We’ve stumbled upon some more art that was prepared for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. One piece that I absolutely love is art that was done that would have set up The Silver Chair beautifully. It was a divergent part of the story that was in an earlier screenplay for Dawn Treader in which the Lady of the Green Kirtle (aka Emerald Witch) appears. It kind of cements the concept that the Green Mist was an extension of her / foreshadowing her as a greater problem.
It makes me wish that The Silver Chair had worked out and they were actually building that set at this moment. It’s simply stunning to me.
The other two pieces of art kind of played out on screen, when the Pevensies and Caspian took a look at the map at the magician’s house.
-via The Film Artist
Whoever that guy is, he looks like Sirius Black. And is that Tilda as the Green Lady?
That’s because it is Gary Oldman at the very least. Concept artists will use anything they can to get a concept across. It’s also likely that it’s Tilda as the Lady of the Green Kirtle in that concept art. That is also because the artist just wanted to get the scale of the atmosphere across, as well as the depth. He likely took a picture of the White Witch and merely re-colored it. It isn’t anything with regard to who would have played the Lady of the Green Kirtle. In fact, I was told that in this sequence, both Witches would have appeared side-by-side at some point. Plus, Gresham told me that they’d be casting someone else in the role.
Just when I thought they couldn’t have done any worse….I’m sorry, but if they had had HER in the movie, I’d have walked out. Even though this wasn’t in the movie, I’ve lost complete respect for the people in charge of these movies. Put Peter Jackson in charge of directing/writing them, since he can make DECENT adaptations and knows what will and won’t make fans angry the most.
Wow.. I know you acknowledged the fact that it wasn’t actually in the movie, but you’re still responding as if it was. If anything, the fact that it wasn’t in the movie should tell you something. This was something they didn’t cut for time or money issues. This was something they cut because the script was terrible. What I’d heard was this was in a script that wound up in the trash. It was written by the third screenwriter. They hired a fourth who came in, and returned to what Markus and McFeely had written and re-wrote that script and what we got was by far closer to the book.
(Check out this summary: http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/24810141.html, you’ll see it starts out with the letter from Susan and whatnot. A really good way to explain that part of the book. But then… oh boy.)
Too many cooks in the kitchen. That’s one of the main things that sunk this movie early on.
Andrew Adamson had a clear vision for what LWW and PC could be, and everyone got excited and rallied around him. Although there were plenty of script changes, Adamson always had a fundamental vision of what the movie was going to be.
With VDT, it seems like they could not figure out what kind of movie it was supposed to be. I think the book was so different from HP and LotR that they didn’t know what to do with it.
“I think a lot of movies fail to hit their target because there wasn’t a single vision.” –Andrew Adamson
I’m not alone in thinking the film was the best of the three, not “sunk” at all. But you all knew that. Nevertheless, the problem here was the change in studios. Disney’s VDT was going to be closer to the one we got, and this art was based on Fox’s hired screenwriter.
If it was the best of the three, what “problem” are you referring to? 😉
You still up for recording a debate? Maybe for YouTube?
The problem I was referring to was the Lady of the Green Kirtle appearing in the script. Nothing with the final. lol…
As for the debate, I would if I had some time, but I’m currently developing that Narnia show for Middle-Earth Network Radio, and working on a few other big projects that are taking all of my personal time. Perhaps at some point, but at the moment, I just don’t have time.
You guys should totally do a debate. That would be very entertaining.
[In response to Paul’s post to my comment, in case it puts my reply somewhere else]. No, I have a reason to be upset, and frankly, I’m still at a loss as to why “narnia fans” [not the site, the people] call this movie the “best of the 3” and “more faithful” than Prince Caspian. Puhlease. This film was horrible, not only in terms of movie [plot holes, crappy dialogue, terrible acting, among other things], but also in adding things that would’ve made Lewis roll over in his grave. The Green mist for example would’ve been one major thing that made Lewis turn over in his grave, as well as the characters’ reliance on themselves and not on Aslan [to deny this is to prove that your head is buried in the sand, no offense]. Where was Ramandu? Where was the TRUE story of Bern and the others? Why no explanation of what Edmund called “the knife”? Because the people who wrote the script did NOT care what was in the book, and I still believe they didn’t read the book. It is on this belief that I hope no other movies are made as long as these so-called “writers” are in charge of writing the scripts. They’re horrible, and need to be replaced by writers who can not only produce good movies like LWW, but movies that are more faithful to the material AND to the spirit of the book. Dawn Treader sunk, and I’ve almost never walked out of a theater feeling so heartsick at a movie’s failure to live up to my expectations. I walked out of Dawn Treader feeling utterly let down and disappointed, and I personally believe that the dismal box office returns prove that the fans didn’t respond to the movie positively. You can blame it on the weather, circumstances, etc. all you want, but again, that’s proof that your head is buried in the sand. Oh yeah, and did you EVEN NOTICE that the writers couldn’t name the island with gold-creating water correctly? They named it Goldwater, not Deathwater. Still believe they were faithful to the book? There’s no hope then. As long as I’m a Narnian book fan, I will protest any more attempts to convert the books into movies. I’ll send letters and petitions if I have to. To me, having movies is not worth sacrificing the great quality of the books which has been lost in Dawn Treader, and I think that Dawn Treader was the movie that destroyed the franchise. If it’s the best they can do, I say “good riddance” with all my heart.
And frankly, my comment doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what is wrong with this movie, because each time I watch it, I rack up another set of problems. Trust me. I can outline each in detail if you’d like my own proof. Because nobody has given proof that this movie is more faithful to the book. They just claim that it is.
You do realize that they had a limited budget on the movie, so it had to be less than 2 hours if I’m correct. Adding more was pretty much impossible, they gave us as much as possible. And they were relying on Aslan and not themselves. Aslan is who saved them from the serpent by sending Eustace, in human form now, to place the last sword. HE EVEN PROVIDED THE SWORDS!!!! I did notice that they tried to ease down the talk with Aslan and Lucy. They made it more about her value as a person than her sin of playing with magic, which I didn’t appreciate.
Don’t put narnia fans in quotes as if you don’t believe we could be narnia fans because we found this movie to be the best of the three. It is very condescending, as if you’re separating yourself from those that enjoy something that was created to be enjoyed. If you don’t enjoy it, fine. Live and let live. I found the acting, the performances, to be better in this than in the previous two films, by the ensemble cast. There are stand-outs in each one, mind you, but the children in particular improved with each. Georgie and Skandar, you could see the improvement from one film to the next to the next. That was awesome to see. And Caleb put it right, the DID put their trust in Aslan. They had to have done so to trust that the seven swords were even going to work at all. Someone merely stating “we did it” does not take away that fact. In all actuality, her statement can be taken as “we trusted Aslan and accomplished the task that he set for us to do.”
Also, Goldwater WAS the name of the island, but shortly thereafter, they decided Deathwater was a better name. They were being faithful to the book. If you cannot believe they actually read the book, then how was anything that happened in the movie actually in the movie? The characters, the locations, the events.
And the Box Office was not dismal. It was the same as it was for Prince Caspian. In fact, overseas it did better than Prince Caspian did. If it had pulled the same numbers in the U.S. as Prince Caspian did, then it would have been higher than Caspian.
Why can’t you let us love a movie that you hate? Why? Is it that important to you that everyone feel what you feel? And if you hate it so much, how many times have you watched it and why do you keep doing so?
And Caleb was right, the screentime was cut by the budget, they couldn’t fit everything in that they would have liked. But they did give us something that we wanted: the dialog at Aslan’s Country about being known by another name.
I used to think the same way as you for many other stories that went through similar ordeals. True there are lot of things we wish could have been like the book, but a book is a whole lot different than a film. A book you can have all the fine details you want to get the message across. In films there is only a two-three hour time to tell the whole story. Films have to make sacrifices with scenes and they won’t all be the sacrifices we want, but they are made nonetheless. Actually Dawn Treader was the first film that I really appreciated and knowing if Paul hadn’t prepared me and help me understand the world of films, I would have despised it like you do. I admit I liked LWW better due to the closeness to the book and the magic Adamson brought, but that doesn’t mean I am never going to watch VDT. Watch behind the scenes and interviews to truly help understand this. You may not agree with all, but some of their words will click and open the door.
Paul, no one can really know, but it is possible the financial success of VODT was in part due to the long term benefit for the cinematic Narnia world of the Prince Caspian movie.
The PC dvd sales were better by abit than VODT.
Also, VODT was maybe the most inherently cinematic story out of all the chronicles so far in making an straight ‘adventure movie’ – the only equal to it being the as yet un-made Horse & His Boy.
I don’t think VODT is a bad movie by the way, & while not my favorite, there is lots to enjoy about it and can see why it can be a fav. for others.
Everybody doesn’t think alike,but just condescending on those who think otherwise isn’t quite right..VDT is not a very easy book to make into a movie with every detail in place, it would be too long and you have to keep in mind the budget too..I really think they did a good job and kept the essence, especially in the end..There have been shortcomings as all movies have but you don’t need to gloat over them..If you find it really disappointing,its fine but you don’t need to be harsh to people who think its good..And the movie really did well overseas,it even once beat HP somewhere in india…its quite a good movie in my opinion 🙂
Those are SO COOL!!!! It’s funny how Caspian and the Pevensies look like they did in “Prince Caspian”. I kinda like that it’s like that. 🙂
Too bad the map didn’t look like that in the movie, it would have been amazing! And warning them about the Green Witch, that might have been cool too! Atleast it gives more meaning to the random Dark Island mist thingy. They could have set it up to be a spell the Green Witch had cast to take people to the underworld. Then at the end, they don’t find the missing Narnian’s. Instead they are never found, and in the Silver Chair they find them in the Underworld under a spell. Wouldn’t that have been awesome!
Exactly.. one big problem would likely be that the Children never leave until a problem is resolved. At this point, they likely wouldn’t have left until the Underworld is found and invaded.
Though I think it would have been really cool if it set up the Green Witch to take revenge on Caspian and the Narnians for The Silver Chair, if they had freed the people. Clearly, the Green Witch wants the people for something, and won’t give up just because they’d all been free at some point. Plus, that would help with the reason for the sacrifice to the Mist. Those people were probably working with the Green Witch, to bring people for her.
If they had LOTGK, in it, it would have to have been quick and set up some unresolved tension…. Ok I really hate to go on this tangent because it is so far from the book but bear with me. What if they had emphasized the romance between caspian and liliandil. if the story had been structured so that it would follow the book order yet focus on the last half of the book (maybe tell the opening event in passing and begin the movie in the middle???) they have caspian and liliandil meet and fall in love, but there is the mystery women, the women in the green smoke who appears to caspian. A forshadowing of the future, she’s obviously enticing him, even after the dark Island falls shes still enticing him. The last scenes of the movie would take place after the pevensies leave (which would help set up the eustace storyline) we see the mysterious women trying to stop caspians wedding we see them get married, we see the witch in her lair scream… and the movie ends. For this storyline to work properly, and keep at least a semblence of the book they would probably have to turn VODT and SC into a trilogy of sorts. VOTD part one, would focus on the Eustace storyline, and begin the quest to find the lords, introduce the green mist to tease us into the second movie, and end with eustaces “Salvation.” VOTD part 2, would be more complex, would focus on the defeating the green mist/dark island and Caspians-and liandils relationship, it would end the pevensies story-ark, and introduce lotgk who tries to seduce Caspian, She would in essence be defeated twice, but only partially. The third part would be of course a very close adaptation of SC…
Please no hate posts. Not saying this is what I’d want to see but it is a plausible hypothesis for how they could use VOTD as an introduction to SC, and how the green mist could have been done better, though I would rather them do the book better and leave the green mist out of it
I know! I don’t mind a change from the books if it’s something like this that keeps the important stuff but keeps people coming to the movies. I”m guessing they cut all this out because they didn’t know if they could do SC, or even because they wanted to do MN next. Adding all of this would have been forcing SC.
I wouldn’t have liked having the Green Witch in VDT at all, but I agree that it would have made the whole green mist thing make a lot more sense.
Those are pretty beautiful concept arts. Too bad they didn’t make it to the final cut of VDT, minus the Emerald Witch scene. At least Silver Chair will be made shortly after Magician’s Nephew so it almost feels like it is being done back to back.
Unfortunately the films are in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment. It could be a long time before we see another Narnia film. When we do, it will either continue the series from where we left off, or be a reboot.
I really hope it’s not a reboot. If it is I’ll be really sad, because I think the movies are perfect. VDT was lacking the Andrew Adamson-ness of it and I am determined to have him direct the rest of them, but it’s those actors/characters that I’ve fallen in love with and it’s too soon to re-boot the series. Maybe in 20 years or something, but not now.
Reboot in meaning starting from Magician’s Nephew and attempt to get the similar attraction of LWW? What I said is based on the previous news and idea. It doesn’t seemed to have changed or moved further or back. So I am just basing my view on the latest news, but I know it will likely change. I will change my views until the next news of development.
For those interested in Concept Art, there is a whole raft of artwork, storyboards and animatics for Voyage of the Dawn Treader posted in this thread here on the Narniaweb forums:
http://forum.narniaweb.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2779
There are many pieces there which relate to the “leaked script” era of the movie, including the artwork above, and many equally intriguing pieces which hint at numerous scenes very different to the final movie. Go check them out and feel free to comment and add any new finds! 🙂
While I appreciate the links to any other Narnia related material, we have a large and vibrant community here as well.
Nice artwork. Part of me is glad this didn’t make it in the final movie, but part of me is sad as well.
To keep it short, I’m glad because I think even this final version was a better adaptation than this would have been. Not by too much, but still better. I’m sad because maybe this version of VDT would have been a more liked film by the critics, maybe drawing in more movie going audience, and maybe bringing in more movie news.
Well, I guess we’ll have to wait until Spring 2014 to see the moratorium end at the earliest, I believe. Oh well, back to being like Lucy I go. Besides, at least we have The Hobbit films coming out back to back this and next December. 🙂
If there was a “like” button, I would press it.
Though I am glad the Lady of the Green Kirtle was omitted, I have to admit that these concepts are beautiful. Coriakin’s map is amazing as well! Being somewhat of an artist myself (but not a very good one!), I love any type of painting about Narnia!
Ditto!! 🙂
These concept arts are really beautiful..
The artwork is really beautiful. I just wish we weren’t at a hold in the movie series. I wish they could get the legalities worked out and start moving on the series.
I must say that I wish that the map looked like this in the movie, even though it was one of my least favourite scenes.
I’m so confused. And it’s pretty much my own fault, since I haven’t visited this site in such a long time. 😛
But anyway, my main question is: Is it a done deal that Walden isn’t going to make The Silver Chair?
If so, is there anything out there about the possibility of them making Magician’s Nephew? I would really appreciate some answers 😀
Right now there are no plans for another movie, at least for the time being.
Ahh, okay. Well, actually, it’s NOT okay, but you get my point.
Well, that just ruined MY Friday. 🙁