Forum

Share:
Notifications
Clear all

Changing and Rearranging Narnia

Jasmine
(@jasmine_tarkheena)
NarniaWeb Guru

As fans of the books, we all want a faithful adaptation. Though, obviously they're going to have to make some changes. If done well, it could make it work for a new medium. They even might have to rearrange some things.

We sure can speculate on what are they going to have to change and rearrange to make it work for a movie or series. Here's some I could think of for each book-

The Magician's Nephew- I'm thinking they're going have to change the scene where Digory is being tempting to strike the bell in Charn. No, please, no Green Mist! Though they might have to do something in a visual way to show the audience that he's being tempted. Perhaps a signal or a sound or even something about the eyes, similar to where Frodo was about to put on the ring in Return of the King.

The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe- It's very likely they'll have to change the scene where Edmund is walking towards the White Witch's castle, having these thoughts, and trying to talk himself into it in The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. Both BBC and Walden each had their own clever way of doing it- where he disembodies from himself and talks to himself in the BBC and where he sits on the White Witch's throne and he was in the dungeon later in the Walden. So I think it will be interesting how they're going to do that. It's hard to do an inner monologue on screen. Perhaps he switches back and forth in between different camera shots would be idea. 

The Horse And His Boy- I wonder if a movie would to cut the scenes back and forth between where Shasta is with the Narnians and Aravis is with Lasaraleen. In the book, it was mostly about Shasta with the Narnians and among the tombs, and Aravis with Lasaraleen is told in a flashback. Obviously, it would be too tedious to cut back and forth in a book. But a movie might find a way to do that.

Prince Caspian- This is a tough one. It's hard to do flashbacks on screen (though I've seen it done in movies before). I wonder if a movie would move the scene where the Nurse tells Caspian stories of the old days to like the beginning of the movie. A movie could probably cut back and forth between Narnia and the Pevensies on the bench at the railway station.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader- This is another tough one. In the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre adaptation, they changed the scene where Caspian and his men were having a procession on the Lone Islands. During that time, they had Governor Gumpas talking with his secretary, asking him what is the commotion about. In a way, it implicated that Governor Gumpas was not prepared when King Caspian showed up. I don't think that would happen in a movie or series, but it's something to wonder about.

The Silver Chair- This is a tough one. Maybe Trumpkin hears of Eustace and Jill talking of rescuing Prince Rilian and puts them under house arrest. Then Glimfeather comes to their rescue. It's sounds a bit crazy, but it's a thought. Perhaps a movie could cut back and forth between Narnia and Experiment House at the start.

The Last Battle- I think they're going have to change the scene where Tirian is tied up and reflecting on Narnia's past in The Last Battle. They might have to make it look like Jewel or Poggin is tied up with him. I'm sure they'll want to give him someone to talk to, because again, you can't really do a person thinking out loud on screen. So it would probably make sense to give him someone to talk to.

Any ideas on what a Narnia film or series adaptation might have to change and rearrange?

"And this is the marvel of marvels, that he called me beloved."
(Emeth, The Last Battle)
https://escapetoreality.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/aslan-and-emeth2.jpg

ReplyQuote
Topic starter Posted : June 1, 2023 9:07 pm
Share: