If you read Magicians Nephew, you will see that all non-telmarine humans are descended from king Frank and queen Helen, both narnian and archenlanders. I've read somewhere that the calormenes are descended from archenland bandits who escaped across the southern desert. I suppose being in the sunnier climate of the south has led to them generate more menalin, our skin pigment, then those who lived up north, like what happened after the tower of Babel.

Thanks for the description fantasia_kitty! It's true, there are things in every movie- every story, that can be nit-picked, torn apart, and criticized, and why should this movie be any different?

I was actually thinking about this the other day. They might make some smaller changes (I actually was thinking that they might change their turbans into a different, unique to Calormene, headdresses), but I think overall if anyone claims that they're rascist then I agree with Fk it would be completely unfounded.

90% of war movies have one nationality pitted against another, and many have whites against Blacks, Asians or Arabs.
Anyone naive enough to call the Chronicles racist would be the type that would find something else to complain about if that was taken out.

It won't be a problem. Think of it this way.

The cast of Prince Caspian goes to war against the cast of Prince of Persia. It's that simple. If they depict the Calormens in that way, there won't be a problem.

To avoid this is simple:

1. Have the main villains played by someone that's not of Middle Eastern descent. (Think Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia)

2. Create more sympathetic characters in the Calormenes' populace and have them help Shasta and Aravis, in some ways or form. Surely, not all Calormenes are evil and setting this up will create an interesting dynamic.
Most important, it is essential that we establish who the true enemy is, which is Rabadash and the Tarkhaans, not the people themselves.

3. Make the film good (If the film is good, controversy will actually boost the sales)

Having the second main character a Calorman will show that it is the culture not the people themselves that are the problem.

Exactly Aragorn 2. I would just try to make a faithful adaptation (what an original idea! ). That way, they'll show Aravis for who she is and reveal that much of the reason for this conflict is the corruption in the dynasty.

The first two films have played it very safe. These filmmakers don't seem like risk takers. Therefore, I'm sure they will bend over backwards to not be perceived as racist.

Probably. I recall someone asking AA about this issue, and I think he said he would do the Calormens in a more fantastical and less "Persian" way.

I wonder what that exactly means, I hope they don't change the culture too much. I was really looking forward to seeing the culture, oh well.

Having the second main character a Calormen will show that it is the culture not the people themselves that are the problem.

The major gripe I have against this is that throughout HHB, Aravis is the only Calormene that is not cruel, illogical, overly pompous, and arrogant. To prove this point, name a single, likable side-character in Calormen in HBB. If you're a Calormene, you're instantly a dislikable, evil person until you redeem yourself and go to Narnia. Can't say I blame people for saying it sounds a bit racist.
Maybe I'm taking up too much of a moderate's stance here, but I think it's important that the filmmakers make a point that the populace themselves are still human and not all are mindless, devil-worshiping, back-stabbing fanatics. Doing this will take the edge out of the so-called "racist" accusations.
Is it really such a stretch to to switch the focus onto the creators of this 'evil' society (e.g Tash, the Tisroc, Rabadash), while creating a more sympathetic Calormene populace?

Lasaraleen isn't that bad, just a bit goofy. And there are only 5 other Calorman side characters, and 3 of which are the main villains.

Lasaraleen was played off as slow, cruel, whiny, and spoiled brat, making her an interesting character but an extremely unlikable person in general. And the listing of the Calormen characters only further proves my point that more than half of the Calormen's characters in HHB are, in one way or another, one-dimensionally evil.

I'd have to agree, with aragorn 2, I liked Lasaraleen. Really the only dislikeable ones I can think of are Bree's owner, the fisherman, Rabadash, and the Tisroc. In HHB.

Also there was another likable one in LB, can't remember his name though (it wasn't Emeth was it?) Oh I wish I had my book!

I think this may be a slight problem but nothing major. I remember some people complaining that PC was racsist because they made all the Telmarines spanish/ italian, but I think what Adamson said about why he made them like that clearly shows that they were not, and the same argument can be made for HHB & LB.