It would be very exciting and also a little sad if it does end up being the last of the Narnia movies (which I personally think it should). Hopefully we'll all be able to see it made into a film. If Silver Chair does well, I'm sure we will.

The only thing that will bother me is putting Aslan's Country on screen. Since it is supposed to be heaven I don't know how it will work. Still, it would be interesting to see how the film makers would interpret it.

(By the way, welcome to TLC. 😀 I know I've seen another post of yours on the boards. You can always introduce yourself here if you wish)

Thank it says locked though.

@Crusader: Just go to the link that Elanorelle gave you and then start a new thread to introduce yourself. If that doesn't work, you can talk to one of the staffies about it.

I share Elanor's concern that Aslan's Country (aka Heaven) would be a challenge. Of course, I hope all seven chronicles will be made into films, so if an LB is made, it's pretty much a challenge that must be accepted (since the story's not complete without it).
I wonder where they'd start an LB film, though. Unlike the rest of the chronicles, minus HHB, LB is first and foremost in a Narnian's perspective. So do we start with Tirian and give him a PC-like intro? Or do we stick with the book and start with Shift and Puzzle (the downside of that being that we'd start the story with rather tertiary characters)? Or do we start with the Friends of Narnia and depend on flashbacks to tell the first part of the story?

Always and I are reading the Last Battle right now and I agree that it would be pretty awesome to see on film! (Of course I've read it before, it's just fresh in my mind right now.) Though I'd be afraid what they'd do with it. Tirian is an awesome character and I wouldn't want him (or the story!) ruined.

Great discussion topic, Crusader!

I actually think starting with the friends of Narnia would be a good idea, sort of pulling together all the other books before launching into the conclusion of the series.

Here's something I have never been able to decide on when I have thought about Narnia movie ideas: Would you keep the part about Susan losing faith in Narnia, or would you leave that out and have her be one of the friends of Narnia?

I would keep it. Besides the fact that I like to keep things canon, Lewis wrote in one of his letters that her story goes on and doesn't end where everybody else's does. Not to mention that it may cause some people in the audience to ask some spiritual questions.

Some good thoughts certainly.

I have this mental image of how I would want a film adaption of LB to end:
The Friends of Narnia (and those who are with them) file into the garden; Lucy is the last of the line. The camera perspective is always from outside the garden gate. One can see her lift her face and look all around her in wonder, her awe and happiness growing. Then she turns back to the gate, gives the audience her most excited smile and gently closes the gate. The screen goes dark. A moment, and then the credits roll.

I imagine Lucy closing that gate as being reminiscent of that moment when she halfway closes the wardrobe door in the LWW film. Also, the camera perspective never going inside the garden-- sort of a Pilgrim's Progress-ending, where the audience knows the inside is gorgeous beyond imagining but cannot go in themselves yet.

OOH! I can actually picture that in my mind!

I just wonder about the closing door though. Doors are hugely symbolic in art. (Warning: Ariel in movie-analyst/critic mode below. 😉 )

I like the callback to the door-closing in LWW (and VDT and PC), but on the other hand... is it really the ending of a story? Is there a need for a literal closure? I mean, it's definitely the end of the story for those of us still on this side of the stable door, but on the other hand, Lewis did describe all that we know of Narnia as the title page and only now does the first chapter of their adventures begin.

And on a more spiritual/intellectual level, closing the gate could give an impression that Aslan's Country (/Heaven) is closed off. Of course, not everyone in the audience is going to think of it that way (Narnia's not an allegory, after all!), but because doors so heavily drip with meaning, questions - even subconscious ones - could well be raised. Closing the gate will bring up certain questions while leaving it open will bring up others.

Even if we drop the spiritual part (namely, the Heaven question), the gate can still have meaning for the audience. Just look at the three movies we have so far.

LWW. Having Digory, rather than Lucy, close the wardrobe door is telling: she wants more, he knows that this particular story/adventure is over. And then having the door crack open again and letting light and Aslan's roar through says that there's more to come... later.

PC. The train doors close on the Pevensies, giving a sense of finality. It is, however, lessened in its impact by a couple things. The first is "The Call" by Regina Spektor, holding a hope and promise of return. Another is the train leaving: on the one hand, Peter and Susan are moving on, but on the other, there's more in store for Edmund and Lucy beyond the black of the tunnel. The third is Aslan's roar. "I'll come back when you call me", anyone?

VDT. Unlike LWW, Lucy herself closes this door. It's the end of her story, the story she began by opening a door. Sure, she takes one last look at Narnia (as the ship disappears behind a wave), but like Edmund (and Peter and Susan before them), she's moving on. Now, I'd always wished that they'd inserted Aslan's roar, just as they had with the first two. I probably still do. But on the other hand, from Lucy's perspective, she shouldn't hear his roar. There's no return till she returns to stay. (So great, now I'm on the fence about the lack of an ending roar. Great job, Ariel.)

Back to LB. And even back to something I said earlier. Does the story end? Even for us on this side of the stable door? (Now note, the stable door is closed. It has to be. It separates the dead from the eternal.) An open gate (and, in my opinion, one last beautiful, resounding roar from Aslan) would say a lot to any fan, regardless of his beliefs. It's an invitation to come in. An call to something more. And if Lucy's wonderment is any indication, we know that what lies beyond is greater than anything we could ever possibly imagine. Those of us who know what lies beyond will think of it. Those who don't could be led to wonder. Those who don't wonder at least understand that something awesome is there. An open gate (again, personal opinion, with Aslan's roar to punch it home) would tell everyone, no matter what category they fall into, that they can attain that "something awesome". Even if they mislabel what that "something awesome" is, that idea, that feeling, that call is still there.

(*falls back to catch her breath* Oy, that turned out way longer than I thought.)
All that to say, "I love your idea, Esprit, but I think the gates should remain wide open." 😀 And if we want a finalizing touch, cue the credits with "This is Home" by Switchfoot. (Why in blazes is that song for PC anyway? They should have saved it, no matter how many years it took, for LB.)

I always thought The Last Battle as a film would just be beyond AMAZING. I like the idea of it starting off with the Friends of Narnia.
Esprit-That's a really good idea; I can see that happening. But I see Ariel's point about the gate closing and all.
Ariel-I always thought the same EXACT thing about This is Home by Switchfoot! If they played that in the credits for LB, I would be bawling my eyes out. It's so perfect. The lyrics really echo what Jewel says towards the end of LB: "I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here..." I think the song goes way better with LB than with PC.

I like the callback to the door-closing in LWW (and VDT and PC), but on the other hand... is it really the ending of a story? Is there a need for a literal closure? I mean, it's definitely the end of the story for those of us still on this side of the stable door, but on the other hand, Lewis did describe all that we know of Narnia as the title page and only now does the first chapter of their adventures begin.

That's a really good point.

Okay, how about this:
As everyone files through the garden gate, you can hear Lucy (or Digory, but I think it should be Lucy) narrate something to the extent of "It was only the beginning...each day would be better than the last." Then, when Lucy turns back to the audience with that excited smile, she starts to close the door before everything is drowned out in white light (instead of fading to black).

And maybe in that moment with a white screen, there can be one last line, such as, "And we have come home."

Oooh, Spree, I like that. And yes, I think Lucy should be the one to narrate. I hope they do something similar to that in the film, because that last paragraph of LB is just too good to not somehow insert it in.

😀 Better! Especially with that last bit of narration. (And yes, I'd go with Lucy for that.) Fade to white definitely. But you don't really need the text. Just let the images speak for themselves. 😀