"PC" Scoop with Douglas Gresham Interview

Exclusive Prince Caspian Updates with Douglas Gresham
04 Dec 2006 by Paul Martin

NarnianPrincess had the opportunity to interview C.S. Lewis' stepson Douglas Gresham about the progress on Prince Caspian. It's a very fun and entertaining read, and we'd like to thank Mr. Gresham for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions that we've all had regarding the production.

Hello NarniaFans! This is NarnianPrincess and I had the opportunity to interview Douglas Gresham about Prince Caspian. I tried to ask questions that you all had asked on the forum and such, and I really hope that you enjoying reading it! :-)

NarniaFans.com: At what stage is Prince Caspian right now?

Douglas Gresham: We are pretty well advanced in pre-production with most conceptual realisation about done and a lot of pre-vis animatic being done. Location choices are about settled. Set design is under way and casting is well advanced; in other words we are pretty sure what the movie will look like.

NarniaFans.com: When will you find out who is playing Caspian?

Douglas Gresham: Well that is very hard to estimate, but we are down to a pretty short list now I am told. I am off to Prague tomorrow to attend some meetings at which this question will be further addressed.

NarniaFans.com: When will filming begin?

Douglas Gresham: We hope to start filming in February.

NarniaFans.com: Can you tell us where Caspian will be filmed?

Douglas Gresham: Some of our filming will be done in New Zealand, and some in the Czech Republic, there may well be bits and pieces done elsewhere as well.

NarniaFans.com: What is your favorite part of the book?

Douglas Gresham: I think that the first meetings of Caspian with all the "Old Narnians" are some of the most charming and exciting scenes in the book.

NarniaFans.com: How closely will the movie adhere to the book?

Douglas Gresham: As closely as we can manage and yet still have a really exciting and beautiful movie.

NarniaFans.com: Are you, or would you consider, using any Americans in the movie?

Douglas Gresham: We are not particular about the nationality's of our cast as long as they can look and sound right for the roles they have to play, but that might tend to limit Americans pretty much in the Narnian Chronicles.

NarniaFans.com: Will, Anna, Skandar and Georgie are returning to play the Pevensies, are any other actors coming back from LWW?

Douglas Gresham: Let's see, Liam Neeson will be back as the voice of Aslan, but as we are about 1300 years later in Narnian time it might be a bit difficult to bring back anybody else.

NarniaFans.com: What is the main message that you think Jack (C.S. Lewis) wanted Caspian to illustrate?

Douglas Gresham: Prince Caspian is about a return to truth and justice after a centuries long corruption. Jack was also trying to illustrate some of the most important personal and interpersonal qualities that we need to have as individuals.

NarniaFans.com: If Jack wanted the books to be chronological, why are you making the movies in the original sequence?

Douglas Gresham: Well we aren't really, and in any case the order in which the books are read does not necessarily bear any relationship to how the movies should be made. We are making the movies in the most logically consistent order for filming. With Prince Caspian following The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, we have continuity of casting with the four children, and if we follow Prince Caspian with The Voyage of The Dawn Treader we will still have two of them. This gives us a trilogy of movies with a constant character thread, and then Eustace (introduced in VDT) and Jill, a new character would appear in The Silver Chair. After that we'll see.

NarniaFans.com: There are discussions on the forum about Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom playing Caspian, will you please negate that?

Douglas Gresham: Wouldn't they both be a bit old for the role? After all, how old do you think Caspian is?

[My note, I think Caspian should be 13-14ish. -NP]

NarniaFans.com: Will Henry Gregson-Williams be composing the score?

Douglas Gresham: Yes I think Harry will be back with us on this one at least.

NarniaFans.com: What do you want people to get out of the film?

Douglas Gresham: Several things, first, a great deal of enjoyment and excitement, and also a realisation that the great historic concepts so prevalent in the 19th century and before, such things as honour, loyalty, commitment, personal responsibility, courage, duty, honesty and chivalry to name but a few, are important and although they were more or less discarded in the 20th century, they are vital to the success of the societies of Man and we need to get them back. Also an understanding of the value of myth and fantasy, and the great delight of imagination.

NarniaFans.com: In the last film, you had a cameo as a radio announcer. Do you have a cameo in Caspian?

Douglas Gresham: Hah, wait and see. ;-)

NarniaFans.com: How do you think Caspian will compare to LWW?

Douglas Gresham: I think it will be a faster moving and in some ways more exciting film than LWW, and also there are lots more Narnian Characters to get to know. I think its going to be fascinating. It is our challenge as film, makers to improve and raise our standards of excellence with each succeeding movie, but of course we did set the bar pretty high with the first one. :-)

Blessings all,

Douglas Gresham.

NarniaFans.com: Thank you very much for your time Mr. Gresham! :-)

Thanks for reading everybody!
~NP