Ben Barnes talks Dawn Treader Book versus Film
October 3rd, 2009 by Paul Martin | Source: ExaminerIn an interview about Dorian Gray, Ben Barnes was asked about the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Specifically, what may have changed between the book and the film. This is a question that we all have about the film, and though many fans would like to see the film shot page for page with the book, movies are completely different animals. Sometimes books don’t translate very well into movies as they are written. In our own minds they seem as movies, though, and based on each of our own imaginations, when we read Narnia, each of our experiences is going to be different. So how do you take C.S. Lewis’ very loose, open descriptions to film and make everyone’s version? You really can’t. But what about a story like that found in this book? Well, on film, it needs more than the book has. Here’s what Ben has to say about it.
Let’s talk about the “Dawn Treader” movie. I know you can’t reveal any spoilers, but what’s in the movie that’s different from the book?
Ben Barnes: They’ve stolen a couple of ideas from some of the later ["Chronicles of Narnia"] books. [It’s] a very difficult book to adapt, because it’s very episodic. It’s chapter by chapter. They go on the voyage, they go to one island, a bit more voyage, another island, a bit more voyage, another island. It’s very satisfying to read; every chapter by chapter, it’s very exciting. But it has no real through line. And so they have to kind of steal other elements to sew it all together. I think they’ve done it in a really clever, unobtrusive way.
What’s interesting is the first thing he says here: they’ve stolen a couple of ideas from some of the later (emphasis added) books. The questions I have now are: What books and what ideas from those books? Anybody have ideas for what it could be?
Related Posts
Tags: Ben Barnes, Books vs. Movies, Interview, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
This entry was posted on Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pm and is filed under The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Book News, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Cast News, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Movie News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Loading ...
Reading all your posts is more disturbing to me than what Ben Barnes said. I don’t know that I want a soul-stealing witch in this or any other Narnia movie, whether she’s one in the books or one that the filmmakers made up. First of all, remember that these are children’s movies based off of children’s books.
Second, if Caspian does foil her plot, why does she wait forty or fifty years to take her revenge? Also, Rilian certainly heard stories about Caspian’s voyage to the End of the World. Wouldn’t he get a clue about a beautiful lady dressed in green? I just think it’s kind of weird.
Thirdly, didn’t the moviemakers get a clue with “Prince Caspian”? Not very many people were pleased with the changes they made in that movie, and so not as many people went to it as many times in theaters. This is a bigger change, and a lot less family-friendly. I think it would be a BIG mistake.
Lastly, being in the movie himself, I think Ben Barnes should know what he’s talking about. This is not an unobtrusive change, so I don’t think he would have called it such. Whatever he says is good enough for me.
Wouldn’t there be a casting call we would have heard of? Like I thought we heard of a casting call for Gael’s mom, so…
I meant this about if Shasta would be in VDT. Hey…wait a second…Shasta CAN’T be in VDT because he lived in the time of LWW. Oops, I’m bad…sorry.
I just hope with all the new things they introduce they leave some time and effort to expand on Aslan’s characther. For me his role is the one that has suffered most in the translation into film. From reading the books I had imagined a very kingly, noble and utterly awesome godlike character but the image protrayed in the films falls far short
cool cant wait to see the movie in 2010 and also ben barnes.one question is ben barnes having a moustach in the film?