Peter Dinklage wasn’t sure he wanted to play Trumpkin (the red dwarf) in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

Therefore, the actor flew to Los Angeles to meet with Andrew Adamson, who had directed the first Chronicles of Narnia movie three years ago and was in pre-production before directing the sequel.

“I wasn’t completely sold on the idea until I met him,” Dinklage told USA Today.

After seeing his own images on a story board, though, Dinklage was sold.

Peter Dinklage in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

In the sequel, out today, the Pevensie children return to Narnia to help Prince Caspian claim his throne, which has been usurped by his evil uncle, King Miraz. Trumpkin, one of the many Narnians in hiding, fights alongside the Pevensies.

He’s a “cynical, begrudging caretaker,” Dinklage said. “I’m like the crazy Mary Poppins.”

Sounds interesting to us. Count us in!

With The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian set to hit theaters Friday, those behind the follow-up to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe must be wondering:

Will this follow the successful path of Iron Man, or the doomed path of Speed Racer?

So far, critics seem to be leaning toward the former. Here are a few of their views on Prince Caspian…

- A bit darker, more conventional and more crisply made than its 2005 predecessor… — Variety

- A far superior film in terms of the quality on every level, but one that suffers from the weaker source material… — ComingSoon.net

- A worthy if somewhat less wondrous successor to that 2005 phenomenon… — The Hollywood Reporter

- The second chapter of the Narnia saga is bigger and “more epic” yet lacks the dramatic energy and narrative involvement of the first, problems that also exist in the literary source (Lewis’ book), but it signals the birth of a new star, Brit Ben Barnes… — Emanuel Levy

Mark Johnson has served as the producer on both films from The Chronicles of Narnia series: first, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; and now Prince Caspian.

He recently spoke with Comingsoon.net about the projects. Here’s an excerpt:

In the first movie, I don’t think we really see too much that it takes place during World War II. Was that it ever talked about to make them modern kids rather than setting it during the ’40s?
No, we definitely wanted to keep the war alive, both of them, and in the first one, it’s more important, because you want to believe that their father has gone off to war, which has a real impact on Edmond. You also want very much to feel as though you have these four kids who are somewhat powerless.

All of a sudden, they’re in a war-torn world in which they’re being shuttled off to the countryside and in effect hiding and then all of a sudden, they find themselves in a new world where everyone’s looking to them to save the day.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian opens on May 16.

On May 16, the follow-up to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe hits theaters. But what can fans expect from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian?

The good folks at Moviefone have actually come up with an in-depth Character Guide to help viewers get to know the film and the plot before it comes out. Before you head over to check it out, look over the following description of Glenstorm:

An honorable Centaur (is there any other kind?), Glenstorm is also an astronomer charged with watching the skies for portents. And he’s good at his job.

Glenstorm knows what Caspian will try to achieve before he even attempts it. At the Narnian Council, the centaur encourages the old Narnians to trust in Caspian’s commitment to bring freedom to all.

Here’s a video sneak peak behind the scenes of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. The film opens on May 16.

On May 16, fans of CS Lewis will be treated to The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

It’s a summary of the film: It’s 1,300 years later, and Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) must call upon Edmund (Skander Keynes), Peter (William Moseley) and Susan (Anna Popplewell) to help battle the pirate-like Telmarines and reclaim the kingdom of Narnia.

Check out stills from Prince Caspian:

The next installment in a franchise that may soon rival Harry Potter is called The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

In it, Ben Barnes plays Prince Caspian, while the Pevensie siblings from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe are back: William Moseley as Peter, Anna Popplewell as Susan, Georgie Henley as Lucy and Skandar Keynes as Edmund.

Here’s a preview: