Last night, Empire’s beloved BBC tea-time Narnia memories were challenged by a new pretender: one with a chariot, an ice palace and enough snow to sink a penguin. For one night only, the austere surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall were transformed into an arctic paradise for the World Royal Charity Premiere of The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe. Just you try saying that backwards ten times.
Due to some British royals deciding to rock up as well as the Narnian rulers and cast, protection was tight on the red carpet, with your intrepid reporter nearly losing an eye when being thrown out of the door for ‘security reasons’ – that necklace was obviously erring on the threatening side. Nevertheless, we took some Narnian grandees down with us – bumps and all.
The man behind Narnia’s impressive effects, Howard Berger (Lions! Gryphons! Polar Bears! Oh my!) was thrilled at being involved in the project. “It was the most exciting experience I’ve ever had, and I’ve been in the business twenty five years,” he said. “I was so jealous when Richard Taylor was doing Lord Of The Rings."
"He believed in it so much and I wondered if I would ever get a chance to do that. We believed in everything (on Narnia) and we still do!” In the wake of Weta’s battle success, such sequences were small fry compared to the other challenges that Narnia threw up: “I kept thinking the battle was going to be the hard part but that was a vacation compared to the stone table!”
Still, Skandar Keynes, who plays the treacherous middle Pevensie Edmund, revealed the best part of being in Narnia wasn’t always fictional: “In the South Island we had choppers and if you were really nice and got through your work really quickly they’d like do this little detour where you’d go ‘wwweeeaarrt’ and fly down the mountain sideways and upside down!” Well, if you haven’t got a lion to move you around…
This being a festive occasion, it would have been too sad if the patron saint of festiveness, Father Christmas, hadn’t turned up to bring Empire a present. Sadly it not being the 24, there were no Sam Wests in store, but we did get to chat to Narnia’s very own Santa, James Cosmo. “It’s wonderful to be part of, maybe a generation’s, belief in who Santa Claus was, it’s a real privilege,” he said. Shame his own kids weren’t so enthusiastic: “The 12-year-old, he’s too old to believe in Santa Claus and the one-year-old – well, maybe next year when the DVD comes out!”
All the cast were keen on the idea of a sequel (Do it! Reepicheep rocks!) but were predictably hazy about the prospects given that they were all enshrouded in a cloud of foam snow. Nevertheless, the youngest member of the cast was particularly vocal about her passion for the film: Georgie Henley, who plays Lucy.
“It’s really overwhelming but not too much, I LOVE it!,” she said. “If I was chosen again to be Lucy Pevensie I’d just love it.” She sweetly apologised for not having a favourite scene, saying she loved them all (a point at which Empire’s icy heart melted and went wibble ever so slightly.) “I just thought wow. How have they created this, how have they made this, how is this any different from the actual Narnia?”
Moving up the ranks to archer sister Susan, aka Anna Popplewell, trailing a train that mermaids would have envied. And how is your archery, your Majesty? “A little rusty but it’s ok. I actually got given a Weta bow and arrow set today!” It’s quite a spectacle out there, surreal but a great experience. I’ve seen the film a few times but still enjoy it – I’ve got so many wonderful memories of the film, there was never a dull day on set.
The sheer scale of the CG in the film meant that some actors had it easy, as Mr Dawn French, Lenny Henry explained: “It’s like Lord Of The Rings but times six, it’s fantastic! To do an hour or two’s work and then see yourself as a beaver on screen with Ray Winstone going “Oi, shut it Tumnus, have a word!” is brilliant.”
And with that, Empire was tumbled out onto a carpet of fake snow to make way for some royals.