@jasmine_tarkheena I really think they'd have to do it as you say — either find real-life identical twin boys for the two roles, or get one actor to play both roles and edit the shots together for the scenes where we see the two boys together on screen at the same time. That's actually a lot easier to do now with modern digital technology than it was when films and TV shows were literally shot on tape, but they definitely managed it at times even back then — I remember there being shows when I was little (in the 1980s) where the same actor played two characters in the one scene and they spliced them together. Nowadays, though, it might actually be easier to do that (use one actor and do some editing) than to find two identical twin boy actors who are about the right age, look right for the parts, and come across well in those roles!!

It's interesting to wonder about — as you say, I don't think anyone here has discussed it so far. But I do remember there was a stage adaptation of The Horse and His Boy in the US, produced by Logos Theatre, that I know several NarniaWeb members have seen. How did they do the twin brothers in that? I'm thinking that for a stage production, where you don't have the luxury of editing for special effects, the only way to do it convincingly would be to use actual identical twins — it's a major element of the plot that the two get mistaken for each other, after all. But can anyone here who's seen that play let us know how they did it?

@courtenay 

It is a something to think about, not just for identical twins but how can two look a likes be done. I mean, take a look at how many times The Prince and the Pauper has been done. One I remember from when I was a little girl was the Mickey Mouse cartoon, and Mickey Mouse played both the Prince and the Pauper. Then of course, that's cartoon.

In speaking of which, I remember when I first read The Horse and His Boy, in the part where Shasta and Corin met with one another, and saw how they resembled each other, I thought for a moment it was going to be similar to The Prince and The Pauper. Then, they turned out to be twin brothers.

Plus, even though the book describes them as being "fair-haired" (in other words blond), I wonder if they're actually going to be portrayed as blonds or go with a different hair color. It's almost common for film or series adaptions to depict characters with hair color that is different from the book. I suppose they could get by with the twins as "ginger"-haired or something. Though I think it still counts for something if they are done right.

I was kind of wondering how a stage production of HHB managed to do the twins myself. I know a lot of Narniawebbers have gone and seen the production from Logos Theatre, so I would be curious how they were able to do the twins.

Posted by: @jasmine_tarkheena

One I remember from when I was a little girl was the Mickey Mouse cartoon, and Mickey Mouse played both the Prince and the Pauper. Then of course, that's cartoon.

Yes, which makes it a lot easier to have two identical-looking characters! I've said before (there's a discussion about it somewhere else here) that I wouldn't mind an animated series of all the Narnia books, provided it's all done in a really beautiful style that's not cutesy but not dark and edgy either. It'd certainly remove any worries about casting actors who look convincingly like the characters they're meant to be — all they'd have to worry about would be getting the voices right!

But I doubt it'll happen that way, as animation doesn't seem to be the fashion these days — like you mentioned elsewhere, I'm also getting tired of Disney remaking all their classic animated movies as live action. It's got to the point where all it suggests is that they've run out of original ideas... But that's getting off topic here. 

As for the Logos Theatre play, I saw it twice and both times they just different boys with similar hair, the boys did not look the same. I am mentioning the fact that I saw it twice because they changed other aspects from the first time to the second time I watched it. 

Personally, I would like them to use two different actors if at all possible. I just really want them to use twins. Also, depending on the age of the actors, it might be really beneficial for them to use twins anyway. I feel like if there aren't enough twins in the acting business, they could do an open casting call. I was thinking that Australians or New Zealanders would work really well for Archenlanders.

Posted by: @eustace

I was thinking that Australians or New Zealanders would work really well for Archenlanders.

What, is there just something about us??  

(I reckon Aussies would be the best choice, but then naturally, I would say that. New Zealand is too full of hobbits. )

Aussie would actually be idea for Archenlanders. Most Narnians, especially the children, would be English.

I wouldn't expect any New Zealanders though, since it already has Elves and Hobbits.

As for the twins, it would be idea to do a open casting call. It is interesting to think about how they would do identical twins in a movie or series.

As for their ages, according to the Timeline, Cor and Corin are 14 years old. They might be played by 14 year old actor(s) or maybe 13 year old actor(s), depending on if they decide to have actual twins or be played by the same actor.

I was seriously only joking about Aussies, really. I can't see any reason to cast people of a specific Earthly nationality as the characters of different nationalities in the world of Narnia, unless we're thinking about what accent they speak with, which is the only major difference between Australians and people from anywhere else (no, honestly )...

It's pretty standard to make the Narnian peoples and creatures have English (or otherwise British) accents of various sorts, but we're never told that the Archenlanders have a noticeably different accent (or appearance) from the Narnians. To me, it would just be silly and hokey to have the Archenlanders sound like Aussies (and I speak, quite literally, as one who does!!  ). It's not necessary to the plot and it could easily end up sounding as ridiculous as the reader of the audiobook of LWW who gave Mr Tumnus an Irish accent, Maugrim a Scottish accent and the Beavers Yorkshire accents...   And anyway, regardless of where they grew up and how they sound with their usual speaking voice, all professional actors are trained to do different voices to suit whatever roles they play and I'm pretty sure they'll put on whatever accents the director decides the various characters should have.

(I could of course expand on how much more ridiculous it would be to have Narnians or Archenlanders speaking with New Zealand accents, but as I wouldn't want to incur the wrath of a certain moderator, I'll stop right there. )

I guess if you think about it, in a way it's almost similar to The Prince and the Pauper (Shasta is the pauper and Corin is the Prince). While they don't exchange clothing (where Corin becomes the pauper and Shasta becomes the prince), they do switch places in Tashbaan. Then of course, Shasta turns out to be Prince Cor.

I wonder if The Horse And His Boy movie or series would start with the birth of the twins, and the centaur giving the prophecy. Then we might see Cor in a little boat to Calormen, and Arsheesh sees him, and takes him in. Then cut to where he is the age where the story starts. I'm not suggesting it or anything, but it's a thought.

Posted by: @jasmine_tarkheena

I wonder if The Horse And His Boy movie or series would start with the birth of the twins, and the centaur giving the prophecy. Then we might see Cor in a little boat to Calormen, and Arsheesh sees him. Then cut to where he is the age where the story starts. I'm not suggesting it or anything, but it's a thought.

That's an idea, but to me it'd give away too many spoilers. We do find out early on in the book that Shasta is not Arsheesh's son, and that he's a "Northerner" of some sort, but we don't know any more than that — and a big part of the plot is Shasta's journey to find out who he truly is. His unawareness of that, and ours, makes the story far more exciting and suspenseful. Of course when it turns out that he looks so similar to Prince Corin of Archenland as to be easily mistaken for him, astute readers (and viewers, some day) may guess correctly that they're twin brothers, but that doesn't come until about halfway through the story, and it's not confirmed till near the end. If we're shown at the start that there were twin babies born to the King and Queen of Archenland, that a prophecy was made about one of them, and then that same one is kidnapped and taken away by boat, and then we jump forward to Shasta as an adolescent learning that the man he calls "Father" isn't his father at all... it's then already bore obvious that he's the kidnapped prince. Giving that away so early would take away a whole lot of the excitement and intrigue of the plot — especially considering the story of HHB is far less well known, outside the existing Narnia fandom, than LWW (easily the most famous of the books) and PC and VDT, all of which have been adapted for the screen at least twice before. Most viewers will have no idea how HHB ends, so best not to give it away too soon!  

@courtenay 

That's true. Maybe another way to open a movie is to just show baby Cor floating on the water with a dying soldier in a boat. Then Arsheesh hears the cries of the child, and takes him in.

I wonder how they're going to do the scene where in Tashbaan, Edmund and Lord Peridan think that Shasta is Prince Corin. I can almost picture Shasta not saying anything, because he has no idea.

And how about the scene where Shasta and Corin meet with one another? They could see that they resemble one another. So that could be interesting on how a movie is going to pull that off.

IMO the movie business is really good at finding doubles already. Cast Shasta and then find another kid with similar features. In a world of wigs, color contacts and contouring makeup, it won't be hard to make it believable. 

@Jasmine: And how about the scene where Shasta and Corin meet with one another? They could see that they resemble one another. So that could be interesting on how a movie is going to pull that off. 

Shouldn't be too difficult to film Cor & Corin. Years ago, Hayley Mills starred as both twins in a film called Parent Trap, around in about the 1960's which I used to really love. Even in the Harry Potter films there were actual twins playing George & Fred, Ron Weasley's twin brothers. So, either they can use twins or maybe the same actor for both twins. It should be easy when how many scenes are there where both twins are actually in the same scene? Hayley Mills had to act each of the twins separately, using mirrors some of the time in this film of twins separated between their two parents who meet at a school holiday camp & change places to resolve their parents' complicated marriage. 

@waggawerewolf27 Younger people will remember the remake of Parent Trap, using Lindsay Lohan as the twins (one with an English accent!).
If they cast one boy, he will have 'photo doubles' for both roles, and there can also be considerable use of digital face pasting. He will also need to create two different characters convincingly, with some common elements.

I guess you might know considerably more than I would, about how they would cast twins, & all the lurks that are available now to help. I didn't know that Parent trap has been remade & would have liked to have seen it. 

I think making two different characters might be a big weakness for The horse & his boy, if only one boy is playing both parts. Especially as Shasta/Cor is quite a big role, almost until the end. Corin is most noted for his absence through much of the story, until he appears with Edmund & Lucy at the house where Rogin, Bricklethumb & Duffle gave Shasta/Cor breakfast. 

There is one clear difference between the two & that is when Corin gets a shiner. I suppose make-up would do that quite well, but Corin is also a little too fond of boxing, which might be a bit difficult to do convincingly.