My on my incredible trip to the set of the Prince Caspian movie is online at NarniaWeb! This one is about Creatures & Visual Effects...
In the new interview, Dean Wright (VFX Supervisor) said: "We've got the kids being carried by gryphons all through and riding gryphons, and we've got the kids riding on centaurs sometimes."
Riding talking beasts is a big issue throughout the Chronicles. The reason it's a big deal is that the idea of talking beasts being equal to humans is an important one in the series.
Yes, there have been exceptions to this. Jill and Eustace ride a centaur at the end of SC, and they're told that it's an unbelievable honor to ride a centaur. Lewis also says that no one who valued his life would put a saddle on a centaur.
You definitely could make the argument that the battle in PC is time of great need for Narnia, and therefore it's okay for the kids to be riding centaurs. Fair enough. However, I think non-readers are going to miss out on the idea of talking beasts and humans being equals. If the kids must ride centaurs, I really hope they explain that it's a rare thing and a great honor!
I cringed in theaters when Edmund rode a talking horse, and they never explained what a big deal that was. But riding a centaur is an even bigger deal! They'd better make that clear in the film.
Read the full interview:
http://www.narniaweb.com/news.asp?id=1263&dl=13495155