SC next? Independantly? Seven years?

[Sheroo of Stormness Head]

Wow! Dynamic Narnia movie news! Part of me is really excited to have news about the next one, part of me is terribly sad it'll be seven years, and part of me is confused about the whole "independent" thing.

I have a couple questions about this whole thing though, and I thought maybe some of you might know about it better than I do:
-Does "independently" mean probably upstart actors who can be a hit or miss (if they can act well, I mean)?
-and something I've been really wondering for a long time. Who sets the moratorium? How is it "illegal" to do something before the moratorium ends?

I'm personally happy he's planning on continuing on in the series though, because if we keep rebooting, we'll have seven LWW's instead of all seven Narnia's adapted. And besides, I'm not ready to see anyone else besides Skandar and Georgie act Edmund and Lucy.

Sheroo

[Reepicheep775]

I'm glad that the moratorium will likely not keep the film from going into production. Then, at least we'll have news to analyse/discuss to pass the time.

[Reepi]

-and something I've been really wondering for a long time. Who sets the moratorium? How is it "illegal" to do something before the moratorium ends?

My best guess is that the C.S. Lewis estate has some sort of contract with Walden that they have exclusive rights for the series. Gresham apparently doesn't want them to do any more Narnia movies and Walden doesn't want to make them either (because both PC and VDT have been less profitable than they wanted/expected).

After the train wreck VDT was, I can surely understand Gresham wanting more control. Gresham always fought for preserving the important messages, and, as has been pointed out by numerous users on this forum, they totally failed with VDT in that regard (except the pasted-on last scene)

[Malfhok]

I haven't been here for the longest time, but the news drew me out of the woodwork. Just wanted to comment on the "independent" studio thing.

Here's something you may not have known: The Hunger Games was made by what Hollywood considers to be an independent studio.

Yeah, I know that's shocking, considering it was a blockbuster. But I just wanted to point out that independent films are not necessarily cheap things. Realize this: It's Narnia. It seems to me that the only thing really keeping us from getting another movie is the fact that Walden holds the rights and Gresham has decided that they don't deserve them. Otherwise, I'm fairly certain that producers would be lining up.

[Anhun]

Gresham always fought for preserving the important messages,

That's one thing that actually worries me about Narnia à la Gresham. The Narnia books are first and foremost stories. Lewis wrote them to expose children to the wonders of imaginative story telling. I am worried that Gresham might turn them into messages thinly cloaked in stories, rather than stories with messages.

On the other hand, Gresham might be less afraid to make the stories really quirky and off-beat, which could be a good thing depending on the story:

Silver Chair - I think this one could work as a mainstream block-buster with broad appeal or as a surreal, almost artsy film, depending on which elements the film makers choose to emphasize. I don't see Adamson doing this one justice though.

Horse and His Boy - This one I have a hard time picturing as anything but an Adamson block buster. It's a very straightforward adventure with engaging characters and exotic settings, not really "small film" material in my opinion.

Magician's Nephew - this one would have to be massively overhauled in order to work as a popular film, but I can easily picture it as an art film. The only (major) problem would be that the CGI for MN would cost an arm and a leg.

[Louloudi the Centaur]

Gresham always fought for preserving the important messages,

That's one thing that actually worries me about Narnia à la Gresham. The Narnia books are first and foremost stories. Lewis wrote them to expose children to the wonders of imaginative story telling. I am worried that Gresham might turn them into messages thinly cloaked in stories, rather than stories with messages.

This is exactly my main worry about the possibility of the Narnia films being independent.

I'd like to watch a Narnia film I will enjoy as a film and adaptation. This may sound very unusual, but for me, to be a good adaptation, there has to be changes from the book to the movie. You can't just add every detail and expect people to enjoy it. Then it just feels like you could have just saved your money and bought the books.

I would actually be happy if a future Narnia film being adapted took the path Walden/Disney's Prince Caspian took adaptation wise. The story itself was altered a bit/ a lot (depending on how you look at it), but the main theme from the book was still there. Now only if only the film, as standalone, could have been even better...

Of course, due to Gresham wanting more control, the films probably won't be changed much from the books.

[Adeona]

I am worried that Gresham might turn them into messages thinly cloaked in stories, rather than stories with messages.

To be a good adaptation, there has to be changes from the book to the movie. You can't just add every detail and expect people to enjoy it. Then it just feels like you could have just saved your money and bought the books.

Yes - the Narnia movies have already had trouble with abrupt reversals; from PC being "Too dark" to VDT being outrageous, now hopefully we will not go from VDT being mauled out of recognition to SC not showing any well-thought out change.

Anhun, I like your "Analysis" of the books! Oh, HHB would be a splendid blockbuster, if ever we can get the producers, etc., to see past the RACISM!!!!
BTW - what do you make of The Last Battle? It certainly has elements of a blockbuster, but I don't know that I'd want to go that route entirely...

[PuddleCheep]

I like the idea of Narnia films being made independently! My main beef would be that it may be word-for-word. If Gresham gets people who are passionate about Narnia, then we won't have to worry about it straying far away from the source material as much.

I'm not worried about the special effects. Anything will be better than the BBC versions. Plus, CGI is getting better and cheaper all the time!

I'd actually wouldn't mind Lionsgate doing Narnia films. With it being so popular because of the Hunger Games, SC may not need a lot of advertising.

BTW, is New Line Cinema considered an independent studio?

[Louloudi the Centaur]

You could say New Line Cinema started out as an independent film studio, but I think it is now too well known for its Lord of the Rings trilogy. It doesn't help that the Walden films were accused of copying those very films, so I'd probably not get my hopes up for a Narnia series coming from them.

I'd kind of like it if an independent studio we don't know about already would pick up the series. I do want people who care about the books to adapt them, but I'd just like to have a company take risks, and then maybe, just maybe, Narnia could be something on popularity level with other franchises, while being its own unique thing.

I'd really prefer a studio that is not a "Christian" based studio, though. Sorry, but based off of experience, the messages in these types of films come before any plot or character development. I want the messages to be there from the books, but a film has to have a story. I don't want messages shoved in my face as if the film thinks the audience is stupid. I just want to be able to watch a film.

[Reepicheep775]

I'd really prefer a studio that is not a "Christian" based studio, though. Sorry, but based off of experience, the messages in these types of films come before any plot or character development. I want the messages to be there from the books, but a film has to have a story. I don't want messages shoved in my face as if the film thinks the audience is stupid. I just want to be able to watch a film.

Agreed. If a Christian studio made Narnia movies, I have a strong feeling that all those "watchful dragons" would rear their heads.

We always have to be worried about the pendulum effect with this franchise. LWW did well with the children and adult markets, but not the teen market, so they make PC unnecessarily dark to reach that last group (and meanwhile alienating some of the old groups). To remedy this VDT was very light and "magical", but was unfaithful to the source material. Here's hoping SC doesn't over-correct again and be a too literal adaptation.

[Rilian]

This should be a non-issue, but it isn't. For one thing, the books are overtly written with a Christian perspective and worldview. But many here rightly worry that a "Christian" studio would mess even that aspect up perhaps even more than a secular studio did with LWW or PC. Ironic no?

[Louloudi the Centaur]

The thing is, though, that Narnia can be enjoyed by anyone of any faith. I've come across atheists who enjoy the series. The thing is, the books are good on their own. Before I recognized the Christian themes when I first read them, I really enjoyed them. The messages are there, but they aren't shoved in our faces.

As I mentioned, Christian studios most of the time, unfortunately, put messages before plot and characters. I'm not saying all Christian based films are bad though. I really liked what I saw of Letters to God. If the Narnia series is given into the right hands, I think it could still be adapted into great films even if given to a Christian studio.

[Rilian]

It's an odd concept, no? I mean, what defines a Christian movie? A Christian message? Made by Christians? It's very vague.

Anyway, at this point, I'm sort of back to where I was in 2002 when I first heard of rumors a Narnia movie would be made. My mother literally heard a word on the street. I mean, it could turn out good or bad.

Some studio will make a Narnia movie. Doug Gresham is involved. How different is this really from what we knew originally? OK. No Phil Anschutz.

[TheGrayGhost]

Walden's enthusiasm and commitment to the series waned the same way that Disney's did after LWW. The problem is that for the masses, Narnia starts with the big popular story that everyone loves and tapers off in mass popularity as the series goes on -- opposite to Harry Potter whose books/films craze built with each sequel. That isn't going to happen - the latter books don't command that kind of mass appeal.

While I think SC could work as a film, I honestly can't see Last Battle doing the same. Too much death at the end, too much unavoidable end-times religion for the secular world to embrace. Magician's Nephew would make good cinema; but it might be 25 years after LWW at this rate.

Gresham will have to find a 2nd-tier production company that wants to make a name for itself with making SC, instead of making mega-profits. Gresham isn't the youngest guy around either. No telling how much longer he'll be around to guard the gate.

[Ithilwen]

Very interesting news. So, even though we'll have a long wait to actually see the movie, it might not be too long before we get some behind-the-scenes production stuff. That's very good.

(for Dawn Treader, the idea was to make it like Pirates of the Caribbean)

Ugh. It's this sort of thing that makes me glad the movies did not continue with Walden. Why even bother making a Narnia movie? Why not just make their own story, starting from scratch, and having it take place on a ship? That's what it almost became anyway.

I'm not yet sure what I think about it being made independently. The low budget scares me. But if, like Malfhok said, independent movies can turn out to be films like The Hunger Games, then I think I'm all for it. Provided that Gresham uses an independent studio that does that level of quality.


~Riella

[Narnian_Badger]

That's one thing that actually worries me about Narnia à la Gresham. The Narnia books are first and foremost stories. Lewis wrote them to expose children to the wonders of imaginative story telling. I am worried that Gresham might turn them into messages thinly cloaked in stories, rather than stories with messages.

Mm-hm. If I'm not confusing my quotations, I believe C.S. Lewis was once asked if the world needed more Christian writers. He replied, "No, we need more writers who are Christian." The messages in the Narnia books don't have to be spelled out, underlined, bolded, and then caps locked. Adapt the story properly, and all else will fall into place.