We just recieved word today that CS Lewis’s beloved Chronicles of Narniawill soon receive their own “Leatherbound Classics Edition” from Barnes and Noble.  This hardcover volume, will include all seven books in one, and is sure to  be a treasured keepsake for every fan. There is no word on if the books will be featrued in their original publication order or their chronological order. As soon as we can get  further information on the volume, we will let you know.

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This would be one amazing find, as The Last Battle is my favorite book in the series.  A first edition of the book has been discovered by a pair of charity bookshop volunteers.  Christine and Robert Williams were sorting through a delivery of donations to the National Trust’s second-hand bookshop at Mottisfont and came across a copy of the book.  Small, hardcovered, complete with a beautifully illustrated dust jacket.  The book was published in 1956 and could be worth as much as £1,000.

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Andrew Skilleter is the artist behind the covers of the BBC radio editions of The Chronicles of Narnia.  He asked me to mention that he’s made available, by popular demand, a limited run of 250 of each title as special prints of his artwork.  If you missed it, we posted a story about the exhibition that is still going on, along with some of the art work, here: BBC Narnia Cover Art Exhibition UK.  The art is available to purchase at the artist’s website, here: Andrew Skelleter’s Narnia BBC Paintings.
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Books Illustrated Ltd is exhibiting at the Salisbury Museum from 4 April to 4 July. ‘The Wonder of Illustration’ features original artwork by Andrew Skilleter for C. S. Lewis’ fantastic tales of Narnia. All pieces of art on display are for sale.

In the late 1980s, the BBC began to adapt for radio The Chronicles of Narnia. Brian Sibley, writer, dramatist and broadcaster was responsible for the acclaimed dramatisation of this classic for BBC Radio 4. Brian had earlier dramatised the epic Radio 4 Lord of the Rings, a brilliant realisation for radio of another great classic.

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WETA has been nominated for the 2009 Children’s and Young Adults Book Awards, for their book ‘The Crafting of Narnia.’

Congratulations WETA!  You deserve it!

Before you can film a fantasy movie, you must create an authentic world. What kind of weather is found within, what would the buildings be made of, what creatures populate its land, and what is the history behind its people? For every stunning frame of film, there have been countless hours of work to create such majesty. And what a task to bring to the screen one of the world’s most beloved children’s series, C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia.

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Narnia Spy Shad wrote to us about the Narnia Exhibition that is now at the Franklin in Pennsylvania.  If you get the chance, go to it.  It very impressive!  Here are scans that he send in of a brochure that he picked up there.

Yesterday, my brother and I attended a conference in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  During one of the breaks, my brother picked up a brochure for the Narnia Exhibit, in Philadelphia.  I thought the brochure was interesting, and I thought other fans might think so, too.

I’ve attached two images of the brochure - the front, and inside.

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It seems just like yesterday we all were salivating ( or in the cases of some fans, foaming at the mouth) in anticipation for the next Narnia film. Well, now Prince Caspian is playing in dollar theaters and we are getting ready for the big release of Narnia on DVD.

Whilst doing some browsing around at some local stores, I found that all toys related to Prince Caspian are on clearance. Warehouse stores like Target, Wal-mart and K-Mart have the toys marked as low as 75% off. This means you can get the whole collection of Narnia toys with out so much as breaking the bank.

For those who wanted the toys but were short on cash, now is the time to make like Pattertwig the squirrel and gather them up if you can. Some are harder to find then others, in particular Susan Pevensie, who happens to come with Reepicheep. ( The only one I was unable to find.)

Want to reenact scenes from the book? Play out how you wanted the movie to go? Or perhaps go crazy and have Reepicheep duel Yoda? Well, now is your chance!

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WETA wrote us today, telling us about the latest issue of Toy Collector Magazine, that is currently available for download.

There’s a terrific article about WETA’s Prince Caspian line of toys, followed by a small one about the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe line from a couple of years ago.

Here’s an excerpt:

CS. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia has been a classic in the realm of fantasy since The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe first hit bookshelves in 1949. The storyline follows the adventures of four London children who are sent to a professor’s country home to put them out of harm’s way during World War II. There they discover a magic wardrobe that leads to a mystical land – Narnia – whose ruler is a malevolent witch.

In late 2005, the movie version of Lewis’ fantasy tale joined the ranks of highest-earning films of all time with a worldwide box office take of almost $745 million. Along with the amazing film, titled The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, came more Narnia merchandise than even the literary genius C.S. Lewis ever could have imagined. Toy stores were filled with action figures and role-play toys, and the shelves of collectors were adorned with some of the finest statues and replica weapons ever made.

A couple of years may have passed, but with last month’s release of the new Narnia film, Prince Caspian, the hunger for collectibles based on Lewis’ characters is as strong as ever. Whether you are looking for toys for the kids, or a high-end collectible that you’d never let your kids near, there’s something for everyone coming to market in the next couple months.

Download the full article here. It starts on page 61.

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Prince Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne of Narnia, commits himself to battle, leading his fellow Narnians into combat. Astride his bay steed he charges, sword in hand, determined to depose the treacherous King Miraz and the oppressive Telmarines and at long last bring peace and prosperity to all Narnians.

Today, on the day of the World Premiere, Weta launches the third piece from Disney’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

Weta Concept Designer Paul Tobin designed this feature piece, with inspiration drawn from the works of Western artist Frederic Remington. It was then sculpted by Eden Small and Daniel Cockersell.

This sculpture joins a long Weta tradition of much admired equestrian statues, and in an edition limited to ONLY 500 WORLDWIDE, Prince Caspian In Battle is set to become immensely collectible. It’s available for pre-order and will be delivered in July/August.

Background:

Weta is a multi Academy Award-winning company based in Wellington, New Zealand, that rose to international fame with the creation of Middle-Earth for The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Since then, the art of Weta has been seen in a number of films such as King Kong, The Last Samurai and The Chronicles of Narnia. The artists who create our collectibles are the same artists who work on these movies.

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The timeless and fascinating Narnia series has been captivating fans and collectors for over 50 years, and on May 16th Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media are bringing the world of Narnia back to the big screen with the release of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. In conjunction with the film release, Disney Consumer Products announces an all new exciting product line which focuses on quality and authenticity. The toy range has impressive detail and industry leading points of articulation and features.

“The Narnia Prince Caspian product line gives fans the opportunity to be immersed in the world of Narnia, and with the action figures, swords, playsets and video game, they can recreate the adventure in a fun and dynamic way,” said Eva Steortz, vice president, Global Franchise Development, boys and film, Disney Consumer Products. “In addition, collectors will covet the highly detailed statues and busts produced by masterful artists who have created realistic, quality collectibles that last a lifetime.”

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA PRINCE CASPIAN TOY LINE

The Prince Caspian toy line created by the Play Along® division of JAKKS Pacific®, and now available at retailers including Toys R Us and Target, empowers kids to relive the action-packed scenes from the film and imagine they are part of the magical world of Narnia, rich with talking animals and mythical creatures. The line includes highly-detailed action figures and playsets, as well as heroic role play items.

The 3.75” and 7” action figures represent over 25 different heroes, villains and fantasy creatures from Narnia. Kids can collect the figures, and imagine they are part of the magical world of Narnia! The Prince Caspian Action Figures are highly-detailed and have authentic battle action features representing how each character actually battles in the movie. For ages 4 and up, SRP $6.99 – $14.99.

The Narnia action figures can be used to recreate the battle scenes from the movie with the Deluxe Castle Playset. With over 15 action features, lights and sounds, authentic detail and deco, over 2 feet of vertical play and 360 degree play value, this playset creates the ultimate Narnia adventure. Kids re-enact battle on the dueling discs, fall through trap doors, navigate over collapsing bridges, survive the dungeon, escape through the secret elevator and help Caspian reclaim his throne. For ages 4 and up, SRP $59.99

Kids can transform into their favorite Narnia characters with The Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian Narnia Battle Armor. The action-packed Gauntlet Crossbow fires foam arrows, and the detailed Helmet and Dagger will have kids feeling just like King Peter as they defend the world of Narnia. For ages 4 and up, SRP $9.99

When it’s time to battle to save the kingdom, they’ll need The Chronicles of Narnia Swords of Narnia. With three styles to choose from – King Peter, Prince Caspian or the Evil King Miraz – each sword features authentic details from that character’s sword in the movie. During battle play, real sword slashing battle sounds can be heard! For ages 4 and up, SRP $9.99

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA PRINCE CASPIAN VIDEO GAME

With combat, exploration and puzzle solving that extends beyond the film, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian video game is the ideal complement to the movie-going experience. The game features 20 playable characters including the ability to play as Prince Caspian. Released by Disney Interactive Studios, the video game will be available at major retailers on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Wii™ home video game system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™ system and Windows-based PC. Developed by Traveller’s Tales, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for home consoles and Windows-based PC takes players throughout Narnia and includes a level, which is unique from both the novel and the film.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for Nintendo DS, an action/role playing game, will debut DGamer, Disney Interactive Studios’ innovative new technology that provides a fun, connected game community for Disney video game fans. With DGamer, players earn content, interact and chat with others on Nintendo DS through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection or on a computer through the Disney.com Web site. DGamer will be offered in North America in future Nintendo DS games from Disney Interactive Studios with a future launch scheduled in other global regions. Prince Caspian for Nintendo DS was developed by Fall Line Studio, the Nintendo platform-dedicated development studio of Disney Interactive Studios.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian video game is rated Teen with violence.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA PRINCE CASPIAN COLLECTIBLES

Weta Collectibles has once again teamed up with Disney Consumer Products and talented technicians to create a line of statues based on the film. Working closely with Disney and their creative team, Weta Workshop designed and produced many of the props and costuming for the sequel, gaining a unique insight into the world of Narnia. The Weta Collectibles range features limited edition polystone statues of iconic characters from the film, including Prince Caspian himself, the irrepressible warrior mouse Reepicheep and a Saytr in mid battle. Also included in the first pieces of the range is a 1/5th scale mini-bust of the Minotaur, and a collection of 1/4th scale miniature helmets, based on the full sized costume pieces Weta Workshop’s artists designed and built for the Chronicles of Narnia films.

Robert Tonner’s collection of TONNER CHARACTER FIGURES™ (TCF) depicts William Moseley in the role of Peter Pevensie; Anna Popplewell in the role of Susan Pevensie; Skandar Keynes in the role of Edmund Pevensie; and Georgie Henley in the role of Lucy Pevensie. Ranging from 13”-19” tall, each perfectly replicated Pevensie sibling comes authentically dressed. The intricate costume details range from real buttons and lace-up shoes to custom knit sweaters. The kings and queens of Narnia also have separate coronation costumes available which include fine details such as intricately molded crowns, hand-embroidery details and luxurious fabrics. These wardrobe adventurers are perfectly scaled and composed of fine quality hard-plastic and vinyl. Each figure features hand-painted face details and 14-points of articulation for the most realistic poses.

Narnia collectibles will be available in collectible and comic book stores in July 2008.

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