Premiere and Minister for the Arts, Anna Bligh, confirmed the Pacific Film and Television Commission was finalizing negotiations with Walden Media and 20th Century Fox to shoot the multimillion-dollar production: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
“In one of the Australian film industry’s most hotly-contested marketing campaigns, Queensland fought fierce interstate and international competition for this coveted project and is now in final discussions to become the enchanted world of Narnia,” said Ms. Bligh.
Listed as returning cast are Georgie Henley, reprising her role as Lucy Pevensie, Ben Barnes as Caspian, Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie and Eddie Izzard as Reepicheep. Joining them is newcomer Will Poulter as the Pevensies cousin Eustace Clarence Scrubb.
The film’s budget is said to be around $150 million, and it is expected to lead to significant job creation in Queensland. The state had stiff competition in Fox Studios, which is located in Sydney, Australia. They won the production after two years of work to attract the production and offered financial incentive to secure the project. They also provided support and assistance during location scouts.
Filming will take place on the Gold Coast, in Redlands Shire and the Whitsundays. Pre-production has begun with Michael Apted at the helm. Principal photography is scheduled to start in late July, to wrap in early November.