Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Starts Filming

Source: Walden Media

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" the second live-action/CGI motion picture adaptation of C.S. Lewis' beloved series of literary classics, began principal photography on location in Auckland, New Zealand, on February 12, 2007. The production, once again a joint venture between the Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, continues the franchise which commenced with the spectacular, Oscar-winning 2005 release, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," which went on to earn over $745 million dollars in its worldwide theatrical release, making it one of the most successful movies ever made and one of the biggest successes in the annals of the Walt Disney Studios.

Native New Zealander Andrew Adamson (the Oscar-winning "Shrek," "Shrek 2") embarks on his second Narnian film adventure, returning to his homeland to helm the follow-up film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Emmy Award-winning writing partners Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (HBO's "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers"), who also co-scripted the first film. Adamson also reunites with the producers of the first "Narnia" film — Academy Award®-winner Mark Johnson ("Rain Man," "Bugsy," "The Notebook") and Philip Steuer ("The Rookie," "The Alamo").

Following the tremendous success of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," the filmmakers immediately began their planning and pre-production efforts on "Prince Caspian" in early 2006. The new project's production schedule encompasses another six-month live-action shoot followed by a post-production schedule leading to its May 16, 2008, global release through Disney's distribution divisions of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution and Buena Vista International. Filming locations include both the north and south islands of New Zealand, Prague's Barrandov Studios, the Czech Republic, as well as locales in Poland and Slovenia.

Once again toplining the new film as the Pevensie children are the four young British talents discovered by Adamson for the first film — Georgie Henley as Lucy, Skandar Keynes as Edmund, William Moseley as Peter, and Anna Popplewell as Susan.

The film's title character will be played by Ben Barnes, a 25-year-old British actor, a veteran of the stage who is currently best known for his recent role in "The History Boys" for London's National Theatre Company. His upcoming feature film roles include the independent feature "Bigga Than Ben" and a featured role in Matthew Vaughn's fantasy film "Stardust" for Paramount Pictures.

Also co-starring in the new film are a pair of diminutive actors whose talents have loomed large on the motion picture screen — Peter Dinklage ("The Station Agent," "Find Me Guilty") as the Red Dwarf Trumpkin, who accompanies the Pevensie children on their new journey and unites Narnia's two kings, Peter and Caspian; and Warwick Davis ("Willow," "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy") as the suspicious Black Dwarf, Nikabrik. The film also features veteran Flemish actor Vincent Grass ("Vatel," "Londinium") as the wise old sage, Doctor Cornelius, Prince Caspian's tutor who educates the future Narnian king in the history of his land. Veteran Scottish actor Ken Stott ("Casanova," "King Arthur") will lend his vocal talents to the role of Trufflehunter, the faithful badger who believes the former Kings and Queens of Narnia will return to assist Caspian in his quest.

Inspired by Lewis' imaginative creations, the story's human cast will once again be complemented by a gallery of original creatures portrayed onscreen in the combined efforts of live-action and CGI animation under the supervision of visual effects supervisor Dean Wright, who will also collaborate this time with VFX veteran Wendy Rogers ("Shrek," "Flushed Away"), and the movie magicians at London's Moving Picture Company, Framestore/CFC and Weta Digital in New Zealand. Five -time Academy Award®-winning visualist Richard Taylor ("Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "King Kong") and the wizards from his Weta Workshop will also design the film's armor and weaponry for Narnia's new inhabitants, the Telmarines.

Howard Berger and Tami Lane will also reprise their efforts for the film's makeup effects, and will manufacture and apply hundreds of special makeup prosthetics for many of the unique characters in the story.

Adamson has again secured the talents of Oscar®-nominated production designer Roger Ford ("Babe," "Peter Pan," "The Quiet American"), award-winning costume designer Isis Mussenden ("Shrek," "Shrek 2," "10 Items or Less"), and film editor Sim Evan-Jones ("Shrek," "Shrek 2"). Industry veteran Karl Walter Lindenlaub, ASC, bvk ("Independence Day," "Stargate," "Because of Winn-Dixie") joins Adamson's technical team as director of photography.

The enchanted characters of C.S. Lewis's timeless fantasy come to dazzling life again in this second installment of the seven book series, in which the Pevensie siblings — Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy — are magically and mysteriously transported back from World War II England to Narnia, where a thrilling, perilous new adventure and an even greater test of their faith and courage awaits them.

One year after the incredible events of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," the newly-annointed Kings and Queens of Narnia find themselves back in that faraway wondrous realm, only to discover that more than 1000 years have passed in Narnian time. During their absence, the Golden Age of Narnia has become extinct, and now exists as little more than folklore. The land's magical talking animals and mythical creatures have disappeared, becoming little more than folk tales to the Telmarines, a race of humans led by the evil King Miraz, who now rules the land without mercy. Though his name is still remembered in the woods, the mighty lion Aslan has also not been seen in a thousand years.

The four children have been summoned back to Narnia by Caspian, the young heir to the Telmarine throne whose life is in danger as his evil uncle Miraz plans to eliminate the young warrior so his own newborn son can ascend the throne. With the help of the kindly dwarf, a courageous talking mouse named Reepicheep, and a leery Black Dwarf, Nikabrik, the Narnians, led by the mighty knights Peter and Caspian, embark on a remarkable journey to find Aslan, rescue Narnia from Miraz's tyrannical hold, and restore magic and glory to the land.

"Prince Caspian" is the second (appearing in 1951) of Lewis' seven-book "Chronicles of Narnia" series. Published between 1950-56 and long regarded as one of literature's most enduring and imaginative classics, Lewis' books have sold over 100,000,000 books in 29 different languages, making it the second biggest book series the world over. In addition to the second novel, the Oxford scholar wrote six additional books, including "The Voyage of the ‘Dawn Treader'" (1952), "The Silver Chair" (1953) "The Horse and His Boy" (1954) "The Magician's Nephew" (the prequel to the first book, 1955), "The Last Battle" (1956) and the story that launched the series in 1950, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

Australia Hopes to Lure Dawn Treader

Queensland's new water tank is ideal.

by Paul Davidson

February 21, 2007 - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe recreated the magical realm of Narnia in picturesque New Zealand, and Prince Caspian will also hold a certain portion of production there. For The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, however, nearby Australia would like in on the action.

According to The West Australian, Warner Roadshow Studios in Queensland has built a new, massive, multimillion-dollar water tank — one of only a few around the world suited for large-scale ocean and underwater scenes in movie production. It's currently being put to use in the Matthew McConaughey film Fool's Gold, but the third Narnia picture was specifically mentioned as one they'd like to attract.

Walden Media and Disney expect to begin production on Dawn Treader not long after they wrap up their Caspian shoot. A water tank is a likely necessity for the third in the series, a marine adventure, and Australia's new facility might be convenient enough if the producers plan to return to that part of the world. Will the production need to return to New Zealand, though? Most of the film takes place on the high seas, and Disney might prefer a more tropical locale to shoot the various island adventures that Caspian, Lucy, and Edmund undertake while sailing the Dawn Treader. If so, a good candidate might be the island of Grand Bahama, where the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean flicks were shot.

Prince Caspian is currently in principle photography. In a few months time, we might know more on what the studio's plans for Voyage of the Dawn Treader are. Stay tuned!

McAVOY BUNGEE JUMPS TO EASE PRESSURE

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND star JAMES McAVOY has a novel way to ease the stress of filming Hollywood blockbusters - he bungee jumps.
McAvoy took up the daredevil pastime while filming 2005's THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE.
He says, "Every day, I'd see folk jumping from the roof. It looked absolutely terrifying.
"It looked like the most frightening thing you could do - so I knew I had to do it.
"It's great to do something like that to bring you back to reality."

Narnia Sequel Starts Shooting

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN, the second live-action/CG movie adaptation of C.S. Lewis' beloved series of literary classics, began principal photography Feb. 12 on location in Auckland, New Zealand. The production, once again a joint venture between the Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, continues the franchise that commenced with the very successful, Oscar-winning 2005 release, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, which went on to earn more than $745 in worldwide theatrical release.

Native New Zealander Andrew Adamson (the Oscar-winning SHREK, SHREK 2) embarks on his second Narnian film adventure, returning to his homeland to helm the follow-up film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Emmy Award-winning writing partners Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (HBO's THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS), who also co-scripted the first film. Adamson also reunites with the producers of the first NARNIA film: Academy Award-winner Mark Johnson (RAIN MAN, BUGSY, THE NOTEBOOK) and Philip Steuer (THE ROOKIE, THE ALAMO).

The new project's production schedule encompasses another six-month live-action shoot followed by a post-production schedule leading to its May 16, 2008, global release through Disney's distribution divisions of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution and Buena Vista International. Filming locations include both the north and south islands of New Zealand, Prague's Barrandov Studios, the Czech Republic, as well as locales in Poland and Slovenia.

Inspired by Lewis' imaginative creations, the story's human cast will once again be complemented by a gallery of original creatures portrayed onscreen in the combined efforts of live-action and 3D animation under the supervision of visual effects supervisor Dean Wright, who will also collaborate this time with vfx veteran Wendy Rogers (SHREK, FLUSHED AWAY). This time vfx duties will be divided between London’s Moving Picture Co. and Framestore CFC (handling lead creatures such as Aslan the lion, Trufflehunter the badger and the Water God) along with Weta Digital in New Zealand.

Howard Berger and Tami Lane will also reprise their efforts for the film's makeup effects, and will manufacture and apply hundreds of special makeup prosthetics for many of the unique characters in the story.

Five-time Academy Award-winning visualist Richard Taylor (LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, KING KONG) and the pros from his Weta Workshop will also design the film's armor and weaponry for Narnia's new inhabitants, the Telmarines.

Adamson has again secured the talents of Oscar-nominated production designer Roger Ford (BABE, PETER PAN, THE QUIET AMERICAN), award-winning costume designer Isis Mussenden (SHREK, SHREK 2, 10 ITEMS OR LESS) and film editor Sim Evan-Jones (SHREK, SHREK 2). Karl Walter Lindenlaub, ASC, bvk (INDEPENDENCE DAY, STARGATE, BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE) joins Adamson’s technical team as director of photography.

Once again toplining the new film as the Pevensie children are the four young British talents discovered by Adamson for the first film — Georgie Henley as Lucy, Skandar Keynes as Edmund, William Moseley as Peter and Anna Popplewell as Susan.

The film's title character will be played by Ben Barnes, a 25-year-old British actor, a veteran of the stage who is currently best known for his recent role in THE HISTORY BOYS for London's National Theatre Co. His upcoming feature film roles include the independent feature BIGGA THAN BEN and a featured role in Matthew Vaughn's fantasy film Stardust for Paramount Pictures.

Also co-starring in the new film are a pair of diminutive actors whose talents have loomed large on the big screen — Peter Dinklage (THE STATION AGENT, FIND ME GUILTY) as the Red Dwarf Trumpkin, who accompanies the Pevensie children on their new journey and unites Narnia's two kings, Peter and Caspian; and Warwick Davis (WILLOW, THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY) as the suspicious Black Dwarf, Nikabrik. The film also features Flemish actor Vincent Grass (VATEL, LONDINIUM) as the wise old sage, Doctor Cornelius, Prince Caspian's tutor who educates the future Narnian king in the history of his land. Scottish actor Ken Stott (CASANOVA, KING ARTHUR) will lend his vocal talents to the role of Trufflehunter, the faithful badger who believes the former Kings and Queens of Narnia will return to assist Caspian in his quest.

The enchanted characters of C.S. Lewis's timeless fantasy come to dazzling life again in this second installment of the seven book series, in which the Pevensie siblings — Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy — are magically and mysteriously transported back from World War II England to Narnia, where a thrilling, perilous new adventure and an even greater test of their faith and courage awaits them.

One year after the incredible events of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, the newly-annointed Kings and Queens of Narnia find themselves back in that faraway wondrous realm, only to discover that more than 1,000 years have passed in Narnian time. During their absence, the Golden Age of Narnia has become extinct, and now exists as little more than folklore. The land's magical talking animals and mythical creatures have disappeared, becoming little more than folk tales to the Telmarines, a race of humans led by the evil King Miraz, who now rules the land without mercy. Though his name is still remembered in the woods, the mighty lion Aslan has also not been seen in a thousand years.

The four children have been summoned back to Narnia by Caspian, the young heir to the Telmarine throne, whose life is in danger as his evil uncle Miraz plans to eliminate the young warrior so his own newborn son can ascend the throne. With the help of the kindly dwarf, a courageous talking mouse named Reepicheep and a leery Black Dwarf, Nikabrik, the Narnians, led by the mighty knights Peter and Caspian, embark on a remarkable journey to find Aslan, rescue Narnia from Miraz’s tyrannical hold, and restore magic and glory to the land.

PRINCE CASPIAN is the second (appearing in 1951) of Lewis' seven-book CHRONICLES OF NARNIA series. Published between 1950-56 and long regarded as one of literature's most enduring and imaginative classics, Lewis' books have sold more than 100,000,000 copies in 29 different languages, making it the second biggest book series the world over.

Kingston ‘boy’ crowned Narnia’s prince

Kingston actor Ben Barnes is on his way to becoming the next Johnny Depp, after bagging the lead role in the next film in the blockbusting Narnia series.

Ben, who studied English and drama at Kingston University, has been picked to play Prince Caspian in the second film adaptation of C S Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia.

He is currently filming in New Zealand, ahead of the scheduled release of the film in 2008.

But he will be seen on screen this year too, alongside A-listers Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sir Ian McKellen, Peter O'Toole and Sienna Miller in Matthew Vaughn's fantasy flick Stardust.

He also stars in independent film Bigga than Ben, about Eastern Europeans in London, which is due out this year.

Ben, 25, who grew up in Wimbledon, had good preparation for being a Hollywood heartbreaker while he was at Kingston University, playing the lead in the drama department's production of Don Juan.

He also had a brush with fame in 2004 when he became a Eurovision hopeful with a band called Hyrise.

But leaving pop behind, he toured with the stage production of Alan Bennett's The History Boys before getting big screen recognition.

And, true to the Hollywood tradition, Ben will be playing someone much younger than he is in real life as his character Prince Caspian is a 12-year-old boy.

Narnia Sequel Starts Principal Photography

Source: Walt Disney Pictures

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the second live-action/CGI motion picture adaptation of C.S. Lewis' beloved series of literary classics, began principal photography on location in Auckland, New Zealand, on February 12, 2007. The production, once again a joint venture between the Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, continues the franchise which commenced with the spectacular, Oscar-winning 2005 release, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which went on to earn over $745 million dollars in its worldwide theatrical release, making it one of the most successful movies ever made and one of the biggest successes in the annals of the Walt Disney Studios.

Native New Zealander Andrew Adamson (the Oscar®-winning Shrek, Shrek 2) embarks on his second Narnian film adventure, returning to his homeland to helm the follow-up film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Emmy Award-winning writing partners Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (HBO's "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers"), who also co-scripted the first film. Adamson also reunites with the producers of the first "Narnia" film — Academy Award®-winner Mark Johnson (Rain Man, Bugsy, The Notebook) and Philip Steuer (The Rookie, The Alamo).

Following the tremendous success of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," the filmmakers immediately began their planning and pre-production efforts on "Prince Caspian" in early 2006. The new project's production schedule encompasses another six-month live-action shoot followed by a post-production schedule leading to its May 16, 2008, global release through Disney's distribution divisions of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution and Buena Vista International. Filming locations include both the north and south islands of New Zealand, Prague's Barrandov Studios, the Czech Republic, as well as locales in Poland and Slovenia.

Once again toplining the new film as the Pevensie children are the four young British talents discovered by Adamson for the first film — Georgie Henley as Lucy, Skandar Keynes as Edmund, William Moseley as Peter, and Anna Popplewell as Susan.

The film's title character will be played by Ben Barnes, a 25-year-old British actor, a veteran of the stage who is currently best known for his recent role in "The History Boys" for London's National Theatre Company. His upcoming feature film roles include the independent feature Bigga Than Ben and a featured role in Matthew Vaughn's fantasy film Stardust for Paramount Pictures.

Also co-starring in the new film are a pair of diminutive actors whose talents have loomed large on the motion picture screen — Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent, Find Me Guilty) as the Red Dwarf Trumpkin, who accompanies the Pevensie children on their new journey and unites Narnia's two kings, Peter and Caspian; and Warwick Davis (Willow, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) as the suspicious Black Dwarf, Nikabrik. The film also features veteran Flemish actor Vincent Grass (Vatel, Londinium) as the wise old sage, Doctor Cornelius, Prince Caspian's tutor who educates the future Narnian king in the history of his land. Veteran Scottish actor Ken Stott (Casanova, King Arthur) will lend his vocal talents to the role of Trufflehunter, the faithful badger who believes the former Kings and Queens of Narnia will return to assist Caspian in his quest.

Inspired by Lewis' imaginative creations, the story's human cast will once again be complemented by a gallery of original creatures portrayed onscreen in the combined efforts of live-action and CGI animation under the supervision of visual effects supervisor Dean Wright, who will also collaborate this time with VFX veteran Wendy Rogers (Shrek, Flushed Away), and the movie magicians at London's Moving Picture Company, Framestore/CFC and Weta Digital in New Zealand. Five-time Academy Award®-winning visualist Richard Taylor ("Lord of the Rings" trilogy, King Kong) and the wizards from his Weta Workshop will also design the film's armor and weaponry for Narnia's new inhabitants, the Telmarines.

Howard Berger and Tami Lane will also reprise their efforts for the film's makeup effects, and will manufacture and apply hundreds of special makeup prosthetics for many of the unique characters in the story.

Adamson has again secured the talents of Oscar®-nominated production designer Roger Ford (Babe, Peter Pan, The Quiet American), award-winning costume designer Isis Mussenden (Shrek, Shrek 2, 10 Items or Less), and film editor Sim Evan-Jones (Shrek, Shrek 2). Industry veteran Karl Walter Lindenlaub, ASC, bvk (Independence Day, Stargate, Because of Winn-Dixie) joins Adamson’s technical team as director of photography.

The enchanted characters of C.S. Lewis's timeless fantasy come to dazzling life again in this second installment of the seven book series, in which the Pevensie siblings — Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy — are magically and mysteriously transported back from World War II England to Narnia, where a thrilling, perilous new adventure and an even greater test of their faith and courage awaits them.

One year after the incredible events of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," the newly-annointed Kings and Queens of Narnia find themselves back in that faraway wondrous realm, only to discover that more than 1000 years have passed in Narnian time. During their absence, the Golden Age of Narnia has become extinct, and now exists as little more than folklore. The land's magical talking animals and mythical creatures have disappeared, becoming little more than folk tales to the Telmarines, a race of humans led by the evil King Miraz, who now rules the land without mercy. Though his name is still remembered in the woods, the mighty lion Aslan has also not been seen in a thousand years.

The four children have been summoned back to Narnia by Caspian, the young heir to the Telmarine throne whose life is in danger as his evil uncle Miraz plans to eliminate the young warrior so his own newborn son can ascend the throne. With the help of the kindly dwarf, a courageous talking mouse named Reepicheep, and a leery Black Dwarf, Nikabrik, the Narnians, led by the mighty knights Peter and Caspian, embark on a remarkable journey to find Aslan, rescue Narnia from Miraz’s tyrannical hold, and restore magic and glory to the land.

"Prince Caspian" is the second (appearing in 1951) of Lewis' seven-book "Chronicles of Narnia" series. Published between 1950-56 and long regarded as one of literature's most enduring and imaginative classics, Lewis' books have sold over 100,000,000 books in 29 different languages, making it the second biggest book series the world over. In addition to the second novel, the Oxford scholar wrote six additional books, including "The Voyage of the 'Dawn Treader'" (1952), "The Silver Chair" (1953) "The Horse and His Boy" (1954) "The Magician's Nephew" (the prequel to the first book, 1955), "The Last Battle" (1956) and the story that launched the series in 1950, "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe."

James McAvoy goes back to the '80s

By Marshall Crook

Special to amNewYork

James McAvoy is on a winning streak.

Last year, the young Scottish actor played opposite Oscar-bound Forest Whitaker in 'The Last King of Scotland.' Before that, he had a turn as a faun named Mr. Tumnus in the box-office hit 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.'

His latest film, 'Starter for 10,' a smart, eccentric British college comedy opening on Friday, gives the classically trained actor a chance to tackle broad comedy.

"I did probably fall over in at least 20 scenes of this film," McAvoy says. "And they've all been cut out."

'Starter for 10' shies from the lowbrow humor of many American college movies.

"It's a teen comedy set in a college that's not gross-out comedy or [about] people having sex," McAvoy said. The humor owes more to the John Hughes comedies of the '80s that McAvoy ingested as a young man: "All my film references [were from the] '80s," he says.

"To be able to go and play a teenager in the '80s, where all my references were from, was kind of cool."

Rather than frat-hazing rituals or late-night debauchery, 'Starter for 10' follows Brian (McAvoy), an Essex lad, as he heads to college and struggles with love and the expectations of his friends back home, who can't cope with change.

"I had a really similar situation," McAvoy says of his own experience at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. "I had quite a traumatic split up from my two best friends because I was off doing my acting thing and they didn't quite understand why I wasn't around as much."

He may or may not be the new Hollywood 'It' boy, but like fellow Scotsman Ewan McGregor, McAvoy is proving himself a solid crossover star. On the horizon is 'Penelope,' an allegory about our celebrity-driven pop culture, and 'Wanted,' a new thriller with Morgan Freeman.

But like most actors, McAvoy does not have a strategy in place for picking his next project.

"If everybody could successfully strategize then everybody would be successful," he says. "[But] we're all not."

SNL shorts fail to live up to ‘Narnia’

by Mike Peters

Lately, SNL Digital Shorts are almost entirely responsible for keeping “Saturday Night Live” on the public radar. If it didn’t imply a workplace environment, I would say the shorts have risen to such popularity that they are discussed “around the water cooler.” Perhaps more appropriately, I will say that SNL Digital Shorts are commonly discussed “around the keg” and most definitely “around the keyboard.”

The most popular short, and the one that made digital shorts a near-weekly installment, was “Lazy Sunday,” which originally aired Dec. 17, 2005 and shot to Internet fame in the following weeks. For those living under a rock, which is under another rock, which doesn’t have Internet access or a television signal, the short featured Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg rapping about their anticipation to see “The Chronic(what?)cles of Narnia.”

This last weekend, two more digital shorts appeared on SNL. The first was called “Andy Popping into Frame,” which, as the name implies, featured digital short regular Samberg repeatedly popping into the frame. This skit began with that simple premise and was only marginally funny. It was somewhat redeemed by Will Forte taking over and eventually being forced out of the frame at gunpoint.

The second short, and the one I would like to discuss further, was called “Sloths,” or at least that’s what NBC titled it on their YouTube page. First of all, I find NBC having a YouTube account extremely hypocritical since NBC originally condemned YouTube by yanking every single copy of “Lazy Sunday” and all subsequent shorts off of the site in favor of featuring them exclusively on NBC.com.

Since then, apparently NBC has realized the wide audience that YouTube can reach, which I assume is valuable for a struggling network. Now that NBC is uploading videos to YouTube, I feel like that directly contradicts the supposed harm that past independent posters were doing. Uploading a copy of the video will only promote the show. Whether or not NBC officially posts the video is beside the point.

Anyway, back to “Sloths.” The short features a music video performed by sloths, mainly about their bad habits. I have mixed feelings about this short. On one hand, I find it slightly amusing. On the other hand, it comes off as something anyone with a computer and a basic-to-intermediate grasp of editing software could have made. This is sort of explained, since in the setup for the short, a fictional employee of the Staten Island Zoo says the “documentary” was made by a group of students from Staten Island Technical High School.

I understand that this is supposed to make the presentation funnier, but I still feel like this explanation was probably tacked on after the video was already made. Whether or not this is the case, I cannot be sure, but either way, the introduction seems to exist mainly to justify the video’s random and amateurish style and not as the setup to a punch line.

I think what happened with “Sloths” is an attempt to create a viral video, rather than simply allowing the short to go through the natural process of becoming popular on its own. It is basically a replica of several existing Internet videos, with a seemingly random idea, rudimentary animation, poorly cropped pictures, basic computer text and a crudely written and performed song. In fact, “Sloths” reminds me a lot of the spongmonkeys (correct spelling), most notably featured in those bizarre Quizno’s commercials from a few years ago. (“We love the subs!!! ‘Cos they are good to us!”)

Here are actual lyrics from the “Sloths” song: “Hire a dog to burn down a hospital/ Eat cocaine off America’s gravestone.” A line about hiring a dog to burn down a hospital is no cleverer than watching several badgers bounce up and down repeating the word “badger.” Sure, it may be kind of comical, in a way, but is it really the direction sketch comedy should be heading? The line literally means absolutely nothing. It isn’t related to sloths, it isn’t a play on words, there’s no joke or message. Even Monty Python’s nonsense usually has a purpose, some sort of insane logic or a cyclical flow of comedy.

This sort of thing might be entertaining on the Internet, but when I watch “SNL,” I expect to see comedy at a level above what I can find just by surfing the web (even if this has not necessarily been the case during the current season). If “SNL” is no better than YouTube, then I see no reason to tune in.

“Lazy Sunday” was a clever, timely, well-shot short that deserved its viral video status. Though it had its randomness, it nonetheless humorously depicted a day in the life of two nerds, and when mixed with a catchy rap song, that’s enough, in my opinion, to make the skit coherent. “SNL” needs more shorts like “Lazy Sunday” and fewer shorts like “Sloths,” which was, well, just lazy.

'Screwtape Letters' to be released on film

Like The Chronicles of Narnia, which grossed $744 million worldwide, The Screwtape Letters will be shot as a live-action movie.

By CNA

The company that produced The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is planning to adapt C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters into a major motion picture that will open in theaters nationwide in early 2008.

This is the second effort of Walden Media to bring C.S. Lewis to the big screen, following the very successful Narnia. The company also plans to release the sequel to Narnia, Prince Caspian, sometime next year.

First published in 1942, The Screwtape Letters features a series of letters between senior demon, Screwtape, and his wannabe diabolical nephew, Wormwood. As a mentor, Screwtape advises Wormwood on how to undermine the faith and promote sin to an earthly man known only as “the Patient.”

Like The Chronicles of Narnia, which grossed $744 million worldwide, The Screwtape Letters will be shot as a live-action movie.

Introducing … Prince Caspian

REEL NEWS
Introducing … Prince Caspian
Title role for Prince Caspian is cast, as are Dr. Cornelius and the dwarves Trumpkin and Nikabrik. Plus: Toy Story 3 coming in '09; churches to celebrate Amazing Grace; updates on The Flash and Wonder Woman; and more.
by Josh Hurst | posted 02/12/07

After the smashing success of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures are moving full speed ahead with the second film in the Narnia series—Prince Caspian, coming to theaters in May 2008.

The title role of the 13-year-old prince will be filled by an actor almost twice Caspian's age—25-year-old Ben Barnes, who reportedly walked out on a commitment to a London stage production to take the job. According to the The Times of London, The National Theater has threatened to sue Barnes for abandoning the production, where he was playing the part of a "roguish and sexually manipulative schoolboy."

Director Andrew Adamson says Barnes "is a very accomplished young man. … He just blew us away. He's going to be a great addition to the cast. I think he'll really fit in well with the other kids."

Barnes said he was offered a three-film deal for Caspian and the next two Narnia movies—including Voyage of the Dawn Treader and, presumably, The Silver Chair. Walden Media's Bob Beltz told Infuze that Dawn Treader has been greelit, and will appear in theaters only one year after Caspian—compared to the two-and-a-half-year wait between LWW and Caspian.

Meanwhile, Peter Dinklage (Elf, The Station Agent) has been cast as Trumpkin the dwarf; Belgian actor Vincent Grass will play Dr. Cornelius; and Warwick Davis (Willow, Harry Potter) will appear as Nikabrik the dwarf.

Meanwhile, Adamson says he probably won't direct any more Narnia films after

Capian, which he says will have a slightly darker tone than LWW. And he gives an update on the four young actors who played the Pevensie kids.

Interview with Douglas Gresham

Posted by Dooby

"The Philippine Order of Narnians" has interviewed producer Douglas Gresham on a variety of interesting topics, including his thoughts on the Narnia films. Read the full interview at FilipinoNarnians.org. Thanks to "diwanggising" for the heads up!


On Bringing Narnia to Film:

TPON: We know that Andrew Adamson and Walden Media have been very respectful of the original material. In theory, though, how much veto power do you hold over the script?

Gresham: We create the scripts in a collaborative manner, I meet with the writers and Andrew, and we go carefully through every line, honing and refining until we are satisfied that what we have is right. I have as much "voice" in this process as anyone on the team who are all very respectful of my knowledge and expertise.

TPON: The biggest criticism of the LWW film seems to be that there isn’t enough of Aslan in it, and Aslan doesn’t seem to be as all-powerful as he is portrayed in the books. Any thoughts on that?

Gresham: Yes, two thoughts. One is that no matter how much of Aslan we might want to put in a movie we are, as always, constrained to some extent by budget realities. To make a Lion for Aslan who looked anything less than perfect would be terrible, so we tend to try to make every hair of his mane and every move that he makes as close to perfect as we can. You have seen the result on screen. Now I am not about to tell you how much it costs to produce that quality of CGI, but let’s just say that it is not cheap. Somewhere along the line one has to decide how much money is to be spent on what, and to put more of Aslan in the movie means to put less of other things. We had to try for a good balance and I think we achieved it very well.

The on the topic of Aslan being all-powerful (but restraining his power), just how would one portray that in a movie? Remember this? 1 Kings 19:11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

Aslan in the LWW, is the still small voice (except when he roars).

TPON: Many people are into the Narnia stories particularly because of the themes that are behind them. What do you think are the most important themes of Prince Caspian that absolutely must be in the movie?

Gresham: That one I will wait to answer till after the movie is released. I am not about to give anything away at this stage. :-)

TPON: Many are apprehensive about the portrayal of Calormenes in the Horse and His Boy, which seem to have a Middle Eastern flavor. It’s still far away, but do you have any idea how the Calormenes might be approached in the movies, given a post-9/11 audience?

Gresham: Yes I do, but I am not about to give that away either. However, I don’t think that the descriptions of the Calormenes do have a Middle Eastern flavour. I think you need to look further afield and further back. But in any case, taking offense is a personal choice, and if people want be offended by what I do in a movie that is their right and their responsibility. I will not pander to the likes, dislikes, preferences or prejudices of individuals who might be in our audiences, if you start to do that, sooner or later you wind up with artistic porridge.

Prince Caspian is Cast!

Source: Times Online

UK's Times Online has published an interesting article saying that Ben Barnes, who played Dakin in the National Theatre's "The History Boys," has landed the title role in Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Problem is, it seems the National Theatre is not too happy about it:

A spokesperson for the National Theatre said yesterday: "Ben Barnes has decided to leave The History Boys early, before his contract is finished. It is something we are taking very seriously. He has accepted an offer to be in a children's Disney film and we have had to fly Jamie King back at extremely short notice this week."

Jamie King is replacing Barnes in the production. Another source told the newspaper that Barnes has signed a three-picture deal with Disney for the "Narnia" franchise.

Anna returns for new Narnia film

Brace yourself. British teen actress Anna Popplewell and director Andrew Adamson have returned for the latest Narnia film Prince Caspian, it was revealed today.

Although rumours abound about other cast members, including Prince Caspian apparently being played by Brit actor Ben Barnes and Liam Neeson returning, Disney hasn't confirmed any other parts.

A spokeswoman for Disney UK said today: "I know that Anna Popplewell is in the new film and the director has returned for it as well but we have not got confirmation for any other parts."

William Moseley, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley, who have become Hollywood stars thanks to their performance as the Pevensie children in the first adaptation of the CS Lewis classic, are also set to return.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe was Disney's biggest UK release.

It took £44.4 million at the UK box office, beating previous record holder Toy Story 2.

The film starred Tilda Swinton as The White Witch, James McAvoy as Mr Tumnus and Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan the lion.

Arise Prince Caspian

In a follow-up to the Christmas (read 'religious') hit 'The Chronicles of Narnia' from 2005, 'The Times' has reported that the eponymous Caspian has been cast. Filling into the shoes of the 13 year old future king of Narnia will be relative unknown Ben Barnes, who is ironically pushing 25.

This will mean his run on the West End in 'The History Boys' will be cut short but he is making headway, gaining much acclaim along the way, and can be spotted next alongside Robert De Niro in Robert Vaughan's fantasy piece 'Stardust'.

Chris Sloley

Dinklage To Play Trumpkin In Narnia Sequel

Major role for former 'Threshold' actor

By ROBIN BROWNFIELD
Source: IGN FilmForce

Peter Dinklage, best known for the handful of people who saw him in Brannon Braga's failed television series "Threshold," considered by many to be a master of both comedic and dramatic performances, has been cast as Trumpkin the Dwarf in Disney’s "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian."

In the upcoming sequel, directed by "Shrek's" Andrew Adamson, the Pevensie children return to Narnia, where hundreds of years have passed since they last visited. Narnia is now ruled by the bloodthirsty King Miraz, uncle to the true heir, Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), now in exile. With the help of a mouse called Reepicheep and Prince Caspian, they set out to overthrow the King.

Trumpkin, a major character in the story, is a leader of the "True Narnian" underground, a group hiding from Miraz. Trumpkin is intensely loyal to Prince Caspian, but is a skeptic who does not believe in lion king Aslan (Liam Neeson) or white magic.

Also joining the film is Vincent Grass as Dr. Cornelius and Alicia Borrachero as Prunaprismia, the wife of King Miraz.

Filming on "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" begins next week in New Zealand. The movie is slated to premiere in 2008.

Prince Caspian Casting News!

Yearly releases planned for Narnia sequels.

by IGN Staff

February 5, 2007 - With principal photography set to start next week in New Zealand, there has been a bevy of new developments on Prince Caspian, Disney's sequel to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

First, the title role has been cast. English thesp Ben Barnes, soon to be seen in Matthew Vaughn's Stardust, has won the coveted part of Caspian, but now faces a lawsuit over his decision to leave a stage play in order to work on the film.

Barnes, 25, was appearing as "Dakin" in a British revival of the Tony award-winning play The History Boys when he won the role of Caspian, according to TimesOnline.uk.

"Ben Barnes has decided to leave The History Boys early, before his contract is finished. It is something we are taking very seriously. He has accepted an offer to be in a children's Disney film and we have had to fly Jamie King back at extremely short notice this week," a spokesperson for the National Theatre advised The Times.

The National Theatre is reportedly "furious" at Barnes for exiting History Boys, which he has been a part of since 2006, and are considering suing him for breach of contract.


Speaking of contracts, a source for the Times article claims that Barnes informed his History Boys comrades that he had signed a three-picture deal with Disney for the Narnia films, which the studio envisions as a seven-film series.

Caspian director Andrew Adamson sang Barnes' praises to The New Zealand Herald. "Ben is a very accomplished young man, he's been getting a lot of good reviews lately for a play that he has on the West End," Adamson said. "He came to us very late in the game and he just blew us away. He's going to be a great addition to the cast. I think he'll really fit in well with the other kids."

As a side-note, two actors will probably be needed to play Caspian in The Silver Chair: the young Caspian who appears briefly near the end of the story, and the aging king Caspian whose long-lost son two British children set out to find.

In other Caspian casting news, Italian actress Alicia Borrachero (Love in the Time of Cholera) has won the role of "Prunaprismia, the wife of General Miraz, Narnia's evil king," according to Variety. Adamson told the Herald, "We have not yet cast King Miraz, we're still in discussions with someone on that."

Read on to find out what Disney and Walden Media's plans are for the Narnia sequels!

Bob Beltz, who works as a producer at Walden Media, had some interesting insider's info on how the studio plans to handle the next few film releases in the Chronicles of Narnia series. As anyone following IGN Movies probably knows, Prince Caspian is currently in production after a bit of a delay following The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Caspian isn't due in theaters until 2008, but Walden would like to begin releasing new films once a year from then on, Beltz told Infuze Magazine.

With that in mind, Walden Media is already laying out the schedule for the two films that follow Caspian: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair. Those two would receive 2009 and 2010 releases, respectively.

The challenge is that it takes about 18 months to make an effects-laden Narnia movie — six for the actual filming, and 12 for post-production work. The plan, then, is to start shooting Dawn Treader with a second film crew as soon as photography on Prince Caspian ends, and then shoot Silver Chair while Treader is in post-production.

Disney/Walden Media

Beltz also commented on the script for Prince Caspian. Without revealing what content might be added, he reassured fans that the story would still be quite true to the book:

"The script... let me put it this way: All of the elements from the book are present. It's not as easy of a book to adapt as The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe was simply because it has a little bit of a different structure and [director] Andrew [Adamson] wanted to rearrange some of the elements for dramatic effect. But everything that is in the book will be in the film."

DOES ASLAN PRACTICE LAW?

By Devin Faraci

Disney has found their title character for Prince Caspian, the next film in The Chronicles of Narnia. Now they just have to make sure they have some lawyers available, as the actor might be sued by his current employer.

The actor’s name is Ben Barnes, and he’s currently appearing in the National Theater’s production of The History Boys. Which is the rub – he’ll be breaking his contract to make the fantasy film. A spokesperson for the National Theatre said Friday: "Ben Barnes has decided to leave The History Boys early, before his contract is finished. It is something we are taking very seriously. He has accepted an offer to be in a children's Disney film and we have had to fly Jamie King back at extremely short notice this week."

Jamie King will be taking over Barnes’ role in the stage play. If the National Theater does take legal action, Barnes might have a couple of quid to give them – it’s being reported that he has signed on to a three picture deal with Disney for more Narnia movies.

Caspian is a major figure in the mythology of Narnia. The book named after him takes place a thousand years after the events of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, when talking animals have been suppressed. The king of Narnia is the evil Miraz, who killed the rightful king and took the throne. Caspian is the rightful heir to Narnia, and he gets involved with the Pevensie children in an attempt to take it back. Caspian appears as King in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which takes place about three years after Prince Caspian. In The Silver Chair he is in his sixties and dying. When the BBC did the books as miniseries they hired different actors in each film; obviously Barnes will be in all three, so we’ll see how they make him look old. Caspian technically appears a fourth time, at the end of The Last Battle, where all the dead characters from Narnia shows up in Aslan’s Country, aka Heaven.

Hollywood always goes a little nuts this time of year.

Warwick Davis Boards Prince Caspian

Walt Disney Pictures has announced that Warwick Davis has been cast as Nikabrik, the Black Dwarf in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Davis adds Narnia to an impressive list of fantasy-adventure films, including roles in the "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter" movies.

The actor joins a cast that includes Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Anna Popplewell, William Moseley, Ben Barnes, Alicia Borrachero, Peter Dinklage and Vincent Grass, as well as Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan.

The sequel will start principal photography next week in New Zealand.

The Station Agent makes booking for Narnia

Posted By : Clint Morris

Peter Dinklage, best-known for his role in the critically acclaimed “The Station Agent”, has joined the immense cast of “The Chronicles of Narnia : Prince Caspian”.

Dinklage, who also appeared in Sidney Lumet’s “Find Me Guilty” with Vin Diesel recently, will play Trumpkin the Dwarf in the Disney sequel.

When he enters the story, Trumpkin is a leader of the "True Narnian" underground, a group hiding from the Telmarine King Miraz. Trumpkin is intensely loyal to the underground king, King Caspian X, but does not believe in Aslan, white magic, or the "fairy tale" of the two kings and two queens from Narnia's Golden Age.

Other newbies to the “Caspian” cast includes Ben Barnes as the title character, and Vincent Grass as Caspian’s adviser Dr. Cornelius.

Dinklage Joins Prince Caspian

By Josh Tyler:

Peter Dinklage has been one of my favorite actors since I first noticed him in The Station Agent. Most people only know him as the angry elf from Elf, but the guy has a serious career going as an actor. What’s great about Dinklage is that he doesn’t let his size define his roles. Even in Elf, where his entire scene is a gag about his height, he’s playing a guy who refuses to be defined by the fact that he needs a booster seat. So often when you talk about midget actors, you have to couch with “he’s a good midget actor”. It’s the kind of thing I always find myself saying about Warwick Davis for instance. But that’s just not true about Dinklage. He’s not just a great actor for his size, the guy is just a flat out great actor.

Now I’m about to wipe out about half of what I just said about him, because it looks like he’s being stuck in another one of those “reserved for little people” roles. Disney has just announced that Peter Dinklage has been cast to play Trumpkin the Dwarf in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. That’s great news for the Narnia sequel, because if you need someone Peter’s height (which they do), there really is no better actor working in Hollywood. But as a fan of Dinklage, man I just hate to see him go there. This is Warwick Davis’s territory. Not that there’s anything wrong with that and Trumpkin’s a pretty major role, but now Peter’s going to be known as that dwarf. Kind of a bummer, but then it’s probably not easy for him to get parts, no matter how good he is.

He’s not the only new addition to the cast of course. The movie starts shooting next week so we’re amidst a flurry of Narnia casting announcements. We just got done reporting that Alicia Borrachero has been cast as the wife of evil king Miraz and yesterday a British actor named Ben Barnes was rumored to be hired for Prince Caspian. In addition to Dinklage, Disney says they’ve also hired Vincent Grass for the critical role of Prince Caspian’s mentor Doctor Cornelius.

Adamson and Johnson on Narnia 2

Source: The New Zealand Herald

February 5, 2007

Filming starts next week on Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and director Andrew Adamson and producer Mark Johnson talked to the media this morning to discuss the film, the cast and why they chose to film in New Zealand. Here's a clip on the casting from The New Zealand Herald:

Adamson: "We have not yet cast King Miraz, we're still in discussions with someone on that. We have officially cast Prince Caspian finally after a very long search... He's a very talented young British actor named Ben Barnes.

"Ben is a very accomplished young man, he's been getting a lot of good reviews lately for a play that he has on the West End. He came to us very late in the game and he just blew us away. He's going to be a great addition to the cast. I think he'll really fit in well with the other kids."

You can read the full interview here!

Chronicles Of Narnia Updates Including Prince Caspian Casting News - February 5th 2007

Several updates have appeared on the internet regarding the current state of the "Chronicles of Narnia" franchise.

Firstly Dark Horizons has found out that the next entry in the series "Prince Caspian" will feature everything from the book, although some scenes may need rearranging.

The next three films in the series will also be released annually from now on with tighter shooting schedules so "Caspian" will shoot from February-August for a May 2008 release, "Voyager of the Dawn Treader" will shoot starting very late 2007 or early 2008 for a Summer 2009 release, and "The Silver Chair" very late 2008/early 2009 shoot for a Summer 2010 release.

Also, according to Movie Web 26 year old Ben Barnes has landed the role of Prince Caspian for the next three movies.

Barnes has been performing in the London play, "The History Boys" up until now and has left the production suddenly due to this offer.

by : Scott

3 most recent related news links

1. Plans For Narnia Trilogy Revealed - 2006-04-27
2. Andrew Adamson Will be Back For Prince Caspian - 2006-02-02
3. Prince Caspian sequel to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - 2006-01-10

Gresham Talks Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Posted by Dooby

Back in May last year, NarniaWeb heard that Malta was one of the locations being touted for Prince Caspian location filming. Now it seems that producer Douglas Gresham has set his sights further for filming the third Narnia film, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, in the small island nation. Narniafans has a short transcript of the news from the Times of Malta newspaper:

Douglas Gresham is currently working on another Narnia Chronicle: Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia, which is well advanced in pre-production and due for release on May 18, 2008.

"External location work on Prince Caspian will start in mid February in New Zealand. We will then move the production to Prague, and various other places around Eastern Europe." Mr Gresham said.

He has another film project in mind, another Narnia Chronicle: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - "which I’d like to film in Malta. The story takes places in a ship at sea, so it would be very suitable to film here," he explained. "But all this depends on what kind of deal we can clinch with the government. When you’re dealing with the kind of budgets we deal with, one per cent is a lot of money. So, getting a good percentage rebate could make a huge difference. The film commission in Malta is offering some excellent incentives to come and film here, but it needs to be competitive not only in that area but also in facilities, people, skills and artisans. I’d love to film in Malta. For one reason, I’d be able to wake up and drive to work, as opposed to catching a plane and flying half way around the world. It depends entirely on the deal we can clinch at the time. We are not ready to start shooting yet, but we are not that far away. I would hope to be in pre-production on The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader before we release Prince Caspian."

This is also the first time we’ve heard that the release date for Prince Caspian will be the 18th of May rather than the 16th.

Borrachero Cast in Prince Caspian

Source: Variety

Alicia Borrachero has been cast as Prunaprismia, the wife of General Miraz, Narnia's evil king in Andrew Adamson's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, reports Variety.

Spain's Borrachero previously played Escolastica, a devout aunt, in Mike Newell's Love in the Time of Cholera.

Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media start principal photography on the sequel next week in New Zealand.

Ben Barnes Narnia's Caspian?

It looks like Walden Media is willing to bet that they can make British actor Ben Barnes look like a 13 year-old that goes by the name of Prince Caspian.

The good people over at NarniaWeb have posted a report from The Times claiming that Ben Barnes is taking the first step to hopefully land himself a three-picture deal with The Chronicles of Narnia. Beginning with Prince Caspian, Barnes could also appear in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair.

An opportunity such as this takes risk, however, as Barnes was forced to abandon the current award-winning theatrical project in London, The History Boys, in order to accept the role of Prince Caspian. By doing so, the actor now faces threat of lawsuit.

Barnes, 25, plays a schoolboy in History Boys. Is it possible to make the gent (pictured right) look 13? Hard to say, but expect some serious movie magic on that one.

If Barnes is able to keep the Narnia gig, his filmography will become more fantastical with both Narnia and the upcoming film Stardust.

Thanks to 'Anon' for the heads up.

Shooting for second Narnia film to begin

The second film in the Narnia series will begin production in New Zealand within the next month.

Prince Caspian, which like the first film in the series will be directed by Auckland filmmaker Andrew Adamson, will have several New Zealand locations used.

But unlike the first film in the series – The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – much of the studio work and a greater proportion of the outdoor scenes for Prince Caspian will be filmed overseas.

Adamson and the film's producer Mark Johnson told a media conference in Auckland today that they wanted to shoot continuously in summer and this would be easier to do if some of the film was shot overseas.

"Summer seems to be a lot later in New Zealand – in February and March – than I remember in my childhood," Adamson said.

"We want to take advantage of summer in both the Southern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere."

Locations in both the North Island and South Island will be used but the filmmakers would not reveal them because they didn't want crowds turning up to watch them shooting.

Adamson said the lack of top quality sound stages in New Zealand made it harder to shoot studio-based scenes here.

"For the last film we were using equestrian centres and sheds with tin roofs and every time it rained or a car drove past it cost us time," he said.

The four child stars from the first film will be returning – William Moseley (Peter), Anna Popplewell (Susan), Skandar Keynes (Edmund) and Georgie Henley (Lucy).

Another young English actor, Ben Barnes, has been cast as Prince Caspian.

The film is based on the second book of the Narnia series written by C S Lewis.

A third film in the series will begin shooting soon after production is finished on Prince Caspian but Adamson will not direct it.

It was important to get filming done as quickly as practicable before the children grew up too much, he said.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which had a budget of about $US180 million ($NZ267 million), grossed an estimated $US739 million worldwide.

Meanwhile, Adamson said the third movie in the Shrek series was due to be released in May.

Upcoming Narnia Movies Discussed By Walden Media Exec

Submitted By Jon

Infuze Magazine has posted a nice interview with Bob Beltz (a Walden Media executive) with a portion of it dedicated to questions about Prince Caspian. Here's an excerpt:

Can you let us in on what's happening with Prince Caspian. Is the script completely finished? And is it sticking closely to the book?

It's pretty close. Andrew Adamson is gonna direct again. Most of the same crew is working on this one. Mark Johnson will produce again. A lot of the cast and crew will be the same. Now, I don't think that will the case for all seven. I don't think Andrew Adamson wants to spend the rest of his life on this one series.

But the script... let me put it this way: All of the elements from the book are present. It's not as easy of a book to adapt as The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe was simply because it has a little bit of a different structure and Andrew wanted to rearrange some of the elements for dramatic effect. But everything that is in the book will be in the film.

What about using the children? Obviously, children grow up so fast on camera...

And we're actually using the same four kids and I know that three of them actually look almost the same as they did. Skandar [Keynes] who played Edmund has grown about seven inches and looks like a full blown adolescent now. In the Lewis story, there's only a year that has taken place between the first and second book and I think that will just get left a little open ended. The big challenge is going to be Edmund I think.

And you've already greenlit the next one?

Yes. The next book after that will be The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and we're going to try and film the next two in a way that it won't have to be two and a half years between them. We'll be able to bring them out sequentially a year apart.

Is Adamson attached to that project?

I think whoever actually directs the project will be under Andrew as sort of an overseer on the thing.

So you will begin shooting Dawn Treader right after Caspian wraps?

Yeah, the way I understand it is that it takes six months to do the live photography on Caspian and then a full year of post-production with all of the effects and computer generated things that have to get done. In theory, what we'll do is as soon as they are done filming Caspian and into post-production, then we'll have a new crew to do the filming part of Dawn Treader. Then when that one goes into post-production, we're hoping to go into The Silver Chair, which would be the next book into production.

Read the entire article

C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters to Become Feature Film

Submitted By Jon

Variety is reporting that Ralph Winter Productions (the producer behind movies such as The Fantastic Four, and X-Men) is producing an adaptation of The Screwtape Letters for the big screen. Just as with the Narnia films, Walden Media will be attached to this film in a producing role as well.

If you've read The Screwtape Letters, you like me will be very interested in how they adapt this book into a film--it won't be easy, and many liberties will need to be taken with what precisely was written.

Over 1 million copies of The Screwtape Letters have been sold since 2001, so there is clearly a "fan" base for this film (though "fan" really isn't the right word, is it?).