| Chronicles of Narnia film series | |
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![]() 2009 DVD box set of the first two films. (BRA) |
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| Directed by | Andrew Adamson Michael Apted |
| Produced by | Mark Johnson |
| Written by | The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Ann Peacock Andrew Adamson Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely Prince Caspian Andrew Adamson Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely The Silver Chair Michael Petroni Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely C. S. Lewis (Novels) |
| Music by | Harry Gregson-Williams David Arnold |
| Distributed by | Walden Media (2005–present) Walt Disney Pictures (2005–2008) 20th Century Fox (2010–present) |
| Release date(s) | 2005–present |
| Running time | over 4 hours total (as of 2008) |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $405 million |
| Gross revenue | $1,157,623,868 |
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of epic fantasy films from Walden Media 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 on December 9, 2005, while the second, Prince Caspian, was released on May 16, 2008;[1] these first two films were directed by Andrew Adamson, produced by Mark Johnson, and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The third installment, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, will be directed by Michael Apted and co-produced and distributed in the United States, Canada, Argentina and Belgium by 20th Century Fox, is scheduled to be released on December 10, 2010.[2][3] In addition to 20th's distribution rights for North American, Argentinian and Belgan releases, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader also the first Narnia film to be distributed in the United Kingdom by Icon Film Distribution UK.
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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; there, they must 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 28th highest grossing movie worldwide of all time.[4]
The DVD was released on April 3, 2006 in the UK and April 4, 2006 in North America and Europe.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, based on Prince Caspian was once again directed by Andrew Adamson. The story follows the same four children as they are summoned back into Narnia. They help Prince Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne of Narnia, reclaim the crown from his evil uncle, King Miraz. The film was released on May 16, 2008.[1] This film marks the last in the Narnia film series to be distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.
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 and is the first in the Narnia film series to be distributed by 20th Century Fox for theatrical releases in North America, Belgium and Argentina with Icon Film Distribution handling distribution for theatrical releases in the United Kingdom.
Production was put on hold when Disney chose not to produce the film after a budget dispute with Walden Media, who then negotiated with 20th Century Fox to replace them.[5] Fox joined with Walden Media officially as of January 28, 2009.[6] They announced a December 10, 2010 release date shortly afterwards.
Edmund and Lucy come back to Narnia with their cousin in a ship called The Dawn Treader. Peter and Susan will not return because they have learned all they need in Narnia. Filming wrapped up in November 2009 and is now on post production.
As there are seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia, each book could potentially become a movie.[7] The film adaptation of the third book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, has been confirmed; the next likely film is The Silver Chair. The production of further films will largely depend on the success of previous films; following the "Caspian trilogy," the books remaining to be adapted will be The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle, all of which will be currently distributed by 20th Century Fox.
C. S. Lewis never sold the film rights to the Narnia series, being skeptical that any cinematic adaptation could render the more fantastical elements and characters of the story realistically.[8] Only after seeing a demo reel of CGI animals did Douglas Gresham (Lewis's stepson and literary executor, and film co-producer) give approval for a film adaptation.[citation needed]
The Pevensie children also appear in The Horse and His Boy and The Last Battle (although Susan isn't in the latter), but it is unknown if the original Pevensie actors will reprise their roles.
| Title | Release date | Director | Distribution Company | Time Length | Total worldwide box office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | December 9, 2005 | Andrew Adamson | Walt Disney Pictures | 139 min. | $745,011,272 [9] |
| Prince Caspian | May 16, 2008 | 149 min. | $419,651,413 [10] | ||
| The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | December 10, 2010 | Michael Apted | 20th Century Fox | TBA | n/a |
| The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair | TBA | TBA | TBA | n/a | |
| The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy | TBA | TBA | TBA | n/a | |
| The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew | TBA | TBA | TBA | n/a | |
| The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle | TBA | TBA | TBA | n/a | |
| Total films: 2 (plus one in production, potential for four more) | 288 min. | $1,164,662,685 | |||
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | Yahoo! Movies | |
| Overall | Top Critics | |||
| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | 75% (199 reviews)[11] | 78% (37 reviews)[12] | 75/100 (39 reviews)[13] | B (13 reviews)[14] |
| Prince Caspian | 65% (127 reviews)[15] | 62% (34 reviews)[16] | 63/100 (20 reviews)[17] | B- (14 reviews)[18] |
| The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | ||||
| The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair | ||||
| The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy | ||||
| The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew | ||||
| The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle | ||||
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