The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety have confirmed that Chronicles of Narnia movie director Michael Apted has died today at the age of 79. No details on the cause of death have been revealed. The first two of Disney’s Narnia Movies were directed by Andrew Adamson, but Michael Apted took over directing for the third film. This film became the highest grossing film of his entire career grossing over $415 million worldwide. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) is now streaming on Disney+.
Narnia cast members remember the late director on social media:
We all doted on Michael Apted as he directed, ‘The Voyage of The Dawn Treader’.
He was not only a brilliant director but an extremely charming, funny, straight-shooting, kind and thoughtful man. I shall miss him. #Narnia pic.twitter.com/u0ohzrqa9g— Ben Barnes (@benbarnes) January 9, 2021
It was an immeasurable honour to work with Michael. He had the wisdom of an elder without losing the heart of a young man. pic.twitter.com/aFnhPoPv09
— Skandar Keynes (@SKeynes1) January 8, 2021
NarniaFans.com founder Paul Martin proposed to his wife on the set of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and wrote this to remember his experience with the director:
R.I.P. Michael Apted. Thank you for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I was thrilled to get to watch you direct, and that I got to share my proposal to my wife with you. I was just relaying that story to someone today. Especially when you said “We were all hoping she’d say yes.” https://t.co/36Cf8VuYoS
— Narnia Fans (@NarniaFans) January 8, 2021