Caspian and crew do battle with slave traders, dufflepods and a sea serpent.
But hope and faith being the stuff Narnia is made of, sail away they didnt.
How important do you think fidelity is to the original material in film adaptations?
I think fidelity in spirit is the important thing.
We did venture to be totally faithful to the book but it never worked.
So, we eventually stole from that and put it in this story.
We didnt invent it.
We just moved things about a bit.
Youve describedDawn Treaderas the definition of an epic.
Which cinematic epics have influenced your filmmaking?
I dont really like epic films.
They just get lost in the landscape.
So, what attracted me to this is thatDawn Treaderis a very intimate story.
Its a very emotional story, and yet its also epic.
It was really an intimate story on a big scale setting.
Its just so easy.
Youve been described as an actors director before because of that, your focus on emotion and performance.
Is that how you see the directors role?
I think thats what stays in the mind.
Not just a beautiful image or a beautiful landscape.
Its a bit seen that, done that, whats new?
And I think whats new is emotion and character.
As a child did you watch epics at the cinema?
Which modern fantasies did you watch when preparing forDawn Treader?
I watched them all, really.
Youve had an epic journey with three-and-a-half years makingDawn Treader…
Yes, indeed I have!
Was there any point at which you felt like walking away?
And if so, what brought you back to the film?
It was a very difficult time in the industry.
It was a huge challenge for me and I was lucky to get the job.
What would you lose?
And I was right.
I think we all felt lucky.
So, we went off and made it pretty quickly after hanging around for so long.
We really got on with it.
I suppose it would have been… WillThe Silver Chairbe shot in 3D?
Well, I dont know.
I dont know whetherThe Silver Chairwould be.
I mean theres no dates for that as far as I know about.
I suppose it might have been more interesting to have actually shot it in 3D.
Heres something Ive never done before.
Itll be interesting to see how it works out.
Have you seen it?
I havent seen it yet.
We didnt finish this until fairly recently.
How do you feel about the competition from films likeDeathly Hallows?
Well, you have to get over it.
Theres a lot of competition and what can you do?
I suspect thatPotteris a bit older than we are, andTronis definitely more male-orientated.
But then, you know, you get over it.
What do you make of JK Rowlings criticism of CS Lewis that the books have a misogynist subtext?
Well, Im not going to speak to that.
Shes becoming very beautiful, Lucy.
Shes growing up from being a young girl into a teenage girl.
You just felt in the underbelly of the film that Georgie was almost playing what she was living through.
I think it was a very valid nerve we were touching, really.
That storyline spoke to me in the film.
Youve dealt with that theme, growing up, now in the fantasy genre and also in theUpdocumentary series.
Did you find one mode of filmmaking revealed more than the other about growing up?
I think its valid in both and they both have their advantages.
In documentaries theres a sort of reality about it.
But then when youre doing fiction there is a barrier.
Another comparison: how did taking on this franchise compare to working on Bond?
Which did you feel under more pressure with?
In neither was I pressured except in my own mind.
This was more complicated, doing so much fantasy and surrealism, but I learnt on Bond.
But in both cases I was very warmly received and I had a wonderful time on both.
Is there a dearth of ideas in cinema at the moment?
It is a tough time.
Theres no room for the middle budget films.
Though, saying that, then something likeThe Social Networkcomes along and you think, God, thats great.
Take American cinema in the seventies.
Those were the sort of films that were so brilliant.
They were smart and clever and found an audience.
You look at the Best Picture nominations in the seventies and it takes your breath away.
And those sort of films have largely disappeared today.
Michael Apted, thank you very much.
The Chronicles Of Narnia Voyage Of The Dawn Treaderwill be released in the UK on Thursday 9thDecember.
