I’m sure that none of you have forgotten the first film in The Chronicles of Narnia series. It featured Liam Neeson as Lion/Christ figure Aslan, and Tilda Swinton as a Witch. There may have been wardrobe somewhere in there too. But it has been a while since the last chronicle in The Chronicles of Narnia; so long, in fact, that you might be forgiven for thinking that we’re unlikely to see the complete adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ Christian-themed fantasy series. You would be wrong though, as word has it that The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair has gone into development.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair is finally being developed by the C.S. Lewis and Mark Gordon companies. The film will be based on the next book in the Narnia series, following The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. After an extensive press release extolling the virtues of the series and how very excited these two companies are to partner in it, all we really know is that the film is actually moving ahead.
What we don’t know is whether or not any or all of the previous cast will return for The Silver Chair, or who will distribute the film. Disney had their hands in the first two films (the Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and Prince Caspian), while Fox did The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Given that Dawn Treader did very little domestic business when it opened in 2010, it might be a hard sell for a major distributor.
Despite poor domestic business, though, The Chronicles of Narnia films did quite well overseas, grossing a combined $1.6 billion across the board. That’s not too bad. If The Silver Chair can garner some good buzz and brings back the original cast – those that still remain able to go to Narnia, of course – maybe it will reverse the trend of dwindling domestic numbers.
You can check out the full press release about The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair below, and then let us know what you think in the comments. Are you keen to head back to Narnia?
The C.S. Lewis Company has entered into an agreement with The Mark Gordon Company to jointly develop and produce THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE SILVER CHAIR, the fourth book published in C.S. Lewis’ famed fantasy series. The announcement was made today by The C.S. Lewis Company.
Mark Gordon stated, “Like many readers, both young and old, I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis’s beautiful and allegorical world of Narnia. These fantasy stories inspire real-world passion among millions of devoted fans around the world. As we prepare to bring the next book to life, we are humbled and excited to contribute to the outstanding legacy of Narnia.”
Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis stated, “I have a great deal of respect for Mark Gordon’s work and am confident that together we can bring the beauty and magical delight that Narnia engenders in the hearts of those who read the books to the screen in ‘The Silver Chair.’ I am very much looking forward to diving once more into Narnia, this time with Mark Gordon and his team.”
Mark Gordon and Douglas Gresham along with Vincent Sieber, the LA based Director of The C.S. Lewis Company, will serve as producers and work with The Mark Gordon Company on developing the script. Michele Wolkoff and Sara Smith will oversee for The Mark Gordon Company.
Vincent Sieber stated, “We are very excited by this partnership and to be able to work on this movie from its earliest conception on such a collaborative basis. It gives us the opportunity to develop a script and then produce a film with some of the most talented industry professionals whilst remaining completely faithful to this much loved book.”
The first three Narnia films combined have grossed over $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office.
A classic series of seven novels that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide, C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia” began with the publication of “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” in 1950. Six more novels (including the prequel, “The Magician’s Nephew,” and the sequels, “The Horse and His Boy,” “Prince Caspian,” “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” “The Silver Chair” and “The Last Battle”) would follow in the next six years. The final title in the series, “The Last Battle,” was awarded the highest mark of excellence in children’s literature, the prestigious Carnegie Award.
