Mark Gordon Interview - SC/Narnia Reboot

[Eustace]

I do not mind so much a distancing from the original three. Although, I might want Tilda to be back in MN, I am not worried about that right now. I think they kind of need a breather and to see how this film does before they will probably decide if they want her back for the witch or not.

[Glumpuddle]

I do not mind so much a distancing from the original three. Although, I might want Tilda to be back in MN,

I think that level of ambiguity about continuity would be a mistake. That was one of the problems that led to Superman Returns' downfall. It seemed like a sequel that acknowledged the events of the other movies... but it ignored the events of Superman 2 and 3... and also kind of a remake, and also kind of a reboot. I think people, especially fans, couldn't quite settle into what exactly it was.

So, I think they should fully commit to one or the other.

[Ryadian]

I'm in the boat where, since I have basically been expecting a full re-cast (with perhaps a few exceptions) all along, I'm more excited about this news than anything else - especially since it's actually news!. I've been hoping that The Silver Chair would be disconnected from the previous movies, for... a variety of reasons. Most of them already touched on here. But also because I'd like to see a fresh take on the Narnia books, cinematically. Though if they'd decided to start over with LWW again, I might've revolted.

The implication that they are rebooting (abandoning continuity with the other movies) might feel like huge news... But here's the thing: With a new cast and several years of separation since VDT released, it would be very difficult NOT to make SC a reboot. The story has very few direct ties to the others and only two returning characters. It's also the first book to have a clear main character, and is a clear shift in tone for the series. So, it really makes very little difference weather they decide to keep continuity with the other movies. It will effectively be a reboot either way. (Except: Officially rebooting would mean we could all stop worrying about the green mist coming back)

(Hear, hear to that last part! ) I honestly kind of wonder how they would've pulled off making The Silver Chair right on the heels of Voyage of the Dawn Treader anyways, had the movie done well. Barring any major changes they might make to the tone and story of SC, it really doesn't fit in the action/adventure, "quest to save Narnia" franchise they'd established. Besides that, as others have already pointed out, it's not as though movie-going audiences are really going to remember the last movie all that well, both because of time and how well it did to begin with.

MN would likely follow next. MN is one of those stories that doesn't have a clear place in the series, but I expect that it would be made within the four next films because Gresham has expressed wanting to see all of the remaining books made into movies and he's 70 now. While I think I might personally prefer MN preceding LB, you may run the risk of Eustace and Jill's actors aging out of their roles, and nobody wants to go through that again with Eustace's character.

Hmm, now that I think about it, I think you probably could include MN before LB. If Jill and Eustace are age eleven in SC (vulnerable first years at Hogwarts feels like about the right age to me), then in five years—plenty of time to make MN and HHB—the actors will be around sixteen, which is the age that Jill and Eustace were in LB according to Lewis's timeline.

I'm going to mangle your posts a bit here, I'm afraid. I don't know exactly how well this would work, logistically, but if they're really concerned about timing, they could possibly make HHB and MN around the same time. Of course, this assumes the first one was profitable enough for them to commit to making two movies and hiring two different casts/crews/etc. simultaneously, but still - it could help make it work. And, if worst came to worst, I think I could accept actors who are around 18-19 playing the characters in The Last Battle - and, given some of the subject matter of that movie, I wouldn't be surprised if the filmmakers leaned towards Eustace and Jill being technically adults (at least older teens) by the time that happened.... (But I definitely agree that they need to hire young with Eustace and Jill for SC - I don't want teenagers for that movie, thank you.)

Then, LWW, PC, and VDT. I'm thinking these films would be akin to what "The Hobbit" trilogy was to "Lord of the Rings"—a prequel series. Obviously, you would need to cast child actors in the roles of the Pevensies and Eustace, but I don't think that's a problem as long as the casting is good. Also, I would think that enough time would have passed since the Walden trilogy that the public would be interested in a new interpretation of LWW, PC and VDT.

Honestly, at this point, I really wouldn't mind if they didn't come back around to the first three this time around. I don't mind them "rebooting" SC at this point, since for me it feels more like a continuation in a new direction, but... I don't think they need to re-tread movies that were made within the past couple of decades (even if we could use a different VDT movie ). I might feel differently if SC is really, really good. But I do have a good feeling about it!

[Impending Doom]

Here's an interesting couple of tweets from David Magee

By rebooting, all Mark meant was we were a new creative team determined to bring fresh life and excitement to the adaptations.

I'm writing The Silver Chair. No one said anything about writing new episodes or starting the series over.

Seems like the production isn't even sure what to call this.

[starkat]

Thanks for the catch Impending Doom! That answers a lot of the questions. So it sounds more like revitalization is a far better word choice.

[fantasia]

Seems like the production isn't even sure what to call this.

I don't really blame them. I can't think of another instance where a totally different group of people picked up an adapted series in the middle of where it was previously left off.

[Glumpuddle]

^ Nothing unusual about that confusion. It's an inherent conflict with marketing a reboot. You don't want to say you're starting over or you will alienate the fans of the other movies. But you don't want to say it's a proper sequel or you will alienate the people who didn't like the other movies and might possibly be interested in something totally new and fresh.

Video reaction:

[Rogin]

David Magee was told to write an adaptation of The Silver Chair. It will reference events featured in previous movies because they are referenced in the book. We won't be able to tell if it's a reboot even after Silver Chair's release. That will come later. Maybe the production will decide then.

If David Magee can't tell what it is and he's writing it, we won't. But at the end of the day if it's a good film - who cares?

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

I'm not sure how these contracts are usually structured or exactly how far the rights of the current filmmakers extend, but one of the reasons why I'm skeptical that they would want to bring back Tilda for MN or even any of the Pevensies for HHB/LB is that by acknowledging the Walden trilogy as being part of their universe, then they may be effectively shutting themselves out from doing their own LWW/PC/VDT trilogy at a later date. If they have the rights to do those films and they think there is even a chance that they may be profitable at some point, they're not going to want to relinquish that opportunity by giving a nod at a film trilogy that won't make them any money.

Sheroo over on All New Cast for SC had a really good point about Gresham possibly pushing for the original Pevensies to return in later films. I hadn't thought about that possibility, but given that he knows all of them personally and watched them grow up, he may feel more strongly about them reprising their roles. Still, if the new film company feels like that could hurt their investment in any way, I'd be very surprised if they went along with it. Granted, there are always compromises made in these situations, so who knows.

I don't know exactly how well this would work, logistically, but if they're really concerned about timing, they could possibly make HHB and MN around the same time. Of course, this assumes the first one was profitable enough for them to commit to making two movies and hiring two different casts/crews/etc. simultaneously, but still - it could help make it work.

That's a good point. If The Silver Chair was a huge success, it's possible they might go that route. The only thing that worries me is that if SC is very popular, getting the regular public to be cheery about waiting three or four years before the main characters that they love are going to return to the screen could be a bit challenging. That's one of the things that's always been very difficult about trying to turn Narnia into a "normal franchise", because it's more of a collection of stories, all very unique and with their own personality, than it is one long running story like Harry Potter. I'm really praying that these new filmmakers embrace that aspect of CoN as part of what makes the books awesome rather than trying to undermine it to make it fit a formula.

(This is another reason why I hope that they drop "The Chronicles of Narnia" from the title... just focus on selling each film based on its own merits, please! The Narnia books achieve an incredible synergy as a collection, but they are all excellent stories individually and they can stand on their own two feet, proverbially speaking.)

And, if worst came to worst, I think I could accept actors who are around 18-19 playing the characters in The Last Battle - and, given some of the subject matter of that movie, I wouldn't be surprised if the filmmakers leaned towards Eustace and Jill being technically adults (at least older teens) by the time that happened.... (But I definitely agree that they need to hire young with Eustace and Jill for SC - I don't want teenagers for that movie, thank you.)

Agreed. They could also be extra meticulous and take a look at what the parents look like for whoever is cast as Eustace and Jill to make sure that they don't end up with a 6'5" shot putter (metaphorically speaking ) playing those roles in LB.

Honestly, at this point, I really wouldn't mind if they didn't come back around to the first three this time around. I don't mind them "rebooting" SC at this point, since for me it feels more like a continuation in a new direction, but... I don't think they need to re-tread movies that were made within the past couple of decades (even if we could use a different VDT movie ). I might feel differently if SC is really, really good. But I do have a good feeling about it!

I think, for me, it depends on how different SC is from the Walden trilogy, in terms of overall style and storytelling. If it seems like their take on LWW/PC/VDT would be distinctly different (and better), then I'd definitely like to see it, though I doubt a LWW remake would be released before 2025 or so, just because we've got four other films to (hopefully!) make before then. It would really hinge on how successful those films were and whether or not the filmmakers deem a re-make of the first three to be profitable. I have to say, though, that if the next four films are made and are well-received, I wouldn't be very surprised to see them re-make LWW, mainly because it's such a good story for Christmastime and those are often moneymakers. If that LWW re-make were very successful, then I would not be surprised if they moved forward with PC and VDT remakes.

Ahh, how I love to speculate about these things, however pointless such far-away speculation may be at this stage.

glumPuddle, that's a very good point in your reaction video about the filmmakers being intentionally vague and that we'll probably hear something to indicate that SC is intended to be a sequel to Walden's VDT if Mark Gordon actually misspoke. *crosses fingers and hopes for the silent treatment*

[mm1991]

. I am surprised though that Liam Neeson isn't coming back. His voice was perfect for Aslan.

They probably can't afford him.

Oh, I didn't think about that! Very true. Still sad though. Who could do a lion voice as good or even better than him??? Will be a hard find I think.

[Skilletdude]

glumPuddle I also like the idea of not using the 'the chronicles of narnia' tag line too. Without that and with a good trailer audiences won't be reminded of the previous movies and will want to see this.

I wouldn't be so sure. Remember the sudden drop-off of audiences when Prince Caspian came around? We blamed it on the harsher tone of the film, but I think the major contributing factor is that Narnia, to most people, is simply The Lion, the Witch & The Wardrobe. I think most of us have talked to people who actually thought it was the only book, since it was the only one they ever read.

If they take away 'Narnia' from the title, we can almost give up on The Silver Chair ever making a decent profit, at least the amount needed for a generously budgeted fantasy film. For many people who don't even know the other books exist, it would be foolish from a business perspective to make the film even more obscure for the audiences.

...it’s not surprising that the production companies would want to build something new instead of relying on the foundation of a franchise that was ultimately always a bit of an underperformer.

This part of the article was spot on. While I don't think we can call LWW an underperformer, I think it will greatly benefit this new production team not having to slavishly follow in the footsteps of a franchise that never really found its footing, and one that frankly ended on a low note. And as far as the cast goes, well, it's a bummer for continuity, but it's also exciting to see what new talent they can find.

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

I'm personally hoping for a more modest budget with a creative team so they can gear it towards more of a niche audience instead of trying to please the masses, but your points still stand, Skilletdude. I think the filmmakers will be walking a fine line between trying to attract the fan base (although I wonder if casual fans might be "over" Narnia by now) and trying to avoid losing the interest of people whose eyes glaze over at the sight of "The Chronicles of Narnia" because they felt that the Walden films were light fantasy fare for kids. While I know what I would prefer, the filmmakers have millions of dollars on the line and they're going to go with whatever option will maximize their return.

Maybe if the logo is very different than the Walden design and "The Silver Chair" figures much more prominently than "The Chronicles of Narnia" does, that will be a reasonable compromise and will work for both camps of potential moviegoers. It's also possible that they could change the title to "The Adventures of Narnia" or "The Tales of Narnia"; the latter might work nicely if you think of the films as being stories shared at Friends of Narnia meetings. While both names feel pretty alien to me compared to the familiarity of The Chronicles of Narnia, the filmmakers may think something like that is the best choice for this new franchise.

Switching topics for a moment...

One thing I've been puzzling is how disconnected the remaining four films are and how I can't think of a Hollywood franchise that is anything like that. How are they going to reconcile this? Mainstream audiences will be a bit confused by seeing SC, then MN, then HHB, and then LB. (Provided that is a likely order.) It won't seem like a "normal" fantasy film series by any stretch of the imagination.

I think that the formation of the Friends of Narnia may be key in threading these last four stories together into something of a singular narrative. Maybe at the beginning of MN, show a meeting of the Friends before they all leave and the Professor falls into a reverie about his childhood. At the beginning of HHB, another meeting and Lucy says to Jill and Eustace, "Did we never tell you about Shasta and Aravis and the Calormenes?" And then LB picks up with the Friends again, before shifting back to Tirian in Narnia.

I'm not sure how much I like this idea, but it might help keep the next four films from feeling so unconnected. Further, it will give audiences a chance to get attached to the people playing the Pevensies and elderly Digory and Polly; without that, they'd all be wondering who they are in LB and wouldn't have much of an emotional connection with them.

[fantasia]

One thing I've been puzzling is how disconnected the remaining four films are and how I can't think of a Hollywood franchise that is anything like that. How are they going to reconcile this? Mainstream audiences will be a bit confused by seeing SC, then MN, then HHB, and then LB. (Provided that is a likely order.) It won't seem like a "normal" fantasy film series by any stretch of the imagination.

The only example I can think of are the up and coming Star Wars spinoff movies. Rogue One for example is coming out this December (I think?) and in a few years they're going to have some kind of Han Solo movie or movies. Plus the second two trilogy movies.
But Star Wars has a massive fan base that will likely carry these movies through, even if they're not that great. Narnia has a decent book following, but a number of those people have sworn off any other movie after PC and VDT. So we'll see.

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

Some new tweets from scriptwriter David Magee...

When asked if they're not going to be remaking LWW, PC, and VDT: "I'm certainly not. And to the best of my knowledge, Mark isn't think of doing so either."

When asked if he knows why Will Poulter, Ben Barnes and Liam Neeson won't be in The Silver Chair: "I think Mark was thinking mainly of Poulter, who is 23 this month and 6'2" tall. Eustace is 12 years old in the books." He then adds: "I haven't talked with Mark about the other two."

The first quote doesn't surprise me, since I wouldn't expect the filmmakers to be thinking about remaking LWW/PC/VDT at this point. That's just a very uncertain possibility in the distant future. I do wish we knew something more about whether or not this is a clean reboot, though. It's really confusing and I'm not sure how to interpret any of this at this point. It seems like all we know for sure is that Poulter won't be back and that they're getting a new director and a new team.

The only example I can think of are the up and coming Star Wars spinoff movies. Rogue One for example is coming out this December (I think?) and in a few years they're going to have some kind of Han Solo movie or movies. Plus the second two trilogy movies.
But Star Wars has a massive fan base that will likely carry these movies through, even if they're not that great. Narnia has a decent book following, but a number of those people have sworn off any other movie after PC and VDT. So we'll see.

Good point about Rogue One; that crossed my mind the other day as well. I think that's also got "A Star Wars Story" in the title... it makes me wonder if they might do something like that with HHB, perhaps.

One other thing that's difficult when comparing the two is that the new Star Wars film is introducing plot lines and characters that will continue through the next two movies. With the next four potential films, SC and LB have the most in common, but even they have very little linking them aside from the characters of Jill and Eustace and the references to "the end of the world" in Underland. (Really hope they include those lines in SC, along with slumbering Father Time and the dragons.) With the exception of LB, they all work a little too well as standalone films. It'll be interesting to see what the filmmakers do to link them together as a series—provided SC is a success, of course, and assuming that they don't just go straight to LB after it.

[Glumpuddle]

Here is our podcast discussion whether SC is a "reboot" and what we mean by that word.

I definitely don't think we're going to see a new Narnia canon/continuity. Collider jumped the gun with that headline.

[coracle]

I've only just come to this discussion, and have been enjoying reading these excellent points.

I have a suggestion about dropping the "Chronicles of Narnia:" part of the title - what if they used "Narnia: The Silver Chair"? Being a new run of the franchise, they won't use what the predecessor used, but this will still identify it as a Narnia story.

A possible arrangement for the final four movies:

Narnia: The Silver Chair - with Eustace returning to Narnia, and Jill visiting for the first time, with personal growth as well as an adventure.
Screen ages 13-14 (a few months after VDT where Eustace was played as 13-14).

Narnia: The Magician's Nephew -begins and ends at a gathering of the seven Friends of Narnia at the Professor's house (if they observe VDT it will not be the big house), with Jill asking Aunt Polly and the Professor about their time in Narnia. Their storytelling morphs into the movie.
Screen ages: E & J 14-15, Lucy 15-16, Ed 17-18, Peter 20-21. Polly and Digory late 50s, and 11 & 12 in their story.

Narnia: The Horse and His Boy - using either the original Pevensies (depending on legal aspects and their availability) or recasting actors in their 20s, in another storytelling 'frame'. Jill and Eustace had heard it during a feast in SC but this time it will be told by Lucy, Ed and Susan. [Susan's defection can come after this event]
Screen ages E & J 15-16, Lucy 17, Ed 18-19, Susan 20-21, Peter 21-22 in England, and Lucy 22, Ed 24, Susan 26 in Narnia. Shasta 14, Aravis 13.

Narnia: The Last Battle - following the book as much as possible, but maybe cutting between story lines a bit like in the Prince Caspian movie, starting with Eustace, Jill, Lucy, Polly and Professor getting on a train, and using their journey time to talk about their plan to get Jill and Eustace to Narnia.
Screen ages E & J 16, Lucy 17, Ed 19, Peter 22, Professor 61, Polly 60

http://www.narniaweb.com/resources-links/character-ages/