The Chronicles of Narnia

[yevaud]

<b>To be released December 9th</b><br /><br />Hollywood has been turning best-selling novels into movies for decades, as far back as ''Gone With the Wind." But publishers have usually had nothing to do with it. They watched and hoped the movie would drive up sales of the book. Sometimes it did, but just as often it didn't.<br /><br />That whole disconnect is disappearing. The best new example is the Dec. 9 release of the movie ''The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," based on the C.S. Lewis children's classic. Far from sitting back and watching, publisher HarperCollins is working closely with filmmaker Walden Media, unleashing a massive worldwide marketing drive for the books, timed to coincide with the film -- and not only for ''The Chronicles of Narnia," but most of Lewis's other books as well.<br /><br />Full Story <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

I will be severely annoyed if they stuff this one up, even more than with LOTR (if possible).<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[dgm1]

Man my kids and I are so torqued up waiting for this. I read all of the books as a kid and a little more than a year ago, without knowing the movie was in the works, I got the series to read to the kids every night. They absolutely loved it. The night I came home and showed them the Movie promo they ran around squealing. <br /> We are going to be there opening night for sure! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[votefornimitz]

I hate them..... <br />What I see is "Holy SH**, look how much money that Jackson guy made, lets get rich"<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <span style="color:#993366">In the event of a full scale nuclear war or NEO impact event, there are two categories of underground shelters available to the public, distinguished by depth underground: bunkers and graves...</span> </div>

 

[dgm1]

Hate what? THe stories or the studios or what? <br /> I like the stories. They are simple and symbolic and innocent. I remeber sitting in my room reading everyone like it was yesterday....not 26 years ago. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[kauboi]

I've never read them but I saw the trailer and it looks quite nicely done. If they can do it right then let them do it.

 

[avaunt]

Well, thats sad you feel that way mate. Look at how much pleasure he gave people, by doing a very good job at filming the books.<br />Plus he raised the bar on book adaptions very high.<br /><br />Notice that another New Zealander is the director. Soon now, we will rule not just hollywood, but the world. !!!<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[flynn]

certainly rule the rugby pitch.<br /><br />I've read the first couple when I was younger, can't really remember the others although I've seen TV adaptations. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[voyager12]

Should be a great movie I think:-<br /><br />http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/narnia/lb_main.html<br /><br />Really love those wall papers... with all that snowy wonderland. I hope the movie will live up to the cartoon fantasy I saw as kid. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Voyager12<br />http://www.publishedauthors.net/aa_spaceagent/

 

[CalliArcale]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>I've read the first couple when I was younger, can't really remember the others although I've seen TV adaptations.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />That would be the BBC adaptations, right? They're good, although obviously not as well-funded as this one. Tom Baker did a marvellous Puddleglum in "The Silver Chair". And Warwick Davis was absolutely perfect as Reepicheep. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[ladyleviticus]

I really want to see this movie, I am going to go and see it when it comes out <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" />

 

[wmdragon]

were the TV adaptions cartoons or live action? havent read the books but I did see a cartoon version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, ages ago. the scene where they capture and humiliate the lion distrubed me as a kid. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[avaunt]

ok, here we go, advanced screening for sale.<br /><br />I got an email from a mate in Sydney, their bookshop got told to offer tickets to an advanced screening to any people that would play dress-up. I am waiting for him to offer more details.

 

[CalliArcale]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>were the TV adaptions cartoons or live action? havent read the books but I did see a cartoon version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, ages ago. the scene where they capture and humiliate the lion distrubed me as a kid.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />That scene is supposed to disturb you. Read the book; it's pretty chilling there.<br /><br />The adaptations I saw were live-action. I didn't know there had been an animated version as well. Cool! The effects were pretty good, considering the budget available. Basically comparable to Doctor Who in the 1980s -- and probably with much of the same production crew. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[kimb68]

I'm encouraged by the trailers in which the kids look like they're the correct ages (10-14 or so) and they whole thing looks very British, like the books. If it gets the same kind of loving (but not slavish) treatment as LOTR, I'll be thrilled.

 

[JonClarke]

"Deep magic from the dawn of time" - a chilling an moving chapter indeed, exceeded only by the wonderful next chapter: "Deeper magic from before the dawn of time".<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

"If it gets the same kind of loving (but not slavish) treatment as LOTR, I'll be thrilled."<br /><br />Gak! That is what I am afraid of - LOTR was butchered at a fundamental level by Jackson.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

I actually really liked the movie adaptation. To each their own, I suppose. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />I'm looking forward to this film adaptation of Narnia. It has been done before; one can always go back and see the BBC telefilm adaptation. I think they just did The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe up through The Silver Chair, but they were good. Warwick Davis is a perfect Reepicheep, and Tom Baker is a wonderful surprise as Puddleglum. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

I would have given the BBC series 9/10 overall, although I thought LWATW was a bit long and Prince Caspian far too short. I just wish they had done the others. Tom Baker was perfect as Puddleglum. <br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[sorehed]

I was unaware of the BBC adaptation. Time for a trip to Amazon.com. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />I wonder how they will handle the strong religious overtones of the series.

 

[JonClarke]

Faithfully and well I would hope.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

I would require pretty substantial rewriting to take it out. I did see a trailer that included a glimpse of the sacrifice scene, which is probably the most overtly religious scene in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Warddrobe" (being, of course, a reference to the crucifixion). Really, I would think that a non-Christian person could read and enjoy the books; the philosophies come straight out of Lewis' extensive work in Christian theology, but they are quite widely applicable. Although I suppose some nowdays might be bothered by "The Last Battle", which could be read as negative towards ecumenism. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[spacester]

<font color="yellow">I wonder how they will handle the strong religious overtones of the series. </font><br /><br />I recently read the entire series for the first time. I like to brag that I read 'everything' when I was a kid, so I was shocked to realize that I hadn't read these and I fixed that omission.<br /><br />Marvelous!<br /><br />Spoiler warning!<br /><br />It seems to me that the task of the filmmakers is much less here than LOTR, and not just for technical reasons. They also have a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the real world.<br /><br />My impression on "the religious stuff" was that he only emphasizes it at the beginning and the end of the series. In between, there are wonderful children’s stories, with lessons, parables and morals for the kiddies and lots more for the discerning adult.<br /><br />The killing of the Lion is central to the whole concept of Narnia, and I just LOVE the concept of 'further up, further in' as a representation of the afterlife. The parallels with Christianity are blindingly obvious, yet the philosophies expressed are more universal than any one religion. Brilliant! What a master of storytelling, too!<br /><br />The burdens on filming LOTR were manifold, not least of which was the need to tell the back story to a worldwide theater-going-public with limited previous exposure to Tolkien. The back story of Narnia is right there at the beginning and the end. At least that was my impression, but I’ve only read it once.<br /><br />So it seems to me they merely need to remain faithful to the source material at the beginning and the end to take care of the back story. In between, they can just have fun. Lots of the action is in Nature, so that will help the audience’s enjoyment, it seems to me like a natural for popularity.<br /><br />I said from the early days of LOTR, before casting even, that the larger significance of getting LOTR to the screen – no easy feat – was the ushering in of Fantasy as a viable genre for the mone <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

The chronicles have been translated in many different languages, including Japanese and Thai, to pick few. Like LOTR, the story speaks across a broad range of cultures.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

One reason why the Chronicles are deserving of a place among the greats of literature is that they are so multi-dimensional. I read them many times as a child, I appreciate them even more as an adult. This broad readership is a characteristic of many of the greatest writers of children's literature - Tolkien, Kipling, Rowling, and Ransome all had this ability in their writing. Tolkien, Kipling, and Lewis were also noted writers for adults of well of course. <br /><br />I never really appreciated "The Last battle", until I was an adult. Now it is perhaps my favourite. As a child my favourite was "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", which I still love of course. The ending of that book with the lamb revealed as the Lion is another thing I have appreciated more as an adult. <br /><br />Jon<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>