I finally got around to re-reading this series. While I love these books still, I have to think that they would be difficult to translate to screen in some ways.
Taran Wanderer in particular is meandering and episodic—purposely, I know, but it still would be such a trudging, uninteresting film (sometimes what works for books won't work for films, vice versa, and so on). And both
TW and
CoL have the added disadvantage of separating one member of the party (Eilonwy) from the rest, which was a pretty big void to me while I was reading considering she adds a dimension to the group just like the other three that’s lost in her absence.
TW especially irritated me, since I could make sense of her being absent for one book (
CoL), but to then be absent in the next one, too? Plus, there’s the point about Disney possibly dropping the series if the sequels don’t make as much as the first movie, like with
Narnia. So I was just thinking about how the series would probably work better in-film as a trilogy for a lot of reasons, but especially that it might make sure that even if the second one didn't do as well as the first, they might still put out the third by being so far along.
Anyway, I thought about how they could go about condensing the story and, yes, I know none of this will happen, and it’s all for my own amusement (and I doubt anyone will respond….
), but…
Movie 1 - The plot of
The Book of Three, with Achren and Magg kidnapping Eilonwy later in the story after the destruction of her castle like in
Castle of Llyr, with Eilonwy’s heritage being revealed here. This happens near the Black Lake, and the Fair Folk are the ones who stop Achren and Magg. Taran & co. leave her with the Fair Folk; Magg escapes. The Fair Folk give Eilonwy the horn she would have found in
CoL, saying this is all that’s left of her heritage since the Castle of Llyr vanished long ago and the Fair Folk were fond of Llyr. Instead of giving it to Taran, she keeps it for herself. After the death of the Horned King, Gwydion’s judgment of Achren from
CoL is given here instead, and she goes to Caer Dallben’s with the others (appearing at Dallben's in the next two as she does in
TW, helping with the kitchen/farm work). Taken from
TW, Taran expresses some desire to know who his parents are, and whether he’s of noble birth throughout the story, in his conversations with Dallben, Gwydion, Fflewdur, and Eilonwy. Dallben or Gwydion (on Dallben's behalf) tell Eilonwy that she will be sent to CoL to be receive her education as a lady.
Movie 2 -
The Black Cauldron. Smoit and Taran have some of the conversation they would have had in
TW transferred to the meeting at Caer Dallben’s. Rhun, Prince of Mona, is one of the men who comes to Caer Dallben’s, with his father and Eilonwy (who had went to Mona for a lady’s education in the time between films, taken from
CoL and
TW). After Rhun is put in the group with Taran and Ellydir to follow behind, the King of Mona asks Taran to make his vow about Rhun like in
CoL. Rhun is difficult to keep track of throughout the movie, just like in
CoL (getting lost in the woods, etc.). On the way to Morva, after they've lost the Huntsmen, the first meeting with Doran in
TW happens here instead. While Taran is with the Witches, he asks them about his parentage before they leave with the Cauldron, transferring some of the dialogue that would've been in
TW with Orddu giving him the advice about the Mirror of Llunet. After Morva, they are transporting the Cauldron, when Rhun gets lost in the woods which is how they meet Llyan in Glew's house (which is in the area around the southern cantrevs rather than the Isle of Mona in-film). They try to move onwards, but Llyan won’t allow them, and she unintentionally knocks the Cauldron over swatting at one of their attempts to escape and it rolls downhill and into a hole leading underground. Fflewdur plays his harp to let them escape like in
CoL, then they go underground to get the Cauldron. The events with Giant Glew transpire; he throws the Cauldron above-ground for them, but then won’t let them leave without using one to transform himself to normal size again—an exchange he didn’t tell them about. They find a way out thanks to Rhun, just like in
CoL, then they begin moving the Cauldron again and end up at the River where Taran and Ellidyr fight. At the end of the movie, Taran asks Dallben to send help to Glew with Kaw.
Movie 3 -
The High King. Glew comes to Dallben with Gwydion and Fflewdur instead of with Eilonwy/Rhun like in the book; he got picked up during Arawn's deception to steal Dyrnwyn. Taran & co. stay with Aeddan one night on the way to King Smoit’s kingdom (the meeting from
TW being put here). After the struggle with Magg at Smoit’s stronghold and Gwydion has asked Taran to go to the Commots to recruit people because they’ll need the numbers, the story of
TW happens. He has to prove himself to various people (forging, weaving, pottery, Llonio, Llassar) like in
TW before the Commot folk will agree to follow him and the Sons of Don in the battle against Arawn’s forces. This part is severely reduced so it doesn’t last as many days (or take up so much screentime), the work Taran does mostly shown in a montage and the characters not given much dialogue/definition; only the shepherds are given a scene to themselves for the sake of showing Taran's second meeting with Doran. After convincing the Commots to join Gwydion, he goes to see the Mirror of Llunet (while everyone is arming themselves) to find out about his parentage because of Orddu's clue in Movie 2 since he’s thinking about proposing to Eilonwy. The fight with Doran at Llunet happens (since Eilonwy is there, Doran attacks her during the fight to further threaten Taran, carrying over some of the dialogue from
THK). The fight at Llunet is the final appearance of Doran instead of him showing up again in Annuvin. Medwyn’s wolves come at the end of the fight and kill Doran, like in
THK. Taran accepts that his birth is unknown like in
TW. The Commots and Taran & co. leave for Caer Dathyl. Later, instead of Taran using the horn on Craddoc,
Eilonwy uses the horn when they are lost in their attempts to catch up to the Cauldron-Born (both as an explanation for how the Fair Folk miraculously appear where they are and to give Eilonwy more relevance outside the bauble, which makes sense since it was an object from Llyr anyway.).
Cut: Morda and his threat on the Fair Folk in
TW; Goryon and Gast from
TW; the death of Annlaw in
THK, since his part would be reduced in the montage and there would be no impact in showing a random character death to the film audience; Teleria/the Island of Mona from
CoL (they can be mentioned by Eilonwy at the beginning of Movie 2 on her return to Dallben's, but they don't appear onscreen); Craddoc from
TW.
I hate to lose Morda, who we learn killed Eilonwy’s mother, or the episode with Craddoc, but I don’t think either is absolutely necessary. Taran doesn’t need the debt of the Fair Folk he gets from killing Morda since Eilonwy would use the horn here (plus, we already have a multitude of villains) and Taran's identity issues would still work without Craddoc, imo. Maybe transfer his anxiety at the possibility of being a farmer (and therefore unable to marry Eilonwy) to the night they stay with Aeddan, who struggles just to maintain crops to feed himself because of the petty warring, with him voicing the interior thoughts from the book to Gwydion or Fflewdur.
I had thought that the Mirror of Llunet could be inside the cave that Doli takes them into in
THK (where they have to then retrace their steps because of Glew), since it would add some overall story relevance to going into the cave without interrupting the urgency to catch up to the Cauldron-Born. I don't really like having them meet Doran in Morva, but I couldn't think where else and he should be introduced before the final movie, I think (I initially thought he could appear after they've left Achren's fallen castle, but they're too busy being chased by Cauldron-Born to meet him and besides he'd logically steal Dyrnwyn from them.). I suppose they could cut Glew since he's on the fringe of the story--and not very likable either--but I'd rather not cut unless they have to.
Overall, I'm really looking forward to the films more now. Mostly, I'm curious who they will get to play the various characters. I'd prefer mostly unknowns with the proper accents, but they may go for more well-known actors. I just hope the first film does well... I don't want this to end up with only the first book made and nothing follows...
