“Enjoy the Adventure” – Ben Barnes Offers Advice to Future Narnia Stars
Ben Barnes has offered some supporting words of encouragement to the next generation of Narnia stars in a recent interview with Collider whilst promoting his new music album ‘Where the Light Gets In‘.
Barnes was asked what advice he would give to the cast of Greta Gerwig’s upcoming ‘Narnia’ film, and spoke in heartfelt terms about working on the second and third films in the previous Walden Media franchise:
[The] advice that I got at the time, which was to just enjoy the adventure. I don’t expect a cast coming into it now as kids to have grown up necessarily with the Narnia books. They may have. But for me, it was very special for that reason. I was stepping into something that I knew from being eight years old, and I really valued and appreciated. One of my skills, as an actor, I think, is to really enjoy the experience of making it, for being in New Zealand or being in Prague and being on these incredible sets and being around incredible people. My best friend in the world, I made on that film.
The two-time Narnia star also encouraged the upcoming cast to just do their best and enjoy the process without worrying too much about the results:
They should just enjoy the experience of actually making it. The rest of it will be what it is. It’ll fall into place, or it won’t. It’ll capture people’s hearts and imaginations, or it won’t. So long as you’re present in the moment and giving it your all, then that’s all you can really offer anyway. So, I wouldn’t deign to offer any advice on how to portray the characters or anything.
Barnes also spoke about who he might like to play in a future adaptation, should he be asked to return for a cameo:
I thought about that, but there’s not really much for men of my age in those books, so I don’t know. I don’t know what that would be. I could do a voice… [or] I could do a Mr. Tumnus, or I could voice Reepicheep the mouse, or something. It’s not a phone call I’ve received yet.
Whilst we still don’t have any confirmed casting news for Greta Gerwig’s first foray into the world of Narnia, we should be expecting to hear our first official casting announcements within the next couple of months if they are going to hit their July 2025 shooting date.
Ben Barnes meanwhile is currently in the middle of a World Tour to promote his new album, with upcoming concerts dates currently scheduled for across Europe, as well as the USA and Canada through till March.
NarniaWeb previously interviewed Ben Barnes alongside other former Caspian actor Samuel West where they talked about their experiences working on the Walden and BBC series respectively.
Are you excited for the upcoming ‘Narnia’ cast reveals? If previous actors such as Ben Barnes did return for cameos, who should they play?
What nice things to say to the future actors and actresses! If you internalised those words, it would take some of the pressure off your shoulders!
Actually, since Ben Barnes mentioned the possibility of voicing Reepicheep (not that he has been asked), that gave me an idea.
All the faces of the Walden Narnia cast are so connected to that series in my mind. Therefore I think I would feel uncomfortable seeing them in the new film. However, a voice role would be better because you wouldn’t be distracted by their face! However it would be even better if they created a “character voice” and didn’t act in their own voice. Especially if it is such a big role like Reepicheep is.
Sound advice. But it’s a no from me for Ben being Reepicheep. That would just be too weird!
I’d love to even be a background actor of these films. I think it would just be an awesome experience!
Great advice! Though I’m not so sure about Ben Barnes as Reepicheep. I don’t know if there’s any role I could think of he could be. Maybe Jewel the Unicorn in LB or Lord Peridan in HHB.
I really enjoyed him as Caspian in the Walden films, but I don’t really expect to see him in future Narnia films. But if he does, it should be interesting to see who he gets cast as.
It would be wild if Barnes could play Miraz in the new films. But I can’t see him as Reepicheep or Tumnus. Hashtag not my Mr. Tumnus.
Hard to believe, we’re probably only two months or or so away from hearing casting announcements. My fingers will remain crossed for a good mix of newcomers and established stars!
It is kind of wild to think, that if they are following a similar sort of production schedule to the one that Walden’s LWW did the first time out, then they would in all likelihood have completed the majority of the children’s auditions already, and that there is a chance that the lucky individuals who have gotten through to the final rounds of Casting will actually be reading Ben Barnes words of advice right now!
https://www.narniaweb.com/2004/01/children%e2%80%99s-casting-and-accepted-screenplay/
Ben seems like such a genuine person… Wished we could’ve seen him once more in The Silver Chair!