Chronicles of Narnia: Getting a good vibe for this one

[lonewolf23k]

Hey guys, check out the latest featurette preview for The Chronicles of Narnia (http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/the_chronicles_of_narnia.html).

The guys of WETA are re-doing the same kind of design magic they pulled for Lord of the Rings for the Chronicles..

The Minotaurs alone look totally awesome.

[mattbib]

Yeah. Now we just have to wait a year. :(

[Nikita]

That Was One Of My Favorite Series To Read As A Kid!!!

Excellent!!!!!!!!!

[Tynne]

Nice looking Aslan maquette!

Hopefully the actual lion on screen will look that good, or better.

Any shots online of Tilda done up as Jadis?

[Tish-the-Scorpion]

i'm 27 years old and i havent a clue to what book this is based off of........

[Tynne]

It's based on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

[Petersen]

The one sheet is up on comingsoon.net

here (http://www.comingsoon.net/cgi-bin/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Fantasy/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia/The_Lion_The_Witch_The_Wardrobe&image=poster.jpg&img=&tt=)
and I notice a few 'problems'....

why is the witch white/blone haired, and her sledge being pulled by polar bears????

I'm not normaly this picky about staying so true to detail, but when the book isn't that long and takes creful care to only describe certain things (where other aspects there is a lack of detail to the point that it is just assumed the reader would know what this looks like, or how that is done..)

Other than those I think the movie looks wonderful but does anyone else have an issue? or am I being picky

[Puffy Treat]

That's not her sledge. That's the chariot she'll ride in the climactic battle. Her sledge is still pulled by reindeer.

The books never state what color the Witch's hair is. Pauline Baynes drew it black, but the film makers decided to go in another direction.

[eJm]

Damn. I want to see this movie!

[lonewolf23k]

That's not her sledge. That's the chariot she'll ride in the climactic battle. Her sledge is still pulled by reindeer.

The books never state what color the Witch's hair is. Pauline Baynes drew it black, but the film makers decided to go in another direction.


A polar-bear drawn chariot for warfare... BRILLIANT! :D

And the white hair makes perfect sense to me.. Makes her look all the more snowy and icy, as well as somewhat more ethereal, and thus less human.

[Shellhead]

I'm getting a LotR wannabe vibe from these trailers. The original Star Wars movie amazed nearly everybody back in '77, which brought us several years worth of really bad Star Wars imitations before everyone moved on. I'm just hopeful that Hollywood has finally gotten over Braveheart, because I'm getting really bored with all the Braveheart imitations in recent years.

[GUYANATHUGG]

My girl is big into this book, she bought the DVD version of the book that was made into a live action series back in the day and shown on the BBC. I watched it with her and it was a pretty good story. We both can't wait to see the movie.

[Jared]

That's not her sledge. That's the chariot she'll ride in the climactic battle. Her sledge is still pulled by reindeer.

The books never state what color the Witch's hair is. Pauline Baynes drew it black, but the film makers decided to go in another direction.


She looks like Galadriel gone bad.

[Trystenn]

Hey guys, check out the latest featurette preview for The Chronicles of Narnia (http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/the_chronicles_of_narnia.html).

The guys of WETA are re-doing the same kind of design magic they pulled for Lord of the Rings for the Chronicles..

The Minotaurs alone look totally awesome.
Down with Tolkein! Up With CS Lewis!!!!!


Finally, ive been waiting for a CoN movie for the longest time, Now all i have to wait for is a "Out Of The Silent Planet" trilogy.....out in 2017 :(

[Puffy Treat]

I like how they've given the Lamp-Post roots like a tree! Nice reference to "The Magician's Nephew".

And I like how you can see the Beavers standing behind Lucy...they look great.

[Petersen]

The books never state what color the Witch's hair is. Pauline Baynes drew it black, but the film makers decided to go in another direction.

I stand corrected! I could have sword that either when she was described in Magicians Nephew or when Edmund 1st meets her something is made of the starkness of her face against the black hair, but I may be combining other stories, or just influenced by Baynes artwork

[Puffy Treat]

Nope! While Lewis brings up her deathly pallour, queenly bearing, and red lips often...her hair color in both LWW and TMN is left undescribed.

Baynes' artwork is the definitive version of the characters for most readers...but it should be noted she took liberties with the text. Lucy is described by Lewis as "Golden Haired", yet Baynes always drew Lucy with black hair.

(In the film, she's played by a brown-haired girl.)

[Grant]

AICN says Aslan has been recast (http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=20695)

It could be false. But to be honest this was the first person that came to mind when I heard they decided to cast a younger actor then Brian Cox to play Aslan. Should be interesting.

[The Mirrorball Man]

Hey guys, check out the latest featurette preview for The Chronicles of Narnia (http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/the_chronicles_of_narnia.html).

The guys of WETA are re-doing the same kind of design magic they pulled for Lord of the Rings for the Chronicles..

The Minotaurs alone look totally awesome.
WETA Digital is not involved, only WETA Workshop.

[Bakema NL]

I saw the trailer in the theatre a couple of weeks ago and was blown away, this could be a great movie.

[kid cthulhu]

I've been waiting 30 years for this! I'm so glad its being done by the ultimate creators. Can't wait!

[dagumheckboy]

I can not wait for this to hit the theaters! I have been reading the books to my daughter (she is suprisingly willing to sit still and read a book for a 3 year old) an it has restored my interest in this series.

[The Mirrorball Man]

I really wonder if this movie (and the inevitable sequels) will be successful all around the world...

While The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter were very well known books before they became movies, The Chronicles of Narnia is less popular outside english-speaking countries.

[K'Nort]

I was at the Narnia panel at San Diego and they confirmed (for the first time, they said) that Liam Neeson IS Aslan. And they showed us lots of nifty clips. And people who asked particularly good questions got bits of costumes and stuff to take home!

[Super Hero Guy]

Is Aslan going to be a puppet like in the BBC series, because that looked pretty awesome. Except the lip-syncing was WAY off...

[Tobias March]

I was at the Narnia panel at San Diego and they confirmed (for the first time, they said) that Liam Neeson IS Aslan. And they showed us lots of nifty clips. And people who asked particularly good questions got bits of costumes and stuff to take home!

Excellent news. He can carry this I'm convinced. As for a possible franchise - would the subsequent entries be Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Threader and The Last Battle. I don't see a studio making first novel, or The Horse and His Boy.

As for The Silver Chair, my personal favourite, that's just insane. Haven't read any of them in over fifteen years, but I still can't wait to look see.

[Matt Algren]

I stand corrected! I could have sword that either when she was described in Magicians Nephew or when Edmund 1st meets her something is made of the starkness of her face against the black hair, but I may be combining other stories, or just influenced by Baynes artworkYou're probably confusing her with the woman from another dimension from Magician's Nephew. Jewel (no, that's the unicorn...) or something like that. Jade? Maybe that was it.

At least I never read her and the White Witch as being the same person.

EDIT: Was it Jadis? That's ringing a bell for some reason.

[i_mmmchocolate]

I'm very excited about this movie too- I'm a huge fan of the books. I still watch the animated version from time to time.

[Super Hero Guy]

Excellent news. He can carry this I'm convinced. As for a possible franchise - would the subsequent entries be Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Threader and The Last Battle. I don't see a studio making first novel, or The Horse and His Boy.

As for The Silver Chair, my personal favourite, that's just insane. Haven't read any of them in over fifteen years, but I still can't wait to look see.

Why exactly do you think doing the Silver Chair is insane?

[Donald Stone]

I've never read the books, but the trailor has me excited for this one. I know not who this Anslam is, but if Liam Neison is doing the voice I'm f-ing there.

[Hiromi]

You're probably confusing her with the woman from another dimension from Magician's Nephew. Jewel (no, that's the unicorn...) or something like that. Jade? Maybe that was it.

At least I never read her and the White Witch as being the same person.

EDIT: Was it Jadis? That's ringing a bell for some reason.

Jadis was the White Whitch, she came from a different world where she had basically used a doomsday magical spell to kill everyone, the kids found it just as the world was ending. Jadis managed to follow the kids back to the dimension that conected all the worlds and even back into london(where she retained super strength but not her magic), back into the world that connected all the worlds and into narnia itself, there she ate a fruit that fufilled wishes, making her immortal but turning her skin white as snow because she had snuck in. Its been a while since I've read that paticular book and as such I remember neither what her physical description was or if the fruit turned her hair white as it did her body.

Here's the illustration
http://free.of.pl/n/narnia/img/jadis.jpg

[Rabid Trekkie]

I've never read the books, but the trailor has me excited for this one. I know not who this Anslam is, but if Liam Neison is doing the voice I'm f-ing there.

Aslan is pretty much Jesus in Lion form. And I think Neeson is perfect for the role, it needs a good strong voice. The only other guy I could think of doing it would be James Earl Jones but that would give too much of a Mufasa vibe.

[SnowTrooper]

Ive never been a big fan of Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe but the preview gave me chills and now I want to see the movie.

[Tobias March]

Why exactly do you think doing the Silver Chair is insane?

Because it's absolutely brilliant. It's also even more of an apocalyptic text than The Last Battle with the image of the Giant underground. Which probably won't sell well.

When I was seven I tortured a kid in my class with the cover of the final Narnia book, featuring a faun been killed by a Saracen. I claimed that was Mr. Tumnus. For him that was apocalyptic enough.

[Deathstroke]

A 30 minute behind the scenes documentary for the movie will premiere on Starz and Encore on Thanksgiving November 24th.

It will reportedly include 9 minutes from the film.

[mgs]

seen the commercials, read the books and this looks amazing!!!!! :)

[Panman]

Isn't it being made by Disney? in that case I don't expect it to be anything like the book.

[Rabid Trekkie]

Isn't it being made by Disney? in that case I don't expect it to be anything like the book.

Could be wrong but I think Disney is just providing the money and asking for a cut of the profits, all the work is actually being done by someone else. And if I'm wrong I don't think Disney will be that stupid, they saw fan reaction to LOTR and probably know that if they screw this up the fans will boil them in oil.

[JeffreyWKramer]

Could be wrong but I think Disney is just providing the money and asking for a cut of the profits, all the work is actually being done by someone else. And if I'm wrong I don't think Disney will be that stupid, they saw fan reaction to LOTR and probably know that if they screw this up the fans will boil them in oil.

You are correct. Disney is essentially the financial backer. Also, one of Lewis' stepsons (the two of them own the rights to the books) was very involved in this production, and is very pleased with the results.

There was an interview with him on NPR sometime in the past week or two. Sounds like we can expect a translation to the screen which is very true to the spirit of the books, and generally true to the word of the books. A few phrases and plot bits were changed to give the female characters a bit more of an active role, and some stuff glossed over in the books was made into a big deal on screen (much as in LotR) for cinematic purposes, but otherwise, it sounds that the effort was made to accurately translate the books to screen.

[ElectraAlan]

I was reading this about CS Lewis in the New Yorker:

Yet a central point of the Gospel story is that Jesus is not the lion of the faith but the lamb of God, while his other symbolic animal is, specifically, the lowly and bedraggled donkey. The moral force of the Christian story is that the lions are all on the other side. If we had, say, a donkey, a seemingly uninspiring animal from an obscure corner of Narnia, raised as an uncouth and low-caste beast of burden, rallying the mice and rats and weasels and vultures and all the other unclean animals, and then being killed by the lions in as humiliating a manner as possible—a donkey who reëmerges, to the shock even of his disciples and devotees, as the king of all creation—now, that would be a Christian allegory. A powerful lion, starting life at the top of the food chain, adored by all his subjects and filled with temporal power, killed by a despised evil witch for his power and then reborn to rule, is a Mithraic, not a Christian, myth.

[Shade]

I was reading this about CS Lewis in the New Yorker:

Yet a central point of the Gospel story is that Jesus is not the lion of the faith but the lamb of God, while his other symbolic animal is, specifically, the lowly and bedraggled donkey. The moral force of the Christian story is that the lions are all on the other side. If we had, say, a donkey, a seemingly uninspiring animal from an obscure corner of Narnia, raised as an uncouth and low-caste beast of burden, rallying the mice and rats and weasels and vultures and all the other unclean animals, and then being killed by the lions in as humiliating a manner as possible—a donkey who reëmerges, to the shock even of his disciples and devotees, as the king of all creation—now, that would be a Christian allegory. A powerful lion, starting life at the top of the food chain, adored by all his subjects and filled with temporal power, killed by a despised evil witch for his power and then reborn to rule, is a Mithraic, not a Christian, myth.


Aslan the Lion is not just a Christ figure but a God figure. Jesus is also the "Lion of Judah" and many other names. The symbolism of the Lion was not just a direct corellation to biblical names but to how God/Christ should be seen. The children (or at least one of them, it's been a while since I read the books) wonder if they should fear Aslan and are esentially told, yes, you should fear the Lion but the Lion is good. Same applies to Christianity for the most part.

[Matt Algren]

Aslan the Lion is not just a Christ figure but a God figure. Jesus is also the "Lion of Judah" and many other names. The symbolism of the Lion was not just a direct corellation to biblical names but to how God/Christ should be seen. The children (or at least one of them, it's been a while since I read the books) wonder if they should fear Aslan and are esentially told, yes, you should fear the Lion but the Lion is good. Same applies to Christianity for the most part.Also keep in mind that Lewis said more than once that this wasn't supposed to be a 1:1 retelling.

I don't remember the last movie I saw in the theater. I'll be there for this one, though. I can hardly wait!



EDIT: Tomorrow is the 42nd anniversary of Lewis' death. Remember to say a Sucksgiving toast for him!