Episode 84: The end of an era
Posted November 3, 2011 11:46 pm by Rilian
Running time: 44:15
While Rilian and glumPuddle hope to do more discussions with the rest of the council on Narnia topics, this will be the last film news discussion for the foreseeable future. In this episode, we discuss the present status of the franchise, share laughs, frustrations, questions and a few last reflections as we conclude this episode. As an era in the podcast concludes, we on the council would like to give a warm and sincere “Thank you” to all our listeners.
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The end of the road for Narnia? | ian-luke.com
November 19th, 2011 on 4:04 AM[…] speculation on some Narnia fansites is true, then it looks like we may have seen the end of the Chronicles of Narnia books by C S Lewis […]
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The end of the road for Narnia? | The Blog Farm - A Growing Blog Community
November 23rd, 2011 on 11:26 AM[…] speculation on some Narnia fansites is true, then it looks like we may have seen the end of the Chronicles of Narnia books by C S Lewis […]
And hopefully the beginning of the next.
Thats a big hopefully.
Live on stage! LWW!!!!! SyracuseStage.org
Umm, whats live on stage? No offense that was kinda random.
The stAge play of the lion the witch and the wardrobe! For anyo e living near central new york
Oh, okay.
i dont see y walden took so long i mean vdt made more more money than alot of blockbuster movies like captin america, x men first class,and tron legacy. come on walden.
hi:
No, it did not "make more money" than those films. Not even close. It got crushed, domestically, by every film you list there. International gross is insignificant, by comparison. It’s taking so long because there is no confidence that these films can make money.
I hope so.
You just have to have faith about these things.
A new age has begun.
Everything you know is about to change.
Wow, your comment sounds like a cheesy and totally cliched movie trailer.
Yeah it is. I was using the two taglines for PC.
Well, I liked your comment!
It was cheesy, almost as cheesy as VDTs catch phrase.
Amen, we must return to the magic, we must return to Narnia!
Return to hope….. er, what hope?
I know you guys didn’t like VDT, but please keep in mind that lots of people did. I makes me sad when you make fun of one of my favorite movies in the entire world. 🙁
Im not making fun, Im just saying even the movies plot and the tagline really didnt match up. Like literally, the slogon return to hope didnt match VDT. Its not that I hated VDT, its just it could have been a little bit better.
Sorry Fireflower, I really like all three movies (Prince Caspian being my favourite), I was merely joking about the cheesy trailer phrases
I was just being sarcastic, if I offended you Im sorry.
LWW live on stage in central new York! Upstate. Go to SyracuseStage.org for details! Professional production! I’m going! Can’t wait!Unlock video
Okaaaayayyyy
That will either be really cool or an utter disaster. Getting a non-cheesy visual effect can be tricky without the use of film special effects. Tell us how it goes. 🙂
Well, it all depends on the budget.
No, go to the website, they have screenshots of the set, utterly gorgeous, it,s professional theatre, not like a high school play. If you love narnia and can travel to Syracuse, new York, you should see it. As the website says, LWW is rarely produced in the US as a stage play . I’m going soon as it opens. The ice palace set is reminiscent of the movie,s look. syracuseStage.org
A lot of national actors act in this theatre, it,s top notch. Heck, I traveled 6 hours to see the narnia exhibit, I,ll never forget it. Some things are worth the effort! Like Narnia!
Every time that I Google it and I click on the website it says it can not locate the page 🙁
It’s so sad that the narnia series is over, and even though it’s the end of an era I think a new beginning will arrive someday, and I will be eagerly waiting.
*sniff*
Everyone who maintained this site over the past eight years did a truly fabulous job – thank you all. I truly enjoyed the daily thrill of checking for new Narnia news here.
Return to hope. Return to magic. Return to Narnia.
NarniaHarper, as a "moderator-at-rest", unless I missed something, I think I can safely say that the site or the forum isn’t going anywhere for now. True, there won’t be any news until the film option is sold again by the CS Lewis Estate (good job on the explanation, glumpuddle!), so the discussion will die down severely. But there is more to the Forum than just movie discussion. Come further up and farther in and wait with us!
As a media communications student studying film production at Asbury University (which has connections with Walden and other Narnia related people), it is my dream to be a part of continuing the stories of Narnia from book to film. We’ll see where God leads me though 🙂
Cool!
Is the music at the end of the podcast from the Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie? Great way to end the movie news (sarcasm). jk hahahaha 🙂
Actually I liked the podcast very much. Thank you guys.
I did ponder whether or not to use the music from my least favorite film of last year. However, the music by Dave Arnold is genuinely well-done in many ways. Furthermore, that scene was easily the best in the entire film, and I couldn’t have ended the film better myself. It’s also my favorite song of the new score, and it had the right feel to it: a feeling of quiet joy with a bittersweet ending.
I really dont know if I liked that music for the film. Im a bigger fan of Gregson-Williams.
Same here, Dylan, but the last three songs on VDT are powerful all the same. I think that music was the perfect ending for both the film and podcast.
I definitely agree with you Rilian. Out of all three movies it was one of my favorite songs.
Yeah, the music was alright, just not my fav. I liked the Reepicheep theme though
I do agree. It was good music, and the scene was great. I just wish the rest of the film was as good. I guess I thought the film was ok but it could have been so much better.
I liked the VODT music, but I am a way bigger fan of Harry Gregson-Williams and think his music was so much more Narnia-ish and epic. VODT’s music seemed more like ballet music to me. 🙂
Gregson williams really captured Narnia in his music.
Yeah, he really did. David Arnold just didn’t have that Narnia feel.
Agree. Dave Arnold’s soundtrack was entirely forgettable. HGW’s soundtracks were soaring and magical. I hope if the movies are made again that either HGW or James Newton Howard (who has a very similar style) will compose.
I would buy HGW’s music for LWW and PC, VDT was too slow for me. It was pretty music, but it most certainly not Narnia.
I mean HGW’s battle theme was totally amazing! It gave you such a majestic feel. David Arnold’s was…just…well, ok.
Yes! The battle theme for LWW was absolutely beautiful.
It’s like my favorite Narnia song!!! O, and I love A Narnian Lullaby!
That is definately a good one, but my fav is still the music played right before battle.
O, yeah me too. Definately the BEST!
Using the VDT music ending as the podcast ending was great. That song is great,too. I just wasn’t.t thrilled by h rest of the soundtrack . If they couldn’t.t get HGW, I wish they had used the video games composer. New authors I assume, but the music fit perfectly. I wish I had a cd of it.
The ending was so beautiful. Unfortunately, it was like three minutes of blissful sleep after a night of someone jackhammering outside your window. Much too little, far too late. What a waste…
Ha!
Since there will be at least five years, probably six or more, between the release of Dawn Treader and the next film, I like glumPuddle’s suggestion to split the difference between a "reboot" sentiment and the desire to pick up where we left off by adapting The Magician’s Nephew first. Tilda Swinton and Liam Neeson’s voice can be the bridge to the other films, but otherwise you’re dealing with a fresh look at Narnia through its origin story. I’d suggest doing Horse and His Boy next, and then Silver Chair. That way, you can cast a new Eustace and Jill for Silver Chair and have them be of an appropriate age when you film the next and final story, The Last Battle.
No! They can’t do a reboot! I’d hate that. Will Poulter was absolutely fantastic as Eustace. He has a boyish face, so it won’t matter if they wait a few years to make The Silver Chair.
-JillPole
I agree that Will Poulter was perfectly cast as Eustace; however, if the next film comes out six years after Dawn Treader, he would be way too old for the part unfortunately.
For the record, I wasn’t "suggesting" they do that. I was just making the observation that if they made MN as prequel…it would likley perform the function of a reboot even if it wasn’t actually a reboot. It would feel like a fresh start with a new cast and maybe a new feel too.
Sorry. I meant "observation."
The problem is that it really doesn’t function as a "start." None of the 4 remaining books do. MN in particular features protagonists that only return as very minor characters, one villain that we never see again, another villain that may, by some remote chance, have flashback cameos in some other films, and a self-contained plot.
I don,t think any of that matters, what matters is, is if what IS up there is an enjoyable experience.
i really dont like the idea of a reboot. i think it would just sabotage the Narnia franchise completely. and besides, i would be heartbroken to not see Will Poulter as Eustace again on screen. i dont think i’ve ever loved a character in a movie so much. he was an absolute gem 🙂
Last Battle happens seven earth years after Silver Chair.
the title of this bit just makes me sad… 🙁
Very sad….. it makes it sound like the series is completely over, which it most certainly not.
Haha, glumPuddle, you literally keep your VDT DVD in the sock drawer? I thought you were being sarcastic.
I agree that whether we have movies or not, we always have the books. At least once a year I go through the books again. They are great. I would like to see a reboot if we have more movies. The only Narnia movie I have loyalty for is LWW. I had never read anything written by Lewis until I saw LWW in 2005.
"The Narnia you remember… is no more."
Ah yes, another podcast after an overlong hiatus. To start off, this is going to be one long comment, probably the longest I have ever typed up. The reason I try to stick to comments with a few paragraphs often is to get better at debate, which I am not very good at, even after being on the forum for almost five months after the last podcast aired. But I am ten years, or even have the age younger than most of the commenters on here, but I am trying to learn so I can get better. I will probably say something that doesn’t make sense or misses obvious information, but I am still learning, and will take criticism from older members so I can get better. Okay, here we go…
When the news had been reported in late September than Walden’s contract had officially expired, I overall was not that shocked at all. Between June 22, and September 27, I had remained as something I call a "pessoptimist", or in other words, I had been expecting that something bad, like Walden would indeed drop the series or lose the rights or what not, but I still did have hope that somebody would come some day, to make the Narnia books.My question is: When did the contract expire? Obviously in late May, Flaherty said that Walden was still negotiating with the Estate. One moth later, we received the news that put NW in quite a mood. I would guess that they lost the series’ rights around mid- July based off the information because of somebody in the comments saying that they knew Douglas Gresham and that he said Walden lost the rights to the series. (Really, I wish people wouldn’t spread information like this in the comments; it just made many people upset.)
Why did Walden’s contract expire? I think the answer is obvious: money. Look, VDT performed even poorer than PC did in the US, even with 3D and inflation. And the DVD did even worse, making only about $40 million in sales. While Flaherty in May did say that they were still in negotiations, I think that after a period of time, they realized that people weren’t buying the movie, or really liking it. Do I need to say more?
Okay, now that we know what has happened for sure, let us go on to the future of Narnia as films. When the moratorium ends(Which I’m kind of confused on how long it will last.), let’s say that somebody else other than Walden were to get the rights to continue. I, by then will be in my senior year or college, which of course could be good because then I can organize Lion Parties. 😛 Anyways, whoever could pick it up, I want them to make the true heart of the Narnia films that I think Walden virtually failed to do, even in LWW: make Aslan the true heart of the films. In the books, it is most truly He who is the real reason of all the adventures and happenings, and the end of evil. I wish to have somebody who understands and has heart for the books, and I want the message to get across without it being obvious about the Christian elements. I do hate it when people call Narnia Christian propaganda for children. NO, NO, NO! *slaps forehead* Aslan being sacrificed, for example, is done because He is the one who saves Narnia, because He is Narnia’s hope after the 100 year Winter, not because He stands for Jesus Christ! (But let’s not debate about this please.)
Anyway, I would really like to see SC done next still, even if Will Poulter does not return as Eustace, because he really looks too old now. SC, MN, and HHB would actually all be good in ways to do next. MN is a prequel, and first in chronological order, so anybody could understand it easily. HHB works well alone because it hardly ties in to the other adventures except for having brief appearances by the Pevensies and Tumnus. SC could work too, and I really want to see this one. The story is very complex, and one I think could start making teenagers my age appreciate the series more than just "another fantasy film series". I would really like to see that happen one day.
Now, as regarding to a possible Narnia reboot. I don’t think many people really even highly regard LWW anymore. I have only seen kids respond, "Isn’t that a movie?" or something like that when I asked them if they had seen it. Now, something like Spiderman, had been rebooted rather quickly, and this from somebody who still remembers seeing Spiderman 3 commercials on TV, and many have pointed this out, but the problem with this is Spiderman has many comics and sources to work from, whereas Narnia only has seven books. This would be much harder, and if Narnia were to get a complete reboot, it would be in at least a decade, I agree.
But let’s not live in the future right now, fellow older fans, or fans of my age, or whoever. Let us live in the present and look on the past and read the books to our heart’s content and feel the true heart and emotion of what Lewis gave us. I look forward to seeing book discussion on the podcasts and forum more now than ever in hopes of understanding the themes and books better than before thanks to the many wonderful people who make NarniaWeb possible. Tirian, fantasia_kitty, Rilian, glumPuddle, our full team of moderators, and other fans who have made this place great to be.
I have not been on NW forums that long, or commenting, but I have many wonderful memories already, from the VDT trailer, my first comment( Which was just terrible.), and joining the forums just five months ago. I really do hope to continue to come here for a long time still. 🙂
Okay, closing time. Be like Lucy in PC. That’s my advice. Be strong. Think of Aslan. Think of Narnia.
Further up and further in!
good grief thats a long comment.
I totally agree with you!!!
But LWW was not a flop, it got as much or more than Spider-man. And if any of the three made Aslan real, it was the first one. I’m not trying to make a debate or anything but Walden started well and finished…off. Thanks for putting you opinion out and don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed to put your impute in!!! 🙂
Don’t feel embarressed at all! Everyones opinion is welcome here.
Yes, VDT didn’t sell well in USA, but it did enormously well overseas. And I think to a large degree it suffered because of the disappointment many had with PC, and the adverse publicity it got from Disney dropping its association with that film.
I don’t think that money is the only reason why Walden lost the rights. I think they quite simply took too long to make even the three movies they did make. I wouldn’t be surprised that the original options went only from 2004 to 2011, especially as that period of time matches the 7 years they were originally hoping to make the movies in.
I liked the podcast this time, and was pleased that this time it actually echoed my own concern about Walden losing the rights. I know that several people on NarniaWeb are hoping for a reboot, but I don’t want to see endless remakes of the first three books of the Narnia series, with the film franchise fizzling out by the time it gets to VDT or Silver Chair.
Even SC has had a version made by BBC for television, which in lieu of any new version being made, I can still watch. And actually it was probably the best of their interpretations anyway.
It is the other three movies that I really want to see most since BBC didn’t do these books either. I am really hoping that at the end of next year, or thereabouts that the situation will be a bit clearer.
Louloudi the Centaur:
You said not to debate about this, but I cannot keep silent.You said in your comment: "Let us live in the present and look on the past and read the books to our heart’s content and feel the true heart and emotion of what Lewis gave us." but before that you had said:"Aslan being sacrificed, for example, is done because He is the one who saves Narnia, because He is Narnia’s hope after the 100 year Winter, not because He stands for Jesus Christ!" You CANNOT feel the true heart and emotion of Lewis’ books if you sit there and deny what the true heart of the books are! C.S. Lewis himself said that the Narnia books were supposals: if CHRIST came to a world where animals talked, how would he come to save them? As a Talking Animal? Of course, as the King of all Beasts, a lion! To say that Aslan does not stand for Jesus Christ is absolutly crazy. What does Aslan do? He dies in Edmund’s place, to redeem him. Blood was required to save Edmund’s life, and Aslan laid down his own life for Edmund’s sake, just as Christ Jesus did for the whole world. To even say we need to feel the true heart and emotion of Lewis’ books but then deny what C.S. Lewis’ meant in his books is…well, plain ludicrous.
Sorry that was in reply to Louloudi the Centaur
I’m sorry Louloudi, but he has got a point. Aslan representing Jesus is what Narnia is all about dude. Take away that aspect and C. S. Lewis’ work is pointless. to say that Aslan is not Jesus in another world is, well, just plain crazy. I know you didn’t want us to argue this point, but it’s kind of unavoidable when you post something that controversal.
Actually to quote Lewis himself " I did not say to myself ‘Let us represent Jesus as He really is in our world by a Lion in Narnia’; I said let us suppose that there were a land like Narnia AND (pay attention right here Louloudi) that the Son of God, as He became a man in our world, became a Lion there, and then imagine what woud happen", so I hope that clears it up.
😀 Glad you agree 😀
Dude, glad you agree? What is this, buddy team up time versus Louloudi? I agree with both of what you guys said, so why does it matter man?
No? So what? I just said we agreed. That’s just nice cause not many people on here agree with me always……
Really? Thats funny cause your one of the mmost sensible people on this site lol
O, thank you. Well, lots of people on here like PC and VODT and I really don’t…for many apparent reasons. I’m not saying they can’t like them though. I just don’t understand because I am a book fan 😀
Yah, if your a book fan, PC and VDT don’t even compare. VDT especially. It was so far off the book it was incredibly dissapointing. I really kinda liked PC,cause im more of an LOTR kinda guy, but still, no were near the book.
Yeah, but I wonder if LOTR fans were like "Those look dumb because they are trying to copy LOTRs?" 🙂 I mean, they already made LOTRS… this is Narnia, not LOTRs… It’s like they wanted LOTRs over again…but you can’t have LOTRs over again! *scratches head* Am I making sense? ^_^
Ya….. sort of lol.
Let’s try to keep this debate to a minimum on here in the comments. If you feel you need to say something to me, save it for somewhere else. This is very off topic already, and I don’t want to cause a controversy on here.
The Narnia series as to my understanding, is indeed a supposal. To quote myself: "Let us live in the present and look on the past and read the books to our heart’s content and feel the true heart and emotion of what Lewis gave us." Aslan is the true heart and emotion of the story, because I do agree that Aslan does stand for Jesus Christ. But what I was saying is that the sacrifice wasn’t put in the put to show that Jesus died for our sins first and foremost, it was to show hope for Narnia and Edmund who had betrayed his siblings and Narnia. Behind that, I agree that this shows what Jesus has done for us in this world, but you know, not everybody who reads this book at first will notice Christian elements.
I know that this comment will cause people to back talk me, but you know, I’ve seen atheists and other non-Christians who enjoy these books because they are well written, not because Aslan stands for Christ in out world. I’ve even seen people disagree that Aslan stands for Christ, believe it or not. I do think we can all agree that Aslan is Narnia’s hope, whether he stands for Christ or not.
This is a very interesting point of debate, but I’m not saying anything more. Save this for later though. It may come in handy. I say this because there won’t be any more podcasts on film news for awhile, and that we are going to have to turn to the books for the real Narnia.
Actually Louloudi, I’m not going to back talk to you, I’m going to back you up. I read somewhere online that even Pauline Baynes, the artist of all 7 of the books, wept while drawing the scene of Aslan’s death on the stone table, and she found out that Aslan represented Jesus after that. So even without the Christian elements of the books, the books alone are very powerful stories. And I think thats what made Lewis an absolute genius, he did not write The chronicles specificlly for christians, he wrote them for everybody to enjoy.
No. I’m sorry. Aslan dying was not just to show "hope" for Narnia. Why would Aslan die and raise again from the dead just to show "hope" for Narnia? Why? If C.S. Lewis was merely writing about hope for Narnia, why wouldn’t he just make Aslan come, kill the White Witch, and then Narnia would have spring again? Why is that element in there? Why would Aslan die? Aslan had to die because he had to redeem Edmund. Notice the similarities: the Witch’s creatures shouted and cheered as they tied Aslan up, but Aslan didn’t make a noise (Christ kept silent before his accusers), they strained and tugged on his cords so it cut his flesh and the creatures kicked him, hit him, spit on him, (Christ was hit, spit on, and beaten), it said that if the Lion had chosen, one of his paws could have been the death of them all (Christ could have come down from the cross, but he followed His Father’s will and died for sinners), Alsan’s mane was shaved (they stripped Christ and put a scarlet robe on Him), they jeered at Aslan (Christ was mocked), killed (Christ died), and then Aslan rose from the dead, (Christ rose three days later!!!). How can he not represent Christ?
I completey agree that he represents Christ, and I think Louloudi knows that, but what I was agreeing with him is the fact that everyone can enjoy it, even if you are not a christian. But I totally agree that Lewis intended for Aslan to represent Christ, that was the whole purpose of the character.
O, I’m not saying people who aren’t Christians can’t read the books. They can. It’s our job to tell them what it’s about. They’re not gonna see it if they’re not Saved, but that doesn’t mean they can’t read the books. That’s up to them. I saw Louloudi agreed that he represented Christ, but I didn’t understand by what Louloudi meant that Aslan didn’t die because he represented Christ, but that he died to bring hope to Narnia. It doesn’t make sense to me why Aslan WOULD die if he didn’t represent Christ.
I see what you mean. Now what I think Louloudi was emphasizing on was the point that its not christian literature handouts aimed at little kids.
Hmm? Little kids? They’re Children books, though. ? I’m a little confused. 🙂 Like Christian Literature Handouts, What do you mean by that?
I was referring to the part in Louloudis comment when he said that he hated people calling the books Christian propaganda for little children. Which that is why Louloudi was emphasizing on Aslans crucifixtion, and how he puts it, not representing Jesus, but hope for Narnia.
Always Narnian: What do you mean people aren’t going to see what the books are about if they’re not Saved? Also what Louloudi meant was C.S. Lewis didn’t have Aslan die just beacause he represented Christ, but Aslan died to save Narnia. Also, Aslan didn’t die to redeem Edmund. Edmund redeemed himself when he repented of his sins. You can’t reedeem someone else if their not sorry for what they have done.
In a way your right, and in a way you arent. Aslan died on the stone table to reclaim Edmunds blood, which is a picture of Christ redeeming us from sin. So yes, Aslan is a redeemer. But you are also right that you can’t be fully saved without repenting, but this price is already paid.
Thats also why Christ is called by Christians "Redeemer". So to say that Edmund redeemed himself is like saying I can redeem myself, but the truth is I can’t, Jesus already did that for me.
You can in no way "redeem" yourself. Repent, yes, you must do that. But Edmund could never redeem himself. And did you not read the rest of what I said? Please do. I don’t understand how I did not answer the thing about Aslan’s death already.
Besides, you cannot "win" redemption through works. Salvation is a gift of grace, and must be received through faith, nothing we can do can win that. It is not based on works. Only through Christ.
Yes you can repent, but that does not redeem you. Edmund (or I) could repent all we want BUT because of Aslans (God’s) grace for us, we are redeemed. God didnt have to send his son down to earth to save us, Aslan didnt have to die for Edmund, Hec, he’s the creator of Narnia, he doesnt have to die for Ed. Ed could repent all he wants and Aslan wouldnt have to die for him. Thats what makes Aslan redeemer, not Edmund.
Yeah I see what you mean. But if we don’t have repentant hearts…when we come to Christ to redeem us…you know! Yes, it is CHRIST that REDEEMS, that’s for sure.
Exactly. Redemption is incomplete without repentence.
Yes! Very good.
No other way too put it! I recently just fiished watching VDT on HBO today, and I think i’ve come to a coclusion. For all the negative things i have said about this movie, there are also plenty of positive things in this one too. The last 45 minutes of the movie was the best part, they nailed the ending. Overall the movie was a little disapointing, but the last 45 minutes were incredible. I think if they had stayed closer to the book, even with the green mist, just stayed as close to the book as possible, it would have won it for me. Another thing, the special effects were astounding, especially in HD, just purely beautiful. Overall, if I had to grade the movie, it ranks a 6.5 out of 10. Mostly because it did not live up to its full potential. Another thing about the movie that felt odd was the fact that it did not feel like it was in the same series as the other movies, it just wasnt the same.
Sorry I said that so wrong. I know Christ is the one who redeems us. I typed the comment to quick and din’t make sure I worded it right. I agree with you guys.
O, okay, that’s fine, I understand- it’s easy to make a mistake in these commments 🙂
Oh gee, sorry bout that. Didn’t realize thats not what you meant.
No problem, it’s my fault for not taking the time to say it right, but rushing just to reply.
This is a heartbreaking day… this podcast brought back the many good memories of film waiting, which I had forgotten. You MUST continue podcasting, about the books now. If not I shall be very sad. You guys are so awesome. I shall now focus on The Hobbit films, but, much as I adore that book, it will never be the same as the Narnian community.
Think about it like this. We are the Pevensies waiting to get back into Narnia 😉
No, were more like Peter and Susan, we might noot go back to Narnia at all.
Oh wow, that’s acctaully a very good way to look at it, but SOOOOOO sad!
Well, I guess that, like Peter and Susan, we have all grown older and need to find the ‘narnia’ in our own world now and not rely on the movies anymore- we still have the books though! And no one can ever grow too old for thoes!
We must learn to know Him (Aslan) in our world as we do in Narnia.
You’re right.
Cheer up people! The series isnt over yet is it? 3 more years is how long we need to wait, but does that mean we should lose complete hope and give up on the series? No! By all means no!
I’m definitely not giving up hope.
Aslan is still here so why gripe. Narnia will never die when it glorifies God. I totally agree with you Dylan!
We dont need to be such downers about the whole thing is basically what im saying.
Nothing is preventing you from visiting Narnia again. The books aren’t going anywhere.
The movies were a nice distraction for a while, but at the end of the day they aren’t Narnia.
The books are and will always be the true Narnia.
I’d have to agree…nothing can compare with the books. They’re just the best! My loyalty has always been to the books, hence why I was so upset with the movies 🙂
Ahem VDT….
AHEM…and PC 🙂
Yeah, PC was an alright movie, just wasnt Narnia ya know?
No, it wasn’t Narnia =( It was a complete shock to me. I wasn’t expecting it!
I mean the movie was done well, but it just wasnt Narnia at all.
It was like…they wanted to be LOTR all over again. Especially in VODT, though, with the whole glowing-blue swords!
I know!!! As soon as I saw that I immediatly thought "Really? Your doing the mini LOTR thing again?". I liked PC’s LOTR elements because it had good battle sequences.
I know! When me and my family first saw the commercial we were like "What??? Glowing blue swords? What is this Lord of the Rings?"
They’re just not the same thing, people 🙂 It’s sad when they can’t come up with their own ideas! Maybe because they thought LOTRs was such a big success? And they were trying to be a success…but failed? 🙂
Wow guys, great podcast! I am filled with so much emotion after listening to it. I’m really grateful for all the time you’ve put into this. I will not forget these past many years of coming on here every day, excited to find out what’s happening next. I look forward to those times again as hopefully someday someone will see the books, and say "wow, those would be great as movies"! That’s a whole another adventure. So up until then, I shall sit back, read and discover the books, watch the movies, and remember the times that we’ve had together on here.
Further up and Further In!!
Wait, so is Narniaweb no more?
Oh no, Narniaweb is stickin around.
I was almost afarid that this meant Narniaweb was over. I’ve grown so used to it and I use it all the time. It’s my ideal website.
If that was that was the case, I would pass out the second I read that X-0
LOL
i will die if narniaweb is over
Dont say that. Say Narniaweb got hacked what would you do lol?
no worries. it’s sticking around for a while… (so long as the gremlins don’t take it over 😛 )
LOL. Betcha gremlins took over the directing of Dawn Treader.
Oops, sorry Fireflower if that sounded bad. I dont mean to insult your fav movie.
Narnia will go on in any case. They could have done better on the movies, granted. But we can still read the books and watch the movies we like. If they remake the movies or go one in a few years at least we know something is going to happen some time, since Narnia is considered a HUGE franchise. So cheer up guys!!!!
This is not the end.
If it’s the end.
The end is only the beginning. 🙂
the beginning of what?
The Beginning of Better movies for the next version of Narnia that go with the books and have better stories, some how go with the book with the LWW remake but make it even better (though I can’t see it getting any better though) etc.
Sorry, theres no way someone else is gonna top LWW.
Got a little emotional at the end of this. It truly is the end of an era. Narniaweb has been such a massive part of my life; I’ve literally grown up on here (from age 12 to 18). Sad to see this chapter end, but so glad that Narniaweb wont disappear altogether!
Don’t worry. We have more plans for the podcast. 🙂 But they won’t be film news discussions for the foreseeable future.
I HOPE SOMEDAY I BECOME AN ACTOR IN NARNIA THE MOVIE FOR THE NEXT SERIES….
GOOD FOR YOU TOO!
I HOPE SOMEDAY I BECOME AN ACTOR IN NARNIA THE MOVIE FOR THE NEXT SERIES….
OKAY GOOD FOR YOU
Thank you so much for all these great podcasts! 🙂
Someone should try to make animated versions of the movies. I’ve always wanted to see HHB or MN on tv, even if it is animated. Somebody should try this just until they are going to start making the movies again.
What do you guys think?
I wouldn’t mind seeing animated versions, that would be neat 🙂
I always have wanted to see an anime styled Narnia, I think that would be very cool.
To adapt the books as full-length animated features will actually be a good idea. Just imagine what wonders studios like Ghibli or Pixar can do with such great materials.
But what I really wish, though, is for the series to go into the hands of BBC once more, in the near future. I’m sure they can deliver.
I would love to see BBC to do it, in a sense, because they are so faithful to the books. I think, though, that they would need to team up with a company who was very good at special effects/CGI, and then you’d have a really good movie. I don’t know how much BBC does with special effects/CGI.
Well, I think it might be somewhat interesting, even without the good special effects, I would still watch it
yeah me too cause I still watch the old BBCS 🙂 even if they’re cheesy
If its close to the book, I’ll watch it!
YEP!!! That’s why I like the BBCs
Hmmm…. the midget in the mouse costume scared the crap out of me when I was little though.
HA! What? Really! Reepicheep was always my favorite! Hey, do you know the guy who played Reepicheep in the BBC movies plays Nikibrik in the new movies?
Oh yeah…… They do have similar voices.
It’s funny he got to play in both the BBC and the new ones
I know, he actually did a really good job as Nikabrik.
All the badguys were really good at their part in PC! Like Miraz, Glozelle, and Nikibrik, but the good guys weren’t so great … =( Isn’t that sad, they got the badguys right but they messed up the good charcters.
Well they had the right actors for the good guys, their script is the only thin that was screwed up. Peter and Caspian were always getting into sissy fights, and since when does Susan fall in love with Caspian? I mean really, SUSPIAN?
O yeah, I agree. I like the actors, just not their script. Och! The romance between Susan and Caspian was nasty 😛 Why did they have to do that!?!?!?!??!
Just plain messed up.
I want to cry now :'( Thank you, Rilian, glumpuddle, Warrior, Gymfan, and all the rest of you. I have loved listening to every podcast and have always checked itunes eagerly to look for any new podcasts every time I plug my ipod in! I’ve even quoted you to my family sometimes! 🙂 I know this isn’t goodbye, really, but I’ll certainly miss the Narnia news. God bless~further up and further in!
Aslan’s Girl
What if they did someting CG? I could see a CG adaptation doing pretty well, they wouldn’t have the "Growing up" issues, it would be a new spin off of it, and maybe someone who would stick the the real plot would pick it up.
Just a thought.
~Ara
I actually think that would be kinda cool, Aravis. I don’t think it would ever happen, but it’s a pretty nice thought.
Id like it, but would it happen-no.
The problem with CG is that it costs an arm and a leg.
The whole series should be animated in a realistic style, that would be fantastic, with no limitations except the imagination!
You mean like Beowulf or Polar express? That type of animation creeps me out.
That type of animation is awesome!!!
Polar express IS creepy. I mean not like Tangled , maybe like Disneys the hunchback of noted dame or the serious parts of Fantasia. Not where the characters are too doll like , or cheap like the 1979 cartoon was.
Tangled isn’t even close enough to be copared to Beowulf and Polar express, more like Disneys a Christmas Carol, now that was a good movie.
Well guys, it sure has been fun. I’ve been following your podcasts since Rilian first started them. Laying this era down to rest in my own life has been bittersweet, as the Narnia film anticipation has been strong since LWW production. In that time, I’ve gotten married, moved, changed jobs, etc. I’d put the Narnia podcasts on my iPod and my husband and I would listen to them on road trips. Thanks for all your hard work; we sure have enjoyed them. I’d love to see where you guys end up with your careers. You’ve got a great head start if you go into the entertainment industry.
wow, this is quite an emotional podcast. thank you for the wonderful years. 🙂
Dont get too soppy.
Even if reboots are made, they’ll never be the same as the original Disney/Walden/Fox movies. It’ll be impossible to make reboots as good as the originals.
I have to agree, I dont know if I would like it if they re did Lion the witch and the wardrobe. Id be fine with a Prince Caspian and VDT reboot, but LWW would be hard too like.
I don’t want reboots to be made. It would only be replays of LWW, PC, and VDT, fizzling out as soon as Silver chair is mentioned, and forgetting about the other four books. I’m fine with LWW and PC. Even VDT should be given a rest for a bit.
By the way, the Star Wars movies are good movies.
Really? I mean, I liked the first 3, but I saw the forth movie . . . Revenge of the Attack of Whatever, and I didn’t bother with the rest.
So you didnt like the old ones? Understandable.
No the first three filmed, not the first three in the story chronology.
I liked them all. In like ten-twenty years from now I want a re-make. Technoligy will be even better by then and episodes 4, 5, & 6 will look ecspesially good because imagine a jump from the 70-80’s to the future!
Yah, they probably will have lightsabers or something like that sometime from now.
if you want to understand the green mist, why they put it in the movie, on Aslans Country is an interview with douglas Gresham. He explain a bit about it!!
Cool! I will probably check it out!
Hello, I would like to invite all Narnia’s fans to know my own piece of Narnia’s universe. It’s a blog called Narniasecrets and belongs to Blogspot… please, visit us, Aslam is waiting for you there!
So Jill Pole, I watched the interview with Gresham, and to be brutally honest that is exactly what I expected him to say. There was no real need and purpose in the movie for the green mist other then to liven up the plot. I wish they could have at least made the movie the way the book was intended to be, no bad guys or epic extreme fantasy stuff, just a journey to the end of the world and to discover the fate of the Lords, not all this added stuff, just plain and simple a journey.
oh okay.. well i didn’t understand everything what he was saying because my english isn’t very good.. but now i understand a bit a more!! the green mist was for make the evil visible or am I wrong?
I think you’re right. The green mist realy means the evil tempting the good guys… Actually I don’t mind It’s a bad idea. That’s not in the book but in the the movie It was cool…
yes. i really like the movie! and the green mist makes it more that people can understand!! especially me! and it makes it a bit exiting( google translate give me this word.. hope it is a good one)
It was kind of interesting because how would Narnia respond naturally to evil? So it kind of was a plot filler, but an interesting one at that.
Oh! This podcast makes me kind of sad. 🙁 Even though I didn’t join the forums in those early days, I heard about Narnia about the time RotK came out and my friends didn’t think I’d heard correctly because I wasn’t up much on movies. 🙂 I’ve been on NarniaWeb ever since then and it has been so fun to listen to the podcasts and discuss the news with other fans. I feel like I know you a little now. 😉 I hope that we will see more films in the not-to-distant future. Further up and further in!
Ya, why not…
Why do kids say ya instead of yes now? Is that a reference to a show or something?
Ummmm…. no. Ya is just ya, I really dont know any shows that "Ya" is a catch phrase.
BTW what does HQSB stand for???
High queen shelly belly
Now i’m sad… very, VERY SAD!
I guess we won’t be getting any more Narnia movies, unless you like LEGO animations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upFjNThB_a0
GAH! People actually watch my YouTube videos!
On a random sidenote here, what’s the music at the end of the podcast?
Ha! That’s your video? LOL!
It’s supposed to be a preview of a Lego animation I WILL be doing of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Well, since I have this convenient piece of advertising on a Narnia website, if anyone has any comments on the video, I’m all ears!
very very very sad
very very very very……..
I’m sad. But I have to say I have probably the most visual imagination in … the world, maybe? So I love going back and re-reading the books and working out exactly how I would make things look. My sister really wants to be Polly Plummer, so I put in her likeness in my head and then pick out other actors for other roles. I must say though, Tilda Swinton would play Jadis in MN and Will Poulter would play Eustace in SC.
Gosh, this is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me. I actually had to think a moment for the correct spellings of those names. I really need to go back a read the Narnia books over again. But first I need to get rid of this sinus infection. It’s not very pleasant.
While I’m still alive (but barely breathing) can you guys tell me which book is your favorite of the Narnia ones? For a start, mine is all of them, but maybe you all can narrow it down a bit better! ;D
Aslan’s BFF:
I love all of them…but the last two The Silver Chair are my favorite. But I would encourage you to read them differently and read them in the Chronological order this time and try and see why Lewis wanted them to be that way. Just a thought, I’m planning to do the same thing since I’m kind of leaning toward that order instead of the Publication order. Just try it, and let us know what you think. Start with MN,LWW,HHB,PC,VDT,SC,LB! 😀
As to me, I love all 7 of them (of course) but I’m really really moved by HHB. I’ve read it 10 times, and I think my 11th will be later this day. 🙂 Maybe next to HHB is MN or LWW. Oh well, every Narnia book has its own charm after all. 😀
I have no idea how long it will be before the next podcast, but, however long it is, I hope glumPuddle takes the time to stop perpetuating the myth that ‘Prince Caspian’ didn’t perform well. There were 188 films given wide domestic release in 2008. ‘Prince Caspian’ outperformed 173 of them. It’s "performance" was actually quite remarkable. It was the most EXPENSIVE film of 2008. THAT was the problem.[/broken record]
Other than that often-repeated fallacy, you’ve both made many good comments over the years, and I’ll definitely miss these.
Well of course. If the movie had been made for $100, and grossed $10,000 it would be considered a big success. It’s all relative.
PC didn’t bomb at the box office, but it is possible that Walden and Disney did not make a profit.
PC did not do the kind of box office needed to keep the series going strong in the eyes of the studio.
That was their own fault, and could have corrected hat with VDT if they "had a little faith"!
Forget the $100 example. If ‘Caspian’ had had the budget of ‘Dawn Treader’, the film would have come very close to breaking even, for its cinematic run. Perhaps even had turned a small profit. The broadcast/pay-per-view/DVD sales and rental revenue would have certainly put it over the top very quickly. The point is, expectations for it were (and continue to be, in some circles) ludicrous. That’s not the film’s fault. Again, an adaptation of a relatively obscure children’s book outperformed 173 of 188 films in 2008. It’s "performance" was outstanding. Its financial management was incompetent. This is not a pedantic exercise on my behalf. It actually DOES make a difference in how the "failure" of the film is perceived. There was nothing wrong with the film. The film reached its audience. The film cost too much money. If, by some miracle, these films go into production again, they must never, ever repeat the financial debacle that was ‘Caspian’.
You’re right. It IS all relative! Budgets should be set "relative" to the potential of the property to succeed. NOT relative to the success of ‘Wardrobe’, which will always be in a completely different stratosphere to all of the other books in the series. It’s all about perception and reasonable expectations. The lack of both doomed that film, and has killed this franchise. At least for the foreseeable future. Sure, you can say the film didn’t perform up to the expectations of the studios. Fair comment. Because their expectations were crazy and reckless. That is not the same thing as a blanket statement that "it didn’t perform well", which has been an oft-repeated mantra here for three and a half years. The difference is subtle, but very, very important to distinguish. If the mistakes of the past are to be avoided, that is.
Expecting it to perform up tp LWW standards WAS bizarre, but so was changing the tone of the series in midstream, from family friendly to teen war film. The BBC kept the tone consistant, the way it should have been. Families are so starved for decent films, they wouldn’t have backed off if PC hadn’t been chuned out for teenage boys, and the cost of production wouldn’t have crushed the project as badly.
@glumpuddle: We know for a fact that PC didn’t make a profit. In an interview late last year, David Weil, from Anschutz Film Group, said that they STILL hadn’t broken even on it.
I crunched some numbers, just for fun, going on typical studio cuts in different times and places. Based on my estimates, if PC had been made on VDT’s budget, it would have broken even with early DVD sales.
You’re right though. PC was a big disappointment compared to expectations. They budgeted for it as though it was a sequel to a major hit movie. Industry pundits were predicting that it would perform as a sequel to a major hit movie (much bigger opening than it’s predecessor, followed by much weaker legs). One even predicted a $90 million opening. Prince Caspian was a sequel to a hit. Compared to most other such films, whether they are based on popular source material or not, it’s performance was very poor.
Which book is the best in the whole series b/c i haven’t read any othem yet. But so far I’ve read about HHB online and it sounds really good so I like to see the film
There’s no real consensus on that. Everyone has a different opinion, for different reasons. ‘The Horse and His Boy’ is my least favourite of the series, by a lot. Others adore it. It’s all personal taste. Just read them yourself and decide. But read them in the publication order, not chronologically.
Ha! I’ve read all the books and my favorite is probably Magicains Nephew or HHB! Wow. I do like SC too.
I like SC, LB, and well…..I love all of them! I like MN too!
How old are you, Dylan, I’m just curious.
@Queen C The Gentle: That’s a very difficult question, with a lot of easy answers! I find The Last Battle quite different from the rest of the books (and if awards received by a book is a gauge of its quality, then the Carnegie medal won by this book is proof that it’s a good one). But every book in the series is a thing of beauty on its own, even to describe one of them as "least-liked" will be a bit of injustice.
@Non-Negotiable: I agree with you 100% on the publication order as the best way to read the series the first time around. A lot of arguments on this topic can be found elsewhere, so I won’t give a detailed argument. After the first readings, then the series can be re-read again and again, and this time without the need to follow any particular order. That’s how brilliant the whole experience can be.
But having said that, I guess as far as any future screen adaptations are concerned, presenting the stories in chronological order should be the way to go forward.
For my part, I don’t see why it has to be one of the two, chronological versus publication order. I think the best way to read the chronicles is as follows:
LWW, MN, HHB, PC, VDT, SC
Anhun, I’m guessing LB is the last in your order.
Ah, no. I personally think the chronicles are best read
LWW PC VDT SC MN HHB LB. Remember, all the the other books happen one after another, almost always happening within the same human year. So the best way to read it is the Pevensie trilogy then SC, which happens immediatley after. Then a little bit of a pause because its seven more years until Eustace and Jill return to Narnia, so during that pause you read MN and HHB, then pick up on LB.
I really like PC too……….and VODT….let’s just say I like all of them…
Personally I like the Publication order but the Chronological order is growing on me. If they made the movies in the Chronological order it would feel more like a normal series. With plots that intertwine with the sequels.
Example #1
Magician’s Nephew is a perfect franchise starter with the intriguing story, and the evil villain from another world
Those elements can be intertwined into LWW, with the lamp post, showing how the white witch had been spending her time. And then the big finally between Aslan and Jadis in the sequel.
Example #2
LWW is perfectly connect to HHB. Then PC is next! HHB is like a first taste of candy beckoning you to go see what happens to the four children in PC.
The list goes on how much more fluid it goes, and it feels much more like any other series or trilogy. Each books is different and intriguing for different ways but if they did that you could have seen the connections. It feel like their in the right order!
And Finally…
The Last Battle is the Huge finally that all the books were leading to. The End of the World of Narnia and the finally battle between good and evil.
See, if they did it right, and went with the books they could have kept the interest up like they have done in Twilight or Lord of the Rings or any other series. C.S Lewis wanted it to be that way and now I see why!!!!
I strongly disagree about people starting the series with ‘The Magician’s Nephew’. That book is a gift from Mr. Lewis to those already familiar with Narnia. The magic of it is, in my opinion, significantly lost on those who haven’t read ‘Wardrobe’. It really takes away something from the overall experience of the Chronicles if you read it first. I think it’s a huge mistake to do that. Just my $0.02.
Yes, everyone has their two cents and I used to be like you. But after thinking about it I have changed for the reasons I have listed but you can enjoy them in any order cause its Narnia!
Amen", it was never meant to be read with MN first. mN even refers back to LWW . I,d like to spank the people for rearranging it. Surveys show MN is WAY less beloved than LWW. Stupid to start the series off with it .
Yeah, LWW is really supposed to be read first.
Yes, MN is like a "behind-the-scenes" of LWW.
MN cant e a series starter because it doesnt act as a series starter, more a behind-the-scenes prequel. And als HHB doesnt belong right before PC because PC was titled originally, THE RETURN TO NARNIA. Clearly a sequel name. Lewis meant for it to be a sequel. Another thing, HHB doesnt even seem like it could be a sequel to LWW, mostly because it has the same behind the scenes feel as MN.
excuse my above mistake i meant BE not E
Just for the record, I adore ‘The Magician’s Nephew’. I REALLY love it. I’m not inferring that it isn’t "good enough" to read first. It may be my favourite of the books. It’s very, very close, if it isn’t. It’s a beautiful, wondrous, touching story on its own. It’s just that it also has this dual purpose as a companion piece, or a bookend, to ‘Wardrobe’. Reading TMN AFTER ‘Wardrobe’ made me love both books, individually, more. I guess all I’m saying is, you can only read these books for the first time, once. Everyone can decide for themselves, but I REALLY think you’d be cheating yourself out of something pretty neat by having that veil of mystery lifted at the very beginning. I mean, part of ‘Wardrobe”s attraction IS that mystery. From the second that Lucy steps through the wardrobe, the reader’s mind is instantly assaulted with a million thrilling questions. We have no idea what’s happening to her. Is it real? Is she dreaming? Hallucinating? Is her adventure blind luck, or is there a driving hand behind everything? Boy, that’s a sad thought, thinking of reading ‘Wardrobe’ without that thrilling sense of the unknown.
You can always read them chronologically LATER. No harm in that. I listen to the radio dramas in that order. Just, for those who haven’t read the books yet, think long and hard, first. There really is something very special you’re giving up by going chronologically, the first time.
"Clearly a sequel name. Lewis meant for it to be a sequel."
Lewis himself said that the order probably didn’t matter. Now, if you can think of narrative reasons why PC has to come right after LWW, that’s fine, but if you argue that there is one "proper" way to read the chronicles based on author intention, that argument doesn’t hold.
I personally feel that the longing for the golden age, that we see in PC, has more emotional resonance if you’ve seen how they lived in the golden age in HHB. In LWW, most of the book is leading up to their coronation, and we only get the briefest glimpse into their lives as ruling kings and queens.
That is true, Lewis may not have chosen a specific order to read it in, but I still think PC is a sequel.
i kind of regret the chronological order I read the books in. I wish I had LWW first, but I already knew the LWW, PC, and VDT stories before I read the books.
If you know the LWW, PC, and VDT story lines, you should probably read the series like this- HHB, SC, and then LB.
Can I just reminisce on Walden’s Chronicles, by way of recalling what IMO are the series’ most memorable scenes? Here goes:
1) Lucy Pevensie fatefully ending up in the spare room and how her curiosity started the whole adventures. (LWW)
2) The scenes on the frozen river. (LWW)
3) The arrival of Father Christmas. (LWW)
4) Aslan’s death scene. (LWW)
5) The Pevensie children’s coronation as the new Kings and Queens of Narnia. (LWW)
6) Caspian’s escape from his executioners. (PC)
7) The Pevensie children’s return to Narnia via the Strand underground station. (PC)
8) The massacre of the Narnians, after a doomed attempt to raid Miraz’ castle. (PC)
9) The duel between Peter and Miraz. (PC)
10) The River God takes revenge in the battle of Beruna. (PC)
11) Eustace’s and the Pevensie’s arrival in Narnia through the painting of the Dawn Treader. (VDT)
12) Eustace’s duel with Reepicheep. (VDT)
13) The attack of the sea serpent. (VDT)
14) The scenes at the End of The World. (VDT)
15) Eustace’s and the Pevensie’s return to Lucy’s room. (VDT)
Yes.but those scenes you listed in VDT were the best parts of the whole entire movie. Oh! You forgot the dufflepuds! that was a good scene too.
Hey, If you wanna download a lot of Narnia’s exclusive wallpapers visit my page… just click on my name.. 😀
dude, I’ve already seen it, everythings in Spanish er Portugese. Nice attempt at atdvertising on a mostly English speaking website though 🙂
I think that we should just hope for the best……
i really hope that they will make a decision on the movie soon!!!!!! I hope that I wont be too old to enjoy it that much if it comes out when i’m like, well, to old to really BELIEVE…………
Your never to old to believe. It’s a chose, not fate. 🙂
sorry, didn’t mean to offend you.
Oh, gee, watched VDT again, still not impreessed.
They have started the next narnia movie! It is MN More info soon………..
Sorry for all the uncertaintly and for giving you ( = P) That was rude too. Let’s just part as people and finish. You believe what you want, and I’ll do what I believe.
Fair enough.
Do yourself a favor this weekend. Go see "Hugo" at the cinema. Imagine Narnia in the hands of a genius like Martin Scorsese sitting in the director’s chair. The whole time I watched it, I kept thinking ‘if only’. Asa Butterfield would make a fantastic Diggory while they’re at it!
I heard that was such a good movie! 97% liked it on Rotten tomatoes, so it must be good! I want to see it so bad…
If any of you live near Rochester, mn they are doing the play lion the witch and the wardrobe in february. auditions are december 13th and 14th more details at the rochester civic center website.