As the phenomenally popular book comes to life on the silver screen in Disney’s long awaited animated film “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” viewers can discover the transformational story of the literary genius who brought them these honored tales as the life of C.S. Lewis unfolds on the small screen in “C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia,” premiering Friday, December 9 (8/7c) on Hallmark Channel.
Having sold more than 85 million copies since it was first published in 1950, the seven book series The Chronicles of Narnia are among the world’s most beloved children’s books. Gathering much of his inspiration from personal experiences, a close examination into the life of C.S. Lewis, throughout this one-hour docudrama shot on location in England, explores the impact of his mother’s death, his friendship with Lord of the Rings writer J.R.R. Tolkien, and the four imaginative children who came to live with him during World War II and became the characters in The Chronicles of Narnia.
C.S. Lewis is portrayed by Anton Rodger (“The Merchant of Venice”), Joy Gresham is played by Golden Globe nominee Diane Venora (“Bird”), and John Franklyn-Robbins (“Vanity Fair”) is The Great Knock. “C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia” was written and directed by Norman Stone. Executive producers are Edward P. Murray and William Spencer Reilly of Faith & Values Media, and Jeffrey C. Weber of Lightworks Producing Group.
I’ve had the opportunity of previewing this video, and it is well worth watching, for anyone that is curious about the life of C.S. Lewis, and the foundation for the creation of Narnia. It is a very well put together program which features Brian Sibley and others, speaking about Lewis’ experiences, as well as very good dramatic performances. Be sure to watch this when it airs on December 9th, or set the VCR to record it while you are experiencing Narnia at the theatre. This is a wonderful companion piece to the film.
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