I was mostly joking. However, given a choice between a poor performance from Skandar, who doesn't want to be there, and the return of a guy who'll be over a decade older than he was when he portrayed an version of Edmund who is older than the HHB version, I'll pick Lucy taking over Edmund's role any day.

I see what you mean Bookwyrm, too bad. The older actors and actresses would help establish (for those not familiar with the book) when the story takes place. I guess Skander will just have to do a lot better.

Anhun, I see whar you're saying about Skander. However I blame that on the script. In LWW and PC, Georgie and Skander really stood out for me. They were fantastic. However in VDT I was suprised to see that they fell short. I think it was the script, beacuse I feel VDT's script was really inferior compared to the two previous movies'.
I haven't really seen to many of Skander's interviews, so I don't know how he's responding to the film in them.

I was thinking about how the Archenlanders should be visualized. Per canon, they are supposed to be a hybrid race of human and nymph stock. I kind of picture them as looking like the LoTR elves.

Hmmmm somehow I never pictured them nymph-like, even though it says in MN that's where they come from.... Either way, since they'll most likely be making MN first, they should look somewhat/really generally like Frank and Helen since they are their descendants.... One thing that I really took with their description (and I don't know how this will be included in the film) is how they're a little bit more merry (for lack of a better word) than Narnia and Calormen... I mainly got this because in the book the Narnian horns sounded much more valiant compared to the solemn Calormen and, frivolous Archenland ones.... But it sounds like a good idea

they're a little bit more merry (for lack of a better word) than Narnia and Calormen

Jolly? I know what you mean. King Lune is described as jolly, fat, having apple cheeks, and twinkling eyes.

This is going to sound really odd, but I always thought of them looking a bit Santa Clause Like, at least that's how I pictured King Lune. I think that has to do with them looking more merry maybe?

So north pole elves instead of LOTR elves? Interesting. ooooh . . . I bet that could inspire some really unique music for the Archenland themes.

I also think if Kenneth Branagh put on a bit of weight he could make a fantastic King Lune.

Thats a cool idea wolfloversk! I hope Archenlanders are elves.

Elves? That is REALLY funny. I kind of agree with wolfloversk, though. King Lune would be nice as a Santa type person but without the beard and red suit.
I always thought that Archenlanders should look human, even though they arn't full-blooded.

Ummm, one of the things everyone seems to be ignoring is the 900 lb. gorilla in the room , which is the pc interpretation- and I don't mean "Prince Caspian".

Even wthout lines like the "cursed but fair barbarians" this is going to be a tough sell against an organised campaign screaming about 'racism' and 'imperialism'.

And, no, saying 'look at Arwin' is not going to be enough.

The mere thought of this will cause huge problems in Europe; which will kill international sales.

Graymouser, we're not ignoring it, the ethnic styling is one of a number of things that we've discussed over the course of this thread. Or are you trying to say that, because there's a potential racial controversy, we're not allowed to talk about anything else?

Now, I don't remember a major uproar from book purists when they decided to style the Telmarines as Mediterranean conquistadors, rather than Eurasian crusaders. I don't see that it would be such a problem to style the Calormenes as ancient Etruscans, rather than people who are ambiguously middle eastern/indian. There are elements of Etruscan culture in Calormene culture as it is. The have "Tarkaans" instead of Tarquins. They have pointed shoes, flowing robes and turban-like headdresses.

According to the Hooper time line, the Calormenes are of northern European stock, but they became darker due to millennia spent living in a hot, sunny climate. In the book HHB, it mentions that the Calormenes are an extremely large, populous civilization. I think it would make sense to have the Calormenes shown as having a variety of colors. Skin colours from very dark to light medium. Hair colours from black to medium brown, and any number of eye colours. Basically, I think it's possible to avoid the controversy altogether.

Graymouser, we're not ignoring it, the ethnic styling is one of a number of things that we've discussed over the course of this thread. Or are you trying to say that, because there's a potential racial controversy, we're not allowed to talk about anything else?

Please point out to me the place in this thread where this has been discussed

Now, I don't remember a major uproar from book purists when they decided to style the Telmarines as Mediterranean conquistadors, rather than Eurasian crusaders. I don't see that it would be such a problem to style the Calormenes as ancient Etruscans, rather than people who are ambiguously middle eastern/indian. There are elements of Etruscan culture in Calormene culture as it is. The have "Tarkaans" instead of Tarquins. They have pointed shoes, flowing robes and turban-like headdresses.

According to the Hooper time line, the Calormenes are of northern European stock, but they became darker due to millennia spent living in a hot, sunny climate. In the book HHB, it mentions that the Calormenes are an extremely large, populous civilization. I think it would make sense to have the Calormenes shown as having a variety of colors. Skin colours from very dark to light medium. Hair colours from black to medium brown, and any number of eye colours. Basically, I think it's possible to avoid the controversy altogether.

I'm not not talking about questions from book purists; I'm talking about the controversy that is inevitably going to occur when this arises, particularly in Europe. If you think it's going to be possible to avoid this controversy while sticking anywhere close to the book I think you are floating in Cloud-Cuckoo-Land.

Etruscans?!? How many people are already freaked about Lewis because they believe (erroneously, of course) that he is a racist?

Very dark to light medium skin colours as opposed to the nice white Narnians? And nobody is going to notice that?

What I'm saying is quite simple- it doesn't matter what supporters of Lewis think- this issue is going to be driven by huge numbers of people who will be more than happy to tar both Lewis and Christians in general with racism.
What ever you think about it, if you aren't factoring this into your calculations about HHB, you are absolutely not being realistic about the prospects for this movie.

Oh I do agree with you. There are too many people who do not like either C.S.Lewis or Christianity. Though I would have thought that characters like Aravis and Emeth might make a bit of difference. Besides it is Calormene rulers rather than ordinary people who are the main villains.

Please point out to me the place in this thread where this has been discussed

On this thread a page or two earlier, where Anhun, herself, suggested the Etruscans, an ethnic group of unknown origins whose overlords were the Tarquins.

Elsewhere, alleged racism in C.S.Lewis' Narnia Chronicles was discussed in a reading forum in which Devin Brown, of Asbury College answered some allegations posed by some critics. As well, prior to the September 2009 changeover to our present forum I distinctly remember a thread or two discussing just that problem. I even participated in the discussion. Since then the emphasis has been on first VDT then SC and now MN.

There are 21 pages of threads where there should be some mention of HHB. For instance, on page 20 I found this locked thread. But I wouldn't be surprised if HHB is the least discussed of all the Narnia stories to date, and the one most likely to be passed over.

I'm not not talking about questions from book purists . . . If you think it's going to be possible to avoid this controversy while sticking anywhere close to the book I think you are floating in Cloud-Cuckoo-Land.

So, in the same paragraph you say you don't care about book purists, but you talk about sticking close to the book? Which is it? If fidelity to the book is no object, then this is a non-issue. As someone (I think it was Aravis Narnia) mockingly suggested, they could style the Calormenes as Germanic pseudo-Nazis.

Etruscans?!? How many people are already freaked about Lewis because they believe (erroneously, of course) that he is a racist?

Are you trying to argue that if they style the Caloremenes after the Etruscans, the people of Tarquinia will take to the streets in protest? If the Spanish didn't have a problem with Prince Caspian, why would the Italians have a problem with pseudo-Etruscan Calormenes? The point is to not to make them look overly Arab, to avoid accusations of ethnic prejudice. The ancient Etruscans are as exotic as the Calormenes, but they're pretty much a long-dead civilization, so no one's likely to be offended.

Very dark to light medium skin colours as opposed to the nice white Narnians? And nobody is going to notice that?

My point was that the Calormenes should be racially diverse. The "nice white Narnians" are literally 4 children, from a single family, from another universe. Hardly a race. Again, in PC, the "bad guys" were dark and the Pevensies were light and nobody had an issue with that. Or are you talking about the Archenlanders? If you think through the genetics, the Archenlanders should be more magical creature than human. Although I think they should look a blend of the two, hence the "elf" suggestion. Basically, Shasta would look "different" because of his pointed ears or whatever it is that distinguishes him as part creature.