If you thought The Lord of the Rings movies were big, wait until The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe hits theatres on December 9th 2005.
The Chronicles of Narnia have sold over 85 million copies worldwide; furthermore, there are seven potential movies in the series versus just three in LOTR.
An interview with Douglas Gresham, co-producer of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, provides an inside look at how classic literature combined with cutting edge technological advancements are breaking new ground in the motion picture industry.
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe will be the first film to combine and utilize the four disciplines of Live Acting, Animatronics, Prosthetic Costuming and CGI in one movie and in some cases in individual characters. Perfection of the technology required to do justice to this classic story has only recently existed.
Gresham explains that advances in the fields of Prosthetic Costuming, (body suits or face masks controlled by the movement of the actor’s own musculature) Animatronics, (electronically controlled puppetry) and CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) coupled with the skill of the director, (Andrew Adamson, the animation genius who created Shrek and Shrek 2.) were utilized to bring the full richness of the land of Narnia into this groundbreaking, one-of-a-kind motion picture.
Gresham assures fans of the book series that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe script is true to the original story, bringing to life the adventures of the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy as they discover the magical land called Narnia which they enter through a wardrobe. While in Narnia they befriend talking animals and embark upon a quest to free the land from the clutches of a powerful tyrant imbued with magical powers. With the help of Aslan, the Great Lion, the children discover the value of reconciliation, redemption, forgiveness, courage and valor; traits which Gresham describes as essential for children to learn at some point in their development.
Douglas Gresham is the stepson of the author of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and the creative and artistic director of the C.S. Lewis Company. Gresham is a man wired for pushing the envelope. He is an author, speaker, and airplane pilot, the captain of a yacht, and a devoted husband and father who make time to restore vintage Jaguars® to give to his kid’s on their 21st birthdays. Never content to rest on his laurels, the co-production of this Walden Media Disney blockbuster is arguably one of his most ambitious projects to date.
Gresham on Cutting Edge Movie Technology
What kind of Technology is used to create the movie? What is animatronics?
Animatronics is creating a character out of latex with circuits controlled by a puppeteer and motors to control the eyes. It is similar to robotics. We also combine Live Actors with Prosthetic Costuming which is controlled by the movement of the actor’s own musculature or facial expressions and Computer Generated Imagery or CGI to create this movie. We are really pushing the technological envelope.
Is it going to be like Lord of the Rings or Veggie Tales? Is it geared towards older kids or younger ones?
Well, LOTR couldn’t have been geared towards the young. They would be terrified with big Orcs and things. Our goal is to appeal to a wide spectrum of age groups. I would like people to be equally enthralled at the age of 6 or 7 as they are at 77 and anywhere in between. It’s a very beautiful movie. It’s also visually beautiful. Andrew Adamson has done a wonderful job. The actors portraying the children are superb. The progression of the personality and character development of the four children is beautiful to watch as well.
To answer your question, I think it’s going to be even better than Lord of the Rings in some ways. Mind you, not to take anything away from Peter Jackson I think he did a magnificent job on LOTR. But I think our director is better than their director. (Laughs)
Are you going to be true to the book or better still to the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre version of the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe?
Groucho Marx used to do a TV show. He asked a little boy “Which do you like better, TV or radio?” The little boy said “Radio…because the pictures are better.”
This is what we’re up against. We’ve had to produce something that’s even better than people’s imaginations.
This is where Andrew Adamson really shines. We have a brilliant team on this. That was one of the reasons that we went with the company Walden Media or Walden Films. Their mandate and their ethos is a good fit for this project. The company was started by Michael Flaherty is also owned by Phil Anschutz; there’s a solid Christian influence behind the company.
[We] have heard Disney is making the movie?
Disney is distributing the movie. They are doing an enormously good job as well.
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