VDT screenplay and Eustace "baptism"

[AslanIsKing]

some predictions:
Already one can tell that one of the "pitched" battles would be right at the begining of the film, where as in the book they make a effort to make a spectacle and where everyone on the island accepts Caspian as king of narnia and thus with his power the slaves are freed, it would be more cinamatic to have a battle with the slave traders to then free the slaves. The sequence where eustance the dragon is transformed into eusance the boy is one of the most important moments in the book, its only about two pages long, and IS a flashback, i wonder how they will incorporate THIS in the film?its a very powerful moving scene, and that leads me to one more thing, if they already left him beinhd as the dragon attack scence shows, then his fears do come true as in the book they could never do that, the other action sequence isnt really an action sequence in the books, but it makes for some darn good suspense, where the sea serpant begins to slowly wrap his way around the dawn treader, and they push him off, this is now an action sequence, i hope this NOT, NOT reminicenst as the kraken scene of the pirates movies, maybe the eustance-the-dragon fights the sea serpant and is transformed whilst at sea?or is transformed until the end of the book?will the filmmakers show this scene with aslan or will they just have him tell it?

[Glumpuddle]

The "undragoning" is perhaps the toughest scene to adapt in the movie. I feel like they need to re-imagine the whole thing.

It's one thing to just say "Aslan ripped off layers of Eustace' skin." And it's one thing to say Aslan threw Eustace into the water. It's another thing to visualize all that. I don't think it would play the same way it does in the book.

I think they need to start from scratch and think of a new way that Eustace is transformed. Something that works better visually. But, whatever they do...

1. Eustace must be unable to do the transformation himself.
2. Eustace must be forced to let Aslan do it.
3. The transformation must be painful for Eustace.

Those three points are the essence of the scene.

[Liberty Hoffman]

I hope they will have it happen in real time and then Eustace meets up with Edmund afterward.
yeah, this will be a hard scene to make.....I can't wait to see it on screen!!!!!

[Bookwyrm]

I never really thought about it before, but it is going to be a difficult scene to portray. It could get really gross really easily. Hopefully they get creative and come up with a way to do it instead of skipping the whole thing. I suppose it could always happen offscreen and Eustace just tells the others what happened. That is essentially what happens in the book.

[Pattertwigs Pal]

The "undragoning" is perhaps the toughest scene to adapt in the movie. I feel like they need to re-imagine the whole thing.
It's one thing to just say "Aslan ripped off layers of Eustace' skin." And it's one thing to say Aslan threw Eustace into the water. It's another thing to visualize all that. I don't think it would play the same way it does in the book.

I think they need to start from scratch and think of a new way that Eustace is transformed. Something that works better visually.

I completely disagree. They have the CG technology they should be able to do the undragoning the way it was written! Although Bookwyrm does have a point that it could get gross, that does not mean they have to completely start from scratch. Lewis described it like a snake shedding its skin that part should be easy enough for them to do without it looking bad. When Aslan skins Eustace, he would not have to look all bloody - he could look like a skinned chicken (in a dragon shape of course). They could even do parts of it off screen like the BBC did if it is that much of a problem. They could stop showing it after Aslan makes the first tear or right as his claws touch Eustace. It sure would be awesome to see a lion throwing a dragon into the water. I really really hope they keep it the way it is in the book.

But, whatever they do...

1. Eustace must be unable to do the transformation himself.
2. Eustace must be forced to let Aslan do it.
3. The transformation must be painful for Eustace.

Those three points are the essence of the scene.

This much I can agree with. If they don't show those points I'll be upset.

[Eustace]

This scene is very important in the book and I have clue up to this point what they plan to do with it. I see how it could be hard to adapt, but in no case should they cut it out whatever they do.