Ramandu - ?

[DOECOG]

I'm kind of wondering if Douglas Gresham might not play that part. I doubt it as his previous cameos were very small, but it would be interesting if he did!

What roles did Douglas Gresham play in the other films? I didn’t even realize he was in them. I don’t know what he looks like so I can’t say if he looks the part of Ramandu, but I love to see someone connected with Lewis or the books play Ramandu.

[fantasia]

Ernie Malik pretty much confirmed Ramandu will be in the movie in the interview he gave with AslansCountry.com

Cy: Would you know, by any chance, who’s been cast as Ramandu?

Ernie: I know, but can’t say anything beyond that.

The production chose to save two casting announcements until 5 months before the previous movies' releases. Liam Neeson as Aslan and Eddie Izzard as Reepicheep. It looks like they picked Ramandu as the special announcement for VDT so I don't expect to hear anything about him for a while.

[Liberty Hoffman]

why on earth would Ramundu not be in the movie? that would be dreadful!
I hope he is in the movie.....otherwise, it will be ruined! I mean, how would they do the part he is in without him?

[Reepicheep775]

I almost wonder if they've combined Coriakin and Ramandu. I really wouldn't want them to do this because they're both unique characters, but there are a number of reasons why I think this might be the case:
1. The two characters have similarities (both old men with long beards, both stars, both mysterious) that the film-makers might see it less confusing/easier to do it this way.
2. Now that we know the islands have been "consolidated", maybe The Land of the Duffers and Ramandu's Island are being combined along with their characters.
3. Maybe this is the reason Ernie Mallik couldn't say who was cast as Ramandu. I don't see why else it would be a secret.
4. You think we would've heard a casting announcement by now...

[fantasia]

@1 and 2. No, they haven't, we know that both islands are there, therefore both characters will be there.
3. Ernie can only say as much as the powers-that-be allow.
4. The production always saves a character til very late in the production for some reason (Aslan for LWW and Reep for PC). We probably won't hear about this guy til May or June 2010.

[icarus]

The production always saves a character til very late in the production for some reason (Aslan for LWW and Reep for PC)

The two notable points regarding the Aslan and Reepicheep casting announcements were that they were both voice castings, and they were both in many regards two of the more high profile "stars" appearing in either movie. (and of course there was the whole issue of recasting Aslan after Brian Cox was initially announced)

Since they appear to be holding off on announcing Ramandu (and because I would assume its not because he's a voice casting i would therefore perhaps assume it's because he is going to be an actor of reasonably high profile?

I can't see it making much sense to hold off on the announcement for so long after filming has finished, only to reveal that he is another actor than no-one outside of Australia has ever heard of, and that very few people inside of Australia have ever heard of.

Unless there is some other big potential spoiler reason that they can't reveal the nature of his casting. Who knows.

I almost wonder if they've combined Coriakin and Ramandu

I personally don't think they've dropped Ramandu, nor do i think they've combined him with any other character.... but i do think it would be possible in theory to do the whole of the Ramandu's Island scenes without him, and just transfer all the necessary dialogue and plot points over to Ramandu's Daughter. He could be referred to as an offscreen character, or not even mentioned at all.

Not that i would be particularly happy if they did that though....

[fantasia]

^ We did see in that teeny tiny piece of concept art that the island was called "Ramandu's Island" and not "Ramandu's Daughter's Island".

[GlimGlum]

I think that all of the hints point to Ramandu's being in the movie. It will be interesting to find out who actually portrays him. Wonder when we'll find out.

[Reepicheep775]

^ We did see in that teeny tiny piece of concept art that the island was called "Ramandu's Island" and not "Ramandu's Daughter's Island".

I forgot about that concept art. Even though my theory is, most likely, wrong, I'm happy because I never liked the idea anyway. Now, I will just back away and pretend I never said anything.

[DamselJillPole]

Aw I want to know who this old man is so bad!
Yeah i do agree with the idea of Douglas Gresham playing Ramandu or maybe older King Caspian in The Silver Chair. hmm......

[icarus]

Just to go back to a quote from the Douglas Gresham podcast from last year....

We've got creatures and characters whom we cannot film on set, like Reepicheep.... We did a particular set which takes place in a kind of forest glade... (Doug refers to a banquet)... And of course there's a character who goes right through that sequence who isn't there, you know like Reepicheep would. Though im not sure Reepicheep is there in that one

Although my first thought when i heard "banquet" was of the Banquet in Coriakin's dining room with the Dufflepuds, and that the character who "isn't there" would thus be an Invisible Dufflepud, Fantasia Kitty then pointed out that since the talk of the banquet came directly on from talk of a Woodland glade, it was thus more likely to be the Banquet at Ramandu's Island instead.

Obviously we were confused about why Reepicheep wouldnt be there, and we were also confused about who this other "not there" character could be if it wasn't Reepicheep... well, what if it was Ramandu? (note that he does say "character" and not "creature" in reference to this part, and he does also make a distinction between characters and creatures at the start)

Not to say that Ramandu would be a CGI character (that would just be a little bit too crazy), but what if say they had a really really big-name actor that they desperately wanted for the role, but couldn't get due to scheduling conflicts, so instead shot the whole sequence without him, but so that now, when they are doing pick-up shooting in the UK, they can then film his part and re-insert him into the movie?

Bit of a big stretch of logic perhaps, but as i said before, there has to be a good reason for them holding off on an announcement for so long. Doesn't seem like it could possibly be worth their while holding back on the announcement for so long unless it was going to be someone significant.

[fantasia]

This is not quite the right topic for this, and I suspect I'll be starting another thread to discuss this same thing (Sorry CCD mods!) but someone (sorry, I don't remember who so I can't credit you!) mentioned after all this speculation about Eustace's redemption towards the end of the movie, what if this character was Eustace as a dragon? Perhaps a bit of a stretch... but I thought the romance between Caspian and Susan was a huge stretch when first mentioned...

Anyways, interesting idea icarus, and I do think it's possible. Unlikely, but possible. I don't know what the production's obession is with withholding one casting announcement til really late in the production, but they sure seem to like to do it. And if they're going to make it worth their while, it had sure better be a big name.

I am wondering, as they've held on to it for this long, Comic-Con is going to be here in a few months, they may as well hold onto it til then. As I recall, that's when they officially announced Liam Neeson voicing Aslan.

[Umbarto]

I agree that it makes sense for this banquet to be the one on Ramandu's Island, but why then would Reepicheep not be there?

[FriendofNarnia2]

Okay, I know this is somewhat off topic but I just wanted to respond to something fantasia_kitty said.

I think the reason Reepicheep is not at the banquet is going to have something to do with the fact that he has not fallen into a temptation that the others have, and somehow I think the banquet is going to be linked with that temptation. I don't know, just a thought.

I too am sure Ramandu will make it into the film. We have the island being named after him, and we have Ernie telling us he will be in the film. I say that's enough evidence right there.

[Glenstorm the Great]

I'm sure Ramandu will be in the film. Maybe the producers think we'll be more interested and concerned if they hold off on certain important bits of information. Maybe they like to supirse us

[ChristProclamer]

I think it possible they will cut him from the film, but not likely. His dialogue and role could easily be handed over to his daughter for the sake of making her more memorable, or divided up between Coriakin and RD, but I doubt they'd do that.

Christopher Lee...oh, I'd love that! He usually plays villains of some sort, so it would be lovely to see him as a gentle, magical father figure. I don't think they'd give this big a role to Doug Gresham, who before only played a radio announcer and a far-off Telmarine crier. Not that I would mind it, I just don't think the moviemakers would go for it (still hoping he'll voice Bree in HHB!)

In all honesty, I think they just didn't want to announce him because he will likely be somebody big, just as they did with Aslan and Reepicheep. I'd expected them to have RD be the big secret cast member because she's a bit of a fan favorite, like Aslan and Reep, but I was wrong. When is Comic-Con? I expect we'll know more then.