Submit Questions to Joe Johnston, The Silver Chair Director
Joe Johnston, director of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, is taking your questions! Post them in the comments section below or on Joe’s Facebook page. Joe will record a video response at a later date. (UPDATE: Please include your real first name and location)
Joe is pretty active on social media and already has quite a following due to his work on Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park III, and Captain America. View Joe’s YouTube channel and website.
UPDATE: Now accepting video questions! Upload them to YouTube (public or unlisted) and post the link in the comments below or on Joe’s Facebook page.
UPDATE: No longer accepting questions.
Do you have any ideas about locations or who the costumer will be? I'm always blown away by the costumes in these films!
What aspect of The Silver Chair are you most excited to bring to life?
Hi Joe! Well, let's start from the beginning… When did you first read the book(s)?
– Brian (Minneapolis, MN)
What compelled you to choose to direct The Silver Chair?
Is the Silver Chair your favorite book from the series?
What are your thoughts on the character of Puddleglum?
What do you consider to be the overall message or theme of "The Silver Chair", the heart of the story?
What are you most looking forward to in directing "The Silver Chair"?
Will you be designing any of the visuals? Since you designed so many iconic characters, spaceships and machines for Star Wars and the Iron Giant, it would be awesome to see your personal vision of the Narnia landscape.
Will you also be directing The Magician's Nephew? They are my two favorite Narnia books. If so, what order of the rest of the films will be coming and will the Magician's Nephew be part of your work on Narnia? It seems like it would also be a perfect fit for you.
Where are you filming? When does filming begin?
Will Alan Silvestri be joining the Narnia series too?
When are you start making a film?
Of all the movies you've directed so far, which one is your favorite and why? (Is that like asking which child is your favorite?)
What made you decide to direct The Silver Chair?
Hello, Joe! Thanks so much for doing this Q&A. What do you think makes the Chronicles of Narnia so unique and special? Why do these stories have such enduring appeal?
Will there be a cameo role for the Pevensies?
Who is your favourite character in The Silver Chair and why?
How will you craft this movie in such a way that it stands out from run-of-the-mill, big-pointless-battle-at-the-end, believe-in-yourself fantasy films?
The teaser poster on your FB page includes the tag line "Four Signs. Three Heroes. Two Children. One Prince." Is this an official tag line or one used for that post only?
The term "reboot" has been branded about a little bit in regards to The Silver Chair, but obviously it is the fourth book/film. How different will this one be from what we've seen before? Is it your intention to retain Liam Nesson as Aslan? Thanks so much, and good luck! I can't wait to see the film when you're finished.
How do you expect The Silver Chair to compare to some of your previous fantasy films like The Pagemaster and Jumanji? How do you expect it to be different?
What are you most excited about in regards to diving into the Narnia universe? Is there anything in particular that you can't wait to work on in the film? I'm especially excited to see your vision for Puddleglum and the scene with the giants.
What do you think is the most challenging think about directing a reboot?
So happy you're directing this! Needed another Joe Johnston blockbuster! What did you think of Jurassic World? After being attached to direct for so many years, did it turn out the way you hoped it would?
Name: Jordan
Location: Ontario, Canada
Are it you talking on your twitter and facebook or is it someone else? and what do you think the rating might be for the film, I am personally hoping for a pg-13 rating but it may not need that.
-Marcus (Millersburg,OH)
Name: Tyler
Location: Dickinson, ND
Luke (British Columbia, Canada)
How sophisticated will Silver Chairs plot be? Dawn Treader seemed aimed at a younger audience while Prince Caspian skewed older.
-Elizabeth from NC
I'm in New Braunfels TX
Feel free to use whichever question(s) you'd like. Thank you for interacting with us fans, it's awesome to have a director reach out and engage the fan base.
1. You've directed many films across many genre's over your long career, why choose The Silver Chair and why now for you personally?
2. How has it been working with David Magee been thus far?
Question from Andrew (Ontario, Canada)
-Rachel from Kansas
Would you ever consider holding open auditions for casting or offering the opportunity for unknowns to send in self taped auditions? I would love to be in the Silver Chair, I grew up on the books and BBC versions of the Narnia series and am training to be an actor and I loved Joe's work on Captain America and Jumanji ! Good luck with making the film and I thoroughly look forward to watching it!
Name: Joanna Mance
Location: London, UK (represent )
Hello, Mr. Johnston my name Manise I live in Northern Michigan. As Jill Pole is the main character of "The Silver Chair" how are you planing to coach the actor who will portray her?
Soy de Huelva España ¿para cuando comenzaría los casting ? Gracias
Since you have done a lot of work in some major film franchises such as the Marvel film series and Jurassic Park, I must ask: how do you intend to ensure that the Narnia franchise will stand out from other major film franchises such as the Lord of the Rings series and the Harry Potter series? I ask this because I recall criticisms of the previous Narnia films for too closely resembling the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and such. -Leah, MN
Chloe Williams (Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina)
Are you planning on staying true to the original story and dialogue? I know for Voyage of the Dawn Treader they really went off the book with a lot of things.
Hey Joe Johnston! Here are three short questions from a young filmmaker and longtime fan!
Follow the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjKPPsoJciU&feature=youtu.be
–Andy (Wichita, KS)
It varies. A creative of Joe's calibre obviously has a team working for him, but he's the one running the show. He often replies to FB posts himself and sometimes Tweets. This is not him responding to you right now.
What is your favorite scene or moment in The Silver Chair?
(Stephen, Kentucky)
Likes! A person from the Sketchbook is also from Kansas. Hi. Thanks for taking the time to make a video. That's fun!
How are you planning to deal with the fact none of the previous actors and actresses will be in the movies coming next?
Julia from Indiana
Julia from Indiana
-from Texas
The Silver Chair is the darkest story in the Chronicles. There are the owls, the Lady of the Green Kirtle and her snake transformation, the bullying, the warped mind of Prince Rilian, the giants, the Earthmen. It is more Brothers Grimm than Harry Potter in tone of its text. How will you deal with that? It's not a sweet story and it shouldn't be made to seem like it is either. The reality is, there is real darkness to it. So much darkness, there's the Underland! Will it be super kid friendly and overlit like the first trilogy, or will your visuals encompass the true visions C.S. Lewis gave us in his text. Can you give it a more realistic yet fantastic, dirtier kind of darkness Star Wars vibe? I guess my question is: Will your vision of Narnia be "edgier" or darker than the first three films? I'd like to know if you will also direct "The Magician's Nephew" and is the tone of this film going to be better than the first trilogy? The first trilogy was a complete disappointment.
Who in the world would he even want to come back other than Tilda Swinton? We imagine he'd be delighted with a whole new cast? Swinton is the only loss there. Will be interesting to see if he answers that one. Doubtful.
Is the production team still planning on potentially using one of the name suggestions submitted for the Lady of the Green Kirtle? I submitted one a while back, and was wondering as it has been some time since the contest.
Richard – Seattle, WA
Will you by any chance be using Jack's homeland (Nr. Irland) as a shooting location?
Semen A., Ukraine
Ireland lol
What is your favorite quote from 'Silver Chair?' Also, do you even like Turkish Delight?!
Maria – Chicago, IL
I think you misunderstood his question. Also, this isn't for you to answer, but the director. Try not to bring the joy level down. 🙂
Are you kidding? We're beyond joyful to see Narnia in the hands of Joe Johnston! He's the master of visuals in cinema. The question just reads like that "fact" is a big deal or something that Johnston wouldn't be delighted about. He's being given a gift by having an all new cast. That's not negative on its face, just another FACT… although we'll miss Tilda!
Two questions: Since your favorite film you directed is October sky,
Have you seen the film Little Miss Sunshine? If so, you should consider working with it's screenwriter Michael Arndt on a project someday. I've seen his movies and I think you two would make a great team and be lucky to have him.
Also, In some of your films, you had children as the main characters, I have to ask, How is it directing Child actors vs adult actors and how do they react when they find out you created Boba Fett? PS: I hope you talked to Kathleen Kennedy about the Boba Fett movie.
Jeran (Los Angeles, California)
Man, I have a lot of questions! Here are the most important. What is the thing that made you want to direct this movie? What is/are the main messages that you want to get across to viewers? Where are you thinking to film this movie? Who are you're top picks for the actors? Will Puddleglum be more of an actor-with-make-up-on kind of character or more of a CGI/Motion Capture guy? What is the budget for this film and what are your priorities concerning using it? – Special Effects? Big name actors? Advertising? The Art Department concerned with all the costumes, weapons etc? Could you try to get Harry Gregson-Williams back to compose the music? When is your projected release date?!!!
Sorry, I'm getting over excited… I should stop before my computer explodes.
-Joseph Simmonds PE Canada