Exclusive Biola Spy Report – Voyage of the Dawn Treader Info

Friend of narniafans.com alenakatz, who attended last weekend’s Biola Media Conference, has submitted a report on the Dawn Treader trailer. Read on for some new details, but be warned – there are some spoilers.

alenakatz writes:

“This wasn’t another Narnia Faith Summit. This was the Biola Media Conference. We weren’t introduced to director Michael Apted and we didn’t attend a Lakers game, but we did hear from Micheal Flaherty, president & founder of Walden Media, and glimpse a little footage of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The difference? The footage was brand new.

“The ever gracious Flaherty prefaced our viewing with a candid interview, detailing Walden’s exceptional history and growth since Philip Anschutz’s first dedication to the company. When questioned about Dawn Treader’s production ups and downs, Flaherty replied he was more than pleased with Walden’s collaboration with Fox, and clarified that the split with Disney over the project was due to “real, honest creative differences,” said with sincerity and grace, even with former and present Disney executives Mark Zoradi and Dick Cook listening from the front row.

“Then came the blithely spoken but all too serious warning: ‘Fox is not happy about this,’ Phil Cooke, conference host and filmmaker, said of the upcoming presentation. Flaherty, and conference coordinators, apparently had to beg Fox to allow the screening of this footage, which, we were told multiple times, was not what was shown in February at the Narnia Faith Summit preview. Past leaks from the Biola Media Conference and elsewhere caused particularly heightened security, going beyond the typical verbal prohibition of videotaping and pictures to the presence of Fox officials with infrared glasses ready to nix potential infractions, along with a “Biola Media Conference” watermark within the footage. Whether in jest or not, this Twitter tweet indeed said it all: ‘Just got escorted out of conf. by badged men cause they thought I was bootlegging Voyage of the Dawn Treader trailer!’

“And boy, did they have something to protect!

“Though the footage was relatively unfinished, the overarching feel for the trailer was a mix of heartfelt epic and realistic joy. Special effects will be outstanding, as they were clearly just diamonds emerging from the rough, especially as regards Ramandu’s daughter. (Sorry, no hints about either her or Ramandu – he never appeared.) The ship is absolutely spectacular – fan photos or official ones alike don’t do it justice. Think bigger, brighter, and blazingly beautiful.

“As for characters and plot, the infamous MLG, aka Gael, made a few appearances, especially with Lucy, definitely intimating the establishment of a strong, perhaps sisterly, relationship. Based on the general fan assumptions about Gael, it appears the general consensus may very well be correct. Though Gael doesn’t exist in the book and has likely been added for the sake of plot furtherance, overall, the clip stuck with Lewis’s characters well, especially Lucy. Watching her became almost too easy for the audience, as her fresh, rich performance was so real and believable, especially for book purists. Reepicheep’s new voice seemed more character appropriate in keeping with the book and film, and is still very likable, considering his pseudo-Grecian heroic quest – something King Caspian needs to ponder, based on the little dialogue included. Though Eustace didn’t show up often, when he did, he more than earned Pug’s title (and my praise): Sulky.

“After the preview, Mr. Flaherty gave a few of his own opinions, saying that Eustace’s transformation, though not specifically described in the book, is shown in detail in the film, and came out “beautifully.” He repeated that sentiment regarding Eustace and Reepicheep’s friendship, something, he said, that makes the ending that much more stirring and bittersweet.

“In his closing remarks, Flaherty said that “Walden’s future is to find the great stories” and bring them to life from page to screen – exactly what it appears they’ve successfully done thus far with Dawn Treader. But as fans wonder at this new bit of film revelation, I leave them with a quote of Flaherty’s that deserves close, careful consideration: ‘In the book, Lewis goes out of his way to say, “You are what you read.”‘ What a statement to make Walden’s skipping rock – and fans’ hearts – skip a beat.”

Special thanks, alenakatz!