the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
08-05-11, 01:10 PM
#1
Moderator
Thread Starter
the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
Walden Media has confirmed to The Christian Post that the Narnia 4 movie will be "The Magician's Nephew," not "The Silver Chair" as originally speculated by many fans.
"We are starting to talk to Fox and talk to the C.S. Lewis estate now about the Magician's Nephew being our next film," said Michael Flaherty, co-founder and president of Walden Media, during a recent interview with The Christian Post.
"If we can all agree to move forward, then what we would do is find someone to write the script. So, it could still be a couple of years."
For the past several months, many Narnia fans were worried whether "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" could muster the box office numbers needed for Walden to produce another movie installment based on the beloved Chronicles of Narnia series.
"Dawn Treader" had a weak start in the domestic markets, taking in an underwhelming $24.5 million during the opening weekend in December and now grossing about $107 million. For a 3-D movie that cost $155 million, that isn't good news.
However, the third Narnia installment, which was directed by Michael Apted, has fared better overseas. It recently surpassed the $300 million mark in foreign markets, bringing the box office total close to "Prince Caspian's" $419 million, but still much less than "Wardrobe's" $745 million in earnings worldwide.
"That one (Dawn Treader) was a slow burn. It took a while for it to catch on. It did much better overseas for us but it finally ended up in a good place," said Flaherty.
The Magician's Nephew is the sixth book in the seven-title children's book series by C.S. Lewis. The story, a prequel to the popular The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe book, is about the creation of the magical land of Narnia and how evil entered into the newly formed land. The tale also follows Professor Kirke from the "Wardrobe" as a young boy (Digory) and his introduction to Narnia through a magical ring given to him by his evil Uncle Andrew, a magician.
Flaherty called The Magician's Nephew his favorite book after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
"I love the Magician's Nephew because it's a great origins story. You get to learn so much about where the wardrobe came from, where the lamppost came from, where Narnia came from," he said.
The first two Narnia films were produced by Disney, which severed the partnership with Walden after "Prince Caspian" posted disappointing results.
Flaherty attributed "Caspian's" dismal performance to a poorly timed summer release and the story's bent on deeper theological principles like waiting on God's timing. He said that Walden has since learned a Christmas release would probably work best with a Narnia film and not to neglect the faith market.
Looking ahead, Walden Media believes "The Magician's Nephew" has the potential to be a blockbuster hit like "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" because it is the second most popular book in the Narnia series.
Flaherty explained that box office performance for Narnia films appears to mimic the amount of people's interest in the books.
"What's interesting is that the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe over this period of time sold twice as many books as Prince Caspian and it did twice as much at the box office. Prince Caspian sold a third of the books as Dawn Treader and did a third at the box office," he noted.
"So while it's not always a correlation between books to film, so far with these first three films, it has been."
~~
chronically this makes sense, but logistically the actor's playing Lucy, Edmund, Peter, Susan and Eustace are going to look older for 'The Last Battle' (and Eustace for 'The Silver Chair') if and when those books get filmed.
"We are starting to talk to Fox and talk to the C.S. Lewis estate now about the Magician's Nephew being our next film," said Michael Flaherty, co-founder and president of Walden Media, during a recent interview with The Christian Post.
"If we can all agree to move forward, then what we would do is find someone to write the script. So, it could still be a couple of years."
For the past several months, many Narnia fans were worried whether "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" could muster the box office numbers needed for Walden to produce another movie installment based on the beloved Chronicles of Narnia series.
"Dawn Treader" had a weak start in the domestic markets, taking in an underwhelming $24.5 million during the opening weekend in December and now grossing about $107 million. For a 3-D movie that cost $155 million, that isn't good news.
However, the third Narnia installment, which was directed by Michael Apted, has fared better overseas. It recently surpassed the $300 million mark in foreign markets, bringing the box office total close to "Prince Caspian's" $419 million, but still much less than "Wardrobe's" $745 million in earnings worldwide.
"That one (Dawn Treader) was a slow burn. It took a while for it to catch on. It did much better overseas for us but it finally ended up in a good place," said Flaherty.
The Magician's Nephew is the sixth book in the seven-title children's book series by C.S. Lewis. The story, a prequel to the popular The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe book, is about the creation of the magical land of Narnia and how evil entered into the newly formed land. The tale also follows Professor Kirke from the "Wardrobe" as a young boy (Digory) and his introduction to Narnia through a magical ring given to him by his evil Uncle Andrew, a magician.
Flaherty called The Magician's Nephew his favorite book after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
"I love the Magician's Nephew because it's a great origins story. You get to learn so much about where the wardrobe came from, where the lamppost came from, where Narnia came from," he said.
The first two Narnia films were produced by Disney, which severed the partnership with Walden after "Prince Caspian" posted disappointing results.
Flaherty attributed "Caspian's" dismal performance to a poorly timed summer release and the story's bent on deeper theological principles like waiting on God's timing. He said that Walden has since learned a Christmas release would probably work best with a Narnia film and not to neglect the faith market.
Looking ahead, Walden Media believes "The Magician's Nephew" has the potential to be a blockbuster hit like "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" because it is the second most popular book in the Narnia series.
Flaherty explained that box office performance for Narnia films appears to mimic the amount of people's interest in the books.
"What's interesting is that the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe over this period of time sold twice as many books as Prince Caspian and it did twice as much at the box office. Prince Caspian sold a third of the books as Dawn Treader and did a third at the box office," he noted.
"So while it's not always a correlation between books to film, so far with these first three films, it has been."
~~
chronically this makes sense, but logistically the actor's playing Lucy, Edmund, Peter, Susan and Eustace are going to look older for 'The Last Battle' (and Eustace for 'The Silver Chair') if and when those books get filmed.
08-05-11, 01:42 PM
#2
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,512
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
"Prince Caspian sold a third of the books as Dawn Treader and did a third at the box office," he noted.
Wait, huh? Prince Caspian did way better than Dawn Treader did...
I'd be very surprised to see a 4th one get made...
Wait, huh? Prince Caspian did way better than Dawn Treader did...
I'd be very surprised to see a 4th one get made...
08-05-11, 01:53 PM
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Re: the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: $745 million worldwide ($180 million budget)
Prince Caspian: $420 million worldwide ($225 million budget)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: $415 million ($155 million budget)
I'm also sure Prince Caspian sold more copies on DVD/BD/DC/whatever; so Walden is talking out of their ass.
Honestly, the only way for them to keep going would involve decreasing the production budget. Apted moved from 35mm to HD for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and it looked more like a big-budgeted BBC special than anything else.
Prince Caspian: $420 million worldwide ($225 million budget)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: $415 million ($155 million budget)
I'm also sure Prince Caspian sold more copies on DVD/BD/DC/whatever; so Walden is talking out of their ass.
Honestly, the only way for them to keep going would involve decreasing the production budget. Apted moved from 35mm to HD for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and it looked more like a big-budgeted BBC special than anything else.
08-05-11, 02:02 PM
#4
Re: the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
Swinton also gave an interview in February 2011 expressing interest in another Narnia film, claiming 'I really do hope they do another Narnia, it should be The Magician's Nephew as that's my favourite.'
Hopefully Tilda will reprise her role as Jadis -- she was perfect as the White Witch in the first film and this will be a great origins story for her character.
08-05-11, 02:25 PM
#5
DVD Talk Legend
Re: the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
Magician's Nephew is my 2nd favorite of all the books. Visually it should be STUNNING. I'd kill or die to see what Guillermo del Toro could do with that story, but wishful thinking on that.
Good call on skipping "A Horse and His Boy" as well as "Silver Chair". They are the least of chronicles, and work as mostly standalone stories (unless you want to know what became of Eustace after Dawn Treader).
And Dawn Treader was easily the best of the movies...
Good call on skipping "A Horse and His Boy" as well as "Silver Chair". They are the least of chronicles, and work as mostly standalone stories (unless you want to know what became of Eustace after Dawn Treader).
And Dawn Treader was easily the best of the movies...
08-05-11, 02:55 PM
#6
08-05-11, 02:56 PM
#7
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
I'll always be up for more Narnia movies. I actually hope all 7 get made. The Magician's Nephew is the last best choice for a movie though. A Horse and His Boy, although I enjoy, barely even seems like a Narnia movie. It's been a while since I read but I think Aslan has an even smaller impact than in the other ones. Silver Chair is just weird and The Last Battle--I can't even begin to think how that could be translated to a movie.
The Magician's Nephew is a pretty straight forward origins story though and I think would make a great movie. Personally I'd be ok with those 4 being it for the Narnia series.
I really hope Magician's Nephew gets made.
By the way, the article posted is awfully old. I knew that Magician's Nephew was going to be the next movie (assuming any more do, in fact, get made) for a while now.
The Magician's Nephew is a pretty straight forward origins story though and I think would make a great movie. Personally I'd be ok with those 4 being it for the Narnia series.
I really hope Magician's Nephew gets made.
By the way, the article posted is awfully old. I knew that Magician's Nephew was going to be the next movie (assuming any more do, in fact, get made) for a while now.
08-05-11, 07:12 PM
#8
DVD Talk Legend
Re: the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
Gotta have The Last Battle! Great story in and of itself, what with the Anti-Christ/Aslan not to mention
Seriously, that always bothered me as a kid. Talk about twisted.
Spoiler:
Seriously, that always bothered me as a kid. Talk about twisted.
08-05-11, 08:09 PM
#9
DVD Talk Legend
Re: the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
08-05-11, 10:15 PM
#11
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
I always had high hopes for these film. Why they're certainly not bad, they are some of the most pedestrian films of their type I have seen. They're just sort of there, with no real excitement. The direction coupled with the cast just hasn't elevated these films to where they need to be.
Maybe a new director could do better. The problem is the cast is still going to be the same. Here's hoping the next film is much, much better.
Maybe a new director could do better. The problem is the cast is still going to be the same. Here's hoping the next film is much, much better.
09-24-11, 08:10 PM
#12
New Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
Cast: The Magicians Nephew (sorry to stay off the topic but I am eager to post this)
Tilda Swinton - Jadis, The White Witch
Liam Neeson - Aslan (voice)
Max Records - Digory
Chloë Moretz - Polly
Christopher Lloyd - Uncle Andrew
Daniel Radcliffe - King Frank I
Gemma Jones - Aunt Letty
Aaron Eckhart - Fledge (voice)
Ellen Page - Queen Helen
Caroline Faber - Mabel Kirke
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tilda Swinton - Jadis, The White Witch
Liam Neeson - Aslan (voice)
Max Records - Digory
Chloë Moretz - Polly
Christopher Lloyd - Uncle Andrew
Daniel Radcliffe - King Frank I
Gemma Jones - Aunt Letty
Aaron Eckhart - Fledge (voice)
Ellen Page - Queen Helen
Caroline Faber - Mabel Kirke
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
09-24-11, 10:01 PM
#14
Re: the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
The Magician's Nephew is an excellent selection for the next (and likely last) Narnia film. In my opinion, it is one of the best Narnia books, and I think it will make for a good movie. If executed well, it could even rival the film version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Not really. The Pevensie siblings (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy), their cousin Eustace, and Prince/King Caspian were the major protagonists in the first three films. But none of these characters will be involved in The Magician's Nephew since it is an origins story that takes place decades before The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Well, they could make a quick appearance at the end.
I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Not really. The Pevensie siblings (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy), their cousin Eustace, and Prince/King Caspian were the major protagonists in the first three films. But none of these characters will be involved in The Magician's Nephew since it is an origins story that takes place decades before The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Well, they could make a quick appearance at the end.
Last edited by Ghostbuster; 09-24-11 at 10:14 PM.
09-25-11, 07:42 AM
#15
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: the next Narnia film: 'The Magician's Nephew' ! ... ?? (2014)
This is fantastic news. I know it's not a popular series on this board, but I love these films.
That cast list can't be real.
That cast list can't be real.
