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First, let me thank 20th Century Fox for inviting me!
Earlier today, I had the extraordinary opportunity to preview a whole half hour of Dawn Treader footage!
I arrived before the screening started, and had the honor of meeting both Mark Johnson and Michael Apted. Mr. Johnson called the movie, “A lot different than the last two,” but added that it will be a really good film.
Dawn Treader posters were hung about everywhere, while a huge standee (one we’ve seen before- with a wheel that looks like it can control the Dawn Treader ship) was placed near the sign-in booth. The footage was shown on a huge screen, starting with an introduction from Mark Johnson and followed by Michael Apted. He said that he was pressured to make a good adaption of the film, as there are “Narnia police everywhere.”
Michael Apted then began to talk about the themes played out in the movie, mainly being how one would react in another world, growing up, and temptation. Michael apted explained how the themes played in the movie, and how they relate to people all over the world. He talked about how it was a monumental challenge to play these themes through the movie, remaining consistent with itself.
A sort-of super trailer was shown. It had mainly all the scenes from the first trailer with about double the scenes added in. Let me tell you, it was awesome. We saw a lot of King Caspian, polished footage from the first trailer, with a mix of the second trailer thrown in. It was action packed, magical, and adventurous all at the same time. Most of the footage in the trailer is included in my transcript of the film that we were shown.
We prescreened the first ten minutes of the film, and it was TOTALLY how I imagined it.
Transcript: WARNING. The following is a near word-for-word transcript of EXTREME spoilers.
20th Century Fox (there was a report earlier that Fox 2000 was in charge of the film- but the logo was 20th Century Fox) Logo.
Walden Media Logo.
Shot of a clock tower, with lion decorations.
(supposed) Planes fly by, soldiers load gates into a truck, and an ‘enlist’ poster is shown, as in the trailer. People ride bikes and cars in the background.
Edmund is seen enlisting. The recruiter asks if he’s 18, and he shows him a card. “Alberta Scrubb”. “Its a typography error. It’s Albert A. Scrubb.” replies Ed- as Lucy holds groceries in the background. “Edmund, you’re supposed to be helping with the groceries.” “Better luck next time, eh squirt!” Edmund and Lucy walk outside. Ed: “Squirt? He hardly had two years on me! I’m a king! I fought four huge battles- and-” Lucy: “Not in this world!” Edmund: “Yeah, I’d rather be fighting in the war than battling with Eustace.”
Lucy fixes her hair in a mirror, and ‘hopes she looks as beautiful as Susan’.
Lucy and Edmund return to the house. Lu: “We have the groceries. They didn’t have any carrots, so I had to get turnips again. Hello? Uncle?” the uncle doesn’t reply- he’s reading the newspaper. Edmund sticks out his tongue at him. Eustace: “Ed’s making faces at you again!” Edmund goes to hit Eustace, but he crouches down and calls for his dad. Edmund backs down.
Lucy and Edmund talk in their room. Lu finds a letter. It’s from Susan. Susan (showing her write): “America is an adventure- not like our adventures in Narnia. Mum will be prolonged about three or four months, so you will have to remain with Eustace for now.” Ed and Lu seem angered at this.
Eustace walks into the room.
Eustace: “There once were two little orphans (Michael Apted explained this, saying it was meant to convey they were separated from their parents at the time because of the war), who believed in Narnian nursery rhymes.” Edmund replies with his own rhyme, which Eustace gets mad at. The two being to fight, and Edmund tells Eustace to have respect- Eustace replies, “I don’t need to- this is my house! You’re just guests!” Edmund gets angry again, and holds his hand over the door so that Eustace could not get out. “Call for daddy now!” The picture of the Dawn Treader begins to come alive, and flows into the bedroom. Eustace tries to ‘smash’ the painting.
Ed, Lu, and Eustace are seen swimming in front of the Dawn Treader.
They try to swim away, but are almost ‘ran over’ by the ship. Three or four sailors (including Caspian) jump in to save them.
Caspian: “Susan! It’s ok, I’ve got you!” Lucy: “It’s me, Lucy!”
On board the Dawn Treader.
Eustace is seen screaming, with Reepicheep on top of him. Eu: “That giant rat thing tried to claw off my whole face!” Reepicheep: “I was merely trying to relieve you of the water that was choking you!” Eustace: “The rat! It talks!” Caspian: “The real problem is shutting him up.”
Eustace runs around, screaming that he wanted to wake up from his bad dream. He sees a minotaur on the ship, and faints.
Reepicheep: “Do you think… perhaps we can throw him back in, sir?”
Edmund: -nod of approval- Lucy: “Edmund!”
Scene: The Dawn Treader has been at sea for some time and food is running short.
Michael Apted: The children are kidnapped, and in the prison find one of the lost lords.
Eustace is seen on the ship, attempting to steal an orange. Reepicheep sees him do this (in the book, Eustace attempts to steal water). Reep: “Stealing rations is a capital offense!” He tries to fight Eustace. Eustace: “Don’t, I’m a pacifist!” Eustace tries to run away, but Reep points out that they are on a ship, miles away from land. Reep smacks Eustace for stealing, lying about stealing, and then for good measure. During all this pirate-y violin music is playing in the background.
Scene: The Dawn Treader has arrived at Magician’s Island. Lucy is kidnapped by large invisible creatures.
The creatures order Lucy to find the book of Incantations, and undo the spell that made them invisible.
Lucy walks in, scared. The door disappears.
Ed and Caspian wake up, and look for Lucy. Eustace remains asleep, snoring on the beach.
Lucy opens the book, with an angel design blowing clouds on the book.
Lucy uses the snow spell. Lucy finds the ‘infallible’ good-lookin’ spell (:-P). “What’s going on?” She looks as Susan does, and as Lucy talks, the book talks with her. “I’m beautiful!” She looks in a window’s reflection, and she still looks as Lucy did. She appears upset over this.
They meet Coriakin.
Coriakin opens a scroll by throwing it, and it lands to show the history of Narnia surrounding a map. The battle of Beruna is shown. A centaur blows his horn.
Coriakin explains that the source of evil that is destroying the good in the world is from the White Witch inside the Dark Island. Coriakin states that the seven swords of the seven lords can prevent and stop the evil. They must follow a blue star to Ramandu’s island. “Beware- you are all about to be tested. Evil has the upper hand, it will do all in its power to tempt you- do not fall into the temptation.”
Close-up of the star. Thunder, storm.
Eustace has been transformed into a dragon for stealing gold. He appears as a dragon on the beach, sleeping and crying. Reepicheep comes over and talks with Eustace, trying to console him. “All is not lost,” says Reep. He then goes on to say that he’d stay up with him and tell him of his adventures in Narnia, and that “extraordinary things happen to extraordinary people, you will have an extraordinary destiny.”
They find six of the seven swords on Ramandu’s Island.
Lilliandil: “Travellors of Narnia, welcome. I am the daughter of Ramandu- I am your guide.”
Caspian: “You are a star… You are very beautiful!” Lilliandil: “If it is distracting you from your mission, I can change form!”
Ed and Caspian: “NO!”
-awkward look-
Lilliandil then explains how the lords were half crazy when they arrived at Ramandu’s island, and were violent at the table. “There is to be no violence at Aslan’s Table.”
Scene: The “Climatic Action Scene”- The Dawn Treader is attacked by a Sea Serpent (it is possible that the White Witch could be in the form of the sea serpent). The sea serpent is the last obstacle to obtaining the last of the seven swords.
Eustace is still a dragon at this point- and attacks the serpent. It is bit and tossed onto a rock, but uses fire and the serpent stops attacking. One of the seven lords, Rhoop, I think, (insane) throws a knife at Eustace, shouting “MONSTER!”
Scene: Aslan’s Country
Hills are visible behind a wave of water (it is very beautiful). This is Aslan’s Country, beyond the water. A shadow turns into a shot of Aslan. “Welcome, Children. You have done well. Your journey has been far.” Lucy asks if this is his country. Aslan: “No, dear one. My country lies beyond” (shot of the hills).
Scene: Reep enters Aslan’s Country
Reepicheep asks Aslan if he can enter Aslan’s country. “It has been my dream since I was a small mouse to enter Aslan’s Country. In all my adventures- none have surpassed my want to enter.” Aslan: “My country has been made for noble hearts. You are a noble creature, and you can enter my country.”
Lu and Eustace start crying.
Eustace: “I can’t believe I’ll never see you again. I don’t understand.” Reepicheep: “What an odd one you are” (referring to how Eustace hated Reep in the beginning of the movie). Reep: “It was my honor to fight with you, you are a true hero.” Lucy hugs Reepicheep. Reepicheep scampers off, and pokes his sword into the dirt. “I won’t be needing this anymore,” and jumps into his coracle, and rides the waves into Aslan’s Country.
Michael Apted: The footage will be completed for 2D in about 2-3 weeks, and 3D the footage will be completed in 5-6 weeks.
Throughout all of this, Reepicheep sounds near exact to Eddie Izzard (Michael Apted told us that all the voice in the footage was Simon Pegg). He sounds a bit older, perhaps playing to how this is later in his life and in the history of Narnia.
So there it is, spoiler-rama!
…and sorry if there are any typos! I’m really tired from all the excitement today, and I’m writing my review out of a typo-filled sloppy-writing notebook in which I wrote my review in pitch black and which I didn’t even bother to look at while writing (I was glued to the screen!). :-P
Can´t wait!!!
Eep! Can’t Wait!
Without wanting to look like i’m overly focused on the small and irrelevant details…. you wouldn’t happen to know who the actor playing Uncle Harold was? Or have the contacts to find out? :-) Though i’m guessing it wasn’t anyone overly famous, as none of the reports so far seem to have identified the actor. But yeah, I’m a bit of a nerd for casting details, and i have been dying to know this piece of information for ages! Any help would be greatly appreciated :-D
Uncle Harold was hidden behind a newspaper, so his role is probably uncredited. I’ll see if I can get his actor’s name!
oh wow! I can hardly wait! this is going to be amazing!
Lol, icarus!
You know what I like about this? “Edmund: “Yeah, I’d rather be fighting in the war than battling with Eustace.” Remember the Edmund profile on NarniaCharacters? Not far off, was it?
You know what I REALLY don’t like about this? What they’ve done to Lucy!!! This is a huge character change from the book! Caspian mistakes Lucy for Susan? Then she wants to look like Susan and is disappointed when the spell [which she doesn't say in the book] doesn’t work?
Excellent transcript, Andrew! Great work! Keep it up!
It actually makes sense, really. Lucy wanted to be as pretty as Susan in the book, that’s why she read the spell in the first place. the film expands upon it to make it make sense!
I think it makes sense, too. Lucy is growing up. She wants to be beautiful. Perfectly normal.
I agree…changing Lucy so much was most definitely /not/ a good idea. But…remember, in the book, Lucy didn’t have to say the spell for the book to show her pictures of herself as beautiful. She even saw great tournaments being fought on account of her beauty. So, she might not be saying the spell in the movie either…one can hope.
Interesting tidbit about Caspian calling Lucy “Susan” I hadn’t seen yet.
at the beginning of the movie, Lucy asks Ed if she’s as pretty as Susan. Thus, she seemed really happy when Caspian mistook her for Susan!
I still think this is a character change from the book and I don’t like it! Except for the scene with the book of spells, where Lucy is pretty and Susan is ugly, Lucy is not concerned with her appearance in VDT! Vanity isn’t much of a temptation for her!
“Narnia Police”
ROFL.
Awesome job, Cy! Makes me feel A LOT better about the movie and I really like the idea of Susan writing them a letter. I wonder where Peter comes in though? I think the only part that worries me at this point is the whole magical sword thing. I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt and being optimistic, but the general idea doesn’t give me the greatest feeling…
But all of this makes me SO excited!!!!!
I agree on the sword thing … and the White Witch. The book doesn’t have enemies, except within. There shouldn’t be any enemies without in the movie!
The funny thing is that Lucy(or Georgie Henley) to me looks a lot more like Susan than she used to. Anna and Georgie do really look like they could be sisters in real life. The first time I saw the first trailer, near the end, I thought Susan was Lucy at first! Maybe that’s why Caspian called Lucy Susan! Or maybe it’s just Caspian is so longing to see Susan again. Anyway, I still hate the WW thing. But I do have a theory of where it will go. When they gather the swords by Aslan’s feet, the magic of the swords won’t work, and only Aslan will be able to prevent Jadis from coming back. I am thinking the trailer line “you have returned for a reason”, means Aslan will teach them that no magic can stop evil. Only He(Jesus) can save us. Sorry if my theory sounds a bit weak; I am pretty young.
I’ve never confused Anna and Georgie. I really haven’t. They look completely different to me…
Interesting theory on the swords and bad magic. I like it!
I don’t think it sounds weak at all Louloudi.
You are absolutely right About nothing can save escape for the power of God. That would be really cool if the did do your idea, but again its not christian people who are doing it. I was over joyed when i heard the they are keeping the line “But i have another name there” that aslan says.
Also i think at time Georgie does kinda look like Anna. or at least Lucy looks like Susan. i can see where you would mistake them.
Hey, I never thought about that theory…that’s a cool idea!
Aslan’s mane, this is AWESOME!!! Thanks so much for posting this! =D I’m REALLY excited for the movie now!
Great report – sounds like an awesome movie! Can’t wait to see it!
Did you just say the serpent is the WHITE WITCH?!
Thank you for the report. The effort is appreciated.
With that said, I am surprised at how few people seem concerned over the appalling alterations made to the story. The book is a *personal* journey. It is all about self-discovery, faith, and finding the strength to move forward (Reepicheep, at last, finds the inner peace he has always sought when he arrives at Aslan’s Country, the Pevensies are able to return to our world, comforted in the knowledge of Aslan’s greatest revelation to them, Eustace finds the courage to not live life as a bully, when he submits himself to Aslan’s grace, and Caspian is finally a strong, confident King, ready to face the unknown future with Ramandu’s Daughter at his side). Progress is accomplished through faith, not works. That we can only receive help if we ask for it. And that home is waiting for us, any time we want to find it. *That* is the heart of the story. That should be more than sufficient to carry any film. There is no need (or rationality, if you understand these works) for an idiotic scavenger hunt, random acts of violence to placate the modern-day attention-deficit audience, and shameful, crass, misleading, contractually obligated cameos from DEAD characters.
Very disappointing, but not entirely unexpected. Yes, I know: “It’s a film—they have different creative criteria.” The rallying cry of the lazy filmmaker. The medium does not, by default, necessitate or justify fundamental changes to the primary themes of the source material.
Part of me hopes that it makes enough money to warrant “The Silver Chair” being green-lit, but the rest of me thinks that this looks like yet another example in the not-so-proud history of Hollywood committing literary vandalism. Enjoy it, everyone, if you are so inclined. I cannot see myself sitting through this. While most of you find it encouraging, it just makes me want to set up a picket line. Or something. Peace.
Interesting reply. I agree on the heart of the book being faith and one’s spiritual journey/progress. It’s also about temptation, internal enemies — not external ones. I don’t really like the seven swords bit or the return of the WW as a threat to Narnia. That gets really old!
I couldn’t agree more.
Now, it still may be a great movie, but it will not be THE Dawn Treader, the story that I love.
Hollywood is so much ruining everything.
(Great report anyway !)
Wow, Cyclops! Did you go to New York for this, or did they also screen it at the local theater? :O
Cyclops went to the Los Angeles screening on Tuesday, just one day after the NYC screening.
Wow very interesting. I thought that the swords are supposed to destroy the island of nightmares. but the have already left that island it would seem when the get the swords i am just a bit confused.
But i still can’t wait to see it
The Dark Island is now the last island in the movie, if that’s what was confusing you. Ramandu’s Island is now before it.
Cant Wait!!!!!! love spoilers. hahaha jk lol
(as an add on to my previous post) I really hope my theory is true or close to being true. Using magic swords to stop a villain representing the Devil to me doesn’t work for me. Aslan(Jesus) doesn’t even need magic to stop pure evil. All He needs is His Father. Aslan even mentions in The Silver Chair that He has devoured villages of people and even more. He didn’t even need an army to defeat evil. All He needs is His faith in His Father(God). To me, using magic swords is just stupid. It ruins Aslan’s entire character and representation through the series. In fact, I almost feel like this is anti-Aslan. I hope this post makes sense.
ok– maybe you misread my post. They are not trying to find the swords to HELP aslan destroy the dark island. This is the way that Coriakin thinks the dark island will be destroyed. Aslan has nothing to do with it, at least not by what we found in the footage.
Oh, I didn’t even read your post. I didn’t know.
That is so awesome!!!! Finally some more of Caspian! I think it’s fun that he thought Lucy was Susan!
Wonderful write-up on this!
Thank you SO much for this great write up! I don’t know how you managed to write at all! I think I may have been so intrigued that I’d forget to write! But we are grateful that you did! And with so much detail. Thanks again.
ENOUGH WITH THE WHITE WITCH ALREADY! SHE’S DEAD, DEAD, DEAD!!! My gosh, the Narnia movies are starting to remind me of Christians who are obsessed with Satan. HE (and the White Witch) ARE DEFEATED! Let’s moe on and deal with other problems.
Apart from that one major flaw, the movie sounds great.
Agreed! The book doesn’t have any external enemies. So no witch should appear!
They find six of the seven swords on Ramandu’s Island.
Lilliandil: “Travellors of Narnia, welcome. I am the daughter of Ramandu- I am your guide.”
Caspian: “You are a star… You are very beautiful!” Lilliandil: “If it is distracting you from your mission, I can change form!”
Ed and Caspian: “NO!”
ROFL!!! ^^ Found it hilarious!!!!
I AM SOOO…… EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great report! My only question is- was it Apted who said that there were “Narnia Police everywhere” or was it Johnson? I was a bit confused
I’m pretty sure it was Apted, according to Cy’s report. He mentioned Apted last.
I am slightly unnerved by the changes that have been made however i understand, what with it being a film and having to be entertaining to those who haven’t read the book, seen the other films or younger children, they kinda are neccassary.
I’m going to go into the cinema with an open mind and not view it as the book being translated onto screen but more of an interpretation or a ‘fanfiction’ if you like, because tbh films based on books are never going to live up to fans high expectations because they have been created by someone else who has a different vision.