Tilda Swinton and Ben Barnes Talk About VDT
After The Voyage of the Dawn Treader trailer release last week, both Tilda Swinton and Ben Barnes gave a brief mention of it in interviews. Tilda, who was interviewed about her upcoming movie I Am Love, had this to say when asked about her return as the White Witch.
You reprise your role as the White Witch in “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” the third film in the “Narnia” movie series. How long did it take you to film what you do in that movie?
Oh, you know I’m in it? Yes, it’s true.
I know you can’t give away any spoilers, but it’s not a secret that you’re in the movie since you’re shown in the movie’s trailer.
Well, I’m amazed that that they would put [my scene] in the trailer, because I spent less time filming it than I spent speaking to you [in this interview]. [NOTE: This interview was 23 minutes long.]
Meanwhile interviewer Andy Gibbons managed to bump into Ben Barnes on the street and Ben graciously agreed to a short interview about Dawn Treader right then and there.
With the trailer for The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader debuting this week the buzz has really started, it promises to be a big Christmas release….
Yeah, I hope it is. Personally I’m quite excited that it’s going to be 3D. It’s my favourite of the seven books, I think it’s one of the best stories and it’s got some good human characters as well – I think Eustace, who Will Poulter plays brilliantly, is a really funny character. It’s got a lot of the fun magical stuff of the first ones and I’ve got some fun action stuff which is cool. It’s going to be good I think.
You’ve got a new director in Michael Apted – what’s he brought to the movie?
Just a sort of an outside eye and a very human touch really. I think he was as anxious as any of us going in to it. When we first met and spoke he told me how anxious he was about the scale of it but I think he did a great job and I think it’s going to have an interesting flavour to it. Saying that I haven’t seen it yet.
Tilda’s interview can be read in full here. And Ben’s interview can be read in full here.
Thank you so much to everybody who sent these reports in!
This sounds good… The magic of LWW, but with some action. As a movie, the action has to be there to draw people in. I can only imagine some other Narniawebbers cringing, but I think that if we want to see more Narnia movies, we're going to have to accept these tiny added scenes, and make the best out of it, as the filmmakers are surely trying to make the best Nania film yet!
So they filmed the Witch's scene in less than half an hour? cool.
Hehe…I find it funny that even Tilda Swinton is surprised she's in the trailer…
Not really that much here, but cool to read anyway. I'm glad that Tilda indicates she didn't film very much; although I kind of assumed as much anyway. Still, she also once said that she wasn't in PC at all, so you never know… O_o
Ben Barnes seems excited! He mentioned some 'fun action stuff', let's hope there's not /too/ much of that. 😛
"… anxious …" Can't say I blame Mr Apted. $150 million USD is a fair piece of coin and a lot of resources to see brought together. Looks like it is going to be a great Christmas release.
Sounds cool. I already assumed the White Witch's scene would be short. She probably appears near the Island of Dreams because she is the person that Edmund fears the most and that would be cool if he saw her in those mists. Can't wait to see what the "fun action stuff" is that Ben Barnes mentioned! I'm so excited about this movie! I think it is going to be the best Narnia film yet! Long live Aslan and Sail on VDT!!!! 😀
Considering that filmmakers usually get about a 1-2 minutes of usable footage in a day, that would make the White Witch's scene about 15 seconds long. Who knows, maybe what you see in the trailer is the extent of her scene. That would be funny. 😉
i find it funny how Tilda herself didnt even know she was in the trailer. she must not have seen it yet. Ben always says alot when he's interviewed, doesnt he :-)? but i dont mind, cuz i like it when they tell us lots of stuff :-D. all the things he said, like fun magical stuff and fun action stuff, gets me excited. i cannot wait!
Yeah, that was funny!
Yeah. Not much here. :p I just woke up. Man, you guys sure do get up early just to check Narniaweb. . .0_o
I like that Ben said the movie has fun magical and action stuff, but I'm hoping it has a little more depth than that…
But from what Douglas Gresham said about temptation and the themes of VDT, I'm not too worried. 🙂
Haha, that WOULD be funny if we got all worked up over just a few seconds of footage. I'm sure it won't be so bad once we actually see it. But it still depends on where the scene is in the film, and how it effects the rest of it.
Well, this just goes to show that the trailer was a marketing gimmick. We know that the dragon (Eustuce) will have more time on screen then the white witch, and yet they show her talking in the trailer, without even showing one frame of the dragon.
But then again, maybe Walden wants to surprise us, so maybe they requested that Fox purposefully not show certain things in the trailer.
Or maybe they're just not satisfied with the special effects enough to show them.
Or maybe all three.
I'm not cringing! I agree 100%
Actually I just stay up late. Realllyyy late.
Interesting tidbits from them… good to know that the White Witch's screen time is kept at a minimum. I was concerned about that. Hmm… It's so funny that people just "bump into" them! lol… wish I could do that!
Well trailers are supposed to be for marketing. I agree with one and two, but I think the special effects will be good, like LWW and PC.
i know!! Ben is sooooooo amazing! i love the fact that he did not have a huge problem with him not being seen in the trailer alot that was sweet of him!! this makes me even more excited!!!!!
i know!!!! i would freak if i bumped into Ben Barnes!!!!:D
i agree, today's moviemakers have to target the vibe of the modern audience . if they produced something like the BBC versions today, it would be considered hopelessly draggy, wordy, and dated. No studio would release it. You'd probably have to produce it for english tv, ala Masterpiece theatre, where they are more true to the source novel than american movies.
i check narniaweb several times a day- something to keep my spirits up when daily life is a grind!
i was thinking the same thing, how cool to bump into ben on the street! i'd flip!
I'm surprised that Tilda Swinton is suprised that she's in the trailer. Teeheehee! And it looks like she's only got a short scene.
I wish I could just "bump into" Ben or any other Narnia actor or actress on the street! I wonder which street…
But, seriously, if I did bump into them, what would I say? I'd probably just stand there and sputter, lol.
It's priceless…. hahaha
esta bien lo que dicen esos actores si y si etc.
Well, I'm glad the White Witch's part is going to be short, at least. What I don't understand is why she has to be in the movie at all. >:-(
Am I back on here now? Hope so. This is cool to know. Seems like Tilda Swinton only filmed the same about of time as she did in Prince Caspian. Very short and easy going. Either way I love her playing a bad villian as the bad White Witch. I REALLY REALLY hope when and if they film The Magicians Nephew that Tilda will play the White Witch again. She is amazing!
You are very right indeed, my friend. If the movies are only made to please us hardcore Narnia fans, we can certainly say goodbye to the rest of the series being adapted.
This is good, now we can be sure that the White Witch will hardly be in it, no need to worry! They probably only stuck her in the trailer for commercial purposes.
Lol yes, all three could be possibilities.
Yeah, that's exactly how I feel. We have to be acceptant towards changes, because without changes, and more eye-appealing shots, the series won't attract any more attention, and as we've both stated, will crumble upon itself! 🙂 I don't even think they put the White Witch in the teaser trailer because Tilda Swinton is and Oscar winner; I think it is more just because they want non-fans who have seen the first two movies, (who are not following this movie as close as we are), to know that another movie is coming out soon. It also may just be a friendly reminder that despite the Witch's appearance in PC, we are still returning to the magic of the LWW (with which the White Witch is the main antagonist of!)
Who's Andy Gibbons? I know that I should know this, but apparently he lives down the street from Ben… wouldn't that be weird. Living down the street from one of the Narnia actors/actresses. Wow.
In my opinion, the books are exciting enough as they are. Think of ALL the adventures they had…. The victory on the Lone Islands, the storm, Eustace's transformation into a dragon, the fight with the sea serpent, the dufflepuds, the magician's house, the dark island… The wonders of the last sea – Oh everything! If they did them correctly (unlike the BCC version, which can't really be blamed for their epic failure with the sea serpent scene, since they hardly had the technology to do better…. I think?) Well anyway, if they did these scenes correctly the movie would be Awesome. But adding new scenes is going to make it necessary to shorten or altogether cut out many of the scenes from the books. *sigh*
At least no one said the word epic. That's always nice.
Oh yes, that is a thought! I sure wouldn't mind him seeing her there ^_^ Thanks for mentioning that, it has given me a little bit of hope! Of course, in the book, everyone HEARD something from their dreams, not SAW. But here is a place where a change may be necessary, since each person hearing something different would be hard to do on film and not be very exciting… If it showed them each seeing something different… ^_^ *hums hopefully*
I'd just say 'excuse me' and keep walking, haha.
The Tilda Swinton thing sort of proves she's just in their for advertising purpose. If they would have added the WW for any different reason, they'd make it a bigger change from the books, which would mean she had more shooting time.
Yet, it's good she only has a brief appearance.
i know some of the Narnia fans will want to burn me at the stake for what i'm about to say, but i dont care:
cast Tilda Swinton as LOTGK. at least we're assured to have a high caliber actress in the bag.
it will go along with the concept of the White Witch in the whole Narnia franchise anyway– she too goes by many names, in the Narnia universe alone she's known as the White Witch and Jadis, why not add LOTGK as well? not quite sure if she shoud be Tash also though, i'll leave that to the make-up/wardrobe and creatures department how to pull that off.
Agreed, it's very understandable. Though I must say, bringing that bit about the budget up, do you think that they will be given a bigger budget (or even need one) for SC if this movie does as well – or better – than LWW? Wouldn't that be ironic. Haha. Great interviews, they help to ease the little fears I had. But really, who just runs into Ben Barnes? Especially someone who reviews movies/movie news… Great luck, I'd say. =D.
Well, maybe, there are a lot of scenes with the (Eustace) dragon, and they just haven't done all the *special effects* work on it yet..??
Can't wait
You are right JadistarkilleR…..GET SOME WOOD AND A TORCH!!!!!
lol.
Hate to burst your bubble, but several people have already called it epic, it's even in the trailer……If I hear that word one more time…..
How I wish it was a video interview and not just words of one.
You would know who talking and which of them is answering a question and which one is just listening.
That's what I think it should of been done.
Thank you so much for posting it anyhow. I know I don't sound happy with it.
But I being a critical person right now.
I like this idea! It makes alot of sense that he would see her there. Plus in the trailer Aslan says that they all are going to be tested and Edmund doesn't get much of a test in the book except at Death Water Island.
Well if you bump into someone on the street you may not have time to pull out all your camera equipment. 😉
Nice to know that the WW scene won't be long. I don't really mind that she's there. Too small a thing to freak out about.
omg i cant wait more!!!!!!!!!!!! Ben told that has fun action and magical stuff but that is a movie of characters!!!! ok narnia fans that means that every thing that u wanted in this film is in it so dont talk bad of narnia anymore. Im so happy that this movie is coming soon!!!!!! yes!!!!!. I dont care about the changes, movies need changes so that ppl can get into the movie!!!!!!!! so i can not wait anymore so lets pray so the days can go fast to see the movie premiere!!! wohoooooo, im a hudge narnia fan allot of time ago!!! i read the books and love the movies 2!!!!! so grab ur popcorn dec 10 and see the movie in theaters!!
Hmmm, if she's not in the moive very much…NO!! I still don't like it. Not ONCE in the entire VDT book is there a mention of the White Witch.
at least, I'm pretty sure. Surely I haven't been missing it all these years of rereading!!???!!!
Nice to know that Jadis won't be in VDT very long. That's a relief, at least…
That's what I'm thinking, too. It makes sense.
I don't mind Swinton in this one, especially if her appearance is short. It's nice continuity and it gives great insight into Edmund.
Edmund himself mentions his "LWW" betrayal in "HAHB" and "VDT"; he has never forgotten. Like Eustace changes after being dragon-ed, Edmund changes after his betrayal. The WW symbolizes all he was before he was rescued by Aslan; the WW was, for Ed, both the destruction of Narnia and the destruction of his own person, in ways which will be more horrifying to him than to any other. Her inclusion enhances the horror of the Dream Island for Ed from nightmares to NIGHTMARES.
I am certainly, certainly with you that we want a high caliber actress. I don't want a Nickelodeon version of "Narnia" but one with the very best.
Still, if I may beg to differ with you, I begin to believe "Narnia" can attract another British actress of Swinton caliber. I was frankly astonished that "LWW" – with four child actors as leads – attracted James McAvoy, Ray Winstone, Dawn French, Tilda Swinton, Liam Neeson, Jim Broadbent, and others in SIDE roles. I thought they'd abandon the roles by "PC" and again was wrong. Reepicheep alone has attracted Eddie Izzard, Bill Nighy, and Simon Pegg. Michael Apted – Michael Apted! – is directing "VDT". These men and women were highly decorated before and after their "Narnia" roles. I don't know what it is, but "Narnia" clearly attracts some of the best of the UK acting establishment, and I'm sure it can do it again with a decorated actress who'll be a fantastic LGK.
Of course Swinton would be excellent; as you said, she is a high caliber actress. My only problem with casting Swinton is that there will be scores of people who think WW and LGK are the same person "just because it was in the movie". Cross-reference Susaspian. 🙁
Don't forget that some of us are in different time zones…
Right on! That's the very reason why I'm not too worried about the WW being in VDT, because if I were Edmund, I would probably have nightmares about the WW as well. And to me, her temptation just sounds like an echo of her promise to him in LWW–of making him her king. Surely Edmund would remember that promise and of how that promise almost led to his destruction. He fell for it before, and I'm sure he's afraid of falling for it again.
You are sooooo right, fire fairy, i was thinking the same exact thing.
Haha! exactly! I'm glad it was that short
Me too! I wish I could bump into actors & and actresses like that! Then I would be a little shocked at first, and then try to be polite & calm while you're freaking out inside you're head. 😉 Then if you told you're friends that you saw so & so, oh, boy, they're gonna be the ones flipping out!;D
I agree, as long as they follow the MAIN plot, I don't mind little changes (except for romance ones), and it has the spirit of the book, & it's not corny.