RT Interview: Anna Popplewell on a Different Side to Narnia in Prince Caspian
Surely it's quite exciting, though...
AP: It's really exciting! It was great actually. I loved the horse riding; I've ridden a horse once or twice when I was younger...
And never in time of war!
AP: [laughs] Exactly! I was quite worried, actually, because the boys had both done quite a bit of stunt work before and Georgie Henley doesn't really do any fighting so I'm kind-of the only girl in the battle - apart from some female centaurs - and I was quite worried that I was going to pass out in the heat or not be fit enough and not be up to it. I made sure, before I went out there, that I had about three times as many riding lessons as anyone else so that when I turned up and was able to do it they'd be wowed! I don't know if they know that, actually, that I had more lessons. They do now!
But it was fine in the end, and I really enjoyed it, actually, it was a great thing to be a part of. Although fighting in a long skirt is a bit difficult! It's prettier, but it's a bit more challenging!
Do they throw you completely to the lions though (no pun intended) or did you at least have a stunt double for the more difficult bits?
AP: Well the first stunt I did was in New Zealand, maybe a month into filming, and it was before we'd really got into any of the battle stuff, it was just a stunt scene. It involved me fending off five Telmarines who are charging towards me, solo. I sent Lucy off on my horse and jump off and stand my ground and start firing arrows. The idea is that I can't quite draw quick enough and so a horse knocks me over after I've shot the Telmarine off it. I'm on the ground and all these horses are charging over me.
I turned up, quite worried, and they had a stunt double there who was going to do it all, and they said, "Well, you try Anna and we'll see happens. If it's too difficult, we'll get the stunt double to help you out..." And I did it and they were all completely shocked and they said, "OK, you do it then!" So I did do it and I just have this memory of lying on the floor with these horses without riders charging over my head while I'm thinking, "Yeah, I think we're going to get this one in only a couple of takes!" [laughs]
They couldn't have used CG!?
AP: Ooh, I don't know. You start wondering if they could have used CG and you have to wonder whether they'll need actors anymore! Dangerous ground!
Is it good to have that sort of stuff to do this time?
AP: It's really good, and I learnt a lot from the others as well. Will's really hot on his stunts I'm sure if you ever meet him he'll tell you about it because... he would! He did this one incredible stunt where this horse is galloping and he runs up beside it and jumps on to it while it's galloping, which sounds dramatic but it's really dramatic to try and do on a concrete floor, and he was incredible. He was always full of tips about how to cheat stuff and make stuff look good. He was always cheering people on.
You're siblings in the film, but as you go into Prince Caspian is your relationship with Will, Skandar Keynes and Georgie strengthening?
AP: Of course; when you spend six months working on a movie with someone you get to know them very well whether you like it or not. And luckily we all get on really well. Of course you get even closer if you make another movie with them.
I think the nice thing about our relationship is that we all know and understand each other's good bits and bad bits and we're all able to tolerate the bad bits. When I'm grumpy they just get it - they're like, "OK, fine, Anna's having a grumpy day, everyone tread carefully," - and we know how we tick. I don't see Georgie so much in between filming, because she lives a bit further out of London so it's harder to get to them, but Skandar actually lives around the corner from me and Will's always in and out of London so he calls me up. We keep in touch, which is really nice.
Are you at all involved in Dawn Treader?
AP: I don't think so. I think there's a scene in Dawn Treader in which Lucy talks about Susan and they could do a flashback, but I've not been talking to them about it at all and I'm not attached to it yet.
Georgie and Skandar are going to be without you then...
AP: Yeah... I think Will and I are going to do a planned visit and storm in and hijack the whole thing! Rewrite it! No, It's sad that we're not going to be shooting the next one but at the same time I felt at the end of the last one that I was ready to move on and do other things. I'm at university at the moment which I'm really enjoying and I think Will would like to play different parts as well. It felt right, actually. Andrew isn't directing the next one either and it really felt like he was an integral part of the team and it would be a big change anyway.
When we met Ben, who's playing Caspian, we knew that he was going to be doing the next one with Georgie and Skandar so we felt kind of responsible to ensure he was a nice guy who would look after them and everything! But he's really great and I think those three will have a good time together.
I like the fact that the Narnia books aren't the same characters in every story. I think it's a really clever structure that they dot around and if we were in every film it wouldn't have that.
Ben's yet to experience the scale of the Narnia press experience and the premiere and all of that stuff, have you been teaching him the ropes?
AP: I don't think I have anything to teach Ben! I guess in terms of the publicity, we certainly would have told him about it, but to be honest, I never really know what's going to happen. The Disney machine that produces this is constantly throwing up new tricks and you always find yourself in completely surreal situations. I'm not sure I'm really one to give advice about it... I think we were really lucky with Ben. Well, it's not luck, it's skill in casting, but I feel so lucky because the four of us got on so well and then to have someone new come in to that and really fit in well is a big ask, so that's great.
How has your relationship with Andrew Adamson evolved into Prince Caspian?
AP: Obviously we've all grown up a bit. On the first one Andrew felt very protective of us because while I'd done stuff before, for the others it was their first film. He felt like he was really bringing a new group of young actors into something. He's always treated us with maturity, but this time I was 18 and Will was 20, you know, everyone's grown up a bit and he treated us all accordingly. He's such a nice man and I really have such a lot of respect for Andrew. He's a good-tempered, funny guy and he always says thank you at the end of the day even though you feel like you should be thanking him. He really does make for a fun and happy set.
What's the next step for you as an actor?
AP: I'm not sure, really. I'm reading a lot of stuff and I'm trying to find things that fit into my summer holidays and work around university, but I'd love to do some stage. I'm really enjoying doing student drama in Oxford. But I'd like to do something small and character-based and maybe work up from that. Perhaps something period but I'm not sure.
Our Narnia features continue with an interview with Skandar Keynes, right here. Join us on the site tomorrow when we'll be talking to Ben Barnes and William Moseley.
AP: It's really exciting! It was great actually. I loved the horse riding; I've ridden a horse once or twice when I was younger...
And never in time of war!
AP: [laughs] Exactly! I was quite worried, actually, because the boys had both done quite a bit of stunt work before and Georgie Henley doesn't really do any fighting so I'm kind-of the only girl in the battle - apart from some female centaurs - and I was quite worried that I was going to pass out in the heat or not be fit enough and not be up to it. I made sure, before I went out there, that I had about three times as many riding lessons as anyone else so that when I turned up and was able to do it they'd be wowed! I don't know if they know that, actually, that I had more lessons. They do now!
But it was fine in the end, and I really enjoyed it, actually, it was a great thing to be a part of. Although fighting in a long skirt is a bit difficult! It's prettier, but it's a bit more challenging!
Do they throw you completely to the lions though (no pun intended) or did you at least have a stunt double for the more difficult bits?
AP: Well the first stunt I did was in New Zealand, maybe a month into filming, and it was before we'd really got into any of the battle stuff, it was just a stunt scene. It involved me fending off five Telmarines who are charging towards me, solo. I sent Lucy off on my horse and jump off and stand my ground and start firing arrows. The idea is that I can't quite draw quick enough and so a horse knocks me over after I've shot the Telmarine off it. I'm on the ground and all these horses are charging over me.
I turned up, quite worried, and they had a stunt double there who was going to do it all, and they said, "Well, you try Anna and we'll see happens. If it's too difficult, we'll get the stunt double to help you out..." And I did it and they were all completely shocked and they said, "OK, you do it then!" So I did do it and I just have this memory of lying on the floor with these horses without riders charging over my head while I'm thinking, "Yeah, I think we're going to get this one in only a couple of takes!" [laughs]
They couldn't have used CG!?
AP: Ooh, I don't know. You start wondering if they could have used CG and you have to wonder whether they'll need actors anymore! Dangerous ground!
Is it good to have that sort of stuff to do this time?
AP: It's really good, and I learnt a lot from the others as well. Will's really hot on his stunts I'm sure if you ever meet him he'll tell you about it because... he would! He did this one incredible stunt where this horse is galloping and he runs up beside it and jumps on to it while it's galloping, which sounds dramatic but it's really dramatic to try and do on a concrete floor, and he was incredible. He was always full of tips about how to cheat stuff and make stuff look good. He was always cheering people on.
You're siblings in the film, but as you go into Prince Caspian is your relationship with Will, Skandar Keynes and Georgie strengthening?
AP: Of course; when you spend six months working on a movie with someone you get to know them very well whether you like it or not. And luckily we all get on really well. Of course you get even closer if you make another movie with them.
I think the nice thing about our relationship is that we all know and understand each other's good bits and bad bits and we're all able to tolerate the bad bits. When I'm grumpy they just get it - they're like, "OK, fine, Anna's having a grumpy day, everyone tread carefully," - and we know how we tick. I don't see Georgie so much in between filming, because she lives a bit further out of London so it's harder to get to them, but Skandar actually lives around the corner from me and Will's always in and out of London so he calls me up. We keep in touch, which is really nice.
Are you at all involved in Dawn Treader?
AP: I don't think so. I think there's a scene in Dawn Treader in which Lucy talks about Susan and they could do a flashback, but I've not been talking to them about it at all and I'm not attached to it yet.
Georgie and Skandar are going to be without you then...
AP: Yeah... I think Will and I are going to do a planned visit and storm in and hijack the whole thing! Rewrite it! No, It's sad that we're not going to be shooting the next one but at the same time I felt at the end of the last one that I was ready to move on and do other things. I'm at university at the moment which I'm really enjoying and I think Will would like to play different parts as well. It felt right, actually. Andrew isn't directing the next one either and it really felt like he was an integral part of the team and it would be a big change anyway.
When we met Ben, who's playing Caspian, we knew that he was going to be doing the next one with Georgie and Skandar so we felt kind of responsible to ensure he was a nice guy who would look after them and everything! But he's really great and I think those three will have a good time together.
I like the fact that the Narnia books aren't the same characters in every story. I think it's a really clever structure that they dot around and if we were in every film it wouldn't have that.
Ben's yet to experience the scale of the Narnia press experience and the premiere and all of that stuff, have you been teaching him the ropes?
AP: I don't think I have anything to teach Ben! I guess in terms of the publicity, we certainly would have told him about it, but to be honest, I never really know what's going to happen. The Disney machine that produces this is constantly throwing up new tricks and you always find yourself in completely surreal situations. I'm not sure I'm really one to give advice about it... I think we were really lucky with Ben. Well, it's not luck, it's skill in casting, but I feel so lucky because the four of us got on so well and then to have someone new come in to that and really fit in well is a big ask, so that's great.
How has your relationship with Andrew Adamson evolved into Prince Caspian?
AP: Obviously we've all grown up a bit. On the first one Andrew felt very protective of us because while I'd done stuff before, for the others it was their first film. He felt like he was really bringing a new group of young actors into something. He's always treated us with maturity, but this time I was 18 and Will was 20, you know, everyone's grown up a bit and he treated us all accordingly. He's such a nice man and I really have such a lot of respect for Andrew. He's a good-tempered, funny guy and he always says thank you at the end of the day even though you feel like you should be thanking him. He really does make for a fun and happy set.
What's the next step for you as an actor?
AP: I'm not sure, really. I'm reading a lot of stuff and I'm trying to find things that fit into my summer holidays and work around university, but I'd love to do some stage. I'm really enjoying doing student drama in Oxford. But I'd like to do something small and character-based and maybe work up from that. Perhaps something period but I'm not sure.
Our Narnia features continue with an interview with Skandar Keynes, right here. Join us on the site tomorrow when we'll be talking to Ben Barnes and William Moseley.
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| Celeb: | Anna Popplewell |
(1-11 of 11 posts) | Reply
 on Jun 25 2008 02:12 PM Interesting interview, but it's funny that there's no mention of how the film is doing. At this point, it's nowhere close to breaking even, and the rest of the series is probably iffy, depending on how it does overseas. She talks about the others going on to the third one, but Disney is probably having second thoughts about whether there will even be a third one. Was this interview done a while ago, or did you just ignore the elephant in the room and not ask her about that? (Reply to this) |
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on Jun 25 2008 02:39 PM In reply to this comment (#1812179) I'm pretty sure Disney's not worried about whether or not to do a third movie. According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, the film has grossed over $270 million worldwide so far, half of that domestically. Combine that with the huge DVD sales it will inevitably generate and I think you've got a clear indication that a third movie is coming. I'm just a bit perplexed as to why RT waited until now to post this interview, instead of when the movie came out. (Reply to this) |
 on Jun 25 2008 03:34 PM The interview happened before the US release way back in March or April (they couldn't even show us the film at the time) and has been held for the film's UK release tomorrow. You may have seen a couple of preview pieces, they came from these interviews and we posted those in advance of the US release. As for the film's gross, it's certainly disappointing for Disney that the film didn't have quite the same impact as LWW, but its current worldwide gross is still very handsome so I'm not sure you could consider it much of a talking point. The simple fact is they put the film out at the wrong time - it should have been a family Christmas movie. (Reply to this) |
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on Jun 25 2008 03:42 PM In reply to this comment (#1812274) I'm sure Disney is very worried about this series. Studios typically get a much smaller cut of overseas dollars, so 270M for a movie that cost 200, just for production, not including prints or advertising, is very alarming. Certainly not that "handsome" considering the huge budget. Especially when the first movie made almost triple that worldwide. Not to mention the big second weekend drop. I don't even know why you are so sure it will be huge on DVD considering the theatrical performance and audience reaction - movies like this sell best on DVD to kids, and this one isn't that kid friendly. Joe thanks for the timing clarification. I think there was much more than just messing up the release date (which I agree with, although Narnia 3 is currently scheduled for another summer release). The question is whether people are turned off of the series for good. (Reply to this) |
 on Jun 25 2008 11:06 PM Good interview. Again, I also wish this had come sooner, but I understand the reasoning. I'm also sorry Prince Caspian didn't make more money. It was definitely better than the first installment. (Reply to this) |
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on Jun 26 2008 04:59 AM I'm sure Disney isn't doubting that mistakes were made with the release plan for this film, and they could certainly have spent much less money with some prudence, but I'd be very surprised if they abandoned the series entirely. They may scale back the budget but there's still gold to be mined from Narnia. (Reply to this) |
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on Jun 26 2008 05:42 PM Gotcha, Joe, makes sense. I didn't realize the movie hadn't come out in the UK yet. (Reply to this) |
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on Jun 27 2008 11:08 AM They'll probably do the third one. But the other thing to keep in mind is that after that, the books drop all the original characters. There are also a couple books that aren't particularly strong. If the third one does well, I could see them planning on one or two more to finish the series (Magician's Nephew and Last Battle), and if it doesn't turn things around from this one, leaving the series at three. At this point I think 3 would have to be comparable to the first one to justify making all seven - I really wonder if Disney thought doing all seven was realistic from the beginning. (Reply to this) |
 on Jun 27 2008 11:43 AM Personally, I liked this film a lot more than the first one. The gross is slightly disappointing, but Disney made a huge mistake in realising Caspian right in between Iron Man and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I think it would be a huge mistake not to make the rest of the series; the books are all so fantastic and have such a big fan base. I agree with Joe, the movies should be Christmas releases. They just seem to fit better there, and there isn't such a box office battle like there is in the summer. Personally, I will be crushed if Disney doesn't make The Last Battle. It's my favorite book of the series. (Reply to this) |
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on Jun 27 2008 01:28 PM While I'd love to see all seven get made, how would it be a huge mistake to stop making the movies if they end up losing money (or if the trend makes them concerned that at some point they might)? While I agree that the books are fantastic and do have a fan base, neither of those is really a factor if that fan base doesn't show up at the theatres. Also agree about Last Battle, I'd kill to see that and Magician's nephew done by this crew. (Reply to this) |
 on Jul 28 2008 11:46 PM In reply to this comment (#1818242) Okay I get it. You don't like Narnia. And this movie might not be making as much as the last one. But you don't have to go burst everybody who likes Narnia's bubble, do you? (Reply to this) |
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