Movies

The first time he saw himself on screen as a prince, Ben Barnes was overwhelmed. After all, this was a huge leap for the British actor, an unfamiliar face to many in this country. Now here he was, carrying the title role in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, one of the most anticipated films of the summer.

And he wasn't sure if he looked like royalty. Barnes, perhaps best-known for his role in 2007's Stardust, watched the audience's reaction at a screening in New York City.

"They were laughing when they should have been and caught up in the action when they should have been," says Barnes, in a phone interview the day after the screening. "I was relieved."

With his swashbuckling moves and good looks ("fake tan and hair extensions," he says), Barnes is sure to get the attention of moviegoers eagerly awaiting the second movie based on the seven beloved C.S. Lewis literary classics. Prince Caspian follows 2005's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which drew critical raves and made $292 million at the box office.

The new movie, which opens Friday, picks up 1,300 Narnian years later (one year later for the Pevensie children). Caspian, heir to the Telmarine throne, must fight his uncle for the crown and needs the help of the Narnians. Meanwhile, Aslan the lion, the great ruler of Narnia, has disappeared.

The four actors playing the Pevensie children return, and so does Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan. Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent) as Trumpkin the Red Dwarf, who helps Caspian, and Italian actor Sergio Castellitto as the evil King Miraz are among the new members of the international cast.

"I've never done anything on this level," says Dinklage, on the phone from New York City. Dinklage most recently appeared in 2007's Underdog. He said appearing in a movie with so many special effects challenged him in a new way. "I mean, I'm in battle scenes," he says.

For Prince Caspian, Dinklage endured three hours daily of makeup application — and another hour at the end of the day to remove it. "The special effects and the attention to detail are amazing," he says. And the action scenes? "Let's just say for a non-sports New Yorker like myself, it was a lot of fun."

Dinklage said watching the film for the first time was like looking at an old photo album. "I looked it and thought, 'That's where I spent eight months of last year."'

The crew spent most of last year shooting the film in New Zealand, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia. "Beautiful places, all very Narniaesque," says Dinklage.

Fans, who have been discussing everything from news coverage of the film to the movie's tie-ins online at Web sites such as Narniafans.com, will be happy to know that both Barnes and Dinklage believe the film is faithful to the book.

"I wanted to make sure my portrayal was honest, that we created a real story that people care about," says Barnes, who read the Lewis books growing up.

Both men will return to Narnia later when they begin filming The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at the end of the year. That movie won't be released until 2010.

Until then, both men are waiting to see how fans react to Prince Caspian.

"We'll just take it as it comes. I just hope people really enjoy the movie," says Barnes.