Director, cast returning for 'Narnia' sequel
By Borys Kit and Sheigh Crabtree
Thu Feb 2, 1:36 AM ET
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter)
A sequel to the wildly successful movie 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe' is set to begin production later this year, with Andrew Adamson returning as director.
The film's backers, Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, are eyeing a Christmas 2007 release for 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.'
New Zealander Adamson also will serve as a producer and co-writer, collaborating with returning scribes Christopher Markus and Steve McFeeley. A screenplay is not yet written. The first film's principal cast will also be back.
'Caspian' finds the four Pevensie siblings pulled back into the land of Narnia, where 1,000 years have passed since they left. The children are again enlisted to join the colorful creatures of Narnia, who have been driven into the wild, unfriendly parts of the land. The Pevensies must struggle to overthrow a usurping king named Miraz and restore the rightful heir to the throne, the young Prince Caspian.
'Caspian,' published in 1951, is the second book in the seven-book series written by C.S. Lewis.
While it's no surprise that Disney and Walden would move ahead with a sequel, the behind-the-scenes negotiations have been drawn out. 'Narnia' has grossed more than $637.8 million at the worldwide boxoffice. Internationally, it ranks as Disney's top-grossing live-action release of all time, surpassing 'Armageddon' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' with its gross to date of $359.4 million. The film has grossed $278 million domestically and is the studio's third-highest-grossing live-action film. It is on track to surpass "Pirates"' worldwide gross of $655 million to become Disney's all-time top live-action grosser. The movie also received three Oscar nominations Tuesday.
"I'm unbelievably relieved that what we hoped has happened," Walden Media co-founder and CEO Cary Granat said about the success of the first film. "It reminds me of when I was kid and saw clouds and wondered how it would be to touch one. And when you're an adult and you're on a mountain and actually have a chance to touch one, all you can think is, How cool! We're incredibly elated right now."
About Adamson returning, Granat added, "To me, the most exciting aspect of all of this is that there is so much that Andrew wanted to express and do in the first film, and now he'll have a chance to."
Walden Media, which focuses on family-oriented films, is owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz.
Adamson also is on board DreamWorks' "Shrek 3," the computer-animated franchise on which he got his start as a feature film director. Adamson will executive produce "Shrek 3," and he has been involved with developing the story and will supervise voice talent recording sessions.
There is a synergy of sorts in having Adamson direct the "Narnia" movies as the books' lore describe the saviors of the land as the sons of Adam.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Copyright © 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
