And what's in store for the future? Yes, Narnia should be unique.

As for a change, a lot of things would have to require changes. That is, as we've discussed so many times before, there things in the books that even though well written, it wouldn't work quite as well on screen.

Probably one say for HHB, they could cut back and forth between Shasta with the Narnians then at the Tombs of the Ancient Kings and Aravis in Tashbaan, where she overhears Rabadash talk with his father of his evil plan. It would have been tedious for CS Lewis to go back and forth of what is going on in the book. Though I reckon that a movie or series could cut the camera back and forth.

It is an idea that comes to mind for an addition or change when it becomes acceptable. Though I'm sure we could share some other ideas.

Posted by: @fantasia

Ironically, in my mind, when PC first came out, most people agreed with you and liked the change.

I was on the forum back then and I don't really remember that.  

Posted by: @fantasia

I suppose it's one of those "life imitates art" kind of things. If you want teens to be better teens, give them some real role models

Yeah, I know a lot of people, like Joe Rigney, see the point of the Narnia books as providing good role models for kids but I never wanted to be like Peter when I read the book. I understand that some kids do and I'm happy if that inspires to be better people/leaders. I just can't get that. The parts of Prince Caspian that focused on the personalities of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy were the parts I found least interesting as a kid. (Now I can appreciate them for their technical skill.) If there's a character in the series that I wanted to emulate growing up, it was Polly because she's so great at telling others what is wrong with them. Now that I'm an adult, I don't have that aspiration because there are so many people denouncing each other on social media that it's just exhausting. I think we can agree though that if Polly were denouncing people on social media these days, she'd be one of the best at it.  

Posted by: @fantasia

They actually filmed a big dance scene at the end of LWW after the Pevensies coronation that was cut.

I remember hearing about that and while I believe the ending of LWW should be joyful, I think they were right to cut it. Apparently, Susan was going to be dancing with a talking fox. I can't picture that not being awkward with their height difference. To me, the coronation itself feels really joyful on its own. (And if you look closely, you can see Narnians celebrating in the background as Lucy watches Aslan leave from the balcony.) I would criticize the movie more, along those lines, for trimming down the statues coming back to life so drastically. For me, that scene was a descriptive highlight of the book. I still feel the movie is magical without it though.

Posted by: @fantasia

The much bigger one was the ENTIRE rescue of the Telmarine people by Aslan, Lucy, Susan, and the greek gods in PC. I just read that chapter to my kids two days ago and it's such fun. I remember one of the screenwriters specifically saying that they left it out because when they read it, their reaction was "Why are they having a dance?" during Peter's battle with Miraz. Never mind all of the townspeople being freed from oppression!!! It was just a dance to them. 

That's one of my least favorite cuts too.  

Posted by: @fantasia

I can't really talk about VDT. The book is a blast. And the movie? All I remember is the green mist. 

I've watched it recently and while it's least favorite of the Walden Media adaptations, I don't think the problem is that it wasn't trying to be fun or joyful. The problem is more that it wasn't particularly great at those things. (I wouldn't describe it as great at dark or dramatic stuff either.) 

Posted by: @courtenay

Narnia, for the most part, shouldn't be dark and gritty — it should be a place that makes us think "I wish I could live in a world like that!!" 

Posted by: @fantasia

Exactly!!

That's the thing. When I watched the Walden Media movies that you guys disparage (first two anyway), I did wish I could live in a world like that. When I watched the BBC miniseries of which you're fond, I didn't. (Don't tell me I was too old and cynical. I was five! ) I guess it's just one of those things that's always going to be subjective. But, hey, that means a lot of different viewpoints and more interesting discussions on forums like this.  

Right. Even though the Walden have done things I didn't agree with or necessarily liked, there were still stuff I appreciated, like the expanding a bit on Eustace in his dragon form or seeing Mr. Tumnus one last time before he is turned into stone until Aslan restores him or even having Glozelle and Prunaprismia along with her son being the first to volunteer to go through the doorway.

Posted by: @col-klink

That's the thing. When I watched the Walden Media movies that you guys disparage (first two anyway), I did wish I could live in a world like that. When I watched the BBC miniseries of which you're fond, I didn't. (Don't tell me I was too old and cynical. I was five! ) I guess it's just one of those things that's always going to be subjective.

In the interests of clarification, I should note the the BBC version of Narnia has never me think "I wish I could live in a world like that" either — not even when I first watched it myself at the age of seven. I was far too busy cracking up laughing at the bottle-shaped Beavers, and Edmund talking to a double of himself, and Aslan's inability to lip-sync his mouth with his words, and the bizarre digitally animated creatures, and the cheesy "flying" effects (like when Susan and Lucy are supposed to be riding on Aslan and instead of running as he does in the book, he floats unconvincingly through the air), and Barbara Kellerman overacting as the Witch, and Maugrim doing "Long live the Queen! RRRRRAAAAAHHHHH!!!", and so on and so forth...   (And those are just some of the silliest aspects of the BBC's LWW alone, without getting into any of their other adaptations. ) 

I was actually referring to the books giving one the "I wish I could live in that world!" feeling, which is what they do for me. Now I'll shush up and stop dragging this conversation off topic!  

Well, filmmakers, if you are reading this forum here, even if you have to make some changes or additions, we ask you to make Narnia unique as CS Lewis wrote them.