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The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion

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Inside this ultimate visual companion to the making of the second film in C. S. Lewis's beloved Narnia series, discover lavish photos and behind the scenes stories that give you a front-row seat of how movie magic is made. Find out how the screenplay adaptors and storyboard artists brought C. S. Lewis's story to graphic life, how director Andrew Adamson's screenplay differs from Lewis's original story, and reunite with the four stars from the first film. With profiles of the new cast, including Ben Barnes, who plays Prince Caspian, this riveting book will also provide details of the mind-blowing special effects, costumes, intricate weaponry, and incredible makeup artistry that brought this soon-to-be-classic movie to life.

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2008

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Ernie Malik

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5 stars
16,155 (62%)
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3,046 (11%)
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266 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
Profile Image for biblioceraptor.
244 reviews53 followers
May 18, 2012
No offence but I lie, I mean it when I say some idiots have written reviews for this as if it is Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia, #4) by C.S. Lewis
No, fool! *backhands them across face* This is the Movie Companion !
It has pretty pictures of pretty boys, and has images of set and costume design. It shows how CGI and green-screens work, and how the special effects were imagined and created!
IT IS NOT THE NOVEL ITSELF. *makes derisive noise of disgust*
Profile Image for Sophie Crane.
5,206 reviews178 followers
September 12, 2019
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion helped in preparing me for the movie. I enjoyed the first movie and couldn't wait to see how the Pevensie children had grown (I mean the young actors and actresses who played them, of coure). I'm fascinated in the behind the scene information on movies like this one and to learn more about what went on before seeing the movie made it more enjoyable after finally seeing it. Knowing that more of the same will be added to the DVD, I can't wait to buy it.
Profile Image for Noah.
204 reviews2 followers
July 23, 2024
Read for probably the 5th or 6th or 7th time. Such a wonderful book. My fiancee, who has never read them, teared up when I told her what Aslan said to Susan after she first becomes able to see him on that night journey. I teared up too, of course.
2 reviews
January 5, 2020
This part was a little bit boring but still cool. I am sad because of the ending but I think that next parts will be good as well.
Profile Image for C. J. Scurria.
175 reviews22 followers
September 26, 2012
Wow. I read halfway through this book not very thrilled by its different style of writing and format of arranging the pictures and wanted to give it four stars. One less than the other movie companion book about the sets and creation of The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. The different way that Ernie Malik arranged things made it kind of hard to adjust for me.

But then, as one would probably feel when discovering Narnia a second time, I found the amazing pieces of visual imagery and wonder about a film that was close to equal to its first movie chronicle. There is a lot here that I will just briefly talk about here. There are interview pieces about the actors who play the four Pevensie children. You get to find out what characters Warwick Davis and Peter Dinklage played in the past (note not in book: Peter Dinklage later played a guy in a Narnia-like fantasy type of show for HBO). They have a lot of detailed info about the process of making films (people who wish to make films one day- a must read book that has more than a few sections for you people!). And there are articles on Isis Mussenden and Harry Gregson-Williams who provided the costume design abilities and booming score respectively!
There is also for the very curious a few "Day in the Life" journal entries where Ernie recorded days on set the experience he and the others would go through on that particular day on set.

Seeing this book made me so sad there was not a third book produced for the Voyage story. Yet this one will leave me happy enough to have read about Prince Caspian the movie. The magic. And the ways they made it into that magic.
Profile Image for Ian Campbell.
6 reviews
October 1, 2019
The Chronicles Of Narnia Prince Caspian written by C.S. Lewis is a great addition to the Chronicles of Narnia book series. Our adventures in this book are Edmund, the wise, Lucy, the kind, Peter, the courageous, and Susan, the intelligent, and Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne. Their adventures take place in Narnia, a magical, and fantisful world made by a God-like lion named Aslan. The main theme in this story is to persevere, and never give up. The main thing that kept me reading was trying to figure out the mystery of what happened while the 4 siblings were away from Narnia. The main conflict in this story is that Caspian's evil Uncle has stolen the throne from him and he must reclaim it. Personally, I believe that this book dragged on. It would go into details that had no effect on the plot, or setting. The sibling had little character development, even though their perspectives took up much of the story. And thus, I rate this book 3/5.
Profile Image for Theresa.
8,280 reviews135 followers
May 3, 2015
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion
Malik, Ernie
great stills of the movie, The story of finding the paths of growing up, sometimes learning that you have to grow up and become responsible is a lot harder then one would think.a great story about the development of narnia and its ideology, and finding how to live up to legend
Profile Image for Margaret Palladino.
51 reviews24 followers
May 4, 2008
wow.. this book was surprisingly good. it was a really quick read ( i read it in 2 days!) and i a TOTALLY getting ready for the movie!! i hope it is really good, plus the guy is really hott... bonnie you NEED to check out you tube.. i might send you the link, lol
ok well thats all... bye
Profile Image for J.
675 reviews66 followers
February 9, 2019
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Profile Image for Ddwfly.
43 reviews2 followers
May 3, 2023
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion is a reference book that was written by Ernie Malik. It is a companion to the 2008 movie adaptation of C.S. Lewis's book Prince Caspian, which is the second book in The Chronicles of Narnia series.

The book provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie, including concept art, production photos, and interviews with the cast and crew. It also includes a detailed breakdown of the movie's key scenes and the special effects used to bring the story to life on the big screen.

The story of Prince Caspian follows the Pevensie siblings as they return to Narnia to help Prince Caspian, a young Telmarine prince who is fighting for his rightful place as king against his evil uncle Miraz. Along the way, they encounter various magical creatures, including talking animals and a powerful wizard named Doctor Cornelius.

The official movie companion book offers fans a deeper understanding of the movie's story and how it was brought to life on the big screen. It is a great resource for fans of the series who want to learn more about the making of the movie and the creative process behind the adaptation.
ddwfly://www.ddwfly.com
Profile Image for Megan Cheang.
349 reviews9 followers
June 3, 2020
I’ll be honest, I bought this book because I have the prequel.
I liked the first movie way more. I also liked the book Prince Caspian more than its film version.
In the movie, I disliked the failure of the castle siege, the antagonism between Peter and Caspian, and Peter’s own arrogance. In my mind I had this glorious memory of King Peter the Magnificent and it came crumbling down when he kept failing in the movie, in various areas. In the book, Peter did not try to wrest control but instead acted as more of an experienced adviser.
The book never had a castle Attack.
And the film’s bad guys all had beards, making me hard to discern who was Miraz, who was Glozelle and who was Sopespian.
One of my favourite chapters was the one where we read about the non glamorous side of production: mainly fending off ticks, sandflies and snakes. I have dealt with sandflies before and I empathise what they must have gone through. I would rather deal with snakes.
I read 3/4 of the book in 3 days but the last quarter took me 2 days because the 4th day I was tired and busy.
Profile Image for Reagan Motsinger.
89 reviews2 followers
July 23, 2021
This one definitely felt more technical than the one for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I got lost in a lot of the endless lists of names and precise descriptions of step-by-step processes, which I didn't feel truly engaged me.
(Not to be annoying, but there were also a lot of typos.)
However, it was still cool to see what happened behind the scenes with this film. Ben Barnes's afterword had me both laughing and crying, and I certainly won't complain about all the pictures of that man in this book. ;)
Profile Image for Tillie Sefel.
86 reviews
December 21, 2024
I love Narnia, and the series so this book is amazing. My only issue with it is that Lucay and Susan during a war don't do anything. They basically hang out with Aslan and being back to life the old lives of Narnia. And don't get me wrong that's cool, I just wish that they had had a more important part on the battlefield. Like I know what they did was important I just wished that they had a more impact full part of the war, and could it just be the fact that I might have watched the movie first mabey, but regardless that book is still amazing and I adore it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for allison riera :).
655 reviews42 followers
March 18, 2020
again, i've read this so many times, pages have literally fallen out. i love this book & the LWW one, as it truly immerses you into the world of the movies. Narnia will always be my childhood and have a special place in my heart. and even if the movies aren't as good as the books (that's a given), i still love & adore them so much.

i will always be heartbroken that they didn't make a movie companion book for the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. ;(
27 reviews
May 22, 2017
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by Ernie Malik was good but not good enough to get a 5 out of 5. It wasn't as good as the movie but it was ok. It is about the four children going back to the magical land of Narnia to jion the Prince's tem to get rid of the evil king for good. I recommend this book to people who enjoy the series.
92 reviews1 follower
June 5, 2025
This is the 4th book in the chronological order of this series. Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy have been away from Narnia for a year, when they get taken back to help Narnia in a war. Prince Caspian is the rightful heir to the kingdom but has been usurped by his uncle. The talking animals have hidden, and Narnia is in turmoil. A good read.
Profile Image for Muhammad Edwin.
447 reviews16 followers
May 3, 2023
"I wish we had more time together."

Going into behind the scenes of 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian' and discovering how the magic was made again.

Thank you to all the cast and crew for making Prince Caspian stories more cinematic experience.
Profile Image for Frida Sofie.
10 reviews
July 25, 2023
Ka skjedd no??? Endten så fikk eg ikke med meg en deitt ellers e boka HELT annerledes nn filmen???? Kaf (lydbok på jobb)
Profile Image for C.J. Darlington.
Author 15 books388 followers
February 14, 2015
How many times have you watched a movie and then asked yourself, "How did they do it?" Filmmaking can seem like a mystical task to the average movie viewer. What flies by in two hours on the screen could have taken two years to produce. While we were raving about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in 2005, Director Andrew Adamson, Producer Mark Johnson and their vast team were already hard at work on its sequel, Prince Caspian. And author Ernie Malike had probably already started writing this book, a look at the making of Prince Caspian.

If you read the official movie companion for the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe you have an idea of the visual and textual delight awaiting you in the companion book for the latest Narnia movie. Think of it as a 4 disc DVD collector's edition, only on paper. Which is better in many ways. You can take your time reading and feasting your eyes on the behind-the-scenes and on-the-set photos. Between the leaves are the nuts and bolts of making installment #2 of perhaps the largest movie franchise ever.

Kicking things off is a Foreword written by Andrew Adamson, Douglas Gresham (step-son of C.S. Lewis), and Mark Johnson that whets your appetite for the meat to come. And then we're off! Chapter One, titled "The Journey", sets the scene and explains Adamson's approach. "This time out," Adamson says, "I wanted to do it better."

For those unfamiliar with C.S. Lewis' book Prince Caspian (first published in 1951), Malik summarizes the story and includes numerous movie stills. The "Chronicles of the Chronicles" sidebar takes on the question, "Is Prince Caspian Book Two or Book Four?" of the series, a sticky wicket for some. So far the movies have followed the "by publication" route thus far to take advantage of the natural aging of the actors playing the Pevensie children.

Next we're shown what exactly goes into a screenplay, storyboarding, and previsualization. We also tackle the schedule, editing, and much more. Then we embark on an exhaustive trip through the beautiful locations of the film. From New Zealand to Poland to the Czech Republic, we learn of the difficulties filming outdoors and of the nasty critters who haunted the crew (snakes, ticks, sand flies, etc.).

All of the sections are fascinating, but I'll bet most of us will find "The Cast" chapter the most entertaining. How have the actors who played the Pevensies grown up? What have they been doing between films? Here many of our questions are answered. William Mosley (Peter) talks about his chance to do some of his own stunts and how he particularly relates to his character in Prince Caspian. Anna Popplewell (Susan) is now a freshman at Oxford's Magdalen College, the same college at which C.S. Lewis spent much of his career. "When I picked that college, I didn't know that," Anna says.

Skandar Keynes (Edmund), now 16, has grown probably the most notably of the cast physically, though he apparently hasn't lost his youthful, daredevil ways. And twelve-year-old Georgie Henley (Lucy) comes across as inquisitive as ever, but she hasn't let fame taint her sweet spirit.

We're given an inside look into the selection of Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian, as well as the film's two dwarf stars Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage) and Nikabrik (Warwick Davis). Ironically, Davis already had ties to Narnia. He played Reepicheep and Glimfeather the Owl in the BBC productions of Prince Caspian and The Silver Chair.

Really, I could go on and on here about the cast, but it's important to note that much time is given to the building of the sets, the armor, and how the musical score was created. Not to mention the vast special effects which exceed those of the first movie. Narnia afficionados will probably wonder the most about the gallant mouse, Reepicheep. Apparently much care was taken with his character. Because he's over a foot tall, they didn't want him to look like a rat. They also had serious difficulties finding the proper person to "voice" the creature. The final product is something all seem happy with. We'll see when opening day comes around May 16th.

Profusely illustrated, this movie companion can be read either before or after watching the movie. If you read it before, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat in anticipation. If you read it after, you'll know exactly what they're referring to when they reference scenes. I read this one before, but I read its predecessor after. Both ways have their merits.

As Ben Barnes says in the Afterword, "Every day on set uncovered fresh challenges working with our one-thousand-strong crew guided by Andrew Adamson. The talent, focus, enthusiasm, and kindness of everyone I met was truly overwhelming." After reading this companion you'll feel the same way. Further up and further in, Narnia fans! This book is a keeper.
5 reviews1 follower
February 13, 2025
Just kinda slow and boring. It wasn’t bad. I just didn’t enjoy it as much as to give it five stars. Also, ten times better than the movie!
Profile Image for Becca.
360 reviews17 followers
January 22, 2017
Book vs. Movie:
First the novel. C. S. Lewis spent a lot of time describing who the kids felt back in Narnia and what happened on their way to Caspian. In fact the whole back story and preparations make up more than 2/3 of the book. The battle itself is actually only a rather small part.
So due to this you get very detailed info but at some point it becomes annoying and the story seems to drag on before it finally can pick up speed again when the battle begins. All in all the novel is a decent read although it didn't excite me as much as the first part.
However, the characters are very likable and it's easy to follow the story and care for them. Although the story may become a bit boring at some point, you really want to know what happens next. Almost impossible to put the book down!
Let's move on the film. Here the priorities shifted. While the battle only made up a small part of the novel, the movie almost solely consist of fights. They even added in another huge battle. I actually was grateful that big chunks of the Pevensies poking around in the woods were left out as those were really not necessary to follow the story at all. Having so many fighting scenes was a bit irritating at first but it makes for a very exciting movie.
However, a point I wasn't pleased with is Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian. This character was depicted very different from what it was supposed to be in the novel. For me the Prince Caspian on the paper was not only more likeable but also felt smarter despite his younger age compared to the movie. His decision felt more thought through, while the movie characters seems a bit impulsive and intemperate. That really gave me a bitter aftertaste.
Furthermore, a few things in the film were confusing. Due to the lack of explaining scenes (that were provided in the book) a bunch of things, especially concerning Aslan's return, seemed weird as there was no context.

So summing up I have to say that Prince Caspian is a decent adaptation, although it is by far not as good as the first installment!
3 reviews
May 20, 2009
This book is about four children. Peter, Lucy, Susan, and Edmond Pevensy. After a year from their first adventure to Narnia they are in a bus station off to school. Suddenly they are sucked back into Narnia. When they get there a lot had changed. They had to fight through trees and what not to get through the thick forest. They met a dwarf and he tells them why they have been summoned back to Narnia. Caspian, the rightful owner of the throne, is at war with his Uncle Miraz for the throne.The dwarf along with the Pevensys go in search of the meeting place to find Prince Caspian. They get lost and Lucy sees Aslan but no one believes her. He comes to her at night and they must follow. Lucy is the only one who can see him. They finally reach Caspian and his army. Peter challenges Miraz to a battle. Peter gets Miraz on the ground and Miraz's people stab him (Miraz). After the stabbing every one of Miraz's army run after Caspian's army and the trees stop them. After the war is won Aslan makes a door in the air and says to the people who do not want to live in a country ruled by magic to walk through the door and into another world. He assured them that every thing would be just fine. After he said that the people wanted to see someone on his side to go through. So the four Pevensys walked through the door and were back at the bus station with no time passed.

This book was really good. The plot had a big twist from the one in The Lion, the Witch and the Wordrobe. I would recemend this book to someone who likes to read about magical things. The over all message of this book was to be imaginative. There is no reason to say why i liked it except because it was good and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. A lot of foreshadowing took place. Also man vs. man, man vs. nature and a whole lot of man vs. supernatural.
5 reviews
February 3, 2016
This book mainly is about the 9th Prince Caspian who ran from his own castle because his uncle want's to take over his place by killing him. Then he found a traditional trumpet, he take it off from the land because his professor told him that he could call the past king and queen by blowing the legendary trumpet. he was fall by the trees roots. He was fainted.

The next hour, he found that he was carried by the Narnian, the ugly creatures where they were extinct. The prince was afraid but then he was so brave and tell the Narnian that he have called the past king and queen. They are Peter, Susan, Edmen and Lucy. The king and queen was arrived and meet one of the Narnia, they wan't to go to save Narnia from the Termerines or the people. They both were enemies but not Prince Caspian, he's in Narnia side and then they agree to have a war.

His dad is the leader which being one with other termerines. Before the war, king peter wanted to have a duel with caspian father. They try to kill each other but then Peter win. Suddenly every termerines run and try to kill the Narnia villein. They don.t know that the Narnian sneak over the m and opening the land with shovel and trapped them. with trebucket, they throw so much huge stone but the tree was alive and help them. The termerines condition were in not good position. While the war is taking place, Lucy tried to find Asland, the past king before Peter. She found him and very happy. Asland kill the rest of the termerines soldier with his magical power and made a gigantic water monster and throw them to the river and destructing all of the trebucket. They win the war and Peter, Susan, Edmen and Lucy went home and continuing their own live at the present time.
6 reviews1 follower
February 10, 2017
in the book, "The Chronicles of Narnia: prince Caspian." there is a group of kids named, Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy. all Magically go to a Magical place called Narnia and there is a prince called
Caspian. The end. "Um I think that was too brief." "oh okay." in the book the kids are going home from a place they had been staying at and they have not been to the Magical place called Narnia for an
entire year. Any way while they are about to go on the train ride home they feel something weird and there they are in Narnia for a year. Then they find a dwarf called... I forgot his name. but the dwarf tells them about a young man named Caspian. He is the same age as Peter, he is a prince, his parents are dead, and his uncle rules the kingdom for as long as he lives. But I guess at first Peter didn't really get along with each other but in the end they do. What I think the theme is, at first Caspian is scared of his evil uncle but at the end him and Peter take him down and kill him. so I guess the book is trying to say don't let anything scare you, and if something does, kill it with a sword. My opinion of the book
is very good, like 5 stars. It is a very good book it has everything you could ask for in a book.
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