The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)
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| Chronicles of Narnia series | |
|---|---|
 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe poster. |
|
| Directed by | Andrew Adamson |
| Written by | C.S. Lewis (novel works) |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Pictures Walden Media |
| Release date(s) | 2005 – present |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
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 miniseries. 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.
Contents |
[edit] 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 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.
[edit] Main cast
| 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 |
| Rupert Everett | voice of the Fox |
| Michael Madsen | voice of Maugrim |
| James Cosmo | Father Christmas |
| Elizabeth Hawthorne | Mrs MacReady |
| Patrick Kake | Oreius |
[edit] Prince Caspian
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, based on Prince Caspian is scheduled to be released May 16, 2008. Once again, Andrew Adamson will direct. All cast members from the first film with parts in Prince Caspian are expected to return. 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] Filming began in New Zealand on 12 February 2007. Other filming locations include the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia.
Harry Gregson-Williams is returning to score Prince Caspian.
[edit] Confirmed 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 |
| Alicia Borrachero | Queen Prunaprismia |
| Peter Dinklage | Trumpkin |
| Vincent Grass | Doctor Cornelius |
| Warwick Davis | Nikabrik |
| Shane Rangi | Asterius |
| Ken Stott | Trufflehunter |
| Pierfrancesco Favino | Lord Glozelle |
[edit] The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader based on the book will be the third film in the series. Scheduled for a 2009/10 release, it's likely to be directed by someone other than Adamson because the next three films being produced in quick succession of which he will still be working on Prince Caspian. Ben Barnes has signed a three film deal so he will make a return as Prince Caspian as is expected for Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes who are to reprise their roles as Lucy and Edmund.
[edit] 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 adapt The Magician's Nephew, The Horse and His Boy, and 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. [4] 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.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Box Office Mojo
- ^ Worldwide Grosses Box Office Mojo
- ^ Film Force
- ^ Film Force
[edit] See also
- Chronicles of Narnia novels:
[edit] External links
- Official movie site
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Internet Movie Database
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian at the Internet Movie Database
| Books: |
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe • Prince Caspian • The Voyage of the Dawn Treader • The Silver Chair • The Horse and His Boy • The Magician's Nephew • The Last Battle |
|---|---|
| Inhabitants: |
Peter • Susan • Edmund • Lucy • Eustace • Jill • Digory • Polly • Caspian • Aslan • Shasta • Aravis • White Witch • Puddleglum • All characters • All creatures |
| Places: |
Narnia • Archenland • Cair Paravel • Calormen • Charn • Lone Islands • Telmar • Wood between the Worlds • All places |
| Other: |
BBC miniseries • Disney films • First Battle of Beruna • Dawn Treader • Deplorable Word • Popular culture • Narnian timeline |
