The first bit is mostly opening pleasantries, but the main interview starts around 0:22, and the total running time is 3:28. Apted was extremely kind and gracious and we had a wonderful time hearing from him. Will Poulter [who plays Eustace Clarence Scrubb] and Georgie Henley [who plays Lucy Pevensie] explained to us in an interview yesterday (see this article) that their beloved director had a characteristically British dry wit, and we could see what they meant in this wonderful interview he gave us! We have posted the audio of the interview here; please click below to download:
There were several things narniafans.com finds interesting in this interview. First, while there has been no official announcement on which book will be next turned into a film, Michael Apted tells us that (unofficially) there has been a decision to make the Silver Chair next. This doesn’t mean that it is the official announcement, but it is a very interesting piece of information for us fans! We think it is safe to say, however, that unless there is some major new unforeseen development, then The Silver Chair will be the next Narnia film! Second, Apted spoke with us regarding his directing philosophy. As Henley and Poulter pointed out in the previously mentioned interview, he is an “actor’s director”, and he explained to us why that is.
Here is the interview in its entirety. Enjoy!
——————-Begin Interview Transcript——————-
Narniafans.com: Can you tell us about when you first read the books, what your background is with the books
Michael Apted: No I didn’t…when they were written, when they came out, I was sort of in my teens. I didn’t grow up with them, the books weren’t written when I was growing up, so they weren’t a big part of my life, even though I had three children, so I really read them when this job came up. I mean I knew C.S. Lewis from his other books, but not these particular books.
NF: Yesterday I was interviewing Will [Poulter, who plays Eustace Clarence Scrubb] and he warmly told me that you were an “actor’s director.” And I just wanted to get your take on what your directing philosophy is.
Apted: Well, I think that’s true. To me, that’s the most important part of my job. You know, you can see circumstances where directors who make great films are more interested in the camera or the visual effects than the actors, than the performers, and I always felt that the success or failure of the sort of films I do depends on the quality of the actors, the qualities of the performances I can get out of them. So you know, I just spent a lot of time with them, not telling them what to do, I don’t mean that, but just making them the center of the whole operation. Not all this stuff and all that, to try and make them think about what they’re doing, to know that in my world, they’re the most important people.
NF: And it seemed like that is exactly what they got from your [directing].
Apted: Yeah, I hope so. I mean, that’s been my biggest interest doing this job in my over 40 years that I’ve been doing it. I think that’s key to it. You can’t have a good film that isn’t well-acted.
NF: I guess sort of more personal one-is there any news regarding directing the next one for you?
Apted: No they have only sort of decided I think to do the Silver Chair, but they haven’t started or hired a writer or anything. This one took a long time from when I was first hired in 2007 and here we are now in 2010.
NF: Speaking of that, can you talk about what some of the hardest challenges for you and your team was?
Apted: Well, it was a hard book to adapt. And then, you know we started perhaps too early when they were still making Caspian. And so everything got a bit jammed. You know and there were the troubles in Hollywood with the writer’s strike and stuff like that. Then Disney pulled out of the film and Fox went into the film, but you know, we had a lot of-it was a bit of a roller coaster frankly and we were sort of worried that we’d ever make the film; but uh, here we are! [laughing]
NF: Outstanding! And we are overjoyed that it is here!
Apted: Good. Well, thank you both very much.
NF: Thanks so much for your time!