Helen Mirren seducing a prince in his early 20s? I don't think so!

Helen Mirren seducing a prince in his early 20s? I don't think so!

Indeed. Far too old. The LotGK needs to be older, but not old!

Dream-casting a movie is tricky, because obviously we all tend to pick actors who we all recognize. That, or we pick somebody based on looks alone without having seen the actor's work. I am not exempt from this criticism!

I suggested Helen Mirren because she plays Narcissa Malfoy, a cool, calm and collected witch, in the forthcoming HP movie, and its July sequel. I agree someone who looks younger might be better, but not too much younger, since she is described as someone who has been around for a long time. Hundreds of years, in fact.

Rilian would be in his thirties or forties by the time he is found, and isn't the teenager some would envision. Being disenchanted doesn't add to one's youthfulness, either.

Dear filmmakers,

I am not a book purist, nor am I the Narnia Police. So far you haven't disappointed me with the films But I must say The Silver Chair is my favorite of the Chronicles and there are some things that I really really hope you get as close to perfect as possible. I have faith in you

The things I find most important and think NEED to be in the film are:

*The part at the climax with Puddleglum and the witch.
Please please please don't water it down in the least. I agree with the others. This whole thing is a mission of faith when faith doesn't make sense and this moment is the climax of that theme. You must get it right or the climax will be all wrong.

*Rilian.
You need a very talented actor to play him. He needs to be able to go, believably, from lovesick idiot to raving lunatic to likable prince. You really need to get his desparation across in the film. He's been held captive by the witch for 10 years. The man is so desperate to be free that for the hour he's sane he seems insane.

*Enchantment.
I think this largely represents sin. Obviously the witch is beautiful and seductive. We never saw how she captured Rilian but we see him after the fact. For all but that one hour we see that she didn't have to tie him up or force him to be her mindless slave. He could've run had he not been under her enchantment. He was taken by her beauty in the first place and was slowly lured into her trap. We can see from this that Rilian is not completely innocent in all this. It's quite likely that he went with her of his own free will but got in deeper than he ever wanted to go, just like with sin. Usually we end up doing it because we want to and we think we are in control over it, but later we find that it owns us. Which is how it was with the Enchantment. Please do your best to understand the Enchantment Rilian is under in The Silver Chair. You did a great job on this with Edmund in The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe. I don't want you to copy it exactly, but it's a lot like that sort of situation.

*Caspian.
He isn't in the book all that much, but if you can nail what little bit he is in I think it would be awesome. Maybe you could do a little bit of backstory, maybe you could show a relationship between Rilian and Caspian. I think it would help us grasp the importance of finding Rilian if you make us grasp Caspian's pain over losing him.
There's a really great scene in the book (would you call it a scene if it's in a book? ) where Drinian goes to King Caspian and says basically that he could've stopped the witch from kidnapping Rilian if only he had come to the king sooner. He tells Caspian to just kill him on the spot for his silence. Drinian feels responsible for what happened to Rilian. Caspian almost does it! That's an moment in the book, because he comes so close to killing a dear friend over the loss of his son. And then Caspian just falls down and starts crying. He tells Drinian, "I've lost my queen and my son. Shall I lose my friend also?" In that moment I think it's just so heartbreaking, if done well I think the audience could need tissues. We see Caspian as a broken man and THAT is what makes us really care about finding Rilian.
I see why you added the seven swords in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. You needed something to make us care about the mission besides lords no one's met or has any personal connection to. With The Silver Chair it's different. We care about Rilian for 4 major reasons.

1. If there is no Rilian there is no ruler over Narnia.

2. Finding Rilian is the right thing to do.

3. If Rilian isn't rescued The Lady of the Green Kirtle will rule Narnia and no one wants another witch on the throne.

4. Rilian is the son of Caspian. Caspian is a well established character and we care about what he cares about.

*Lady of The Green Kirtle.
Tilda was wonderful as the White Witch. But the Lady of The Green Kirtle is a different breed of witch. The White Witch tempted Edmund with food and power. She had the classic maternal witch feel. "Come to my house, little boy. I'll give you goodies " And you could tell almost by looking that she was evil.
It needs to be different with LotGK. She didn't tempt Rilian with food she tempted him with her beauty. She didn't tempt him with power and riches, he was the Crown Prince, what would he want with riches? All she had to offer was beauty of the enchanted sort.
She has to be beautiful. She cannot be the classic witch where you can just look and see, oh she's evil. She has to be sweet and seductive. She needs to have a look about her and a voice that makes the viewer want to like her. The only way we should even know she's evil is because of the things she does and says. You might have some eerie music or something that plays when she's around to give us a feeling she isn't good. Drinian was able to sense that she was evil, but it was just a strong sense, there was nothing about her to give her away. She needs to seem seductive, innocent, charming and beautiful all at once. She does need to be able to drop that facade toward the end. She needs to give us chills. That would be my biggest advice. She needs to be seductive, innocent and bonechilling.

*Puddleglum.
He has to be so depressing it's funny, which isn't an easy thing to achieve.

*Caspian's death.
Please don't water this down either. I would prefer this part to stay as close to the book as possible, with Eustace getting a huge thorn and Aslan bleeding into the river and bringing Caspian to life. Please keep the part in where Caspian jumps on Aslan and they play together and Caspin gives Aslan "the strong kisses of a king" and Aslan gives him "the wild kisses of a Lion. That part is so incredibly beautiful and it washes away all the sadness felt over Caspian's death.
Naturally, because Caspian has been a major character in the last two films and has been very likable, people will be sad when he dies, but if this part is done well it will take away the sadness and you won't have people leaving the theatre saying, "well that was depressing. " Also I would like it very much if you kept the part where Caspian goes with them into our world for 5 minutes to help deal with Jill's bullies. That would be great!!!

I think that is all for now. I think you guys will do an excellent job. As I said, you haven't dissapointed me. I have faith in you! If you took the time to read all that you are absolutely amazing
God bless, thanks for the movies!!!!

Rilian would be in his thirties or forties by the time he is found, and isn't the teenager some would envision. Being disenchanted doesn't add to one's youthfulness, either.

I think it would be best that the Lady of the Green Kirtle and Rillian are young and good looking. Think about the teenage fans!

I suggested Helen Mirren because she plays Narcissa Malfoy, a cool, calm and collected witch, in the forthcoming HP movie, and its July sequel. I agree someone who looks younger might be better, but not too much younger, since she is described as someone who has been around for a long time. Hundreds of years, in fact.

Rilian would be in his thirties or forties by the time he is found, and isn't the teenager some would envision. Being disenchanted doesn't add to one's youthfulness, either.

Helen Mirren is this lady: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000545/

Helen McCrory plays Narcissa Malfoy: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0567031/

Interesting topic. My thoughts on the subject:

1. If you don't get anything else right, you must truly get the scene where Puddleglum declares that he will believe in Aslan, even if there isn't any Aslan to believe in. It's the culmination of the theme of the story which is...

2. ...that sometimes having faith and doing what is right makes no sense. Think about it: in practically the first scene Jill is caught up and prays to Aslan despite not knowing who he is, hoping he will save her from the bullies. She has to trust that a talking lion won't eat her, and submit to being blown off a cliff. She and the others have to follow signs that aren't explained fully - they just have to do them. They have to trust that the final sign is right and unleash a madman. Basically, they have to trust Aslan without question. Even when it seems like nothing they ever knew was real, Puddleglum realizes he has to trust Aslan despite what the world he is in tells him.

3. Please show Rilian's grief over losing his mother in a real and heart-breaking way. Rilian was always my least favorite character because I hated that he abandoned his father in a time of mourning, when he needed comfort, in order to chase snakes. Show him insane with grief, with guilt over not being able to save his mother. Make me feel sorry for him, not annoyed.

4. I want to cry when Caspian dies, and I want to cry again (with joy) when Aslan raises him in His Country. Make it so.

5. You probably want the Pevensies to cameo in this story. The only place I can see this being feasible is at the very end, but even then it would feel trite. So please, as much as I love the Pevensies, don't try to shove them in where they don't belong.

6. Please do not give Eustace and Jill the Pevensies' Christmas gifts. They are royal treasures, and I highly doubt Peter would want Eustace carrying Rhindon after what he did to Caspian's second-best sword. However, if you do, give Jill Susan's bow, foreshadowing her use of the bow in the Last Battle (and add a bit with Puddleglum or someone telling her she shouldn't let her bow-string get wet)

So, that's a bit of what I think. I could say more, but I'm already afraid someone working on the film will see this and get ideas (April Fools, anyone?).

I imagined Tirian with blond hair, and Rilian with brown or black, but since RD is going to have blond hair it would make sence for Rilian to have it too.

That doesn't mean anything. My mom is a blond and my dad has black hair yet I have medium brown hair.

Rilian would be in his thirties or forties by the time he is found, and isn't the teenager some would envision. Being disenchanted doesn't add to one's youthfulness, either.

Seriously? It was pretty obvious in the book that when Rilian was captured he was a young prince like 19 or 20 and ten years passed by until he came out of his enchantment, that would make him 29 or 30, that's nowhere in his forties. And I agree with Josh some one like Helen Mirren or Helena Boham Carter would be like casting Dylan and Cole Sprouse for Cor and Corin. Also I can't imaging a young Prince falling head over heels for those types of women. It doesn't happen. The only way for that to happen is to cast a 23-33 year old model type woman who can act. Sorry but that is the way it should be.

I imagined Tirian with blond hair, and Rilian with brown or black, but since RD is going to have blond hair it would make sence for Rilian to have it too.

That doesn't mean anything. My mom is a blond and my dad has black hair yet I have medium brown hair.

Ok I looked this up online- and it's a tad bit more complicated that I thought. Human hair color is affected by two types of the pigment melanin, which are eumelanin (determines if hair is blond, brown, or black) and pheomelanin (makes hair red)

A low concentration of brown eumelanin results in blond hair, whereas a higher concentration of brown eumelanin will color the hair brown. High amounts of black eumelanin result in black hair, while low concentrations give gray hair. All humans have some pheomelanin in their hair.

Also hair color isn't controled by just one gene, but by multiple genes- in other words their are many different pairs genes that determine if a person will have blond or brown hair, not just one pair- so depending on how many are "turned on or off" a person will have different shades of a color. Basically it makes sense that you and your parents have different hair colors, its the same way with me- both of my parents have the same shade of brown, but I'm almost blond, if not a really dark blond. It depends on how many blond genes we inherited vs how many brown genes we inherited, how many grey genes vs black genes, and how many red genes vs not red genes: and then those are all added together to determine what color we have. /genetics lesson.

So basically Rilian could have any hair color between Caspian's and RD's, which could be a lot, I'm guessing not red though, but I could be wrong.

Helen Mirren is this lady: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000545/

Helen McCrory plays Narcissa Malfoy: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0567031/

Sorry, too many actresses called Helen. I did mean Helen McCrory then. And definitely not Helen Bonham-Carter who plays Bellatrix.

But anyway, someone, even if she isn't called Helen something or other, who at least looks Rilian's age or only slightly older. And sorry to contradict yo'all, he was at least thirty in the book. Wasn't there a timeline which puts Caspian's age at 17 when he goes on the Dawn Treader, 20 when he marries Lilliandil, and thirty five when Rilian was born? On another NarniaWeb thread it was calculated that Caspian was 66 or 67 when Rilian was abducted. That would make Caspian 77 when he died and Rilian in his early thirties.

I've a list of things I would like to see happen.

1. If there really must be a cameo of the Pevensies, let it be either right at the beginning whilst Eustace tells them what his school is really like, before leaving to go to it, or at the very end, at the party where Jill wears her Narnia things.

2. I hope it is Ben Barnes who plays Caspian as an old, dying man. The makeup artists should be able to manage this. I think Ben Barnes would look more convincing as the young man Caspian returns to being in Aslan's Country. Am I echoing someone else's hope that this whole scene is played aright? Just like in the book?

3. Is it too much to ask that Puddleglum's speech gets left in, before LOTGK's destruction? I agree I am echoing a lot of other people. It would be also great if the dissolution of Underworld also includes the chasm leading to Bism.

4. I have to agree with Lirenel that Rilian has to be shown as being mad with grief, and to show how he never really emerged from this depressed state thanks to the ministrations of LOTGK.

5. Much as she will make a gorgeous Jadis from Charn, I don't want to see Tilda Swinton as LOTGK. I would think that LOTGK is the sort of witch which dabbles in potions, poisons, powders, perfumes, and psychological witchery, rather than 'silly wand-waving', which is more the White Witch's basilisk style of witchery which Tilda does rather well. Besides, it would look like they couldn't afford another actress to do the job.

Don't ask for much, do I?

I'd love to write a big long post on all the important themes in SC, but I am just so immersed in VDT right now.

I always wanted Bruce Spence to play Puddleglum, but they cast him as Rhoop.

And sorry to contradict yo'all, he was at least thirty in the book. Wasn't there a timeline which puts Caspian's age at 17 when he goes on the Dawn Treader, 20 when he marries Lilliandil, and thirty five when Rilian was born? On another NarniaWeb thread it was calculated that Caspian was 66 or 67 when Rilian was abducted. That would make Caspian 77 when he died and Rilian in his early thirties.

The timeline of which you speak can be found here. http://narnia.wikia.com/wiki/Narnian_timeline

People will probably throw rotten tomatoes at me when I say this but IT IS FLAWED even though C.S. Lewis wrote it. Nothing against C.S. Lewis, he's absolutely amazing. Why would I be here if I didn't know that? But we all make mistakes. The Timeline goes directly against the book The Silver Chair.

According to the Timeline Caspian dies at age 66 but according to Eustace in The Silver Chair it's been about 70 years since his last visit to Narnia. One of these has to be wrong. If Eustace is correct in saying it's been about 70 years and the Timeline is correct in saying Caspian was 66 at the time of his death then that would put Caspian at age not born yet during the events of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

I think they are playing Caspian at around 20ish in the film VDT so he sould be about 80ish when he dies in SC

But yeah, according to the (flawed) timeline Rilian is 20 when he's abducted which would put him at about 30 or 31 when they find him.

If I have to pick between which is flawed, since the book and the Timeline can't be reconciled I pick the Timeline. If we say the book is wrong then that leaves the question: What else are the books wrong about? Which leaves lots of room for fanfiction in the movies which NO ONE WANTS

It is perfectly fine with me if the filmmakers follow the books over the Timeline.

I think the answer to the problem is fairly obvious. Eustace was guessing. Unless Eustace has the magical power to always know what year it is in Narnia, he would have had no way of knowing how much time had passed.

I suppose that's possible, but I was under the impression he'd asked around to come up with such information and that it was more than an educated guess. The book describes Caspian as being reeeaally old and 66 is not that old. I was also under the impression that C.S. Lewis put that in there so we'd have something to reference and see about how long it had been since the last book. Why would he put that that much time had gone by if Caspian wouldn't have been born yet? Doesn't really make sense. Seems pretty pointless to have any number of years mentioned if the number you give is going to be false. That guess is a pretty long ways off from the truth.

I stand by my other post.

Maybe C.S.Lewis was pointing to one quality of time which is beyond human measurement. Time like an ever flowing stream bears all its sons away. They fly forgotten as a dream dies at the opening day. One minute of anguish or happiness can last an eternity, whilst hours and years fly by.

Eustace saw Caspian as an old man. What is an old man to Eustace? Someone in his seventies or eighties. Caspian is ill, tired, grief-stricken, and all the joy has gone out of his life. He is worried for the future. Even if he wasn't seventy then he might well be so bowed down by misfortune that he might feel like it.

And there is the matter of Rilian's birth. Whatever the timeline, why did it take so long for Caspian and RD to have a son, or a child at all? Normally a child comes as swiftly as marriages, honeymoons and new love. Or was there a reason for the delay? Maybe something like what happened to Prunaprismia and Miraz? We don't know.