We’ve just posted the fifth edition of the NarniaFans Mailbag. We’ve answered nine letters this week, including such topics as Andrew Adamson directing more Narnia films, Walden Media’s acquisition of the Narnia rights, and more!
Q: First of all,i’d like to congratulate the narniafan website. I’ts great!
Also will you please tell if the directer of LWW is doing every other narnia book?
-Bani
A: Thanks! As for Andrew Adamson, we only have confirmation for Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader at this point. Who knows if he’ll be the director on The Silver Chair, or if, like the Harry Potter series, they’ll start using other directors to play in the land of Narnia.
Q: Hi! It`s Lucy again. I was wondering: did Will really mean it when he said that Skandar was gay? Because I kinda hold a grudge on him now…
-Lucy
A: Actually, that was a joke, and in very poor taste on his part. I think it was meant to be like the banter and joking relationship that the two of them had/have on the Narnia set. It just doesn’t translate very well to an interview where Skandar doesn’t have the chance to joke back.
Q: This site is just so fantastic. The NarniaFans mailbag is amazing as well, because our questions actually get answered. 😛 I was dying to ask more questions, but I didn’t have any!
One question, though. Are there any job openings on NarniaFans? Just curious…
Keep up the amazing work! We love NarniaFans!
-Metin
A: Wow, thanks for the compliments! As for job openings, we don’t really post job openings, but there’s something to be done around the website! Fact checking, section updates, character database updates. I’d say, play to your strengths. If it is in news reporting, story writing, etc., just send in past experience, and anything you’d think might help and stuff like that. It may take a while (I have a pretty busy life right now) but I might eventually get back to you with something cool to do!
Q: This website is the best narnia website i have ever seen.
keep the good work up.
Ps-can you tell when you are going to get an interview (if you are ging to get) with Georgie Henley and Anna Popplewell?
-Bani alias Lucy
A: We don’t know when we’ll get an interview with either of them, but we feel it’s only a matter of time. We do have all the time in the world, afterall. Prince Caspian doesn’t hit until 2008, so there will be plenty of time.
Q: Hi! Your site is really interesting and informative. I love to check all the news concerning Narnia. And my question is when did the companies making the films about Narnia get their rights on this process? I mean was C.S. Lewis alive yet or did they do it with the help of his stepson or something like that? Actually I don’t know whether you can do it without an author himself or not. Can you explain some details on this subject? Thanks a million in advance!
-Marie, Russia
A: Walden Media co-founder Cary Granat secured the rights to C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series in 2001.
Talks about acquiring the rights to Narnia started in 2000, but took until 2001 to be secured. According to an interview with Walden Media co-founder Micheal Flaherty:
Some people say Phil Anschutz is just the big-money guy at Walden. How would you describe his role?
Flaherty: He’s intimately involved. Cary and I speak with him several times a week. When we first met with Phil [in 2000] and he decided he wanted to invest in the company, he was involved in everything from writing the mission statement to helping us identify properties. He asked us for ideas of books we would like to turn into films. We mentioned The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and [learned] that was really on Phil’s heart. He really wanted to see that film get made.
You said the Narnia conversations started in 2000. Where did it go from there? Did you just put it on the back burner?
Flaherty: No, it was definitely front burner. We needed to track down where the rights were, and that took up most of 2001—speaking with Douglas Gresham and the C. S. Lewis estate. Phil and Douglas had many great conversations, and I think Phil really won Douglas’s trust and confidence that he would make a faithful adaptation.
Q: Are you going to change the poll sometime? I like voting in polls but voted in this one six monthes ago.
-Claire
A: Yes. I just have a hard time coming up with poll ideas. If you, or anyone has an idea for a future poll, perhaps it can be a weekly thing, where we change it to a fan suggested poll.
Q: I know they made an attraction at the MGM Studios (Walt Disney World) called “Journey Into Narnia:Creating the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Have any of you been to that attraction? If you would like to see some pictures of the ride, please go to www.allearsnet.com! Hope you like the photos!
-Narnia Fan (Lilly’s Friend)
A: I personally haven’t been to it, but from what some of my friends who have, have said: they thought it’d be longer and more in-depth than it was. They expected more from it based on the title alone. I hope to visit Walt Disney World again, ASAP, and hope that they make the best of the Narnia name, without over-doing it. Too much merchandise for Narnia would probably be too much of a good thing, and I wonder if it’s something that C.S. Lewis would appreciate. However, if handled well, and limited, it could be handled very well.
Q: skandar, have you aver thought of becomeing a christian? and if not, i incourage you to.Bye!
-coraima medellin
A: Well, my name isn’t Skandar, and I’m not sure if he even reads this column, but I agree. And I recommend the “Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions.” It’s a spectacular book by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli. Hear Peter Kreeft’s audio on C.S. Lewis in this story.
Q: First off I want to say that Narniafans is an awesome site! I go hear for all my Narnia news. My question isn’t really Narnia related but here it is… does a camera, for filming, really add 10 pounds to a person?
-Caity
A: No, the camera doesn’t add 10 pounds. It is an optical illusion that often arises from self-image. Typically, people are their own worst judges, and might have poor self-esteem. This could cause someone to feel that they should be thinner looking in a picture. Also, shadows caused by a camera’s flash and angle, as well as clothes worn could also add to the effect. My advice: be happy with yourself. You are created perfect in God’s eyes, and His are the only eyes that truly matter. If you’re unhappy with how you look, the first step is to do some research to see if you’re at a healthy weight and body fat content for your age, height and body type. If you’re healthy, that’s all that matters, you don’t need to worry about losing weight at an extreme level. If you can see your ribcage, eat more, please. Get some meat on your bones. If you’re overweight, make in-roads to correcting this: try a change in diet, taking more walks, talking to a nutritionist or your doctor and put forth a little bit of effort. Even though you won’t see results right away, eventually the results will be very noticable. Especially in picture comparisons. Take your time, and be diligent.
And that’s it for Mailbag #5!
