July
31, 2002
"SHREK"
DIRECTOR ANDREW ADAMSON TO HELM "THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE
WARDROBE" FOR WALDEN
New
York, NY (July 31, 2002) - Walden Media has engaged highly acclaimed
director Andrew Adamson, the visionary behind last year's box office
smash and Academy-Award winner "Shrek," to helm the first
live action feature film adaptation of "The Lion, The Witch
and The Wardrobe." Adamson joins award-winning writer Ann Peacock
("A Lesson Before Dying"), who recently signed on to adapt
the novel for the screenplay. Walden partnered with The C.S. Lewis
Company last December to option the entire seven-part fantasy book
series The Chronicles of Narnia, of which The Lion, The Witch and
The Wardrobe is best-known.
"As
we've seen with Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, bringing to
the screen a literary fantasy classic, beloved by millions of readers,
requires both a reverence for the original material and a rich imagination
to create a realistic fictional world," offered Cary Granat,
chief executive officer of Walden Media. "Andrew Adamson knows
better than anyone how to create magic on-screen and tell a story
which touches the heart of an audience. His expertise in visual
effects, animation and live action will be critical to a fantasy
work of this magnitude."
"Narnia
was such a vivid and real world to me as a child, as it is to millions
of other fans. I share Walden's excitement in giving those fans
an epic theatrical experience worthy of their imaginations, and
driving a new generation toward the works of C.S. Lewis," offered
Adamson. "Making a film that crosses generations is a far easier
task when the source material resonates such themes as truth, loyalty
and belief in something greater than yourself."
Adamson
achieved overnight acclaim with his first directing job on the DreamWorks
animated fantasy "Shrek," featuring the vocal talents
of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz. The film, which earned
$470 million worldwide, was the first to win the new Academy Awards
category Best Animated Feature, alongside a raft of other international
awards and nominations. Adamson previously worked for PDI as visual
effects supervisor for "Batman and Robin" and "Batman
Forever" as well as "A Time To Kill," "Angels
in the Outfield" and "Double Dragon." He also served
as a visual effects artist on James Cameron's action hit "True
Lies."
Peacock's
adaptation of the beloved novel "A Lesson Before Dying,"
the story of a black man wrongly convicted of murder during the
1940s, earned her an Emmy Award (Outstanding Writing for A Miniseries
Or Movie) and a Humanitas Prize. Her upcoming projects include "Country
of My Skull," with John Boorman attached to direct and Sam
Jackson, Juliette Binoche and Jon Voight to star; "On the Ropes"
for director Brad Silberling; "Marines of Autumn" for
Irwin Winkler; and "Star Time," with Joel Schumacher directing
Will Smith.
The
Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, published in 1950, is the second
and best-known novel in the seven-part Narnia series, which also
includes The Magician's Nephew, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian,
The Voyage of the 'Dawn Treader', The Silver Chair and The Last
Battle. The Chronicles of Narnia series has sold over 60 million
copies and is currently published by HarperCollins. Clive Staples
Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland in 1898. As a child he was fascinated
by the fairy tales, myths and ancient legends recounted to him by
his Irish nurse. The image of a faun carrying parcels and an umbrella
in a snowy wood came to him when he was sixteen. Many years later
an evil queen and a magnificent lion joined the faun, and their
story became The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. The book tells
the story of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, separated from their
parents in London during the German Air Raids of World War 2. They
are sent to the country for safety and it is here that they step
into the magic wardrobe and discover the mystical world of Narnia.
C.S. Lewis, a distinguished professor of English, died in 1963 at
his home in Oxford.
June
28, 2004:
Production
has begun in New Zealand on the "The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."
March
1, 2004
THE
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT WITH WALDEN MEDIA TO PRODUCE
"THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE"
First
Film in C.S. Lewis' Landmark Series Scheduled to be Released Christmas,
2005
BURBANK,
CA ( March 1, 2004) - The Walt Disney Studios has entered into an
agreement with Walden Media to co-finance and distribute the long-awaited
motion picture The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and
the Wardrobe, the first book published in C.S. Lewis' famed series,
it was announced today (3/1) by Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt
Disney Studios, and Cary Granat, chief executive officer of Walden
Media. The live-action film will be directed by Andrew Adamson (Shrek,
Shrek 2) and is scheduled to be released Christmas, 2005, by Walt
Disney Pictures. The agreement allows for the continuation of the
partnership for future films in the series.
The
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, the
first in an exciting series of films in the making and based on
the phenomenal bestselling novels, concerns a war between good and
evil, pitting the magnificent lion Aslan against the forces of darkness
in the magical world of Narnia. A White Witch has used her dark
powers to keep Narnia in winter for 100 years, but it is foretold
that four humans will be able to help Aslan break the spell. When
the Pevensie siblings - Lucy, Susan, Edmund, and Peter - discover
the magic of Narnia by entering the enchanted world through a wardrobe,
the stage is set for a classic battle of epic proportions.
Commenting
on the announcement, Cook said, "With an exciting and meaningful
plot and well-drawn, emotional characters, The Lion, The Witch,
and The Wardrobe has the potential to be just the start of an extraordinary
series of films; the exceptional imagination present in the novels
follows in the best Disney tradition. We're pleased to be partnered
once again with Walden Media - I think this is just the kind of
movie audiences are looking for, and we're thrilled to be able to
bring it to the screen."
Cary
Granat and Micheal Flaherty, co-founders of Walden Media, added,
"Disney has been a great friend and partner, with our company,
on Holes, Ghosts of the Abyss, and this summer's Around the World
in 80 Days. The combination of C.S. Lewis' visionary Chronicles
of Narnia with the incredible strength and uniqueness of the Walt
Disney brand and organization makes this a true dream project for
us. This is one of the most imaginative novels ever written, and
to bring it to the screen requires a director of equal inventiveness,
ingenuity, and spirit. Andrew Adamson is just the guy - he knows
better than anyone how to create magic on-screen and tell a story
that touches the audience's hearts. His expertise in visual effects,
animation, and live-action will be critical to a fantasy work of
this magnitude."
Adamson
added, "The Chronicles of Narnia were an important part of
my childhood just as they are to millions of fans around the world.
I hope to bring to the screen a movie that is as real to the audience
as Narnia was to me as a child. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
tells an epic story of great heart, of a family torn apart by a
war in our world, who are united in their struggle to save the magical
land of Narnia. It's been a long time dream of mine to bring these
classic stories to a new generation of moviegoers and readers."
Douglas
Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis, said, "Fans of the series have
been waiting for generations for a film that faithfully adapts the
Narnia books for the screen. Disney and Walden are a perfect match
for the magical world that C.S. Lewis created, and we're as excited
to see the movie as everyone else is."
A classic series of seven novels that have sold over 85 million
copies worldwide, C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia began with
the publication of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in 1950.
Six more novels (including the prequel, The Magician's Nephew ,
and the sequels, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage
of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair and The Last Battle ) would
follow in the next six years. The final title in the series, The
Last Battle, was awarded the highest mark of excellence in children's
literature, the prestigious Carnegie Award.
December
6, 2001
WALDEN MEDIA TO PRODUCE C.S. LEWIS'
"THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE"
First
Live-Action Feature of Children's Classic To Be Faithful Adaptation
New
York, NY ( December 6, 2001) - Walden Media has partnered with The
C.S. Lewis Company to produce the first live-action feature adaptation
of the best-selling children’s classic The Lion, The Witch
and The Wardrobe. Finding resonance between its educational mission
and the book’s universal themes of truthfulness, loyalty and
courage, Walden has optioned the seven-part fantasy series The Chronicles
of Narnia, and intends to develop it into a franchise. The project
will be overseen by Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis.
The
Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, published in 1950, is the second
and best-known novel in the seven-part Narnia series, which also
includes The Magician’s Nephew, The Horse and His Boy, Prince
Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair and The
Last Battle. The Chronicles of Narnia series has established itself
as a worldwide brand and is currently published by HarperCollins.
As a child, born in Belfast, Ireland in 1898, Clive Staples Lewis
was fascinated by the fairy tales, myths and ancient legends recounted
to him by his Irish nurse. The image of a faun carrying parcels
and an umbrella in a snowy wood came to him when he was sixteen.
Many years later an evil queen and a magnificent lion joined the
faun, and their story became The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe.
The book tells the story of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, who step
through a magic wardrobe into Narnia, once the peaceful land of
Talking Beasts, Dwarfs, Giants and Fauns, but now frozen into winter
by the evil White Witch. Other Chronicles of Narnia followed and
the final title, The Last Battle, was awarded the UK’s prestigious
Carnegie Award. Lewis, who was also distinguished as a professor
at Oxford and Cambridge, died on November 22, 1963.
Stated
Gresham, “It has been our dream for many years not simply
to make a live-action version of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,
but to do so while remaining faithful to the novel. We are delighted
to make this film with Walden Media, which we are confident will
create the adaptation that my stepfather would have wanted.”
The
Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is one of the best-selling children’s
novels of all time, full of richly detailed characters faced with
choices that all of us, as human beings, must make in our own lives,”
offered Cary Granat, co-founder and chief executive officer of Walden
Media. “Through fantasy C.S. Lewis has held up a mirror to
the lessons of the real world, and we are honored to partner with
The C.S. Lewis Company to bring Narnia to life.”
About
Walden Media
Founded by Cary Granat, former president of Miramax Films' Dimension
label, and educator Micheal Flaherty, Walden Media creates films,
television shows, books and interactive media that inspire, engage,
enlighten and entertain. Walden believes that quality entertainment
is inherently educational and can capture the audience's imagination,
rekindle curiosity and demonstrate the rewards of learning.
Walden
Media is a subsidiary of The Anschutz Company. The Anschutz Company
is a privately owned investment and holding company with investments
primarily in the areas of entertainment, media, telecommunications,
natural resources, transportation, and real estate. |
FOR MORE RECENT NEWS,
VISIT THE HOLLYWOOD JESUS
NARNIA BLOG
2004 September 15
Composer's Dream Project
Film and Video Magazine editor Debra Kaufman interviews composer Harry Gregson-Williams, who has scored the animated features Antz, Chicken Run, Shrek, Sinbad, and Shrek 2. She talks with him about his career, and about his "dream project," Andrew Adamson's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. More here (J. Wright)
2004 September 2
"Little People" cast in Narnia film
(NarniaWeb.com) Kiwi Casting Director Liz Mullane (who collaborated with Peter Jackson on LOTR, and repeats those duties on his current project, KING KONG, which begins filming in Wellington next Monday) has cast seven short people (p.c. term, small-statured) for Andrew Adamson's 'THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. More here (J. Wright)
2004 August 26
Animatronic reindeer replace living variety in Narnia film
(New Zealand Times) Holly is one of four animatronic reindeer working on Andrew Adamson's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe after the living variety struck problems with Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry regulations. More here
What's Next for Narnia Stars?
(Narnia Web) Jim Broadbent (Professor Kirke) and Ray Winstone (the voice of Mr. Beaver) will appear in Pathe's CGI-animated version of the children's television classic The Magic Roundabout. They'll be joining Ian McKellan who has signed on to provide the voice for the wizard Zebedee. The movie, backed by Pathe Pictures, is scheduled to begin filming in February. The original TV series was created in the late 1960s by French author Serge Danot and adapted into English by Eric Thompson. More here
2004 August 11
Fantasy film will open two weeks sooner.
(IGN Insider) Originally scheduled to open Christmas 2005, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has had its release date moved up a couple of weeks. Walt Disney Pictures tells us that the first Narnia film will now open December 9th. More here
2004 August 08
Harry Potter is in same vein as CS Lewis
(American Daily) But after reading the book, Granger had a literary metamorphosis. In the same press release he commented that after exposure to Potter he felt that author J.K. Rowling's first book was a story written in the vein of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. "It's a story that resonates with the Great Story for which we are all designed ... Harry is a Christian hero parents can joyfully share with their families," Granger enthused. " J.K. Rowling's books are filled to the brim with Christian themes, imagery, virtues and meaning, implicit and almost explicit, and this is the reason, oddly enough, that the books are so popular. The human heart longs for experience of the Christian message, even imaginative experience, and Harry Potter ‘smuggles the Gospel' better than anyone!" More here
2004 August 06
Real wolves to enact 'The Chronicles of Narnia'!
(Webindia123.com) The movie version of the famous children's classic, 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,' which is a part of C S Lewis's 'The Chronicles of Narnia,' hopes to set a record of sorts by employing a pack of 10 cross-bred North American wolves, to perform in the movie. More here
Scottish actor wins Narnia role
(New Zealand Times) Scottish actor James McAvoy, 25, has been cast to play Mr Tumnus the faun in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe... More here
2004 August 03
IGN Exclusive: The Portal to Narnia
IGN FilmForce is extremely stoked to bring you this first installment in a series of regular production updates from the set of Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe...
A series of set reports from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. More here |
2004 May 10 
NZ actors line up for Narnia film