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The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)

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Chronicles of Narnia series
File:The-chronicles-of-narnia-poster.jpg
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe poster.
Directed byAndrew Adamson
Written byC.S. Lewis
(novel works)
Produced byMark Johnson
Distributed byWalt Disney Pictures
Walden Media
Release date
2005 –
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish

The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of fantasy films from Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media that released from 2005 onwards, produced by Mark Johnson, based on the series of novels, The Chronicles of Narnia, written by C.S. Lewis in the 1950s. The first installment, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was released in December 2005. The second installment, Prince Caspian, is expected to be released in 2008[1].

The books had previously been adapted into a TV serial. The success of the Harry Potter series and The Lord of the Rings film trilogy led to interest in making film versions of other well-known fantasy series.[citation needed]

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was directed by New Zealander Andrew Adamson and was shot mainly in New Zealand, though locations were used in Poland, the Czech Republic and England.

The story follows four British children who are evacuated during the Blitz to the countryside, and find a wardrobe that leads to the fantasy world of Narnia, where they ally with the Lion Aslan against the forces of the White Witch who has the world under an eternal winter.

The film was released theatrically starting on December 7, 2005. As of April 2006, the film has grossed over US$700 million worldwide, making it the 20th highest grossing movie worldwide of all time.[2]

The DVD was released on April 3, 2006 in the UK and April 4, 2006 in North America, and Europe.

Main cast

File:Pevensiesnarnia.jpg
Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter (l.–r.) find more than unseasonal snow in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
Actor/actress Role
Georgie Henley Lucy Pevensie
Skandar Keynes Edmund Pevensie
William Moseley Peter Pevensie
Anna Popplewell Susan Pevensie
Tilda Swinton Queen Jadis the White Witch
Liam Neeson voice of Aslan
James McAvoy Mr Tumnus
Ray Winstone voice of Mr Beaver
Dawn French voice of Mrs Beaver
Ben Barnes Prince Caspian

Prince Caspian

File:Caspianconcept.jpg
Promotional image for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, based on Prince Caspian will once again be directed by Andrew Adamson. Filming began in New Zealand on February 12, 2007; other filming locations include the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia. The film is scheduled to be released on May 16, 2008.

All cast members from the first film with parts in Prince Caspian are expected to return; in addition, the composer from the first film, Harry Gregson-Williams is also returning to score Prince Caspian. A recent rumor that Brad Pitt would be somehow appearing in the film has also arisen, and upon questioning director Adamson he has not denied it. It has been stated that Prince Caspian will have bigger and better effects, including a much larger Aslan and more creatures and battle sequences than the first film.[3]

Main cast

Actor/actress Role
Georgie Henley Lucy Pevensie
Skandar Keynes Edmund Pevensie
William Moseley Peter Pevensie
Anna Popplewell Susan Pevensie
Liam Neeson voice of Aslan
Ben Barnes Prince Caspian
Sergio Castellitto King Miraz
Peter Dinklage Trumpkin
Vincent Grass Doctor Cornelius
Warwick Davis Nikabrik
Ken Stott Trufflehunter

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, based on the book of the same name, will be the third film in the series. It is set to be directed by Michael Apted[4] because the next three films (Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair) are scheduled to be produced in quick succession. Dawn Treader is scheduled for a 2009/10 release, so when it is filming, Andrew Adamson is likely to still be working on Prince Caspian. Ben Barnes has signed a three film deal, so he is expected to return as Prince Caspian; Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes are also expected to reprise their roles as Lucy and Edmund.[citation needed]

Other films

Since there are seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia, each book could potentially become a movie. After Prince Caspian, the next in the series would be The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The production of more films depends largely on the success of previous films. It was stated that Disney and Walden may in fact adapt all seven books into movies, also saying that the next three books (Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair) would be filmed close together as a trilogy. Following the trilogy of Caspian, they would adaptThe Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, and then The Last Battle.

Some fans of the book series are confused as to the order of the films' production, asking why The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, to them the second book, was filmed first, followed by Prince Caspian, to them the fourth. The reason is that the films are being produced in the order in which the books were originally published. After the publication of all the books in the series, Lewis suggested in a letter to a fan that his preferred reading order for the series was by the chronology of the narrative, and not necessarily by publication date. Subsequent distributors of the texts, including HarperCollins Publishers, who produce the compendium volume currently found on bookstore shelves, have followed this preference, making The Magician's Nephew the first book. Despite the copyright holder C.S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. authorizing this preferred publication order, fans provide compelling reasons for still reading and filming the books in their original chronological publication order, an argument supported by the film producers. See The Chronicles of Narnia for further debate and discussion on reading order. However, there may be another reason for filming in this order. They need to film the ones with the Pevensie children while they are still young. As there is only about a years difference between the books, they need to film it before the actors who play them mature too greatly; additionally The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is by far the most famous installment of the series, much more so than The Magician's Nephew, a fact that was surely not lost on Disney.

Producer Mark Johnson has stated that after Prince Caspian, they will start The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2009. [5] The four original actors who played the Pevensies will be returning to the Prince Caspian movie.

C. S. Lewis never sold the film rights to the entire Narnia series, being skeptical that any cinematic adaptation could render the more fantastical elements and characters of the story realistically (he reportedly despised the television adaptations of the books that were made during his lifetime). It was only after seeing a demo reel of CGI animals that Lewis's stepson and co-producer Douglas Gresham gave the approval for a film adaptation.

Notes

  1. ^ Box Office Mojo
  2. ^ Worldwide Grosses Box Office Mojo
  3. ^ Film Force
  4. ^ "AICN Breaking Exclusive: Mrs Beaver feels the director of THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER is very Apted!". Ain't it Cool News. 2007-04-17. Retrieved 2007-04-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Film Force

See also

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