Narnia Fans » 2007 » July

Want to send Skandar Keynes a message for his birthday? Michael writes: I just wanted to tell you that we are currently doing a Skandar Keynes birthday project at SkandarFan.com. I’m heading up the project of sending to Skandar a personalized CD and Scrapbook for his sixteen years old. If the Skandar/Narnia fans want to get involved, they can participate on our special page (www.skandarfan.com/birthday).

Deadline for the project is the 30th of August 2007 and both girls and boys are welcome to participate.

Director Andrew Adamson has selected a winner in the Narnia Fan Art contest! The winning entry will be posted following Comic-Con, and the winner will receive a trip for two to the World Premiere of Prince Caspian! However, due to production circumstances beyond our control, we were unable to print the winning piece of art in time for Comic-Con. Visit Narnia.com next week for the big reveal!

Thanks to Trevor for the news!

Damjan.net has posted some great new photos of the Telmarine Bridge set, some of which include actors in Telmarine garb crossing the bridge. These pictures have incredibly great detail, so if you don’t mind spoilers, take a look!

Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For our first review we will be looking at CS Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe!

Book Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
Author: CS Lewis
Illustrator: Pauline Baynes
Publisher(US): HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0060764899
ISBN-13:978-0060764890

Summary of the book:

Some Possible Spoilers.( Please Highlight to read)

“It all began with a picture in my head of a fawn with an umbrella carrying packages in the snow,” said CS Lewis. He first had this picture in his head as a child and it stuck with him all his life and helped him create the seven Narnia books.

The first book written ( though not the first in terms of chronology) was called, “ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” Set during the air raids of World War II, four British School children Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are sent away to live with Professor Kirke in the country for safety.

One day while exploring the professor’s house the four children come into a spare room with nothing but a large wardrobe inside. The other three leave the room as they find it uninteresting. Lucy however, stays behind as she thinks it would be worth it to try and open the wardrobe door.

She opens it and steps inside only to later find herself in the Land of Narnia. Upon her arrival she meets Tumnus the fawn and has tea with him. It is during this tea party that she discovers that Narnia has been enslaved by the evil White Witch Jadis, who makes it , “Always winter and Never Christmas.” He also tells her that the witch wishes to capture any human children.

Tumnus agrees to help Lucy escape as he cannot bare to harm her. She returns to our world and tells her brothers and sister of Narnia. They don’t believe her. Then one day while playing Hide and Seek she returns to Narnia.

This time she doesn’t go alone. Edmund follows after her, only to loose her in the forest. He comes in contact with the White Witch Jadis. She tricks him into believing that she is right and offers him the kingdom in exchanged for his siblings the next time he comes to Narnia.

The Witch leaves him alone and he soon meets his sister. The two of them return to our world and she is very happy to tell Peter and Susan that Edmund has been to Narnia too. When she tells them Edmund does something very despicable. He lies and says they were just playing.

This leads to further problems with the siblings until the day all four of them arrive in Narnia to hide from Mrs. McCready, Professor Kirke’s unpleasant housekeeper who is giving a tour of the house. The older siblings apologize to Lucy and are very angry at Edmund for lying about Lucy.

Following Lucy’s lead they head to Tumnus’s cave only to find the witch has had him arrested. The children are then found by Mr. Beaver and taken to his house for dinner with Mrs. Beaver, where they hear that there coming has been part of the fulfillment of a prophesy. They being Two sons of Adam and Two daughters of Eve are to help free Narnia. They also hear of the great Lion, Aslan.

During these discussion Edmund leaves to see the Witch. She is furious at Edmund for not bringing his brother and sisters with him and reveals where they are. She sends her wolves to capture them.

The other children and the Beavers escape to meet Aslan. Along the way they discover that the Witch’s spell is breaking. First because they meet Father Christmas who gives them gifts to aid in Narnia’s liberation. Second is the coming of spring.

They arrive at the meeting place and see Aslan. He inquires of Edmund and they tell him what happened. Edmund meanwhile continues to see how truly evil the Witch is and regrets his mistake. Much to his favor Aslan sends some of his soldiers to rescue him.

The Witch comes to demand Edmund back as the Spoilers“Deep Magic” every traitor belongs to her.End of Spoilers. Aslan speaks to her in private, making a deal,Spoilers His life for Edmund’s.End of Spoilers. Later that night he meets her at the Stone Table.Spoilers Susan and Lucy sneak along and watch in horror as Jadis and her allies kill Aslan upon the table.End of Spoilers

SpoilersThey mourn the loss of Aslan and help untie his body and stay near Aslan all morning. Early the next morning they find that the table is broken and his body is missing .Then they hear a sound. Aslan’s voice! They turn and see he is alive!End of Spoilers.

They hurry to the Witch’s castle and free the captives which includes Mr. Tumnus .With the help of those Aslan freed, they rush off to aid Peter, Edmund and the rest of Aslan’s army in the final battle against the witch. With Aslan’s help she is defeated!

The four children Spoilers are then crowned Kings and Queens or Narnia. They reign for many years. Then one day while on a hunt for the illusive White Stag, they End of Spoilers journey back through the Wardrobe door and Spoilers find that they had left our world only seconds ago. End of Spoilers Their first adventure in Narnia has ended but there are many more to come.

Review:

In his dedication to his goddaughter CS Lewis wrote that he wrote the book forgetting that books grow faster then children and that by the time it was published she may be too old for fairy stories. That is one fear I don’t think Lewis concern to have. This book remains one of the few fairy stories that can only get better with age.

The characters are quiet enjoyable. Lucy and Edmund are probably the ones who readers can like the most. These two are polar opposites of each other in the beginning as Lucy is sweet, carring and honest and Edmund is greedy, selfish and treacherous. It is their encounter with Aslan and in Narnia that causes Lucy to grow in confidence, and for Edmund to become a better person.

There has also been much negative criticism in regards to how Lewis treats women. However at the time the book was written his character of Lucy was quiet revolutionary as she is the one to discover Narnia, she Spoilers also, gets to witness Aslan’s resurrection End of Spoilers She is also described as trustworthy person, something that is also rare given the fact she is described as being the youngest. She is also an inherent leader. After seeing Narnia is true, even Peter, the eldest apologizes to her and follows her lead.

Susan is the logical practical character who always like to think things through carefully and at times seems like she’s the oldest. She is also the one to express doubts about Narnia and to suggest turning back when things get to dangerous.

Peter of the children is the one who is simply trying to keep the peace between his siblings. He is also quick to apologize when he’s wrong and willing to follow others.

The White Witch Jadis is simply evil. But she is one of those rare evil characters that is done well. She doesn’t wear the traditional black, but rather wears white and is described as being very beautiful. She also at times appears kind and gentle. These are her strongest points as a villain and a character.

Then there is Alsan. The most powerful character in the story as he is the ruler and creator of Narnia, he doesn’t even need to be visibly in the story to be in it. His presence is clearly through out the Land of Narnia. He is a Lion, and while being fierce, he is also very good. After all ” He’s not a tame lion.”

There are also several side characters as Professor Digory Kirke, the Beavers, Mr. Tumnus the fawn, Father Christmas, Maugrim the wolf, and even a rather excitable lion that help fill the world of Narnia with life and vibrancy.

The story is also very entertaining. Despite the talk of “magic” in Narnia, their really is very little of it in the stories. That is something unique for a fantasy story. So how does Lewis grab the reader with out resorting to someone waving a wand? By engaging you in the world itself and in the struggle to save it.

He also populates existing mythical characters and keeps them grounded in their traditional roots, example if a character like a wear wolf is seen as evil it is on the side of evil, if a character is noble and heroic like a centaur it will be allied with the side of good.

More importantly then the characters, story, fantastical elements, and the magic in Narnia is another aspect of the stories that makes them get better with age. The story has a “Deeper Magic” too it. Lewis’ allegorical imagery in the story is well known by now ,and even more imagery shows itself in constant rereading. There is so much of this packed into the book that it would take another article to go into. Lewis even paraphrases some of his arguments about the deity of Christ from “Mere Christianity” within the text of the story to defend Lucy’s claim about Narnia!

Along with the allegorical imagery is the underlying themes of the story, love, forgiveness, second chances, grace, redemption and sacrifice. I doubt any one can think of better messages to share with children then that.

As a narrator, Lewis is very personal and friendly almost like a tour guide of sorts into this realm he discovers. We get to discover this land right with him and the children. At times you almost expect him to be speaking in hushed tones as if he were sharing a wonderful secret with you. This is shown with such statements he makes as pointing out certain characters really aren’t important to the story or that to describe more of the monsters would probably mean parents would not let children read the book.

Spoilers The only downside to this book is the few contradictions to the later books, making it apparent that Lewis did not initially plan to write sequels. Such things include the lack of mention of The Emperor Beyond the Sea in subsequent novels, the change in the witch’s origins from this volume to “The Magician’s Nephew”, and Professor Kirke’s experience with Narnia.End of Spoilers

Those factors aside it is still an enjoyable book for both young and old alike and only gets better with age. Do yourself and your children a favor and read the book today!

Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 shields.

Order the book from Amazon.com

We’re back with a new episode! Producer John Burkitt (EveningStar) is joined by Roger Thomas (Prince of the West). Also listen for the second part of a four part prequel to The Magician’s Nephew.

NarniaFansCast – Episode 35
A thought provoking question about the Chronicles of Narnia books and Chapter 2 of 4 from our Bard’s Tale presentation of The Casket of Baktar. Roger Thomas (Prince of the West) joins host John Burkitt for a nearly hour-long show.
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A whole slew of Narnia and other film site journalists got the chance of a lifetime: to visit the set of Prince Caspian in Prague. Anyone that knows me also knows how much that I envy every one of those folks that were given the opportunity. Someday maybe?

Anyway, here we’ll start with our sister site NarniaWeb, where glumPuddle provides a preview of what’s to come in the month ahead, surrounding these set reports.

Overview

This is the first of a series of reports on my set visit. Disney has asked that these reports be released over a few months, each one focusing on a different aspect of the production: Creatures & Visual Effects, Production Design, Costumes, and the Cast. This first report will be a general overview of my trip, a look at the filming of a sequence, and an interview with Director Andrew Adamson! Consider this report a preview for the reports to come.

I arrived in Prague (jet-lagged) on June 3. I thought waiting for the movie to come out was hard, but that was nothing compared to this! I knew I would be in Narnia the next day, and time seemed to crawl by. I only got a few hours sleep because I was so excited. But the moment we entered Barrandov studios the next day, I felt an immediate surge of energy.

Here is a brief rundown of my two days spent in Narnia:

Sets visited:
The Dancing Lawn
Telmarine Stables
Aslan’s How interior
Aslan’s How exterior
Telmarine castle courtyard and drawbridge (wow)
Tunnels Beneath Aslan’s How
Smaller-scale Tunnels (for Wimbleweather)

Crew interviewed:
Andrew Adamson (Director)
Roger Ford (Production Designer)
Isis Mussenden (Costume Designer)
Kimberly Adams (Associate Costume Designer)
Richard Taylor (Head of Weta Workshop)
Howard Berger (Makeup, KNB EFX)
Dean Wright (Visual Effects Supervisor)
Rob Derry (Animatronics)

Cast interviewed:
William Moseley (Peter)
Skandar Keynes (Edmund)
Ben Barnes (Caspian)
Sergio Castellitto & Pierfrancesco Favino (Miraz & Glozelle)
Shane Rangi (Asterius, and a stand-in for various CG characters such as Aslan, the Werewolf, and the Bulgy Bear!)

Probably the highlight of the trip for me was Day 2, when we actually witnessed the filming of a sequence in Ústí! It took us over an hour to get to the location, and we had to wind our way through endless dirt roads. In this report, I will describe the scene I saw being filmed, and how all the different departments had to work together to make it happen.

The Scene: In the film, the single combat between Peter and Miraz will take place about 50 yards (I would estimate) from Aslan’s How. Various Narnian creatures (centaurs, fauns, satyrs, dwarfs, and even minotaurs) stand on either side of the entrance to the How. As Peter and Edmund emerge (wearing their armor from the first film), the Narnians begin raising their weapons and cheering them on. Edmund carries Peter’s sword as they approach the fighting area. Glenstorm is there waiting for them. When they get there, Peter takes his sword from Edmund and steps forward.

Read the rest of this amazing report at NarniaWeb

Set Visit Detailed

ComingSoon.net helps us continue this journey through the set visits:

As we arrived at Barrandov Studios in Prague, we were introduced to Unit Publicist Ernie Malik, our tour guide for our intensive two-day look at the production of Prince Caspian. At Barrandov, the project had been nicknamed “Toastie” to throw-off nosy would-be fans and reporters, and our guest badges had a cute picture of the mouse Reepacheep toasting a cheese sandwich over a candle, a reference to something said by the mouse in the book. (Malik wouldn’t explain the meaning or relevance of the term “Toastie” because he was saving it for his behind-the-scenes book, which one presumes will be available from Amazon, Borders and other fine book retailers closer to the movie’s release next summer.) Malik gave us a brief history of the studio, which had been built in 1931 and used for the filming of hundreds of Nazi propaganda films before establishing a better rep in the ’60s as the location where Milos Forman shot many of his early films.

The production was taking up three of Barrandov’s ten soundstages, down from five earlier in the production, as well as a number of outdoor locations in the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Poland. After hanging around the production offices for a bit, the first thing we got to see the Dancing Lawn, an important location in the story because it’s where Prince Caspian first discovers the Narnians, as well as where the dwarf Trumpkin (played by Peter Dinklage) tells the Pevensie kids Caspian’s story. What’s interesting is that they’ve changed the structure of Lewis’ novel, which starts with the Pevensies returning to Narnia, finding Trumpkin and then hearing the story of Caspian. That ends up taking up a number of chapters before returning to the Pevensies, and then eventually the two stories converge. Malik suggested that they would be jumping back and forth between the stories more in the film version rather than following Lewis’ timeline. This indoor set really gave you the feeling of being outdoors. In the center was a large grass-covered clearing surrounded by actual trees that had been rooted indoors, and pathways and primitive stone steps led to and from the area through the trees. Surrounding this immense wooded soundstage was a 360 degree matte painting to embellish the forest and make it look even bigger, although this indoor setting would be used in conjunction with scenes shot outdoors in the forests of Poland.

In the second sound stage we visited, they were changing things over from the Great Hall where Miraz is coronated as king (presumably another flashback) to the stables where Prince Caspian steals a horse to escape after being imprisoned by his uncle. In another section of that stage, Ernie showed us an interior cave location that was previously used as a cistern in Aslan’s How and was being remodeled as another part of the underground cave system where the Narnians hide from King Miraz’s army. This location was a shrine that had been built up around the stone table onto which Aslan was tied and killed by the White Witch in the previous movie. Although the table was no longer there, it was an impressive space that had hieroglyphic inscriptions running around the top, but Ernie told us we’d have to get production designer Roger Ford to tell us what they meant. (He wouldn’t.) Ernie told us that the cave originally had carvings along the walls of the cave that tell the history of Narnia in the 1300 years since Aslan’s murder and rebirth. (The carvings were covered up because the cave was being refashioned as another section of Aslan’s How, but Ernie did a good job describing how impressive they were, particularly a carving of Aslan.)

After that, we were led outside to one of the most fantastic outdoor sets we’ve ever seen, the immense interior courtyard of Miraz’s castle where they would shoot a new scene that doesn’t appear in the book in which Peter and Caspian stage a night raid on Miraz’s castle “with dire circumstances.” We walked around and checked out this impressive construct, which looked like it was built out of real stone and metal with balconies and stairways to various doorways and what might as well have been a working well in the middle. Ernie told us that it took 200 men nearly 15 weeks to build this location for an ambitious battle sequence involving 150 extras playing Narnians and Telmarines, and that it was designed to give Adamson many options when choreographing the action. (Having spent some time in Bucharest at a number of actual castles, I can attest to the realism of the design and construction.) We walked around then through the castle gates and over the drawbridge where we could see from a distance the Telmarine village that was being built. Apparently, this sequence, which again isn’t in the book, is going to give us a lot more expansive look at the Telmarine society with the actual village and castle structures being expanded upon using CG and models that were being constructed and filmed back in New Zealand.

Read the rest of this incredible coverage here at ComingSoon.net

SciFi Wire rounds out this first set report with an interview with Andrew Adamson.

“This one I wanted to be bigger, and I am regretting that decision now,” Adamson said with a laugh on the set of the film in Prague last month. “Because we are revisiting a similar world, you want to give yourself new challenges. So we deliberately made things more complicated. On top of that, there’ve been a lot of films that have come out [since the first was released] that have also raised the bar. So we wanted to make sure we were doing something new and fresh.”

“Narnia had been created approximately 900 years before the last film took place,” Adamson said. “This is now another 1,300 years later. Narnia has been oppressed by Telmarines for a large period of that time. So it’s a dirtier, grittier, darker place than the last world was. When the kids come back in, they bring a lot of nostalgia with them, and they think they are going back to the place they knew. And instead, they’ve come back to a very changed world.”

Adamson went on to explain the origins of the location as it is described in the original book by C.S. Lewis. “The set we are at now, Aslan’s How, this is where the stone table once was,” he said. “It fell as the earth subsided, and the Narnians built a huge, sort of, almost burial mound over it, and then that has fallen into ruin and disrepair as Aslan and all of that has been forgotten. So what you are seeing there is actually about 60 feet tall. The How itself, in the final film, will be about two-and-half times that. In general, I wanted the scale, the movie to be bigger than the last film.”

For Adamson, Prince Caspian has also been a chance to take on board some of the lessons he learned while making the first film.

“I learned never to do a film with locations, children, animals and visual effects, and so I decided to do that again,” he joked. “I mean, you always hope that after each film you’ve learned a little and you’ve improved as a filmmaker. I always feel like this is just an ongoing learning experience and it will hopefully be that throughout my career. I think the reason that this film is bigger than the last one is because I learned to do things last time, and so I’ve created new challenges for myself, to make it more complicated and bigger, which creates a better experience for the audience as well.”

Visit SciFi Wire for the rest. And stay tuned to NarniaFans.com as we bring you coverage from all corners of the Narnia world.

The International Christian Retail Show 2007 was held this last week in Atlanta, GA with many publishers displaying new Chronicles of Narnia products coming Spring 2008.

The products look very similar to the ‘Wardrobe’ tie-ins. One tie-in book is called “The Tail of Reepicheep” and includes this synopsis: “Reepicheep is the bravest of the mice and stands beside Caspian in the battle to reclaim the throne. In the struggle, Reepicheep loses his tail. But his bravery and the loyalty of his fellow Mice earn him a special reward from Aslan.”

Available February 2008:

Prince Caspian Read-Aloud Edition

Available April 2008:

Prince Caspian movie tie-in editions
Movie tie-in box sets
This is Narnia (I Can Read)
Lucy’s Journey (I Can Read)
Fight for the Throne (Chapter Book)
Prince Caspian: The Movie Storybook
The Tail of Reepicheep
Caspian’s Army
Activity Book and Gel Pen
Coloring and Activity Book and Crayons
A Narnia Chronology
Chronicles of Narnia books (David Wiesner covers)
Book and Audio Box Set
Puzzle Book
Prince Caspian: The Reusable Sticker Book
Prince Caspian Book and CD

Bob Siemon will also once again be providing a new line of Narnia jewelery.

There will also be a Making of Prince Caspian book that was unmentioned in this catalog, but I cannot yet divulge more details than that.

David J. Theroux, the Founder and President of the C. S. Lewis Society of California has e-mailed us with the latest updates on many upcoming events that you’re all invited to attend! I hope that some of you have the chance to visit these events and join Lewis Societies, or even have the opportunity to start one in your own area if one does not exist. Here’s the update:

Please note the following in this issue of the C.S. Lewis Society Update (7/17/07):

1. Christian Groups Are Also Growing in Europe
2. Separation of Charity and State
3. Next meeting of C.S. Lewis Society’s Bay Area Book Club: Film Showing
4. Other Events

1. Christian Groups Are Also Growing in Europe:

Accounts of the rapid spread of Christianity in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have become commonplace. Now, a July 14th, front-page article in the Wall Street Journal reports how Christianity is also growing in Europe as a result in part of the elimination of government funding for established national churches.

“In Europe, God Is (Not) Dead,” by Andrew Higgins

Especially among the young and after decades of decline, Christianity is on the rise as “monopoly churches” feel the taste of competition from leaner, more responsive, church groups emphasizing traditional spiritual faith. Baylor University sociologist and historian Rodney Stark is the key scholar to uncover this trend, based on his extensive examinations of religious changes since before the days of Jesus. Professor Stark has shown that private religious markets are far more effective in facilitating spiritual health than government-imposed or subsidized systems. His Pulitzer Prize-nominated book, THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY, traces the early Christian Church’s remarkable growth in the first three centuries as its being a voluntary movement based on spiritual enterprise and charity. But when the Roman Emperor Constantine began the process of nationalizing the Christian movement, shifting massive imperial funds from pagan temples into Christian organizations, the vibrant, pious, grassroots Christian movement was altered into a “Church of Power” vs. a “Church of Piety.” Professor Stark’s book FOR THE GLORY OF GOD then traces this rivalry through Christendom’s history, including the recurring rebellions within and without the Church leading up to religious wars, the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, and much more. The “Church of Power” bred corruption, tyranny, the Crusades, etc., while the “Church of Piety” fought for science, natural law and natural rights; the abolition of slavery, oppression, and witch hunts; and the salvation of all people.

THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY, by Rodney Stark

FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, by Rodney Stark

2. Separation of Charity and State:

In his brilliant classic, DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA, Alexis de Tocqueville discussed the extensive and highly effective system of voluntary charitable and other social organizations in early America. As with the early Christian movement, most early Americans were directly involved in their communities based on their Christian faith, and being independent of government power was key to this success.

Similarly, C.S. Lewis wrote critically of government involvement in charity in his essay, “Is Progress Possible? Willing Slaves of the Welfare State,” which is included in Lewis’s book, GOD IN THE DOCK:

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a37b88e73403b.htm

Now, Syracuse University economist Arthur Brooks has further advanced our understanding of the dynamics of charity in his widely acclaimed, new book, WHO REALLY CARES? For example, he shows that:

(1) People who practice religion, live in traditional nuclear families and reject the notion that the government should engage in income redistribution are the most generous Americans to both religious and non-religious charities. People who oppose government income redistribution donate four times as much money each year as do redistribution supporters, and on average, people of faith give more than 50% more money each year to non-church social welfare organizations than secularists do.

(2) Secularists who believe fervently in government welfare-state programs give far less to charity. They want everyone’s tax dollars to support charitable causes and are reluctant to write checks to those causes, even when governments don’t provide them with enough money.

(3) By every measure of well-being, people who are religious and attend church regularly are more happy, healthy, sociable, caring, charitable, constructive, and involved.

(4) The working poor give far more than the middle class and those who receive welfare.

“Eye-opening Statistics from WHO REALLY CARES?”

“Charity’s Political Divide,” by Ben Gose (Chronicle of Philanthropy)

WHO REALLY CARES?, by Arthur Brooks

THE VOLUNTARY CITY: Choice, Community, and Civil Society
Edited by David T. Beito, Peter Gordon and Alexander Tabarrok
Foreword by Paul Johnson

3. Next meeting of the C.S. Lewis Society’s Bay Area Book Club:

Film Showing and Discussion:

C. S. LEWIS: DREAMER OF NARNIA

Wednesday, July 25th, 7:30 p.m.

This new 75-minute film about C.S. Lewis is an excellent and entertaining documentary on the man behind the enormously popular book series, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. Produced by Walden Media and Walt Disney Productions, the film features interviews with Lewis’s stepson Douglas Gresham; actor Sir Ben Kingsley; science fiction writer Ray Bradbury; Lewis experts Paul Ford, Stan Mattson and Colin Duriez; and many others who either knew Lewis or have had their lives touched in a special way by him. Sections of the CHRONICLES are read by English schoolchildren or portrayed with animation cleverly devised from the Pauline Baynes illustrations. The score is first-rate, and the narration by “Lewis,” in the form of a letter written to children, is marvelous.

The meeting will be held at:

11990 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94619 (atop the Oakland hills)
510-482-2906 phone
wine, soft drinks and other refreshments served

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA book series

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (4 DVD extended disc set, including “Lewis: Dreamer of Narnia”; 150 min. for extended director’s cut version of film)

Here also is the schedule of future Lewis Society book club meetings:

http://www.lewissociety.org/bookclub.php

Here also is information on C.S. Lewis:

http://www.lewissociety.org/aboutlewis.php

We hope that you and/or others you know will be joining with us! (Please feel free to forward this update to others.)

4. Other Upcoming Events:

http://www.lewissociety.org/events.php

The 38th Annual Mythopoeic Conference (Mythcon XXXVIII), “Becoming Adept: The Journey to Mastery”
Sponsored by the Mythopoeic Society
University of California, Berkeley, CA
August 3-6, 2007

http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon38.html

“The Crisis of the University: Freedom, Tolerance and the Pursuit of Truth”
Sponsored by the C.S. Lewis Foundation
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
October 5-6, 2007

http://www.cslewis.org/programs/ff/2007/index.html

“C.S. Lewis: Man and His Work: A 21st Century Legacy”
Sponsored by L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture
Southeastern College at Wake Forest, Wake Forest, NC
October 26-27, 2007

http://www.sebts.edu/CSLewis/

From actors to directors, producers to writers, Screen International introduces the brightest new hopes of the British film industry. Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) is on the list. Here’s their write-up on him.

Ben Barnes is right on the cusp of the big time. He is starring as Prince Caspian in the second two installments of Walt Disney and Walden Media’s The Chronicles of Narnia. Not that he has had any time to think about what awaits him when the film is released.

Barnes was starring in the touring production of The History Boys at the end of last year, having just filmed a small role in Matthew Vaughn’s forthcoming Stardust, when he was cast as the orphan prince in the two Narnia epics. He then spent five months in New Zealand and Prague surrounded by a huge crew, vast sets and a cast of thousands.

He says the experience has not gone to his head: “I want to do character-driven films; I don’t care if it’s filming for seven months or five weeks.”

Disney takes us through a brief preview of the new lands we’ll soon explore and the larger than life characters we’ll meet.