Following the news that 20th Century Fox would co-finance The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, an Australian industry insider announced yesterday that Sydney was likely to host filming of the Narnia sequel.

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Wow, when I woke up today, on Christmas Eve, I did not expect to read this headline all over my inbox. I did notice an awful lot of stories with Narnia in the title, and as I started to look at them, the first one I noticed was this headline: Disney jumps ship on next “Narnia.” My heart sank. Disney has been so good to us, here at NarniaFans.com, that I was looking forward to working with them again on the next Narnia.

Here’s hoping that another studio takes the opportunity to pick up where Disney left off. Come on, Fox! Get on board, and do this series to the end! We’re rooting for you!

From Reuters/The Hollywood Reporter:

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” will have to sail without Disney.

The studio said Tuesday that for budgetary and logistical reasons it will not exercise its option to co-produce and co-finance the next “Narnia” movie with producer Walden Media.

The third entry in the series, based on the classic books by C.S. Lewis, was in preproduction and set for a spring shoot for a planned May 2010 release. The development puts the participation of the talent attached in doubt. Michael Apted was on board to direct a script by Steven Knight. The key players of the second installment, “Prince Caspian” — Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell — were to return for the third film.

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Animated Views has an article about the final portion of the battle at the end of Prince Caspian.  They interviewed Prince Caspian’s Art Director, Frank Walsh, who provided many pictures and explanations for how things worked.

Animated Views: So, tell me, Frank. What will your last story on Prince Caspian be about?

Frank Walsh: Towards the end of Prince Caspian there is a climactic scene where the Telmarine Army, lead by King Miraz, march against the Narnians. Andrew Adamson, the director wanted to precede the final battle by setting Miraz the challenging task of having to ford a monstrous river to reach his enemy. In much the same way Julius Caesar, in 56BC, had taken his army against the Germanic tribes by a building bridge across the Rhine, so Andrew set us the task of achieving the same for his film. Caesar accomplished this task allegedly in 10 days; we had 40, accompanied by the predictable ‘flood’.

Read the whole thing at Animated Views

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Howard Berger, who has handled special effects and makeup for the Chronicle of Narnia movies, said that actors will have a chance to interact with more fantasy creatures in the expected second sequel, Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

And that will mean more models and animatronic characters on set to stand in for complicated computer-generated visual effects that will be added in post-production, he said while giving reporters a tour of his shop this week. That will include a mix of animatronic animals and realistic costumes.

The interaction between the actors and the fantasy characters is a lot more involved than in the previous two movies, Berger said.

“In Dawn Treader there will be a lot of dialogue, and you can’t have the actors act against nothing,” Berger said.

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I’ve received my copy of the Blu-ray Disc for Prince Caspian, and will be spending some time going in-depth for a review in the next few days.

Lots of things are happening around the website, as you are probably noticing.  I’m enjoying increased traffic, which has lead to more information than ever before.

Look for a lot more, coming soon.  More writers, more stories, and more Narnia than ever before!

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Walt Disney Pictures’ “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is now in pre-production and casting directors are accepting photos and resumes from talent.

*** Please submit photos and resumes by mail only. No phone calls or personal drop-offs *** And please don’t contact us, here at NarniaFans.com, for any roles. We can’t give you a role in any film. Also, make note that they are only casting for Dawn Treader and not any of the other Narnia films at this time.

See the post titled Photo and Resume Information regarding how to submit for acting roles.

Principal Actor Casting:

Nina Gold Casting
66-68 Margaret St.
5th Floor
London W1W 8SR
UK

Extras Casting New Zealand:

Liz Mullane
Odd Management Ltd.
PO Box 90860
Auckland Mail Centre
New Zealand

Extras Casting Mexico:

Casting Valdés
Apartado Postal 1-281
Zona Centro CP
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco 48300
Mexico

The information that we are casting for Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader is NOT CORRECT! Our company is listed as being in charge of extras casting and though of course we’d love to do it, we have NOT been contracted for it. I don’t know who is responsible for this misinformation but please help us get the word out that it is bogus, and that when we open casting for any production we announce it on our website www.mexicocasting.com/new and www.myspace.com/mexicocasting2

Production Company:

Walden Media
1888 Century Park East
14th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90067

in association with

Walt Disney Pictures
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521

Disney dropped the project on Christmas Eve. Fox 2000 has since picked it up. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Producers:

Mark Johnson
Andrew Adamson
Philip Steuer

Director:

Michael Apted

Filming Locations:

New Zealand
Fox Baja Studios, Rosarito, Baja California Norte, Mexico
Prague, Czech Republic
Australia

Cast:

Ben Barnes – Prince Caspian
Georgie Henley – Lucy Pevensie
Will Poulter – Eustace Clarence Scrubb
Skandar Keynes – Edmund Pevensie
Peter Dinklage – Trumpkin
Eddie Izzard – Reepicheep

Story:

Lucy and Edmund Pevensie return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with Prince Caspian for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Along the way they encounter dragons, dwarves, merfolk, and a band of lost warriors before reaching the edge of the world.

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Wouldn’t you know it, just as Prince Caspian is about to be released to DVD and Blu-ray Disc, a BBC documentary is announced that won’t air until Easter. Not that I blame them… that is pure marketing.

The documentary is called “The Narnia Code” and it is based on a theory that the Chronicles of Narnia books all relate to the different planets in our solar system.

Each of the seven children’s chronicles is based on one of the seven planets that comprised the heavens in medieval astrology, says a scholar whose theory is examined in the programme.

The explanation comes after more than five decades of literary and theological debate over whether Lewis devised the fantasies with a pattern in mind or created characters and events at random.

It is put forward by Reverend Dr Michael Ward, in his book Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of CS Lewis.

Norman Stone, director and producer of The Narnia Code, to be screened on BBC2 at Easter, says the theory is the “best explanation yet” for the chimerical nature of the books.

The Chronicles of Narnia have sold over 120m copies in 41 languages since their first publication in the early 1950s first of the books, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, was turned into a film starring Tilda Swinton and James McAvoy in 2005.

The books are already known to work on two levels: the fantasy narrative enjoyed by generations of children, and the Christian allegory in which the lion Aslan represents Christ. However, Lewis never revealed the hidden key behind the series.

Dr Ward made his discovery in 2003 after reading The Planets, a poem by Lewis which refers to the influence of Jupiter in “winter passed / And guilt forgiv’n” – a theme echoed in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

He claims Lewis’ knowledge of medieval history, of which he was one of the leading scholars, made him familiar with the characteristics attributed to the seven planets during the period. Each of these planets gives one of the books its theme. Prince Caspian, for example, is a story ruled by Mars, who is manifested by soldiery and battle, while The Voyage of the Dawn Treader focuses on the Sun, with its light and gold themes. In The Horse and His Boy, based on Mercury, the planet that rules the star sign Gemini and is associated with the power of communication, the characters include twins and a talking horse.

Mr Stone said: “This isn’t the first theory on Narnia and I don’t suppose it will be the last but this is the best explanation yet.

He added: “This will help change the view of Lewis. It will help elevate Lewis to a different level and make him the equal of Tolkien – both as a writer and thinker.”

So, who’s interested in this possible theory? Thoughts?

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Return to the magical world of Narnia in the second installment of C.S. Lewis’ timeless epic, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, coming to market on December 2, 2008 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Packed with exclusive featurettes, interviews and deleted scenes, the entertainment title of the year is available on DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def, as well as a special two-disc Collectors Edition perfect for holiday giving. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian packaging also includes a special DisneyFile, a digital copy of the movie that can be viewed on a variety of portable devices for the whole family to enjoy anytime, anywhere.

From the creators of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian features even more groundbreaking special effects and breathtaking action than its predecessor. William Moseley, Georgie Henley, Anna Popplewell and Skandar Keynes return as Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, the Pevensie siblings, along with Academy Award® nominee Liam Neeson (1993 nominee for Best Actor, Schindler’s List) as Aslan the Lion and Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton (2008 winner for Best Supporting Actress, Michael Clayton) as the White Witch. They are joined by Ben Barnes (Stardust) as Caspian, heir to the Narnian throne, with Sergio Castellitto (Arthur and the Invisibles), Eddie Izzard (FX: The Riches), Warwick Davis (the Harry Potter films) and Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent) appearing as new residents of Narnia. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is fantasy adventure that will delight the entire family.

Lewis’ seven-book Chronicles of Narnia series is regarded as one of literature’s most enduring classics, selling over 100,000,000 copies in more than 35 languages, making it the second biggest book series the world over.

In The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the Pevensie children face a perilous mission and a greater test of their faith and courage. They find a world in which 1,300 years have passed. The White Witch is gone, the realm is ruled by a cruel tyrant and Aslan has been missing for over a thousand years.

The four children embark on a remarkable journey to restore magic and glory to the land. Accompanied by Trumpkin, a valiant dwarf, Reepicheep the talking mouse and a suspicious Black Dwarf named Nikabrik, they raise an army of Narnians to rise up against the evil king Miraz.

BONUS FEATURES:

DVD

• Special audio commentary by director and actors

Collector’s Edition DVD

All of the above, plus:

• Special audio commentary by director and actors, a behind-the-scenes interview with the cast and crew, a tour of the film’s locations and sets, inside view of the technology and production behind the movie, bloopers, deleted scenes and much, much more!

Blu-ray Hi-Def Exclusives

All of the above, plus:

• Enhanced Disney’s BD-Live Network exclusives, interactive Narnia game, downloadable features and much, much more!

• Circle-Vision Interactive: Creating the Castle Raid – Walt Disney’s famous Imagineers introduced the world to Circle-Vision in the 50’s and 60’s, which immersed Disneyland visitors in 360-degree film tours of America, and later, China and Canada. Now, through HDRI camera technology and the rapidly-evolving interactive capabilities of Blu-ray, the Disney team has taken the first step towards advancing this unique and memorable experience. Only on THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN on Blu-ray Disc can fans take a 360-degree look behind the scenes of the castle raid sequence and get unique access to the secrets of how this latest adventure to Narnia was pulled off. It’s all a part of CIRCLE-VISION INTERACTIVE: CREATING THE CASTLE RAID. First, start off in the CIRCLE-VISION preview lobby, and choose to get a private tour of the castle raid from Director Andrew Adamson, Producer Mark Johnson, or a number of other key filmmakers and artists who brought the latest adventure to NARNIA to life. Then, select one of the exclusive CIRCLE-VISION experiences to be virtually transported to the set in the Czech Republic. The moment you enter these panoramic worlds, you will be able to turn in any direction, and fully-explore how this compelling sequence was painstakingly created. Discover a myriad of progression reels, developmental animatics, 13 audio commentaries, pop-up facts, slide shows, and a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes footage with cast and crew that is revealing, interesting, compelling, funny and exclusively accessed through this new-reimagining of a classic idea. It’s all a part of CIRCLE-VISION INTERACTIVE: CREATING THE CASTLE RAID, only on THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN on Blu-ray Disc.

The DVD of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian has a suggested retail price of $29.99 (U.S.) and $35.99 (Canada). The Two Disc Collector’s Edition is $39.99 (U.S.) and $46.99 (Canada). The Blu-ray disc is priced at $35.99 (U.S.) and $45.99 (Canada).

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Disney says it will offer free subway rides to strangers across the United States to celebrate the DVD and Blu-Ray release of “Prince Caspian.”

The second installment of “The Chronicles of Narnia” franchise is to be released in those formats Dec. 2.

Much like in the film when the Pevensie kids are transported to the magical land of Narnia while waiting for the subway, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment hopes to spread a little of that same magic in the subway as commuters are transported to their destinations the morning of Dec. 2.

During the morning hours (approximately 7 a.m.-9 a.m., though it may vary by market) in each participating market, commuters who enter a designated subway terminal on Dec. 2 in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami and San Francisco may have the opportunity to ride for free. Commuters need only to look for signage and street teams to receive their free ticket.

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“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” will make its basic cable television premiere on ABC Family as part of the network’s “25 Days of Christmas” programming event in December.

The magical world of C.S. Lewis’ beloved fantasy comes to life in “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” This timeless adventure follows the exploits of the four Pevensie siblings—Lucy (Georgie Henley), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell) and Peter (William Moseley)—in World War II England who enter the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game of “hide-and-seek” at the rural estate of a mysterious professor. Once there, the children discover a charming, once peaceful land inhabited by talking beasts, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs and giants that has become a world cursed to eternal winter by the evil White Witch, Jadis (Tilda Swinton). Under the guidance of a noble and mystical ruler, the magnificent lion Aslan, the children fight to overcome Jadis’ powerful hold over Narnia in a spectacular, climactic battle that will free Narnia from her icy spell forever.

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” airs Friday, December 12 (6:00 – 9:30 PM ET/PT).

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