Normally, few would care about a movie that isn’t expected until next holiday season – we’re still reeling from all the eating and shopping and frantic hurry of LAST holiday season! But “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is looking to be no ordinary movie, and Internet fan sites are buzzing – both movie portals and sites devoted to fans of the books.
Based on the first book in what might be the most beloved series in all of children’s literature, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is shaping up to be a spectacular film experience in every sense of the word. Filming on location halfway around the world in New Zealand, with a roster of fantastic creatures to be created to populate the world of Narnia, and concept art so lovely that it’s staggering to look at (check out the images we snagged for this article), “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is already whipping up a storm of interest.
Aslan and crew as envisioned in concept art. Devoted Narnia fans are flocking to the film’s official Web site. It’s a cornucopia of information about the film and C.S. Lewis’ immortal books that inspired it. There’s a timeline of Narnia history, synopses of the seven novels, even a trivia quiz. It’s also the spot where visitors can sign up to receive a Narnia newsletter, with regular updates to tide them over until the movie is ready for release.
“The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” finds four British children stumbling upon a magical world, Narnia, during a game of indoor hide-and-seek. They learn that Narnia is in the grip of never-ending winter, and are enlisted to help free the land from the tyranny of the evil White Witch. The children will be played by British newcomers, but Narnia will be populated with noted actors as well: the White Witch will be played with panache by Tilda Swinton, and it was just recently announced that the magical lion Aslan will have the voice of Brian Cox (you might have seen him in “X2” or “The Bourne Supremacy”). At the helm is Andrew Adamson, the director of the two “Shrek” movies.
The house where the adventure begins. There are seven books in all in “The Chronicles of Narnia,” so we suspect this won’t be the last film to visit the enchanted land beyond the wardrobe … but we’ll have to wait and see. As production continues, the Insider will bring you occasional updates and behind-the-scenes skinny on the progress. This is one movie that we can hardly wait for.