Adaptations & Media

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” a spectacular live-action/CGI motion picture adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ beloved literary classic, began principal photography on location in Auckland, New Zealand, on June 28, 2004. The production, a joint venture between the Walt Disney Studios and Walden Media, is the first live-action adaptation of Lewis’ book for the motion picture screen, and represents one of the biggest undertakings ever mounted by both companies.

Holly is one of four animatronic reindeer working on Andrew Adamson’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe after the living variety struck problems with Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry regulations.

James Cosmo has finished his scenes as Father Christmas. Anyone have pictures?

The first installment of what could become a seven-part Chronicles of Narnia series will be released on December 9, 2005.

A spokesman for the $170 million production could not confirm whether the movie will be screened worldwide on the same day, or if the date refers to its release in the United States only.

In other Narnia news, the film has been moved from a Christmas 2005 release to December 9 – no clue why, although it does place the film very close to Peter Jackson’s King Kong. And while we know that Tilda Swinton (who was in The War Zone with Winstone) will be playing the White Witch, we still aren’t sure who is playing Aslan the lion.

Another Lord of the Rings alumnus joins the crew of LWW, joining other LOTR alumni Kiran Shah and Shane Rangi on the set.

Ray Winstone has been cast as the voice of Mr. Beaver in the upcoming Narnia film. Winstone will co-star with British comic Dawn French who will voice the part of Mrs. Beaver.

On Day 18 of Adamson’s epic shoot that began on June 28, the man who made magic with both Shrek films led his cast and crew into Narnia for the very first time as he filmed actress Georgie Henley’s (playing Lucy, the youngest of the four Pevensie children) first footsteps into the sprawling, snowy landscape envisioned by production designer Roger Ford on a set that measures approximately 80x50x18 meters (roughly the same size as the massive James Bond stage at Pinewood Studios in London).

OSCAR winning actor Jim Broadbent is putting on his scholarly look today as he plays the Professor in the blockbuster movie of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the CS Lewis classic fairytale which is being shot for the big screen on location in New Zealand.