May 23, 2008

Return to Narnia

TFK chats with the cast of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

By Vickie An

Prince Caspian reigned at the box office on its opening weekend, making more than $56 million in its first three days. The action-packed adventure is the second film in The Chronicles of Narnia series, based on the books by C.S. Lewis. The first was 2005's wildly successful The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC./WALDEN MEDIA, LLC. (From left) Keynes, Moseley, Barnes, Popplewell and Dinklage prepare for battle in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, in theaters now.

In the latest installment, it has been a year since the Pevensie siblings - Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) - jumped back through the wardrobe from Narnia. When the former kings and queens finally return to the enchanted land, they learn that the mystical kingdom they once ruled is long gone. More than 1,300 years have passed and the Telmarines, led by the villainous King Miraz, have conquered the land. The Narnians have been forced into hiding. And Aslan, Narnia's mighty lion guardian, has not been seen in centuries. Now, it's up to the Pevensies to help Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), the rightful Telmarine king, reclaim the throne and restore peace.

TFK caught up with some of the cast members earlier this month in New York City. Here's what Moseley, Popplewell and Henley, and newcomers Barnes and Peter Dinklage (who plays a Red Dwarf named Trumpkin) told reporters about their magical journey to Narnia.

TFK:

In Prince Caspian, Aslan shows himself to Lucy first. Why does she have a closer relationship with him than the others?

Georgie Henley:

I think that Lucy's connection to Aslan has something to do with the fact that she's the youngest and she's always had a more open mind than the others. She introduced her siblings to Narnia and got them caught up in the whole thing. So, Aslan shows himself to her first because he knows that she will believe that he is actually there.

TFK:

What do you think caused the lack of faith in Aslan?

William Moseley:

I think Peter just feels very self-entitled. I think his ego got on top of him. He was the high king of Narnia once. Then he goes back to England and no one has any respect for him. Then he returns to Narnia 1,300 years later and no one has any respect for him there either. (He wanted to prove that) he could save the day without Aslan's help.

TFK:

You've mentioned in previous interviews that Miraz is much scarier than the White Witch from the first film. Why?

Moseley:

Well, to be quite frank, the White Witch is not a human and Miraz is a human. I think whenever you're fighting humans, you're fighting something that is real. It's a different world. As scary as the White Witch is, Miraz is on another level.

TFK:

There is a lot more action this time around, and Susan gets to join in. What was it like?

Anna Popplewell:

I loved being part of the action. I was the only one on the battlefield in a skirt! And I was definitely keen to make sure that I could keep up with the guys. It was nice to get to use my bow and arrow more creatively.

TFK:

How was it being the new guy on set?

Ben Barnes:

When I first got the part, I wanted to know as much as possible about the four of them (Moseley, Popplewell, Keynes and Henley). So, I got the first film on DVD and watched the extras. And there's Georgie going, "Oh, we're like a family. Will's like my big brother, and Andrew (Adamson, the director,) is like my dad when my dad's not there." I thought, it's not going to be like that! But it is. I walked into the production office and they were playing table tennis and sharing ice cream. They were very welcoming.

TFK:

What do you think about the Prince Caspian action figure?

Barnes:

It's scary... when I thought (about it, I realized that) what this probably entails is a 6-year-old smashing my head against the table! That's what I did with my Transformers and He-Man when I was little. Chewing on the fingers... That's the reality of it, isn't it?

TFK:

Trumpkin, a Red Dwarf, is also introduced in this film. What's he like?

Peter Dinklage:

Trumpkin is a healthy cynic. It's funny that the character is a Narnian who is surrounded by talking badgers and whatnot. Yet, he's a disbeliever in things that are spiritual or magical. (Laughs) He's like, "What? It's just a talking badger drinking a cup of coffee." But Lucy brings down Trumpkin's cynical veneer.

TFK:

Did transforming into Trumpkin take a long time?

Dinklage:

It did. It took three hours every morning (to put on the makeup). The makeup artists make Trumpkin so much neater. It's strange, because I've never really been in that much makeup before. It's wild the first couple of times you see yourself in the mirror.

TFK:

Were there any funny moments on set?

Barnes:

There's a bit in the movie where we're flying with gryphons and land on top of Miraz's castle. I was hoisted up on these wires by my ankles and shoulders and holding my sword. In the scene, you "fly in," and your feet get released from the wires, and then you land. But on the first try, they didn't release my feet. I went headfirst into the thing! Everyone heard this (loud thump), and then, "Ow..."

TFK:

In the Narnia books, Susan and Peter don't appear in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Was it hard wrapping this film knowing that two of you weren't coming back?

Henley:

Wrapping the film was OK because we knew we'd see each other (on the press tour). But I think it's going to be quite hard (after this). I started auditioning when I was 7, and I met the others when I was 8. I'm 13 in July. That's an amazing journey to spend with a group of people. We have such an amazing bond, and I don't think it will break.

Moseley:

For me, it was actually really sad filming the final scene where Peter hands the sword over to Caspian. (Peter and Susan) were ready to leave Narnia. But I was still thinking, "Am I ready to leave Narnia, as William?" But now that I've seen the film, I do feel like I've moved on. I'm ready for something different. Like Georgie said, whenever we see each other, we'll slip back into those dynamics again.

Popplewell:

It was bittersweet shooting the ending of this movie. Will and I knew that we weren't coming back after this. But at the same time, I'm excited to do new things.

TFK:

What have Peter and Susan learned from Narnia?

Moseley:

I think Peter learns a very important lesson in humility. Leadership is about serving other people and about serving a country - not serving yourself. Peter had to learn and reinstate his trust in Aslan. There's definitely a strong leadership journey there.

Popplewell:

Susan learns that it's OK to have experiences like this, and then go back to the real world. In the first film, the kids have the challenge of becoming kings and queens. And then they have the challenge of going back to being kids in the real world. I think Susan's issue of being in Narnia this time around is not that she doesn't believe in Narnia. She just accepts that at any minute, they could be called back to the real world.

TFK:

Lucy and Edmund are returning to Narnia for Voyage of the Dawn Treader. What're your statuses?

Barnes:

My status? I play Caspian, I think. (Laughs) Yes, it's a go. I'm now King Caspian! Or, Your Majesty is fine. We're going to start shooting in October.

Dinklage:

Yes, I am in the next one.

Popplewell:

You're going to be the lead, correct?

Dinklage:

Yes! It's going to be Voyage of the Dawn Trumpkin. The Good Ship Lollipop and the Trumpkin!

Click here to return to TFK’s 2008 Summer Movie Preview.

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