Caspian Loses His Accent for VDT

BenBarnesFan was sent a scan yesterday of an interview between Kingston University’s student magazine, ‘Mouth’ and Ben Barnes.

Mouth Magazine: How did it feel reprising your role as (the now) King Caspian?

Ben Barnes: It was a great experience reprising the role. It’s a different take on the character with a new director and new studio invovled. We decided that Caspian and the Telmarines will no longer have European accents, as they felt CS Lewis is a quintessentially an English writer. The story is my favourite of the seven books and it has a feel of a roving, mythical, adventure tale.

The Telmarine accent in Prince Caspian got a lot of mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. As the accent has now been removed for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, it should be interesting to see how everybody reacts.

Thanks to ‘Cass’, ‘Sir Jack’, and ‘bkey’ for the information!

234 Responses

  1. Mirima Rosetrader says:

    I know. I'm a freak about magic and fantasy stuff, but losing an accent… That doesn't really have anything to do with magic. I hope he at least has a tint of an accent. Because I just don't see how a real person could just sack their accent completely. I mean some stuff in fantasy has to make sense. Everything can't just magically happen.

  2. Elinor Mitchell says:

    I for one am glad it is changed! It was utterly absurd and most obviously fake. Bravo to the change.

  3. Puddleglum says:

    Perhapes I am only going to confuse the whole matter with this question,(if so please just ignore me, and continue with your discussion), but since many did not like Caspian's accent, I wonder what will be the accent given the Calormen's

  4. Nathan says:

    I heard that the Voyage of the Dawn Treader trailer is going to precede the new Shrek 3D movie this weekend.

  5. yeswelovenarnia says:

    I have to say I really liked his accent! It gave the Telmarines something of there own. I would have to say I am not liking the changes on this movie. This is one of my favorite books and it is just sad the way they are messing it up.

  6. Starlily says:

    Interesting question. I always pictured them with an Arabic accent–or at least a very slight one. I liked how they were portrayed in the Focus on the Family Radio Theater (I think that's what it's called–I haven't listened to them in a while because I can recite them in my sleep). I think they had a slight accent, but it wasn't distracting.

    On another note, I just hope they make the Horse and His Boy at all. If they make it right the accents should be a minor issue.

  7. Aslan's Meadow says:

    I like the beared, he is getting older

  8. Em says:

    Hmm. I was actually quite horrified the first time I saw and heard Caspian. But after, like, a few years I've pretty much just grown used to him. I'm kinda glad to hear that they're doing away with his cheesy accent, but, at the same time, I can't stand that they're going to do something that would interrupt the flow of the movies in such a way. I guess I'll just have to hope that they do something to explain it away in the movie. They had better get everything else in the movie perfect to make up for this outrage, though… Actually, my expectations shouldn't even be that high, 'cause every individual interperets and imagines Narnia differently, so what's perfect to me might be absolutely disgusting to somebody else. I've been pretty pleased with the first two movies over-all, though, so I'll just trust the people making the movie. Anyways, getting all upset isn't going to help with anything…It actually just occured to me,(don't get me wrong, I'm a Narnia "freak", too) but this IS just a movie and in the big picture of life it isn't really going to matter whether Caspian speaks with a Spanish, British, or American accent–When I'm lying on my deathbed I'm not really going to care. So, now, with that in mind, I'm going to be so bold as to say that Caspian might as well speak Chinese.

  9. chirpingbird says:

    That doesn't mean they should throw in a stupid continualty blunder. Of course, it wouldn't be bad unless it was properly explained, in my opinion.

  10. Lucy says:

    OMG! really? I heard that too, but I thought it was just a rumour! Do you really think that will happen? Do you suppose that means we'll have a real-as-corn trailer by FRIDAY?

  11. Lucy says:

    I say wait until the movie (Or at least the trailer, for pity's sake!) comes out before you go saying a thing like that.

  12. Puddleglum says:

    My only worry is the possibility that since the calormen are pictured as a dark skinned race is that there may be a claim of racism by some.

  13. aslan1980 says:

    I think the accent change only underlines that Caspian is now the King of Narnia. All the Narnians speak with an english accent so it is obvious their King should also speak with an english accent too. The precedence is that Peter, Edmund, Lucy and Susan spoke with an english accent when they were Kings and Queens of Narnia so it follows Caspian should do so like wise. Living among the Narnians has changed the way he speaks. He has had a Pygmalion transformation if you like. It is the only way to answer a difficult continuity problem.

  14. Jill Pole says:

    I agree with arabic, but I don't think that there will be that much racism in the portrayal of them. people who think that obviously have not read the books, or background information.

  15. Laura Elizabeth says:

    Woohoo! I am so glad! I couldn't stand Caspian's fake spanish accent (then again, I can't stand Caspian very much in the movie, either).

  16. Haggith Tarkheena says:

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! This can't beeeeee!!!!! He won't sound at all like a Telmarine!!!!

  17. Puddleglum says:

    I agree Ms. Pole.
    Unfortunatly there are many people with very little to do but make accusations, even baseless ones.

  18. Narnian Beauty says:

    I kind of have mixed feelings. I did like the accents in Prince Caspian because of the diversity but I see the point about all the other creatures of Narnia having English accents. I guess I'll see how I like it when the movie comes out!!!

  19. Buzlikab says:

    It will be a little strange if you watch the secon one and then the third one to see how caspians accent changes. Its acualy all going to be pretty stange know that peter and susan are not going to be in VDT.

  20. Matthias of Redwall says:

    I have to say, I really think it's kind of cool how
    the telmarines lose their accent, symbolizing
    that they are all narnians now. I don't know…
    I guess I just think that it's interesting.

  21. elanor says:

    to Lillyput90: I'm sorry I didn't clarify what I meant by "mythological." I just meant Greek mythology (nyads and dryads, minataurs, the water god, and such…). And when I mentioned the "mostly british accents" in LOTR I meant that to a casual viewer watching the movies, most of the accents were similar to British accents and there were no wierd, funky accents that totally distracted you from the movie. And if you don't mind me butting into the conversation, 🙂 the "Adam's Sin" that Elf Maiden Archer of Rivendell was referring to was when Adam ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Because of that one act, all of mankind is affected. And the whole thing about Catholics being Christians is debatable. Catholics revere Mary as sinless (as I understand) and pray to her (even if it be in a lesser manner) while "Christians" do not pray in any way to Mary or believe she is sinless. I guess in that way, many Catholic doctrines make Catholicism and Christianity seem very far apart.
    Sorry! That was long… 🙂

  22. NarniaNut says:

    HAHA!!! I was always pretty nutreul on the whole fake accent thing so this is just kinda funny to me!!!:)LOL

  23. cameo says:

    its more natural that way bcuz in rl when ur in a different culture you start to talk like them and who cares hes hot

  24. High Queene ShellyBelly says:

    i thought ben sounded really sexy and i loved his tan! i thought there was something stange looking about his vdt pix, now i realize they made him pasty wh ite like the others! now he looks different too! bummer! he was the only telemarine i could understand..

  25. Jeditrojan says:

    I really don't care, but it does show he's a Narnian, not Telmarine.

  26. Fluffernutter says:

    For me this is great news, I never could get past that accent!

  27. Meg says:

    NO accent? Hmmm…so much for continuity….*laughs*

  28. narniaandthenorth says:

    thankyou! i hated his cheeseball accent.i wanted barf and gag when i first heard it "im prince caspian…" riiiiight.

  29. narniaandthenorth says:

    its a movie. "oh i understand himm ohhhh.hmmm" wow get a life.

  30. narniaandthenorth says:

    good point

  31. narniaandthenorth says:

    so what does a telmarine sound like??? in my imagination, they should have a pirate accent becasue they were pirates. everyones ideas are different.

  32. Remakethemall says:

    This is great news…Prince Caspian… i was never able to get through it without falling asleep..and that ahkkkscent of his stunk..and most of the dialogue I had to watch with subtitles. Looking forward to this but hopefully down the road they will start from scratch and do them all over..but smaller and more intimate..LTWTW does not hold up.

  33. AK says:

    I work with people who come from lots of different places and our accents all change slightly depending on who we're talking to. The people from NY get stronger NY accents when they're talking to each other. The people from Ireland's accents increase ten times when they talk to each other (In the few times I talked to one of the guys I didn't even realize he was Irish until he talked to the other guy). The people from Chicago, California, Boston…I'm not saying accents disappear completely, but you can definitely hear a change in everyday conversations, so I can rationalize a change in the movie…Plus, technically, its in your teens that your manner of speaking really gets cemented in your brain, which is why it's easier for kids to lose accents than adults, so just keep reminding yourself that Caspian was not as old as the actor playing him. 🙂

  34. Ari says:

    I loved the accent, but remember, he's been in Narnia around Narnians for three years now. He's going to sound a little like them. So I don't reallly mind, but like what they said, people's accents come out when their talking to other people with the accent. Or when their mad. It'd be fun for it to come out now and then.

  35. just jill says:

    they haven't been pirates for years and in the movie they look spanish so they should have spanish accent. it would be wierd if you look spanish but talk with an english accent

  36. Ms. Polly says:

    oh. Great. Nice.

    Won't that be a shocker. I can just see critics:
    "Caspian losing the accent was very unexpected, random, and improbable.Narnia was given another chance, only to completely turn around, creating a very randomized story, that did not fit in with the continuity of the previous films"

  37. Talvi says:

    :/
    I actually thought ShellyBelly was saying Caspian was the only accent she could understand… I could be wrong, of course, but if that's what she meant then that's hardly an issue with having no life.
    but if she meant what you thought, then I agree, I suppose.
    *shuts up*

  38. Bookwyrm says:

    Exaggeration much?

  39. Bookwyrm says:

    Tell that to all the people living in the UK who are of Spanish descent.

  40. SavedByGrace says:

    Ditto!

  41. SavedByGrace says:

    He has WHAT!! Makes me think he went into denial about Susan leaving and decided to get a whole new look. Honestly, I think I could handle the beard, but not the ponytail.

  42. Waleed Sajjad Khan says:

    it would b kinda hard 4 the telmarines 2 say "dawn treader" with a spanish accent XD

  43. QueenLucytheValient says:

    i loved caspian's acent in prince caspian but at the same time i can't wait to hear his real accent. the most interesting [art is to see how they will explain the change, or if they even will tlk about it.

  44. QueenLucytheValient says:

    **part

  45. LucyTheValiant says:

    What?? That's crazy!

  46. Katana says:

    Ben Barnes did a good job of acting out Caspien. I thought his accent was fine.

  47. Elf Maiden Archer of Rivendell says:

    Hi guys! Sorry about the reply being VERY late, but got very busy with my new baby sister. Thanks to elanor for responding to Lillyput90 for me. Catholics called themselves Catholics after the Protestants (fallen away Catholics) started naming themselves Christians( which they are not because they choose what to believe in(heretics, other heretics include Muslims, Mormons, Albigensians,etc.) instead of what the Catholic Church teaches and interprets for us under the Holy Ghost, which is why it is infallible (go to reference.com). Ok, so before Jesus was born, the Jews were the Chosen people right? Not us Gentiles. Then when the Jews (the ones that did not follow Him) did not believe He was the Messiah, and hated Him, Jesus cursed them that they would not have peace until they would recognize him as the Messiah, and become Christians (Traditional Roman Catholics, not the "Catholics" nowadays, they're ecumenical, neither heretics, or schismatics. Catholic comes from Greek meaning whole, one, in unity. Then throughout the years, The Catholic Church has always been attacked by the devil, and people deceived him; i.e. heritics, Freemasons, Pagans, Jews,etc. But it shall always survive, and near the end of the world it is 
    prophesied that the Jews, and the whole world will be converted, and there will be real peace. Anyhoo, I gotta end this now, 'coz it's long. Thanks and long live Aslan and Elbereth Gilthoniel!

  48. Narnialover says:

    i think it's kinda stupid that his accent just suddenly disappears, wouldn't people notice? i mean, i never really liked it in the first place, it sounded really fake, but it would be better to keep it than just losing it altogether. And that beard…UGH!!!

  49. Narnialover says:

    Really? like who? (nobody)

  50. Narnialover says:

    Whoops, i just realized that Spain is really close to the U.K. Yep,there's probably some Spanish people living there…

  51. Narnialover says:

    IM SO EXCITED FOR VDT TO COME OUT!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEEEE!!!!! kinda off topic, but whatever, i'm so excited!

  52. Narnialover says:

    so many comments on this website, wow! probably nobody's going to read mine…

  53. ilovelucy says:

    yeah they will, i did!!