Source Says Michael Apted Will Helm 'Narnia 3'

One of the most versatile filmmakers around, Michael Apted is no stranger to picking up franchises that were begun by other people. Most respected is his continued following of up of 14 individuals, who have been presented every seven years in what are collectively known as the _ Up documentaries (49 Up was the most recent). He took that project -- which was not originally intended as a lifelong series -- over from Paul Almond, director of Seven Up!, for which Apted served as a researcher. A few years ago, he took on the 007 franchise for a single shot effort, The World is Not Enough. Now a little bird has told Harry Knowles at Aint it Cool News that Apted will be taking over the Chronicles of Narnia series.

I haven't seen the first of the Narnia movies, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and I wasn't planning on it, but now I'm gaining some interest. Franchises are always more appealing to me when they switch up directors midstream. It worked great for the Harry Potter movies, which completely raised their cred by bringing in Alfonso Cuarón for the third installment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, following Chris Columbus' welcome departure after the first two. Apted may not be as great a filmmaker as Cuarón -- I lost interest in his fiction filmmaking after the J. Lo vehicle Enough (not to be confused with his James Bond effort) -- but he should bring some freshness to the Narnia movies. If the little bird is correct, he will take on the third movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Trader, which also currently is rumored to have Neil Burger attached. One or the other will replace Andrew Adamson, who, like Columbus, has been the series' director for the first two installments -- he is currently directing the second, Prince Caspian.

Apted is new Narnia director

Date : April 18, 2007 Posted By : Clint Morris

Despite Neil Burger (“The Illusionist”) being approached to helm it, directing duties on the next “Narnia” film have gone to Michael Apted (“Gorilla’s in the Mist”), according to Aint it Cool News.

Andrew Adamson, director of the first two instalments in the cash-cow series, has decided to sit this next one, the film version of "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", out.

“Dawn Treader” was the third Narnia book written by C.S Lewis. Chronologically, it takes place between the event described in ‘Prince Caspian’ and ‘The Silver Chair’.

In it, Lucy and Edmund, accompanied by their peevish cousin Eustace, sail to the land of Narnia where Eustace is temporarily transformed into a green dragon because of his selfish behaviour and scepticism.

Apted’s latest film is the buzzworthy “Amazing Grace”.

New name in 'Narnia' frame

Michael Apted is to direct new Narnia flick 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'.

Chris Tilly | Apr 18 2007

Michael Apted

Coming off the back of po-faced William Wilberforce biopic 'Amazing Grace', Michael Apted is the last director you'd expect to be tackling a children's film, but that's just what he's about to do if Ain't it Cool News is to be believed.

The British-born director, best known for 'Gorky Park', 'Thunderheart' and 'Gorillas in the Mist', is soon to tackle CS Lewis by adapting the fourth of the 'Chronicles of Narnia', 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'.

Revolving around Lucy and Edmund returning to Narnia with their mischievous cousin Eustace, the film will be an effects-heavy extravaganza that challenges all the tricks and CGI skills that Apted learned making Bond flick 'The World is Not Enough'.

Andrew Adamson, director of previous 'Chronicles' 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' (which grossed nearly $740m worldwide) and the forthcoming 'Prince Caspian' (due to hit UK screens May 2008), isn't jumping ship altogether however, as he will stay on to produce, with the film set to shoot early next year.

Bond Helmer May Head to Narnia

Directing Dawn Treader?

by IGN Staff

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2007 - Just the other day, the rumor broke that a new director had been chosen to film the third Chronicles of Narnia film, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. We now have a name to put to that rumor: according to the AintItCoolNews.com website, Michael Apted has been chosen to guide the Dawn Treader on its ocean-faring adventure.

Apted isn't exactly a household name among fantasy film lovers. His biggest oeuvre to date has probably been the 1999 James Bond flick The World Is Not Enough, starring Pierce Brosnan. Other projects to his credit include the investigative mystery Thunderheart, the '83 spy thriller Gorky Park, and several episodes of HBO's historical drama Rome. Despite the shortage of blockbuster titles on his resume, Apted appears to be a strong and capable director with much more experience than Andrew Adamson, whose main claim to fame before signing onto the Narnia series was the hit animated flick Shrek.

As for Adamson, he'll stay on as producer for Dawn Treader, but directing it would not have been an easy task, considering how its filming and post-production schedule will overlap that of Prince Caspian.

The third Narnia film is likely to begin production shortly after Caspian completes its shoot. A separate production crew will be used as well; Disney and Walden Media hope to release the next three adventures in quick succession, only a year apart if possible.

It should be emphasized that the news on Apted is just a strong rumor for the moment; no official word has been released to the media just yet. Hopefully the studio will give confirmation soon, and it would be nice to hear from the man himself how he feels about the movie and Narnia in general.

Michael Apted to helm third Narnia movie

From our ANI Correspondent

Melbourne, Apr 19: 'Gorilla's in the Mist' director Michael Apted has been roped in to direct the next 'Narnia' film, though Neil Burger of 'Illusionist' fame was approached to helm the film.

While Andrew Adamson directed the earlier two flicks of the series, Apted has received the directing duties for the upcoming sequel 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'.

The latest is the third in the seven fantasy series from late Narnia writer C.S Lewis. And the events take place between the happenings narrated in Prince Caspian and 'The Silver Chair' reports Moviehole.

In Dawn Treader, Lucy and Edmund travel to the land of Narnia, along with their cousin Eustace.

In Narnia, as a punishment for his selfish behaviour, Eustace is transformed into a green dragon.


Copyright Dailyindia.com/ANI

Narnia Finds A New Director

By Josh Tyler: 2007-04-18 01:56:27

Last month here we heard that Chronicles of Narnia director Andrew Adamson was planning to duck out of the franchise after filming the second movie. He’ll still be involved as a producer for the third movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but he won’t be behind the camera.

Today AICN has come up with the scoop on who will replace him. They say it’s Gorillas in the Mist director Michael Apted. The reason I’m using an eighteen year-old movie to introduce him is that he hasn’t done anything significant since. Oh, he’s been working. One or two of you might have heard of the movie Enigma, maybe you remember Nell, or perhaps you caught the JLO ass-kicker Enough, but that’s as close to relevant as the guy gets. A couple of movies which no one saw or worse, really even cared about.

His most recent film, Amazing Grace, was out earlier this year and got some nice reviews but again, no one seems to care enough to go out of their way to see it. Those few good reviews weren’t enough to generate much of a buzz. I’m not saying Apted isn’t a good director, in fact he’s a great director, it’s just been a ridiculously long time since anyone has noticed him.

Apted has never tackled an epic like this, he’s never even sniffed a movie like this. There’s nothing in his body of work that would make you think he’d even be interested a Narnia movie, let alone be good shooting one. It’s kind of a shock that he’d be anywhere near the top of Disney’s list of potential Adamson replacements for one of their biggest money makers.

APTED TAKES OVER REIGNS OF NARNIA

Oscar-winning film maker MICHAEL APTED will replace ANDREW ADAMSON as the director for the third installment of the CHRONICLES OF NARNIA movies. Shrek filmmaker Adamson directed 2005s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as well as next summer's (08) sequel Prince Caspian. However, the third movie The Voyage of the Dawn Trader will be filmed by Apted. It's the third in the seven book series by C.S Lewis, and sees the film's heroes Lucy and Edmund travel to the land of Narnia, along with their cousin Eustace.

Third ‘Narnia Dawn Treader’ may be shot in Malta

The accelerated production schedule for The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader appears to be going ahead as planned.

Walden Media and Disney are hoping to release Narnia films roughly one year apart from each other. Given the complexity of these big-budget, effects-laden films, that means overlapping production schedules. Dawn Treader is expected to begin filming soon after the Prince Caspian shoot ends, with a separate crew and director.

Sources have supplied additional confirmation of this to the NarniaWeb.com website, stating that a new director has already been chosen for the third film, and that pre-production work is underway.

Exactly who has been selected to helm the picture remains secret for now, but it’s been known for some time that Andrew Adamson would probably step down as director after Prince Caspian was completed.

While production on Caspian wraps up the New Zealand portion of its schedule and heads to the Czech Republic and Slovenia, Walden Media’s location scouts are already on the prowl seeking out prime locales for the Dawn Treader’s fantastic voyage.

That story takes place largely at sea and on various tropical islands. Regions that have been suggested as potential shooting locations include the Australian coast, the Bahamas, and Malta.