Ben Barnes has the role of his life this year playing PRINCE CASPIAN in the new Chronicles of Narnia film out from Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media!

Due out May 16th, Barnes is about to go for the ride of his life as a child’s hero, action figure and household name and face! Plus, he’s got another Narnia film ahead of him that starts shooting in October!

IESB’s Robert Sanchez sat down with Barnes in Westwood, California last week to talk about the upcoming opening and it’s effects. Plus, find out how he got the role, the training he went through, the next Narnia film and more in IESB ’s exclusive interview with Prince Caspian himself, Ben Barnes, below!

Ben Barnes Interview –
Q: How are you enjoying California? Hot enough for you?

Ben Barnes: Yes, just perfect. Everyone’s like “It’s so hot!” Stop whining, you could be in London you could be freezing your ass off.

Q: How prepared were you for this? This movie is you, you go down the street and see billboards and it’s you, Prince Caspian, were you prepared for something like that?

BB: No, I had no idea. I mean, obviously, I knew some of the publicity campaign is going to be based on images just because the book is called “Prince Caspian” that C.S. Lewis wrote about 50 years ago and there’s nothing I can do about that, but, it’s surreal. I just saw the one on Sunset and it’s so huge. Like, 80% of it knows that it’s you but 20% of you just refuses to believe it.

Q: You are the new kid on the block in this film, how did the rest of the gang treat you when you came aboard?

BB: You know they beat me…they’re awful, awful kids, I hate them. (laughter) They knew there was going to be someone else coming into the central family of the movie and there was a strong family feeling on set. They are just such affectionate kids. I had a great time and Andrew helms it all with this easy authority, it was great.

Q: Did you grow up reading the books?

BB: Yeah, I read them when I was 8 years old.

Q: Talk to us about the casting process.

BB: I was doing a stage show in the West End called “The History Boys” and one of the casting department people came and saw the show and said, “would you want to come and audition?” and I went and read one scene and sent it on tape. The next week I did a screen test and 4 or 5 weeks later I was in New Zealand at an equestrian center complaining about the fact that my thighs were killing me and could we please take a break and they were like, “absolutely not, you’re shooting next week.”

Q: Is this your first big picture?

BB: I had a small role in Stardust last year and then I’ve done a couple of independent, small British films. But this is the first big thing.

Q: And it’s centered around your character. Coming from stage work and going to something this massive, and this is even bigger than the Stardust set.
BB: It’s bigger than every set that’s ever been. I was enormous. There were so many sets as well. I had difficulty coping, I was like, “when did you guys have time to build this stuff?”

Q: How was the weapons training? Can you tell us about the process?

BB: The minute I got there I was thrown onto a horse. That was the number one thing to get good at quickly because I had to shoot on horses pretty much straight away. So, I was five - six hours a day with these Spanish trainers who were just amazing. And then the New Zealand stunt team were fantastic and they started doing all the sword stuff with me and then we added in the dagger as well and it was like, it’s really fun. The sword stuff is really fun and I can’t lose ’cause I have to survive to the next book. So I was never going to get killed, it was brilliant.

Q: Is it surreal to think that you are going to be an action figure and there will be little kids playing with your toy?

BB: I’ve thought about the fact that there would be one but I always imaged they’d be kept in the box, like, collectors or something. Now that you mention it, I haven’t really thought about it as actually like something they’d be playing with and trying to smash the heads off it, that’s weird. But, I did it, we all did it. I remember my Transformers and my He-Man figures and making them beat each other up and stuff, I think it’s great, it’s flattering. It’s fantastic, it’s a nice perk. I’ve also seen the video game stuff, it looks amazing as well. It really look like me.

Q: Did you do the voice over work for it?

BB: Yeah, I did all the jumping noises, the little grunts, they call them “the efforts.” They’re like, “A big effort!” and I’m like “ARRGGHH!!” I’m like, this is ridiculous, I sound like I’m being punched and they said, “that’s what we want!”

Q: This book has been around for a while, do you feel a sense of responsibility, because there are generations of fans that have grown up with these books, to make sure you nailed this character right, or did you come in and say, “you know what, I’m gonna put my spin on this.”

BB: I think I would’ve if there’d been more details about the character in the books but C.S. Lewis doesn’t really flesh the characters out like a huge amount, he just tells you where they come from, where they’re going and you kind of have to fill the rest in for yourself which is why I love the books because as a kid you get to imagine that all for yourself. So, I feel just as much of a responsibility to myself as to anyone else because I grew up on the books so I think it’s very important to be faithful to the stories, absolutely, but you gotta take a few liberties with little bits and pieces just so the movie is accessible and exciting to everyone.

Q: They’re going to start shooting the next one pretty soon…

BB: Yeah, like October.

Q: Any training beforehand for that one?

BB: I don’t know, I asked about this recently. I asked if I would have to do any diving or anything like that and they were like, “yeah, probably.” But, it’s probably going to be like I’ll get there and they’ll be like, “oh by the way, can you dive?” I’m like, no, not really. “Well then you have to go train NOW!” I’m sure it will be like that.

Q: Have you seen the completed film?

BB: No.

Q: Have you seen most of it?

BB: I’ll be there on the second in New York. That’s the first time I will see it.

Q: Besides the next Narnia film, is there anything else you are working on right now?

BB: I just wrapped on a movie in England called Easy Virtue it’s a 1928 version of Meets the Parents basically. It was something completely different.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian opens in theaters everywhere May 16th!

Source: IESB.net