilda Swinton is the quintessential White Witch, Georgie is the quintessential Lucy, and so on and so forth. A reboot would be weird and pointless.
2. A reboot would mean that they need to navigate Prince Caspian yet again, a feeble, unpopular book that's difficult to translate into a good, popular movie.
3. It means that we will have to wait that much longer for HHB. 🙁
I really hope that they don't reboot I like the movies and the cast was perfect. I think that they should make The Silver Chair, Last Battle, Magicians Nephew, then Horse and His Boy.
I also don't think that they should make it animated, I can't see the Narnia films animated, or PG13, I mean Narnia was made as a children's fantasy but so it could be enjoyed for all ages, it should be made so that the whole family can sit down and watch a movie together without having to worry that one of their littles might wake up in the middle of the night because of a nightmare.
And I liked Andrew Adamson's version of the Narnia films better although I did like Michael Apted's version too, but it didn't have the same Narnia feel as the previous two. Even thought Prince CAspian was completely different then the book it felt like Narnia.
How would they have no alternative? Honestly I fail to see how sticking MN and HHB in between SC and LB would be any more awkward that sticking them between VDT and SC. IF you can follow up VDT, which makes no mention of Digory Kirke, with MN which is all about him, you can do the same for SC. Either way the chronology is disrupted. Also, Silver Chair doesn't lead into Last Battle any better than MN or HHB. MN sets up the rings for LB, and HHB introduces the Calormenes that are making trouble in LB. For that very reason, if they choose to make LB at all, which I think would be a mistake, it must come after the other 3.
Then again, as I've said before, making a big-budget version of LB would be a ghastly commercial mistake. They're better off ending with MN, creating a full-circle effect. Even making MN would be unwise, if they don't recapture audiences' interest in movie-Narnia with strong adaptations of SC and/or HHB first.
I love it!
♫Springtime for Aslan and Narnia
Winter for Jadis and wolves♫
Also, if they do Last Battle, Eustace and Jill would need to be noticeably older than in Silver Chair, as it takes place several earth years later. They would have plenty of time to do Magician's Nephew and Horse & His Boy in between (that is, assuming they do SC next).
Also, if they wait long enough to do HHB, Anna, Skandar & Georgie may be old enough to play Susan, Edmund and Lucy as adult King and Queens…
Nice!
Honestly, given that the last 2 movies lost money, if the next one fails, they're almost certainly done, no matter which one it is. I think Silver Chair, well-made and well-marketed, would make more money than Magician's Nephew, though.
When and where did Lewis say that his greatest fear was an animated Narnia?
"IF you can follow up VDT, which makes no mention of Digory Kirke, with MN which is all about him, you can do the same for SC"
No you can't. Peter was with the Professor in VDT – look at the third paragraph of the book. They could reasonably do SC after MN, since neither MN nor VDT have Jill, but then there is a good chance we miss out of HHB altogether. Jill is only in SC and LB.
Anna and Skandar are already old enough for that. Georgie could be styled to look like a young adult, I think.
They cut the part about Peter studying with the Professor out of the movie though, thus there would be no connection between a movie of MN and the existing Walden movie of VDT. In fact they were not clear about Peter's whereabouts, stating only that he and Susan were "off on adventures." This vaguely implies that he was with Susan in America, but it could also be interpreted that he was on a separate adventure. Either way, studying with a professor hardly constitutes an adventure.
I think they were intentionally vague because movie-Peter, at that point, was at least 18. This means, for one thing, he would already have taken his certificate exams, and for another, that he was old enough to enlist. It would be extremely out of character for Peter not to enlist if he's old enough. Perhaps that was the "adventure" that Lucy was referring to. Suffice it to say that, given how much older movie-Peter is than book-Peter, it makes no sense for him to be staying with the professor.
They simply need to do the most logical thing and film The Silver Chair. They already have Will Poulter. And Jill Pole was mentioned as well. So why not?
NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLease, please, please, please, please don't re-do LWW! It is a great movie by itself, it was the best of all three! PLEASE DON'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It doesn't need this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May be they should make both of them and show magicians nephew first( bec they think more people will see it) and then Silver Chair may be w/ a lesser budged.
🙂
I know this has nothing to do with Narnia 4, but you can guys please pray for London? Massive riots, looting, and fires are happening there right now! They have been for three days, with hundreds arrested. And it's spread to 3-4 other cities: Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester!
Pray for the safety of the main Narnia cast, and everyone else connected with the films. The same goes for those from other franchises who live in the affected cities.
I just learned that Skandar is from the London borough of Camden. The fires and rioting spread there just today! And we don't know if Georgie [London or Ilkley], Anna and Will Poulter [London] are safe either! Ben and William Moseley are in America.
Narnia 4 doesn't matter right now! No franchise does! Prayer for London is what matters!
http://www.facebook.com/AslansCountry/posts/10150282760519181
I was just reading VDT and there's a part I don't get. I know it's off base, but please bear with me. The book says this: "I had to apologize or that dangerous little brute would have been at me with his sword. And the Caspian showed his true color as a brutal tyrant and said out loud for everyone to hear that anyone found 'stealing' water in future would get 'two dozen'." What does two dozen mean?
I just learned that the rioting has spread to the northern cities of Liverpool and Bradford! Georgie attends Bradford Grammar School! Pray!
They need to put the whole country under martial law. This is scary stuff.
I think we should pray for the developed world as a whole. Copy cat violence could easily spread to the U.S. and other countries.
A reboot is sheer foolery. A cast without Skandar Keynes is disastrous.
Two dozen kicks to the shins
The fudamental problem with making "The Magician's Nephew" still remains. You could do a fantastic filming of that book. But it's not something that Walden has any interest in doing, and the butchery of Treader proves it. They want to make blockbuster action movies. More to the point, whatever they want, this is what general audiences now expect.
How do you make a blockbuster action movie out of "The Magician's Nephew", climaxing in the Big Battle, without so altering the plot as to make Treader look authentic?
I can brainstorm a few ideas, sure, but the last thing I want to do is give them ideas.
The now-immortal White Witch returns to Charn to battle her sister, but the Narnians are recruited on the sister's side? Good grief, it hurts just to type it… You see what I mean?
The animation option may end up being the best. Future movies have to be so fundamentally different that they overcome the trap set in the beginning – that every Narnia movie is a Big Battle Extravaganza.
Maybe they could cast Jackie Chan as the Witch's sister.
Really? Are you serious? I'm tired of people saying "Oh we can't do a Narnia reboot because it won't have so and so in it." That's the best reason? Sorry, your opinion is your opinion and I respect it in all reasons, but is that really the best reason why we can't do a Narnia reboot?
I'm praying for the whole city! I'm praying for the families of the cast too! Goodness sake, there was even an 11 year old arrested! What are they even doing this for?
I agree that they need a really good director. I didn't Michael Apted was as good a director as Andrew Adamson. Michael Apted did'nt seem to have as great a passion for Narnia as Andrew Adamson.
I completely agree with you. I think that is the most loved movie of the series right now. I don't think making a PG-13 version would be good at all, because the story isn't even PG-13. I also find that many teenagers like the current version right now, and they don't think it's to kiddyish. The extended version of LWW also is a little more violent and scary, so there is so to say a little more adult version, but still mostly family friendly.
What other reason is there? lol
In VDT Caspian and edmund do go temporarily ballistic over the gold at Deathwater Island, but Caspian more so than Edmund. I also found that VDT wasn't that good. The first time I saw it I thought it was pretty good,but after that every time I watch it I find more and more fault with it.
Lashes with a whip
I 100% completely agree with you on the music! His music had a big part in making the series. The sound track for LWW actually sold pretty well! The composer they had for VDT wasn't nearly as good as Harry-Gregson Williams. It had a diffrerent feel than the other music.
Mob mentality. Although there was a peaceful protest related to a suspicious police shooting at the very beginning, hoards of disenfranchised youth have turned it into a vicious mob crime spree. Most of them don't even know what they're meant to be protesting.
How is a single random persons opinion newsworthy?
You couldn't make a faithful adaptation that captures the magic of the books, but then again, PG 5 or 6 years ago is G today.
In my opinion, that would be a nightmare!
I don't agree with you that they would have to do LB next after SC. When the books came out, it was SC, HB, MN, and then LB. Also, LB is set seven years after SC.
I think it's a proven fact in regard to the Narnia series that movies can be alot harder to do than books! Silver chair is probably one of the books that's easier to make into a movie, because you don't have 3 or 4 different time frames and places going on like in PC. It's not as complex spiritually and depth wise as VDT and MN. The book also has a driving clear purpose in it, save Rilian and therefore Narnia.
Also, haven't the problems that have resulted with the Narnia movie franchise occured because the people in charge changed things to make more money? It seems all these things they do to make more money backlash on them and end up taking away money.
If they try to be faithful to the book and worry less about the money, maybe they'll actually make more money, like in LWW!
I just noticed I posted the 100th comment! First time for me!
Maybe something good will come out of the disaster that was Dawn Treader. Walden may realise that, since all the changes didn't help VoDT's box office. In stead of trying to attract the wider audience with a generic adventure flick they could make something really special out of these amazing books. One can always hope, right? 😉
Dylan's suggestion that the White Witch ran away to the north is incorrect. She DID run away to the north sometime after The Magician's Nephew – but not after LWW as she was definitely DEAD.
Dylan, look on the Resources and Links on the main page here, and you can find the Narnian Timeline written by Lewis. That should clarify for you.
Stevo is correct – it's a serious punishment for a serious crime. On board ship with very low water or food, rationing must be maintained. (And the child readers in England will know about rationing, as it continued there for years after the war!) Taking crucial rations could risk someone's life, so the punishment was extreme – and should deter anyone else.
It's not, but we're starving for news, and I was hoping to stir the pot a little in the forum.
i don't want a reboot. SC or MN should be made next. same cast. But,,,, what if we changed some of the crew instead????
I think the "of the same crew" comment can be interpreted one of three ways:
1. Jadis and the Green Lady are blood relatives. Since Jadis was the last of her line when she left Charn, this would mean that the Green Lady is a direct descendent of some sort. Maybe one of the heirs of Narnia was wandering in the North on some mission, when she tricked him into marrying her and they had a kid, but it was all a part of a plot to take the throne of Narnia.
2. The Green Lady is some Narnian human or who became Jadis protegée and follower.
3. The owls are just talking out of their butts. The Green Lady is some random chick who learned magic some how.
Thanks guys!!!
Yeah. They used horns in VDT, whereas in LWW and PC they used strings. I've grown used to it though.
Absolutely! They think they have to use the money from that guy's will like immediately. There's nothing wrong with doing MN, just they need to do it after SC because of Will Poulter's age. I mean, this isn't rocket science!
Well I want the series to be continued, but if they don't, then a reboot down the line might be a decent idea.
If a reboot is planned, I think they should start with MN. Then they should do LWW, but instead of ending with the Pevensies returning to England, they should end with the coronation scene. This would enable them to do HHB directly after LWW, and then they could continue on with the normal order after that (PC, VotDT, SC, LB).
I also don't mind if they make them PG-13. But making them more violent for the sake of being violent would be unnecessary. But I don't think a slightly darker tone would hurt the stories.
Why?
I know. I was kidding 🙂
Not long ago, Perry Moore died and left all his money for them to make MN. So I think they're sitting there with the money for MN on their hands and just running their fingers through it…they're not even negotiating.
Just an idea. Wouldn't a reboot be a waste of money?
And how would the old narnia actors feel?
A reboot, to me, sounds disastrous. But maybe this can be a civilized argument? :S
If you're worried about the next movie being a box office flop, then I wouldn't choose as the next movie one whose source material would force drastic, drastic rewriting in order to make it "cinematic" and fit the mega-action-movie mold they've trapped themselves in. As we've seen, there's no quicker way to guarantee a box office flop and to discredit the books than to produce Hollywoood drek very loosely based upon them.
"The Silver Chair" could at least end with a huge battle between the Narnians and the Gnomes emerging from underground. Do I hate this idea? Yes. Anyone else who hates it should probably stop advising "The Magician's Nephew" given what Walden insists on doing with these stories and what the public has been led to expect.
Would I love to see a faithful MN movie made? Yes – it hasn't been done yet. Do I think there's one chance in a thousand of Walden making a faithful version? Seriously – do ANY of you?
I hate to keep harping on this point, but I wish someone would address it. If I'm wrong (and I would love to be), show me where I'm wrong.
Well it wouldn't be a waste at all if it made money and was successful. I don't think the cast would be hurt. I mean, they did a great job with their films, but if someone wants to take Narnia in a new direction, then new actors would be needed. It's not like they'd be rebooting because the cast wasn't good enough.
Honestly, I think the fight with the Witch-turned-Snake provides all of the climactic action they need for their proscribed fantasy-action formula, provided they make her big and imposing (as opposed to the BBC version). In the climax of VDT, they felt one sea serpent was enough.
If they do decide to go with options 1 or 2, I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of a brief flashback sequence explaining the Green-Lady-White-Witch connection. It might fit into her monologue.