After moving to 20th Century Fox, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader film will be released (as though nothing might change between now and then) on December 10th, 2010. Michael Apted will direct, and we’ve got our same actors serving in the roles of Edmund, Lucy, and Caspian.
As we all know, Disney dumped the franchise mid-film once Prince Caspian lost money domestically. It ended up down something like $60 million on that score, but doubled its budget and then some worldwide.
By doing everything under one roof – publishing, developing, marketing – Disney can maximize its resources and profit. Having its own development studios also allows for Buena Vista to create its own original game product, something that can be very lucrative if the title turns out to be hit.
Chicken Little (the game is out Tuesday), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Nov. 15), and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (already on shelves) are Buena Vista’s first multi-platform releases as publisher.
Disney has Harry Potter-like hopes for the Narnia movie, out Dec. 9. That optimism extends to the video game, given that the books by C.S. Lewis have sold more than 80 million copies.
Now Disney wants to mine the rest of its content for gaming. That includes movies made by Touchstone and Miramax plus its TV programming. For example, the hit show Lost, aired on Disney’s ABC, seems tailor-made for a video game.
“There’s a lot of different content coming out of the Walt Disney Company in movies that appeals to various age groups,” said Liem.
With two months to go before the release of its big-budget film “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” the Walt Disney company wants very much to whet audience appetites by placing music from the soundtrack on radio and music-video channels.
But Disney’s tricky marketing strategy for “Narnia” – which includes aggressively courting Christian fans who can relate to the story’s biblical allegory while trying not to disaffect secular fans – is particularly tricky when it comes to music.
The spiritual character of “Narnia” is being reinforced with the debut on the charts last week of a Christian pop album of music inspired by the film. But prospects for a previously announced secular soundtrack now seem cloudy, executives involved in the process say. Disney executives say that at the very least the CD will be delayed beyond its planned Oct. 25 release.
Mitchell Leib, president of music for Disney’s Buena Vista film unit, said he still expected to assemble and release a secular soundtrack before the film’s Dec. 9 opening. But he cited production snags. He said he was still awaiting a recording by the rock band Evanescence that is intended as the film’s closing song. He added that planning had also been complicated by last-minute decisions about how music will be used in the complex, special-effects-laden film.
The Christian-oriented album’s status as the only “Narnia” musical project in the marketplace, for now at least, could upset the studio’s plan to balance two audiences. “If they go ahead and release only the one soundtrack, I think they’re risking being identified as turning toward a blatantly religious company, which does turn some people away,” said Chris Ahrens, founding editor of Risen, a San Diego-based lifestyle magazine that explores the spiritual beliefs of entertainment figures. On the other hand, Mr. Ahrens said, if the music strikes a chord in the Christian market, “I think that’s huge for Disney in terms of the movie audience.” He added, “It seems like a huge gamble.” …
…And the album already appears to be crossing into territory where the genre is rarely marketed, said Bill Hearn, the president and chief executive of EMI’s Christian Music Group. EMI has been promoting “Narnia” songs to mainstream radio, and Mr. Hearn said 16 stations playing “adult contemporary” music have added Mr. Chapman’s song “Remembering You” to their playlists. The music video for the song is also expected to be included on the film’s DVD, he said.
“We believe these songs are appealing to anyone who loves ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,’ not just to the Christian audience,” Mr. Hearn said. “The songs are written specifically to reach a wide audience.”
For the rest, visit the New York Times
Buena Vista Games, Inc., the global interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company, today announced that it will publish video games based on the epic tale of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, the best-selling story by C.S. Lewis and the forthcoming film by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, Xbox(R) video game system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube(TM), PC and handheld consoles in fall 2005. The action-adventure series, which will be published under the company’s Disney Interactive label, will be the first multi-platform video games introduced that let gamers and Narnia fans step inside and immerse themselves in the magical world of Narnia.
“We are pleased to announce our plans to develop a full slate of video games based on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion,The Witch and The Wardrobe film currently in production in New Zealand,” said Graham Hopper, senior vice president and general manager of Buena Vista Games. “Given the truly unique, creative nature of the story, we see it as especially suited for a spectacular translation to game consoles and something that the millions of Narnia fans and gamers worldwide will love.”
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is based on the first in the series of phenomenally best-selling novels by C.S. Lewis. The live-action film concerns a war between good and evil, pitting the magnificent lion Aslan against the forces of darkness in the magical world of Narnia. A White Witch has used her dark powers to keep Narnia in winter for 100 years, but it is foretold that four humans will be able to help Aslan break the spell. When the children – Lucy, Susan, Edmund and Peter — discover the magic of Narnia by entering the enchanted world through a wardrobe, the stage is set for a classic battle of epic proportions. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe film, under the direction of Andrew Adamson (Shrek, Shrek 2), is scheduled for release Christmas 2005.
“The opportunity to work closely with the video game production team at the same time we’re creating the film is very exciting. I’m looking forward to watching both projects come to life,” said Andrew Adamson, film director, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. “Through the video game, fans will be able to re-open the wardrobe countless times to revisit the magical world of Narnia and all of its characters and environments.”
About Buena Vista Games
Buena Vista Games, Inc. is the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company’s Consumer Products business unit. The division publishes, markets and distributes a broad portfolio of PC and multi-platform video games worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with third-party interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market. Titles for Buena Vista Games fall under two publishing labels: Buena Vista Interactive, which publishes high-profile, multi-platform games based on creative content from the numerous businesses within The Walt Disney Company, and Disney Interactive, which markets and distributes the company’s interactive entertainment based on Disney bbranded properties.
For further information, please contact: Kehau Rodenhurst, ext. 204, or Andrea Sausedo, ext. 201, of WONGDOODY Communications, +1-310-285-0181, for Buena Vista Games, Inc.; or Angela Emery of Buena Vista Games, Inc., +1-818-553-3923.
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