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

By: Corona's Coming Attractions
Date: Friday, August 27, 2004

Genre:
Fantasy/Book Adaptation.

Studio:
Walt Disney Pictures.

Production Company:
Walden Media/Walt Disney Pictures.

Project Phase:
Greenlighted.

Who's In It:
Tilda Swinton (The White Witch); Jim Broadbent (The Professor); Georgie Hensley (Lucy Pevensie); William Moseley (Peter Pevensie); Scandia Kane (Edmund Pevensie); Anna Popplewell (Susan Pevensie); Rupert Everett (Fox); James McAvoy (Mr. Tumnus); Dawn French (Mrs. Beaver); Ray Winstone (Mr. Beaver); James Cosmo (Father Christmas); Shane Rangi; Elizabeth Hawthorne; Kiran Shah.

Who's Making It:
Andrew Adamson (Director); Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, Ann Peacock, Stephen McFeely (Screenwriters); Mark Johnson, Cary Granat (Producers); Donald McAlpine (Director of Photography); Jim May, Sim Evan-Jones (Editors); based on the novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

Premise:
Unknown.

Release Date:
Unknown.

Comments:
The first book in C.S. Lewis' classic CHRONICLES OF NARNIA series, which centers on a group of British children stepping through a wardrobe in their professor's house and finding themselves in a wild land of adventure and metaphor (Christian, specifically). This one is the opening book in the seven volume series.

Walden Media, headed by producer Cary Granat, bought the big screen rights to the entire NARNIA series in December 2001 with an eye towards bringing it to the big screen much like the LORD OF THE RINGS series.

Scoop Feedback:

March 2, 2004... Walt Disney Pictures has entered into another partnership with Walden Media, this time to share some of the production cost and also to distribute the upcoming film adaptation of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. Budgeted at around $100 million, the adaptation of C.S. Lewis' childrens fantasy book is slated to commence filming this summer.

Disney and Walden worked a similar deal out for the release of HOLES and GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS, but the NARNIA contract calls for Disney to have the rights to distribute all future NARNIA sequels should they occur. SHREK director Andrew Adamson will helm the first NARNIA movie. A Christmas 2005 release date is being eyed. [The Hollywood Reporter.]

May 17, 2004... Scottish actor James McAvoy (who played Leto II in Sci Fi Channel's CHILDREN OF DUNE mini-series) has been cast as Mr. Tumnus in the live-action adaptation of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. Tumnus is a magical creature that befriends Lucy, the youngest of the four human children that arrive in Narnia. He has been ordered by the White Queen (Tilda Swinton) to give the children to her but eventually the good-natured Tumnus decides that he shouldn't. As punishment the Queen transforms Tumnus into a statue.

McAvoy also starred in BAND OF BROTHERS as Private James Miller. [Variety.]

August 4, 2004... An exclusive on-location report from the set of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, now filming in New Zealand, has been filed over at IGN FilmForce. While the report is short, FilmForce promises that it is the first of many to come.

The article focuses on what was being shot on the day of the visit, specifically scenes where the Pevensie children enter the lands of Narnia for the first time, setting foot on a snowy landscape. The movie is being shot in sequence, meaning that the scenes being shot are in the order of the novel's story, an unusual creative decision for the majority of Hollywood films.

You can check out the first of the NARNIA set reports here. [IGN FilmForce.]

August 11, 2004... Narnia Web has broken the story about a new cast member joining THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE movie now filming in New Zealand. According to the website actor Ray Winstone will voice the character of Mr. Beaver in the picture. The part of Mrs. Beaver has already been confirmed as belonging to British comedienne Dawn French.

Winstone is currently on movie screens playing the part of Bors in KING ARTHUR. He's also appeared in COLD MOUNTAIN, RIPLEY'S GAME, SEXY BEAST and DARKNESS FALLS. [Narnia Web.]

Official Web Site:

www.narnia.com