I personally wouldn't mind the Friends of Narnia being given more build-up from their inception to their conclusion in the Last Battle (especially regarding how they all met each other over time + whether Susan was ever an eighth friend or not).

Posted by: @glenwit

I personally wouldn't mind the Friends of Narnia being given more build-up from their inception to their conclusion in the Last Battle (especially regarding how they all met each other over time + whether Susan was ever an eighth friend or not).

 

Interesting. I think in The Last Battle, we get a different perspective. Most of the books in the series starts in our world. The Last Battle starts in Narnia, and we only get a glimpse of our world when Tirian is having his dream or vision. I think it would be great if Netflix could actually show the seven Friends of Narnia gathering together, talking about their time in Narnia.

It would be nice, I agree, if they could fill us in more on the Friends of Narnia, perhaps even starting earlier than LB. My "head canon" is that during the events of VDT, while Peter was studying with Professor Kirke, he told the Professor about their second adventure in Narnia, and the Professor in turn opened up to Peter about how he and his friend Polly, as children, saw Narnia being created. Then Edmund and Lucy come home from Eustace's place and tell Peter, once he's home again too, about the voyage. Peter tells them about the Professor and says they're all invited to get together with him some time and meet his old friend Miss Plummer too. Then Susan comes home from her time in America and (I'm guessing) that's what really sealed the change in her attitude. Being away from her siblings, in an environment where she was expected to act a lot more "grown up" and was getting a lot of attention for her looks — and then when the other three siblings just about run to her telling her "Susan, we've got an invitation from Professor Kirke — and he HAS been to Narnia after all!", that's when we see Susan start to go cold and to convince herself that Narnia was just make-believe: "Narnia? What? Oh, you're not still thinking about all those funny games we used to play when we were little..."

I can just imagine all that being dramatised as little "in-between" segments within the actual stories, from the end of VDT onwards!

@courtenay

I think that what makes Susan perhaps the most controversial character in the series. She think she's growing up, but she's actually really not. She thinks she outgrew Narnia. I think there could be a concern how Netflix will address Susan no longer being a friend of Narnia. And yes, a lot of stuff happened in between the stories.

I think even the ones that Into the Wardrobe mentioned would be good ones as well. How Uncle Andrew received a box from Mrs. Lefay, how Jadis was growing stronger in dark magic while living in the North, how Prince Rilian feels grief and anger at the death of his mother and searching for the serpent.

I think another one could showing the coronation of King Caspian IX. It could be that he appointed his brother Miraz as first in line for the throne. Then show the birth of Caspian X, causing Miraz to feel angry and bitter because he realizes he is no longer first in line. I think that was what motivated him to kill his brother so he could become King of Narnia.

Posted by: @jasmine_tarkheena

I think another one could showing the coronation of King Caspian IX. It could be that he appointed his brother Miraz as first in line for the throne. Then show the birth of Caspian X, causing Miraz to feel angry and bitter because he realizes he is no longer first in line. I think that was what motivated him to kill his brother so he could become King of Narnia.

That is what's heavily implied in the book, yes. To clarify, Caspian IX wouldn't have "appointed" his brother as first in line — Miraz would automatically have been the next in line for the throne until Caspian IX had a child, as that's how hereditary monarchies work. The line of succession is set in law, not chosen by the current monarch. We see that in HHB, where as soon as Shasta is discovered to be Corin's older-by-20-minutes twin brother Cor, he automatically becomes heir to the throne of Archenland and has no way of getting out of it, even though he doesn't like the idea at all...

"'Tis no question what thou wantest, Cor, nor I either. 'Tis in course of law."...

"But, Father, couldn't you make whichever you like to be the next king?"

"No. The King's under the law, for it's the law makes him a king. Hast no more power to start away from thy crown than any sentry from his post."

Of course Corin is much happier at being done out of the crown than Miraz ever could have been!!

It might be interesting, in an adaptation, if we do see something of Miraz's reaction to Caspian X's birth and it becomes obvious that he's plotting to do away with his brother... Now I think about it, I wonder why he didn't engineer the young Prince's death too, since Caspian X would always be legal heir to the throne ahead of Miraz? (The line of succession always goes down through generations, not "across" to siblings, except when there are no legitimate direct descendants of the previous monarch.) Maybe he thought that would look TOO suspicious, if both Caspian IX and his baby son died one after the other? And of course, if young Caspian had also been killed at the outset, there'd be no story...  

@courtenay 

True. I think Caspian X was heir to the throne after Miraz because he didn't have any children of his own. Doctor Cornelius even says in the book-

“Don’t see!” exclaimed the Doctor. “Have all my lessons in History and Politics taught you no more than that? Listen. As long as he had no children of his own, he was willing enough that you should be King after he died. He may not have cared much about you, but he would rather you should have the throne than a stranger. Now that he has a son of his own he will want his own son to be the next King. You are in the way. He’ll clear you out of the way.”

So I think it would be interesting to see Miraz's reaction when Caspian X was born.

Posted by: @courtenay

I can just imagine all that being dramatised as little "in-between" segments within the actual stories, from the end of VDT onwards!

Now that would be perfect - it would add an overarching sense of continuity between the seven book adaptations! Reason number 92 why I'd prefer a tv series  

Posted by: @glenwit

Now that would be perfect - it would add an overarching sense of continuity between the seven book adaptations! Reason number 92 why I'd prefer a tv series  

Well, that might depend on what Netflix will decide to do. Obviously, they'll have to throw away the old continuity from BBC and Walden. BBC stopped after The Silver Chair and Walden stopped after Voyage of the Dawn Treader. You could do series, and combine all the episodes into one movie, like what BBC did when they released them on DVD.

@jasmine_tarkheena 

as far as I know, Netflix intends to start from scratch (and it wouldn't surprise me if they started with MN this time). 

I didn't know BBC did that! If Netflix goes that same route, I'd be up for a marathon watch party (although we'll need to have a watch party of some kind regardless)!

@glenwit 

Maybe all the Narniawebbers could get together and have a watch party (okay, maybe not together, but could be done virtually). What if all the Narniawebbers got together virtually for the premiere of the first movie or episode in the Narnia series?

Posted by: @glenwit

as far as I know, Netflix intends to start from scratch (and it wouldn't surprise me if they started with MN this time). 

Although I'm a big advocate of reading the books in publication order rather than chronological order, it'd make more sense for Netflix to show them in chronological order and would mean starting with a story that fewer people will be familiar with, which is a chance for them to establish a different "feel" from the earlier adaptations. So now I'm wondering, how could Netflix handle the transition from MN to LWW? 

I'm imagining that at the end of the main story, we could have Digory receiving the news that his rich great-uncle has died, that Father has inherited his fortune and is coming home from India, and they're all going to live in Great-uncle's grand old house in the country — Digory could relate all this excitedly to Polly and add "And you're invited to come and stay with us this summer. And every summer, if you like!" Vignettes follow of the old house (which we'll see again in LWW), Digory and Polly having fun over multiple visits, visibly growing a little older as years go by...

Flash forward to some time in the 1930s (I don't think Lewis gives us the exact year). Polly, now an adult, knocks at the door of the old house, which is answered by Mrs Macready: "Oh, Miss Plummer? Yes, Professor Kirke said he was expecting you." (To establish with us what their formal names are as adults.) Enter adult Digory, played by the actor who will play him as "the Professor" in LWW. The two old friends greet each other warmly (with first names!) and sit down for a cup of tea. Polly mentions she's just come up from London:

P: I went past the Ketterleys' old house — you own it now, don't you?

D: Yes, but I haven't been there for a few years.

P: Well, have you heard yet? That terrible storm last week... [long pause] The Tree — it's blown down.

[She and Digory exchange pained looks.]

P: What are we going to do about it, do you think? You can't leave it there to rot.

D: No, no. I'll have the wood cut and dried, then get it made into something. Some piece of furniture, perhaps, for here.

P: What? A table, maybe, or some chairs?

D: Hmmm, no. I think... a wardrobe would be nice. Yes, a wardrobe.

[Final episode finishes here as the two old friends exchange smiles, while a multitude of viewers — those who haven't read the book — give a gasp of "Ohhh... THAT'S where the wardrobe came from!!" ]

If Netflix were to do an episodic series, then it would make more sense to go in chronological order. If they were movies, they could go either way. Yes, BBC and Walden both went in publication order.

If they were series, we might be able to see what has been happening between The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. I mean, we might see an episode about Col I establishing the kingdom of Archenland, and an episode about the establishment of Calormen.. according to the timeline, outlaws from Archenland established Calormen. Though I kind have a theory that Arabs from our world found a chasm into Calormen, much like pirates from world did to establish Telmar. Speaking of which, a whole episode about pirates coming from our world and settle in Telmar. Even an episode about King Gale delivering the Lone Islands from a dragon and an episode about Queen Swanwhite. 

We could even see what's been happening between The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. So there could be an episode about Caspian I leading the Telmarines to invade Narnia. And like what I've talked about, an episode about the birth of Caspian X, and Miraz becoming angry and bitter, motivating him to kill his brother.

And what's been happening between Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader in three years Narnia time? A whole episode about Cair Paravel being rebuilt. I would think that Cair Paravel would look different in The Silver Chair than it does in The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe and even The Horse and His Boy. Well, it was rebuilt since you last saw it in Prince Caspian.

And like what I've said, how about an episode in The Last Battle of what's been going on between the first and second chapters? There's about a three weeks gap in the book, so I think Netflix has opportunity to tell us. Even have Rishda talking to 30 men as they're getting ready to head up towards Narnia, and even tell them that they were to disguise as merchants.

Posted by: @jasmine_tarkheena

 

an episode about the establishment of Calormen.. according to the timeline, outlaws from Archenland established Calormen. Though I kind have a theory that Arabs from our world found a chasm into Calormen, much like pirates from world did to establish Telmar. Speaking of which, a whole episode about pirates coming from our world and settle in Telmar. Even an episode about King Gale delivering the Lone Islands from a dragon and an episode about Queen Swanwhite.

Your ideas are your own, but Lewis would not ever have written it that way. I have listened to Doug Gresham in person, saying that the ancient Persian culture, or northern India, were what Jack was describing. Arabs from Saudi Arabia have a different culture. 
Furthermore, there is no way that anyone would cast or dress Calormenes in a production to resemble typical Arabian Moslems of the 20th century. That would feed the "Narnia is racist" lobby.

@courtenay  If you are a publicationist, why do you think it's helpful to present spoilers for LWW at the end of a first-adapted MN?  I can't see any justification for it.  If there were no choice but to begin with MN, wouldn't they want the audience for LWW to have the best chance for walking into Narnia with Lucy for the first time, to be special? 

Posted by: @coracle

Your ideas are your own, but Lewis would not ever have written it that way. I have listened to Doug Gresham in person, saying that the ancient Persian culture, or northern India, were what Jack was describing. Arabs from Saudi Arabia have a different culture. 

There is that, too. It is possible that some Indians may have found a chasm into Calormene at some point. It may be given the fact at the time CS Lewis was born, India belonged to England. He would have been familiar with their culture.

Posted by: @coracle

Furthermore, there is no way that anyone would cast or dress Calormenes in a production to resemble typical Arabian Moslems of the 20th century. That would feed the "Narnia is racist" lobby.

When I read the series for the first time as a kid, I actually didn't really think about the racist aspect. I think it would be easy for a production to typecast the Calormenes, which is actually one of my fears. I think it will come down to if they cast the right actors for the role. Sure, the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre adaption had English actors to voice the Calormenes. I wonder if BBC would've cast English actors if they had continued with the series after The Silver Chair.