tirian_son_of_erlian
Active member
Three of the heartwarming stories in "The Chronicles of Narnia" have already been produced, the third of which, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treador," is set for release in theaters December 10, 2010. Of the remaining four stories, which do you believe has the greatest potential to succeed? And why?
Personally (and contrary to many-held notions) I believe "The Horse and His Boy" has the greatest opportunity to succeed on screen, for several reasons.
Before I list these reasons, I want to dispel what I believe is an unreasonable fear: that of the portrayal of the Calormenes. My belief is that they will be portrayed somewhat similarly to the Telmarines in "Prince Caspian." Now one must consider there was no outcry against the cultural characterization of the Telmarines in "Prince Caspian." So, why would their be any outcry against the portrayal of the Calormenes in "The Horse and His Boy"? I don't believe there will. I believe they will be depicted as described in the novels, without any mystical turbans or otherwise "discriminating" features.
Anyway, if you have an open mind, read on. First, the story takes place during the Golden Age of Narnia's history. Fans (even those of just the movies) are naturally curious about this time period, when the Pevensies ruled as young adults before returning to our world through the Wardrobe. But the story is about more than just the good ole' days of yore. It's about three countries, all of which border the Great Eastern Sea, and their interrealtionship amid a plot by one to overtake the other two; and it's about the lives of several important characters from each country.
Although the book starts out as an adventure of a boy escaping with a talking horse and embarking on the adventure of his life, the movie has the opportunity to begin differently. It could establish the political climate, by beginning with the Pevensies sailing to Calormen. We can also be introduced to King Lune, as a generally happy king whose only sadness is the loss of his son Cor ten years ago. And we can be introduced to Calormen first through Shasta and Aravis and gradually through the city of Tashbaan (which could be visually stunning because of its design), not only a major destination point on their journey, but also the political center of Calormen and the place where Aravis uncovers Prince Rabadash's plot.
In addition to the intriguing political plots that I could easily discuss at greater length, "The Horse and His Boy" would clearly be epic in nature. The story is, in fact, a journey-the journey of Shasta (and Aravis) from a land of oppression to the free land of Narnia (in the North). It is spread across an array of natural environments, including the seaside towns of Calormen, the spiraling ancient city of Tashbaan, the Great Southern Desert (bordered by the Winding Arrow River), the countryside of Archenland (and it's secluded capitol of Anvard), and Stormness Head in the Southern Mountains of Narnia. The epic story is propelled by Rabadash's plot and culminates in the Battle of Anvard, a conflict that involves both King Edmund and Queen Lucy. Queen Susan is featured in the plot by Rabadash, and would appear in the movie as well, although Peter would probably not (since he is fighting giants in the North, an irrelevant point to the plot), but fans could look forward to seeing him, and not Susan most likely, in "The Last Battle."
Again, I could discuss at greater length the great reasons why this great story has the most potential to succeed as a movie. However, I am interested in your opinions too. I love all of the other Narnia stories, and would love to see any of them made into a movie. I'm interested in which ones you believe have the greatest capacity to succeed as a FILM and why you believe so.
Personally (and contrary to many-held notions) I believe "The Horse and His Boy" has the greatest opportunity to succeed on screen, for several reasons.
Before I list these reasons, I want to dispel what I believe is an unreasonable fear: that of the portrayal of the Calormenes. My belief is that they will be portrayed somewhat similarly to the Telmarines in "Prince Caspian." Now one must consider there was no outcry against the cultural characterization of the Telmarines in "Prince Caspian." So, why would their be any outcry against the portrayal of the Calormenes in "The Horse and His Boy"? I don't believe there will. I believe they will be depicted as described in the novels, without any mystical turbans or otherwise "discriminating" features.
Anyway, if you have an open mind, read on. First, the story takes place during the Golden Age of Narnia's history. Fans (even those of just the movies) are naturally curious about this time period, when the Pevensies ruled as young adults before returning to our world through the Wardrobe. But the story is about more than just the good ole' days of yore. It's about three countries, all of which border the Great Eastern Sea, and their interrealtionship amid a plot by one to overtake the other two; and it's about the lives of several important characters from each country.
Although the book starts out as an adventure of a boy escaping with a talking horse and embarking on the adventure of his life, the movie has the opportunity to begin differently. It could establish the political climate, by beginning with the Pevensies sailing to Calormen. We can also be introduced to King Lune, as a generally happy king whose only sadness is the loss of his son Cor ten years ago. And we can be introduced to Calormen first through Shasta and Aravis and gradually through the city of Tashbaan (which could be visually stunning because of its design), not only a major destination point on their journey, but also the political center of Calormen and the place where Aravis uncovers Prince Rabadash's plot.
In addition to the intriguing political plots that I could easily discuss at greater length, "The Horse and His Boy" would clearly be epic in nature. The story is, in fact, a journey-the journey of Shasta (and Aravis) from a land of oppression to the free land of Narnia (in the North). It is spread across an array of natural environments, including the seaside towns of Calormen, the spiraling ancient city of Tashbaan, the Great Southern Desert (bordered by the Winding Arrow River), the countryside of Archenland (and it's secluded capitol of Anvard), and Stormness Head in the Southern Mountains of Narnia. The epic story is propelled by Rabadash's plot and culminates in the Battle of Anvard, a conflict that involves both King Edmund and Queen Lucy. Queen Susan is featured in the plot by Rabadash, and would appear in the movie as well, although Peter would probably not (since he is fighting giants in the North, an irrelevant point to the plot), but fans could look forward to seeing him, and not Susan most likely, in "The Last Battle."
Again, I could discuss at greater length the great reasons why this great story has the most potential to succeed as a movie. However, I am interested in your opinions too. I love all of the other Narnia stories, and would love to see any of them made into a movie. I'm interested in which ones you believe have the greatest capacity to succeed as a FILM and why you believe so.
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