Aslan is on the move — this time, propelled by the mighty Disney marketing machine and the Christian entertainment industry.
The lion Aslan is the focus of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” a Disney flick based on the fantasy novels of C.S. Lewis. When he’s on the move, expectations rise in the world of Narnia, which lies behind the doors of an enchanted wardrobe. Likewise, the Christian entertainment industry is expecting the movie, which will be released Dec. 9, to be a combination of “The Passion of the Christ” and “The Lord of the Rings,” with a little Disney magic thrown in. Publishers are churning out books, video games and all of the paraphernalia that you’d associate with a Disney release.
Great expectations explain why so many top artists were eager to create “Music Inspired By ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.’ ” Jars of Clay, Steven Curtis Chapman, Kutless, Jeremy Camp and the David Crowder Band are just a few who contributed their talents to the project.
“I love C.S. Lewis,” worship leader David Crowder said. “Narnia is just such a lovely tale and the movie looks to be something pretty astounding visually and [it’s] extremely exciting to have such a beautiful story told to such a potentially broad audience.”
In the Narnia novels, Lewis tells the story of salvation and explains underlying concepts through images and allegory. The characters struggle with faith — and sometimes allow temptation to overwhelm them.
Chapman said that although he had read many of Lewis’ works on Christian belief, he had never read the Narnia books before he was approached about the project. Upon reading the novels, he was impressed by “seeing how brilliantly C.S. Lewis was able to tell the greatest story ever told, the coming of God’s savior to the world. And to see how incredibly creative [he was]. … Anyone, even a child, can grasp the elements of the story.”
