Prince Caspian: Ben Barnes & why is he so old?

inkspot said:
Meanwhile, back at the Ben Barnes thread, no one was talking about how old he is ...
Click to expand...

I'm wondering if it's got to the stage where everyone is reserving judgment with the fact that he is old, and is waiting until the film comes out before they make their decision.
 
ABright5 said:
I'm wondering if it's got to the stage where everyone is reserving judgment with the fact that he is old, and is waiting until the film comes out before they make their decision.
Click to expand...
Doubtless, after the initial shock of his being five years older than William, who is playing a boy five years younger than the actor's age ... I have confidence Ben will do a good job, and I expect we will see a much younger actor for the 'child' portions of the story, when he has a nurse and his first interactions with Dr. Cornelius, perhaps.
 
inkspot said:
Doubtless, after the initial shock of his being five years older than William, who is playing a boy five years younger than the actor's age ... I have confidence Ben will do a good job, and I expect we will see a much younger actor for the 'child' portions of the story, when he has a nurse and his first interactions with Dr. Cornelius, perhaps.
Click to expand...


Unfortunately this is NOT going to happen.

Ben is the Only Caspian.
 
I'd agree with ya there Inkspot! They'd have to have a little kid for those scenes...it would look a bit strange for them to have a nurse figure following around a teenager or adult. They'll have to have a small kid for that part.

I think people are finally reserved to wait till the film comes out and then decide after they've seen the whole thing come together. Besides, they just announced a new actor for a role not in the book today...so I'm sure everyone will have something new to freak out over.

Edit: The part where they'd show the nurse may be so small that they haven't listed a child actor for it anywhere because it's so tiny. Ben is Caspian, but there's nothing to say that they wouldn't go the route of sticking a kid in like the stuck in adults for the Pevensies at the end of LWW.
 
Last edited:
Into the Wardrobe said:
I'd agree with ya there Inkspot! They'd have to have a little kid for those scenes...it would look a bit strange for them to have a nurse figure following around a teenager or adult. They'll have to have a small kid for that part.
Click to expand...

As I have said above, This is Not going to happen.
Sorry to disappoint you.

EDIT - I have had confirmation from the powers that be that there will only be 1 actor to play Caspian.
Sorry.
 
Last edited:
Bummer. Wow. It will be interesting to see how much they change the story then. Maybe they'll be cutting out the whole nurse thing totally. I'm sure they'll want to have Caspian look like he's capable of being powerful king...and it would look really bad to have a nurse following around someone Georgie's age let alone someone Ben's age. Even if he's supposed to look younger...in my opinion any teenage boy who had a nurse following him would look more like a baby and sort of a sissy...definitely not someone capable of looking like a king at any point. But, that's just my own thoughts.

The more I hear of changes to the story the less excited I get about seeing the film and more fearful that it's gonna be ruined. I'll always have the wait and see attitude on it...but that kind of news doesn't inspire much confidence.
 
Into the Wardrobe said:
Bummer. Wow. It will be interesting to see how much they change the story then. Maybe they'll be cutting out the whole nurse thing totally. I'm sure they'll want to have Caspian look like he's capable of being powerful king...and it would look really bad to have a nurse following around someone Georgie's age let alone someone Ben's age. Even if he's supposed to look younger...in my opinion any teenage boy who had a nurse following him would look more like a baby and sort of a sissy...definitely not someone capable of looking like a king at any point. But, that's just my own thoughts.

The more I hear of changes to the story the less excited I get about seeing the film and more fearful that it's gonna be ruined. I'll always have the wait and see attitude on it...but that kind of news doesn't inspire much confidence.
Click to expand...

You have to remember that this was written in the sort of time when the Nurse was a sort of house keeper, like the nurse in Peter Pan.
It would be usual for people who are well off to have a nurse to help out with stuff, and care for the children.
 
Yah, but she told fairy stories to little Caspian, so it's unlikely he was a teenager at the time. it will be a shame if they leave the old nurse out, because it's so touching -- years before he becomes king Caspian is directly responsible for her being driven away from her home and job (because he innocently talks to Miraz about the wonderful stories) and then when he is established as king, he finds her again, and he is so glad to see his nurse, his only mother figure, really ... It would be sad for that to be cut out!

I can't believe Adamson would do anything to destroy the story, so I have faith it will come out all right. But it is worrisome if there is going to be nothing of Caspian's childhoood in the movie. :(
 
inkspot said:
Yah, but she told fairy stories to little Caspian, so it's unlikely he was a teenager at the time. it will be a shame if they leave the old nurse out, because it's so touching -- years before he becomes king Caspian is directly responsible for her being driven away from her home and job (because he innocently talks to Miraz about the wonderful stories) and then when he is established as king, he finds her again, and he is so glad to see his nurse, his only mother figure, really ... It would be sad for that to be cut out!

I can't believe Adamson would do anything to destroy the story, so I have faith it will come out all right. But it is worrisome if there is going to be nothing of Caspian's childhoood in the movie. :(
Click to expand...

I agree there. I don't think Andrew would ruin it intentionally...and ruining it would be a bit subjective for each fan...but for those of us who have been life long fans, I agree that it will be troublesome for them to leave the nurse out. It's one of the nicest parts of the story...and as you put it Ink...very touching. I trust that Andrew will do well with the actors and special effects, but the weakest part by far of LWW was the script. I've been hoping PC would do a lot better. The more spoilers I hear, the less convinced I am.

Even in that day with nurses being like housekeepers in some ways...he'd still be way too old for one. Most nurses would be done with their jobs anyway by the time Caspian was that old. I wonder if Caspian will just tell the story of his old nurse as an adult. As you say Inkspot, she told him stories and he was inocent enough to tell his uncle about them to the point where she was sent away when he was young. It's possible that she'd show up where she's supposed to later in the film, but the audience won't have much of an emotional connection to her as they would if they showed when Caspian was small. If they put her in with him that old it's not gonna look right to me. Ah well, it's just another spot where the movie would be the less.

Don't mind me, I'm die hard on keeping things as close to the book as possible. I don't like changes at all, especially not to a story so beloved. I realize they have to do some changes in the order of things to make it come out right...but that's quite the fine line to walk. It's something all the special effects and great actors in the world can't overcome if the line is crossed too far.
 
I am agreeing with you. One reason Ben's age is a problem for us fans of the book, long-time fans of the book, is that he cannot be the innocent young Caspian who had this love of Old Narnia from his nurse. Even if old Ben tellls this story, there will be no way to make the emotional connection with the woman if she does appear at the end ... And that would be sad. :(
 
Too true Inkspot. I'm wondering what kind of rabbit Andrew Adamson is gonna pull out of his hat to pull this whole thing off and make it ok with the die hard, long time fans. It's gonna take a mighty big one from all that I've heard thus far. Personally I'm not sure that one that big exists unless some of the things I've heard are just rumors that aren't true.

I'll wait and see with a hopeful attitude. I hope that the movie will be up to par, otherwise the convention is gonna have some major issues.
 
His age isn't the big problem, it's the thought, risk, fear, and whatnot of changes to the story that have people on edge. I'm sure Ben will do fine with whatever he's given to do. His age just hints at more probable changes to the story from book to film. We'll see what happens there.
 
If they don't actually have a scene featuring a young Prince Caspian with his nurse, perhaps they will have some reference to it in the film. Either with Cornelius and Caspian or somewhere else in the film if and when there is a reunion of Caspian and his nurse from old. Let's hope they do something with it.
 
Son of Adam said:
If they don't actually have a scene featuring a young Prince Caspian with his nurse, perhaps they will have some reference to it in the film. Either with Cornelius and Caspian or somewhere else in the film if and when there is a reunion of Caspian and his nurse from old. Let's hope they do something with it.
Click to expand...

But they have to something about it because cornelius only came on the scene because the nurse left.

I'm glad there a cornelius because he is my favourite character.:) :p
 
And it would have hardly any impact if Caspian just told them. "I had this old nurse and ...." It would be much better to see what happens, just as we do in the book. But that woudl require a much younger actor to play younger PC.
 
Back
Top