[Ed. Note: As of right now we are in the process of securing an exclusive interview with one of the “Dawn Treader” producers — who was good enough to reach out to us — regarding the recent controvery stirred up by actor Liam Neeson and producer Mark Johnson.]
“The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” the highly-anticipated third entry in the “Chronicles of Narnia” film series, arrives in theaters nationwide tomorrow. It continues the story of the Pevensie siblings who were previously featured in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and “Prince Caspian.” I recently had the opportunity to interview Douglas Gresham, the stepson of author C.S. Lewis.
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In addition to being the stepson of the author of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” Gresham also served as co-producer on the previous two “Narnia” films and executive producer of “Dawn Treader.” I asked him why these stories continue to resonate today with readers and viewers alike. He noted:
It lies in the fact that we are created as a species with an inbuilt love of truth, whether it’s conscious or unconscious. When we see absolute pure truth in front of us, we recognize it and welcome it. These books and therefore these movies contain great episodes or great stories of pure truth and I think that’s why they will last as long as people read books and as long as people watch movies.
I also asked Gresham about his favorite part of making “Dawn Treader” and he told me that he enjoyed the “whole process.” He added, “I suppose for me, the best part of the movie was actually being out there and shooting it and being on the set…” He noted that his favorite part of the new movie itself is an “incredibly moving scene at the end.”
Gresham later told me what his stepfather was trying to achieve with “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader:”
[My stepfather] wrote this book in a sense as a sort of ‘Screwtape Letters’ for children and that’s exactly what this movie is in a sense too, because the book and the movie are both all about temptation. As soon as you try to live the right life, you will find yourself accosted by the enemy of man and the enemy of God.” “Dawn Treader” focuses on how people can battle and ultimately defeat temptation.
Gresham and I also talked about what makes “Dawn Treader” different from its predecessors. Aside from the fact that this film was shot digitally (unlike the first two) and that it has a different theological base, Gresham stated that “Dawn Treader” works as its own adventure story. “We don’t make sequels when we make another Narnia movie,” he said, “because every single adventure in Narnia – every book – is a totally different stand-alone adventure…”
Additionally, I asked Gresham about the controversy surrounding Liam Neeson’s recent comments about Aslan, the majestic lion that Neeson voices in the series. Neeson recently said that Aslan could be compared to numerous religious leaders instead of just Jesus Christ. “I wasn’t there. I don’t know what Liam said,” Gresham said when asked about the controversy. However, Gresham noted that people shouldn’t take religious or spiritual instructions from Neeson, although Gresham considers him “a wonderful actor and a really nice guy.”
In terms of new “Chronicle of Narinia” films after this one, Gresham said that such a plan “depends on the reception of each movie as we make it.” However, Gresham has seen “The Dawn Treader” with numerous test audiences and he was pleased by the extremely positive reception it received.
Families can see the adventure for themselves when “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” arrives in theaters on Friday.
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