Set Report
Chapter I - The Basics
Most genres tend to have three or four franchise juggernauts to which all other books, films, or whatever efforts in that category aspire to. In the superhero comic book world its Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. In horror movies its Elm Street, Friday the 13th and Halloween. In science-fiction films its Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien and The Terminator. In the world of young adult fantasy literature though, it comes down to a very specific three - JRR Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", JK Rowling's "Harry Potter" and CS Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia". With the two of those three having made the leap onto the big screen in the last five years, its no surprise the third is finally getting its moment to shine.
Just like those film series though, any adaptation of 'Narnia' comes with a whole heap of baggage and fanboy expectation. Following the publication of the first and most famous book in the series - "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" in 1950, British author CS Lewis quickly wrote six more books over the next six years. Although they were not well received at first by critics and reviewers, the books gained in popularity through word of mouth. The Narnia books have since sold more than 100 million copies and are among the most beloved books of classic children's literature, especially in international circles and Commonwealth countries.
More than 'Potter' which is aimed primarily at teens, or 'Rings' which is at least mid-teens or older, Lewis' "Narnia" stories are very much children's books - much shorter in length, simpler in tone and very much indulging in fantasy without ever going into extensive detail of the world these characters inhabit. The book version of 'Lion' for example is a mere 186 pages long and can be skimmed through by an adult, reading at a regular speed, in an hour and a half. Re-reading it again as an adult (I read the whole series several times in my very early teens), I can now appreciate that while Lewis may have been short on words, it didn't make him any less strong on imagination. His environments, characters, creatures, etc. are described with efficient sparsity and a straight forwardness that not only kids find easier to understand but adults respect as well.
Also surprising looking back is its occasional moments of emotional power. Lewis' books are famous for their allegories to Christian mythology, 'Lion' in particular became noted for a very dark key subplot which essentially incorporates the 'passion of the christ' tale into the story. Those scenes in the book are to this day are surprisingly disturbing and certainly brave for children's literature. Nevertheless they do help in letting a reader immerse themselves in Lewis' magical world, adding layers of reality to this fantastical place found on the other side of a wardrobe.
Not so long ago, Walden Media and Disney Pictures decided to team up for a big screen feature film adaptation of the series. Til now Lewis' books had only existed off the page in the form of an acclaimed but limited budget late 80's BBC series which unfortunately has not aged well. Thus it came as no surprise this new take on the story would suffer from no such limitations. Armed with a big budget, an army of professional filmmaking personnel, stunning locations throughout New Zealand, and a beloved story - it seems a no-brainer that now, on the eve of its worldwide release, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" has become one of the season's most anticipated films.
The story follows the exploits of the four Pevensie siblings -- Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter -- in WWII England who enter the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game 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 lion Aslan, the children fight to overcome the Witch's powerful hold over Narnia.
Directed by Andrew Adamson (who helmed "Shrek" and "Shrek 2"), the film has enlisted the help of many acclaimed UK thespians including Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan, Tilda Swinton as Jadis the White Witch, James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus, Jim Broadbent as Professor Kirke, and the likes of Rupert Everett, Dawn French and Ray Winstone as the voices of some of the creatures. In the child roles come new talents like William Mosely as Peter, Georgie Henley as Lucy, Skander Keynes as Edmund and Anna Popplewell as Susan.
Chapter Two >> The Sets
Chapter Three >> The Major Players
Chapter Four >> Costumes/WETA
Chapter Five >> Visual Effects
Chapter I - The Basics
Most genres tend to have three or four franchise juggernauts to which all other books, films, or whatever efforts in that category aspire to. In the superhero comic book world its Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. In horror movies its Elm Street, Friday the 13th and Halloween. In science-fiction films its Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien and The Terminator. In the world of young adult fantasy literature though, it comes down to a very specific three - JRR Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", JK Rowling's "Harry Potter" and CS Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia". With the two of those three having made the leap onto the big screen in the last five years, its no surprise the third is finally getting its moment to shine.
Just like those film series though, any adaptation of 'Narnia' comes with a whole heap of baggage and fanboy expectation. Following the publication of the first and most famous book in the series - "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" in 1950, British author CS Lewis quickly wrote six more books over the next six years. Although they were not well received at first by critics and reviewers, the books gained in popularity through word of mouth. The Narnia books have since sold more than 100 million copies and are among the most beloved books of classic children's literature, especially in international circles and Commonwealth countries.More than 'Potter' which is aimed primarily at teens, or 'Rings' which is at least mid-teens or older, Lewis' "Narnia" stories are very much children's books - much shorter in length, simpler in tone and very much indulging in fantasy without ever going into extensive detail of the world these characters inhabit. The book version of 'Lion' for example is a mere 186 pages long and can be skimmed through by an adult, reading at a regular speed, in an hour and a half. Re-reading it again as an adult (I read the whole series several times in my very early teens), I can now appreciate that while Lewis may have been short on words, it didn't make him any less strong on imagination. His environments, characters, creatures, etc. are described with efficient sparsity and a straight forwardness that not only kids find easier to understand but adults respect as well.
Also surprising looking back is its occasional moments of emotional power. Lewis' books are famous for their allegories to Christian mythology, 'Lion' in particular became noted for a very dark key subplot which essentially incorporates the 'passion of the christ' tale into the story. Those scenes in the book are to this day are surprisingly disturbing and certainly brave for children's literature. Nevertheless they do help in letting a reader immerse themselves in Lewis' magical world, adding layers of reality to this fantastical place found on the other side of a wardrobe.
Not so long ago, Walden Media and Disney Pictures decided to team up for a big screen feature film adaptation of the series. Til now Lewis' books had only existed off the page in the form of an acclaimed but limited budget late 80's BBC series which unfortunately has not aged well. Thus it came as no surprise this new take on the story would suffer from no such limitations. Armed with a big budget, an army of professional filmmaking personnel, stunning locations throughout New Zealand, and a beloved story - it seems a no-brainer that now, on the eve of its worldwide release, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" has become one of the season's most anticipated films.
The story follows the exploits of the four Pevensie siblings -- Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter -- in WWII England who enter the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game 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 lion Aslan, the children fight to overcome the Witch's powerful hold over Narnia.Directed by Andrew Adamson (who helmed "Shrek" and "Shrek 2"), the film has enlisted the help of many acclaimed UK thespians including Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan, Tilda Swinton as Jadis the White Witch, James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus, Jim Broadbent as Professor Kirke, and the likes of Rupert Everett, Dawn French and Ray Winstone as the voices of some of the creatures. In the child roles come new talents like William Mosely as Peter, Georgie Henley as Lucy, Skander Keynes as Edmund and Anna Popplewell as Susan.
Chapter Two >> The Sets
Chapter Three >> The Major Players
Chapter Four >> Costumes/WETA
Chapter Five >> Visual Effects
