Narnia Fans » Release Date

High-Def Digest is reporting that the full press release for the Blu-ray Disc edition of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” will be coming very shortly. Initially it appears as though the Blu-ray Disc will feature the original 2-disc version of the film and its’ features. The fate of the Extended Edition is unknown, with regards to any possible Blu-ray release. Here’s some information from High-Def Digest:

Long-promised for Blu-ray release, Disney today confirmed to High-Def Digest that ‘Narnia,’ will hit high-def May 13 in a lavish special edition with numerous bonus features.

Although the full media release is due shortly, early details indicate that much if not all of the bonus material found on the previous DVD editions will make its way to the Blu-ray. Among the extras already revealed are two audio commentaries (with the filmmakers and cast), plus the multiple-part “Creating Narnia” documentary.

Tech specs for the Blu-ray include 1080p video and uncompressed PCM 5.1 Surround audio (at 48kHz/24-bit), as well as English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and subtitle options.

Nintendo has released a press release featuring all of their upcoming game releases for the first half of 2008. In that, they’ve given us the release dates for the Wii and DS versions of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian video game. I’m sure that the game will also be releasing for practically everything else on the same date, but we’ll see! The release date announced is May 13, just three days prior to the release of the film, nationwide, and in a few other countries. This is a US release date, however, no word on other countries as of yet.

The press release follows.

With their focus on fun for everyone, Nintendo’s Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems are leading a new movement in the world of video games. Games based on brain exercises. … New experiences that surprise even core gamers. … Grandparents buying video game systems – for themselves! Surely, these are unprecedented times.

“The video game industry has never had so many new players, and they’ve never had so much fun,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales & marketing. “Our momentum is not limited to one system or one game. We’re going broad and bold in 2008, with something for every member of the family.”

Nintendo DS and Wii finished as the No. 1 and No. 2 best-selling systems of the year, respectively. Nintendo continues its momentum into 2008 with a strong lineup of games. In the first half of 2008 alone, more than 65 new Wii games will add to the current library of more than 195 and 80 new Nintendo DS games will add to the current library of nearly 500. Nintendo DS opens the first half of the year with games that demonstrate the breadth of the Nintendo DS library. Advance Wars®: Days of Ruin is a treat aimed squarely at core gamers, while Crosswords DS™ is for all consumers, whether they currently play games or not.

Likewise, the first half of 2008 brings a diverse array of Wii games from Nintendo, including core games like Super Smash Bros.® Brawl; games with universal appeal for gamers old and new with Mario Kart® Wii, which uses the easy-to-pick-up Wii Wheel™; and Wii Fit™, which comes with the Wii Balance Board and has appeal for new consumers well beyond the traditional video game audience. On top of all that, new downloadable WiiWare™ games will make their debut. These unique games have much lower entry barriers for developers and let consumers enjoy an incredibly diverse selection of content.

Third-party publishers also continue their strong support for Wii and Nintendo DS. Some of the innovative Wii games for the first half of 2008 include Ninja Reflex from Electronic Arts, No More Heroes™ from Ubisoft, DeBlob from THQ, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed from LucasArts and Okami from Capcom, in addition to compelling Nintendo DS games like FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Rings of Fate from Square Enix, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword from Tecmo and Quick Yoga Training from Ubisoft.

The following is a partial list of Wii and Nintendo DS software for the first half of 2008. Note that details are subject to change.

Wii

Jan. 21: Endless Ocean™ from Nintendo
Jan. 22: One Piece™: Unlimited Adventure™ from Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
January: No More Heroes™ from Ubisoft
February: Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore from Konami
March 9: Super Smash Bros.® Brawl from Nintendo
March 25: Okami from Capcom
May 6: Speed Racer from Warner Bros. Games
May 13: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian from Disney Interactive Studios
May: THE DOG Island™ from Ubisoft
June: Cooking Mama Cook Off 2 from Majesco Entertainment
June: Rygar: The Battle of Argus from Tecmo, Inc.
June: DeBlob from THQ
June: Wall-E from THQ
Spring: Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel from Nintendo
Spring: LEGO: Indiana Jones from LucasArts
Summer: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed from LucasArts
Q2: Wii Fit from Nintendo

Nintendo DS

Jan. 24: Aquarium by DS from Bold Games
Jan. 24: Fantasy Aquarium by DS from Bold Games
Jan. 29: Pet Pals: Animal Doctor from Majesco Entertainment
Feb. 4: Paws & Claws: Pet Resort from THQ
Feb. 12: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney from Capcom
Feb. 12: New Zealand Story Revolution from Ignition Entertainment
Feb. 19: Zoo Tycoon II from THQ
Feb. 26: Bubble Bobble Double Shot from Ignition Entertainment
February: My Horse and Me from Atari
February: Assassin’s Creed Altair’s Chronicles™ from Ubisoft
February: Petz® Wild Animals: Tigerz from Ubisoft
February: Puppy Palace™ from Ubisoft
March 3: Let’s Ride: Friends Forever from THQ
March 4: Disney Friends from Disney Interactive Studios
March 4: Eco-Creatures: Save the Forest from Majesco Entertainment
March 8: Plushees from Destineer
March 8: Harvest Moon DS Cute from Natsume Inc.
March 11: FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Rings of Fate from Square Enix
March 11: Lost in Blue 3 from Konami
March 25: Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword from Tecmo, Inc.
March: Myst from Empire Interactive
March: Naruto™: Ninja Destiny from Tomy Corporation
March: Petz® Bunnyz™ from Ubisoft
May 6: Speed Racer from Warner Bros. Games
May 13: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian from Disney Interactive Studios
June 8: Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness from Natsume Inc.
June: Wall-E from THQ
Spring: LEGO: Indiana Jones from LucasArts
Summer: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed from LucasArts
Q2: Pokemon® Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time from Nintendo
Q2: Pokemon® Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness from Nintendo

[See the full release lists at GamesIndustry.biz]

In a pre-CES press release, Disney has unveiled their expected upcoming Blu-ray releases through the summer. While the list is by no means complete, it does give us a good indication of what to look for in the coming months.

As part of its continued worldwide Blu-ray release strategy, WDSHE will be announcing the addition of many exciting movie titles to their 2008 Blu-ray line-up in North America, Europe and Asia. ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe‘ has once again been put on the Blu-ray release list for May, which should be released around the May 16th theatrical release of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian‘.

North America
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Spring)

Europe/Australia
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (May)

Japan
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (May)

Press Release:

WDSHE Expands Blu-ray Line-Up with First Platinum Blu-ray Release, BD-Live and Full Motion Picture-in-Picture

Also Announces the Extension of Disney’s Magical Blu-ray Tour

BURBANK, Calif.–(Business Wire)–Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) announces an exciting new line-up of Blu-ray initiatives in 2008, an ever-expanding Blu-ray slate and new technological-advancements in bonus feature materials, all which guarantee a superior high-definition home entertainment experience.

“This is an exciting time for Disney as we not only announce the release of our first Platinum Disney animated classic on Blu-ray with Sleeping Beauty, but also allow consumers to create an entirely new home entertainment experience with stunning new bonus features and amazing interactive capabilities like never before seen,” stated Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

For the first time ever, WDSHE will begin releasing its treasured animated classics on Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc(TM) launching with Sleeping Beauty in the fall of 2008. Taking advantage of the numerous technological advancements of the Blu-ray format, these all time favorites have been revitalized to include exceptional high-definition picture and sound quality and compelling interactive content such as virtual games, full motion picture-in-picture and online shopping capabilities via BD-Live broadband connection.

Sleeping Beauty will be WDSHE’s first Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc and will feature a Virtual Castle, utilizing the new BD-Live technology, as well as the interactive game Maleficent’s Challenge which puts viewers face-to-face with one of Disney’s greatest villains. Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray Disc will also feature an all-new enhanced home theater mix in 7.1 surround sound.

Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo Blu-ray Disc will debut the first Cine-Explore featuring full motion picture-in-picture (BonusView). This interactive visual commentary with director Andrew Stanton, co-writer Bob Peterson and co-director Lee Unkrich allows the viewer to dive deeper into the making of Finding Nemo without ever leaving the film. For kids and families, there is the all-new BD-Java enabled learning mode “Mr. Ray’s Ed-venture.” Hosted by Dory, Marlin and of course Mr. Ray, viewers will learn all about sea life and have the opportunity to earn stickers for their virtual sticker book by answering “quizlettes” while watching the movie. Viewers can also go to their sticker book at any time and create their own scene. Finding Nemo will also feature an all-new enhanced home theater mix in 7.1 surround sound.

As part of its continued worldwide Blu-ray release strategy, WDSHE will be announcing the addition of many exciting movie titles to their 2008 Blu-ray line-up in North America, Europe and Asia.

In North America, WDSHE will be releasing new theatrical titles to Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD including The Game Plan (Walt Disney Pictures) on January 22; Gone Baby Gone and Becoming Jane (both Miramax) on February 12; and Dan In Real Life (Touchstone Pictures) on March 11. WDSHE will expand its catalogue titles on Blu-ray Disc with the releases of The Rock (Hollywood Pictures) and Con Air (Touchstone Pictures) on January 8; Crimson Tide (Hollywood Pictures) on February 5; The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) on March 4; Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures), Coyote Ugly: The Double Shot Edition (Touchstone Pictures), Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector’s Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in spring 2008.

In Europe/Australia, WDSHE will roll out Blu-ray Discs in 2008 beginning with The Recruit (Touchstone Pictures) in January; and Dark Water (Touchstone Pictures) in February; Underdog (Walt Disney Pictures) and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in February; Coyote Ugly (Touchstone Pictures) and The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) in March; Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures) and Gone Baby Gone (Miramax) in April; Signs (Touchstone Pictures), There Will Be Blood (Miramax), Shall We Dance (Miramax), Ladder 49 (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector’s Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in May; and The Game Plan (Walt Disney Pictures) and Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures) in summer 2008.

Japan will see WDSHE release Blu-ray titles starting with Hollywoodland (Miramax) in February; The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures), Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures), Meet The Robinsons (Walt Disney Pictures), and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in April; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures), Coyote Ugly (Touchstone Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector’s Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in May; and Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures) and Signs (Touchstone Pictures) in summer 2008.

Following overwhelming consumer response WDSHE is also announcing the extension of Disney’s Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, to eight additional North American cities. The first stop will be to Toronto, Canada the weekend of January 25th and continue on to Nashville, Denver, Dallas, Raleigh-Durham, Hartford and conclude with Chicago at Unity 2008 in July.

The results of the 2007 tour not only reaffirmed consumers’ continued desires for high-definition picture without compromise but reaffirmed the need to be educated on how to achieve the ultimate high-definition home entertainment experience beyond just owning an HDTV.

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a division of The Walt Disney Studios.

A few days ago, I received an e-mail that was a little bit of a shock. However, I did some research and found out that it was actually true.

The e-mail points to an article stating this:

Adamson’s Prince Caspian adaptation (due for release on June 27th, 2008) is currently…

The person that e-mailed me was worried that Prince Caspian had been pushed back from its’ May 16, 2008 release date. I e-mailed Disney to confirm whether or not it is the case.

The facts are now straight.

In the United States, Prince Caspian will be released: May 16, 2008.
In the United Kingdom, Prince Caspian will be released: June 27, 2008.

So, there you have it! Thanks to Jonathan for pointing this out and Tim at Disney for explaining!

It appears that The Voyage of the Dawn Treader may have just been pushed a year back. The word comes from Box Office Mojo, and is followed up by ComingSoon.net with this.

On the heels of yesterday’s awesome Prince Caspian poster, Walt Disney Pictures has pushed back The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader from May 1, 2009 to May 7, 2010.

They’ve filled Dawn Treader’s previous May 1, 2009 slot with the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced live-action/CGI family feature G-Force. If you’re wondering just what G-Force is: it follows a group of intelligent animal commandos working for a government agency trying to prevent an evil billionaire from taking over the world.

We’ve confirmed it with Disney, and it is absolutely true that it will be released on May 7, 2010.

Official Statement: In consideration of the challenging schedules for our young actors, Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media have chosen to delay the start of production for “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” until summer 2008. The new release date for this highly anticipated third entry in the “Narnia” series will now be May 7, 2010.

Does this mean that the final product will be better? I don’t know if it will benefit from this push in the way that we hope. There are a couple reasons why it may not.

Cost
For one thing, it would drive up the production cost. More time means more money. A lengthier shoot means spending more on the film. I heard somewhere that a low cost day would be around $25,00-$50,000. And that is being conservative with the numbers.

CG may look the same
Regardless of how much more time they have, they’re going to make it as realistic as they can. Sure, technology will get better, become more advanced, but we’re seeing CG hit superb levels of realism that we’ve never imagined possible.

I’m sure that Walden and Disney are going to do everything they can to make this as spectacular a film as we’ve ever seen, and they’ll spare no expense in doing so, but I think we need to take a step back and realize that, regardless of time, they wouldn’t have given us any less than the great film that we’re going to see. I hope that it is a better film, but we’d only know for sure if we got a 2009 release, followed by a 2010 release of the same film. Then we could compare both products.

According to Comingsoon.net, Disney has announced the release date for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Fortunately for Narnia fans, the wait won’t be quite as long as it was for Prince Caspian. The release date is set for May 1, 2009, a little less than a year after Prince Caspian is released.

NarniaFans Spy Daniel has sent us word that Prince Caspian indeed has a release date set. This is huge news that hasn’t made the major entertainment press.

Walt Disney Pictures has set the release date. Prince Caspian will be releasing on May 16, 2008.

This is the first we’ve heard of it, and but it does position Prince Caspian in the pole position for summer 2008, between the May 2nd release of Iron Man and the May 23 release of Kung Fu Panda.

Walt Disney Records will release two versions of the soundtrack for Walt Disney Pictures/Walden Media’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on December 13, 2005. The first is the Original Soundtrack, featuring score composed by Harry Gregson-Williams and songs performed by Alanis Morrissette, Imogen Heap, Tim Finn and Lisbeth Scott. The other is the 2-disc Special Edition Soundtrack, which includes a Special Edition CD, containing the original soundtrack plus a 40-page souvenir booklet, and DVD.

In 1950, the scholar, critic and writer C.S. Lewis published The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first of his seven-volume series, The Chronicles of Narnia, and established a modern legend. Adults and children alike fell in love with his stirring, action-packed adventure that was set in the middle of World War II bombing raids yet transported readers into an alternate and far more enchanted universe of mythological creatures waging an epic battle between good and evil.

Years in the making and meticulously created by director Andrew Adamson to match C.S. Lewis’ own vision of Narnia, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe marks the live-action debut of New Zealander Adamson, who came to fore bringing worldwide audiences the Oscar®-winning Shrek and Shrek 2.

Harry Gregson-Williams reunites with director Andrew Adamson after composing the scores for Shrek and the subsequent box-office smash, Shrek 2. Gregson-Williams is well-known in the world of animation, having also scored the features Antz and Chicken Run. Named The Hollywood Composer of the Year 2005 by the Hollywood Film Festival, Gregson-Williams created the scores for a long and extremely varied list of films, including. Kingdom of Heaven, Veronica Guerin, Team America: World Police, Bridget Jones: The Age of Reason, and the recent theatrical release Domino.

Walt Disney Records will release an original soundtrack and a Special Edition CD/DVD package for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The soundtrack will feature the sweeping orchestral score composed by Gregson-Williams plus four original songs: “Can’t Take It In,” performed by Imogen Heap, “Winter Light” by Tim Finn (formerly of Split Enz, Crowded House, Finn Brothers), “Where” performed by Lisbeth Scott, who lent her vocal talents to the Shrek and Passion of the Christ soundtracks, and “Wunderkind” performed by Grammy® Award-winner Alanis Morissette.

The Special Edition Soundtrack set will include a 40-page collectible souvenir booklet filled with film imagery, liner notes by director Andrew Adamson and quotes from composer Harry Gregson-Williams. The package will include a DVD with a Film Art Gallery, Concept Art Gallery, the Theatrical Trailer, Behind the Magic of Narnia: Featuring the Score with Harry Gregson-Williams and Music Inspired by the Film. The latter features interviews and song samples from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe “Inspired by” album on EMI, featuring today’s top Christian artists Steven Curtis Chapman, Jeremy Camp, Bethany Dillon, Toby Ma, Nichole Nordeman, Jars of Clay and more.

C.S. Lewis’ timeless adventure The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe follows the exploits of the four Pevensie siblings — Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter — in World War II England who enter the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game of ‘hide-and-seek’ in the rural country home of an elderly professor. Once there, the children discover a charming, 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. Under the guidance of a noble and mystical ruler, the lion Aslan, the children fight to overcome the White Witch’s powerful hold over Narnia in a spectacular, climactic battle that will free Narnia from Jadis’ icy spell forever.

Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media present The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in theaters on December 9, 2005. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Original Soundtrack and Special Edition Soundtrack will be in stores on December 13, 2005.

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.

New movies are normally released in New Zealand on a Thursday, so it is likely C. S. Lewis fans will have to wait until December 15 to see the Pevensies do battle with the evil White Witch.

Casting decisions have yet to be made on six major roles: Aslan the lion, Maugrim, the wolf who heads the White Witch’s police, and the four children – Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter – as adults.

Aslan and Maugrim will be voice-over roles as the characters will be computer-generated by Hollywood special effects companies Sony Imageworks and Rhythm & Hues. New Zealand’s Weta Workshop, which worked on Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, will create the makeup prosthetics for all of the Narnian creatures.

The latest actor to be announced is Ray Winstone (King Arthur, Cold Mountain, Sexy Beast), who will provide the voice of Mr Beaver.

Other major adult roles will be played by Tilda Swinton (the White Witch), James McAvoy (Mr Tumnus the faun), Dawn French (Mrs Beaver), Jim Broadbent (Professor Kirke), James Cosmo (Father Christmas) and Rupert Everett (the Fox).

Chud.com reports that the release date for LWW has been moved up. Here’s the news:

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.