Disney Interactive Studios has teamed up with Traveler's Tales for its first next generation game based on Walt Disney Pictures' adaptations of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. British actor Ben Barnes, who plays Prince Caspian in the new The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian film and accompanying game (he's featured in all of the film's posters and marketing efforts), talked about his role in this summer's much-anticipated sequels -- both on the big screen and on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Wii and Nintendo DS.

"I think a challenge is the best way to describe it," said Barnes, who had previously appeared in another popular book-to-film translation, Stardust. "I mean, I saw the first one and saw the epic scale of it and thought, what am I in for? I don't know anything about how to do any of this."

Barnes actually had to learn a lot of new skills to step into the role of Prince Caspian, at least for the big screen.

Prince Caspian Screenshots

    Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian game takes players to the locations from the blockbuster film. A year after the events of the first film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," but 1,300 years in Narnian time, Prince Caspian finds the Pevensie children returning to a more savage land where the Narnian creatures have been driven into hiding and Narnia is under the rule of the evil tyrant Miraz.

    Disney Interactive Studios

    Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian game takes players to the locations from the blockbuster film. A year after the events of the first film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," but 1,300 years in Narnian time, Prince Caspian finds the Pevensie children returning to a more savage land where the Narnian creatures have been driven into hiding and Narnia is under the rule of the evil tyrant Miraz.

    Disney Interactive Studios

    Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian game takes players to the locations from the blockbuster film. A year after the events of the first film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," but 1,300 years in Narnian time, Prince Caspian finds the Pevensie children returning to a more savage land where the Narnian creatures have been driven into hiding and Narnia is under the rule of the evil tyrant Miraz.

    Disney Interactive Studios

    Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian game takes players to the locations from the blockbuster film. A year after the events of the first film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," but 1,300 years in Narnian time, Prince Caspian finds the Pevensie children returning to a more savage land where the Narnian creatures have been driven into hiding and Narnia is under the rule of the evil tyrant Miraz.

    Disney Interactive Studios

    Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian game takes players to the locations from the blockbuster film. A year after the events of the first film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," but 1,300 years in Narnian time, Prince Caspian finds the Pevensie children returning to a more savage land where the Narnian creatures have been driven into hiding and Narnia is under the rule of the evil tyrant Miraz.

    Disney Interactive Studios

    Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian game takes players to the locations from the blockbuster film. A year after the events of the first film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," but 1,300 years in Narnian time, Prince Caspian finds the Pevensie children returning to a more savage land where the Narnian creatures have been driven into hiding and Narnia is under the rule of the evil tyrant Miraz.

    Disney Interactive Studios

    Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian game takes players to the locations from the blockbuster film. A year after the events of the first film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," but 1,300 years in Narnian time, Prince Caspian finds the Pevensie children returning to a more savage land where the Narnian creatures have been driven into hiding and Narnia is under the rule of the evil tyrant Miraz.

    Disney Interactive Studios

    Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian game takes players to the locations from the blockbuster film. A year after the events of the first film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," but 1,300 years in Narnian time, Prince Caspian finds the Pevensie children returning to a more savage land where the Narnian creatures have been driven into hiding and Narnia is under the rule of the evil tyrant Miraz.

    Disney Interactive Studios

    Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian game takes players to the locations from the blockbuster film. A year after the events of the first film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," but 1,300 years in Narnian time, Prince Caspian finds the Pevensie children returning to a more savage land where the Narnian creatures have been driven into hiding and Narnia is under the rule of the evil tyrant Miraz.

    Disney Interactive Studios

    Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian game takes players to the locations from the blockbuster film. A year after the events of the first film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," but 1,300 years in Narnian time, Prince Caspian finds the Pevensie children returning to a more savage land where the Narnian creatures have been driven into hiding and Narnia is under the rule of the evil tyrant Miraz.

    Disney Interactive Studios


"I can't ride a horse, I don't know how to sword fight, I don't know how you have a conversation with a mouse that isn't there," half-joked the actor, referring to the extensive green screen work of a CGI spectacle like Prince Caspian. "But they were great. They taught me all these things. You know, they gave me the fake tan, the hair extensions, and taught me to sword fight and ride and built me a castle – there's very little left for me to do."

There was some work for the game, as Traveler's Tales, the game's developer, had a representative on set during much of the film's shooting schedule, most of which took place in Europe close to the game studio. Several members of the development team were on hand to film some exclusive content for the new game with Barnes.

"Yeah, we shot two extra scenes for the video game," said Barnes. "One scene takes place in the Miraz Castle set and with my Professor Cornelius played by Vincent Grass. We shot two scenes that I guess chronologically would come before the beginning of this movie."

Quick Links for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Moviefone: 12 Questions With Ben Barnes

Moviefone: Prince Caspian movie page

GameDaily BIZ: Prince Caspian Director Andrew Adamson Talks Convergence
The game offers an exclusive first level that bridges the gap between the two films. Although only one-year's time has passed since the Pevensie children were last in Narnia, over 1,300 years have past in that world. The new game allows players to experience first-hand the epic castle siege and discover how Professor Cornelius acquires the magic horn.

"It helps explain what has happened in the time that's passed," said Barnes. "It gives players a good understanding of what they're getting into from the first game to the second game."

Over the course of his involvement of the game, Barnes was able to learn some things about how these epic Hollywood-licensed games are made.

"I learned very little that day as we literally shot two scenes like a movie that are going to be live action scenes that you watch as part of the game, but I did learn a lot about voicing the game as we came to do all the grunting and the 'efforts' as they call them. So when you jump off a ledge you have to make like a 'huh' sound and it was kind of funny because they would shout things at me from the other room. 'Okay, now act like you got stabbed in the arm!' And I'm like 'Arrgh!' You know? And then there's all these different versions, like short death, a long death, and a death extravaganza. You know, it's kind of funny."

Working in the recording studio to bring the virtual Prince to life was a lot easier than the extensive green screen work the actual film required of the actors.

"They were very helpful in nurturing me through the processes," said Barnes. "There's really only one scene through the whole film where I meet Reepicheep for the first time. That was the only scene where I was actually speaking with just a wire with an orange dot where the mouse's eyes would be. In the other scenes you'd have an actor on their knees in a green suit or whatever – so you know, they talked me through it step by step.

"It's amazing to see yourself in a game," said Barnes. "I can't wait to play it. William Mosely (who plays Peter Pevensie) said to me that he's going to actually play as Caspian until he's mastered the game, so that every time he dies it'll be me until he's completely mastered it. Then when he's finished the game he'll switch to playing himself and then he can complete it as himself without dying at all. Good luck to him, I say."

While mastering those gaming skills is probably a lot easier than performing sword fights and horse riding in real life, Barnes said his most recent film, Easy Virtue, required him to use some of Prince Caspian's skills.

"The movie I just did was based on a [Neil] Coward play and in one scene there was a fox chase and I didn't fall off a horse once during my seven months shooting Caspian and on my very first take on this one shot I had to do in this Easy Virtue film I fell off," said Barnes. "So I haven't really learned anything (from Prince Caspian)."

Gamers can step into the role of Prince Caspian, as well as play any of the Pevensie children and a large variety of Narnians (a first for the game franchise), in the new game's drop-in/drop-out cooperative play. Prince Caspian: The Game, is out now alongside the feature film.