Disney Dumps Narnia

[MJMcBride]

it is still likely that Dawn Treader will come out

 

[Tink's Tormentor]

it is still likely that Dawn Treader will come out

Exactly... They just aren't doing it now..

 

[IMGN]

Exactly... They just aren't doing it now..

No, it's just sort of likely that Fox will partner with WM.

 

[caropatra]

The rumor appears to be true: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0980970/news#ni0637168
Personally, I hope MJMcBride is correct and that Dawn Treader will be produced. One of the articles in the above link says that Walden Media is looking for another partner for the film (as suggested by IMGN, could be Fox and, I might add, which would be a more likely match). I'm one who loves, loves, loves the books. Films in general never measure up to their corresponding books; it's simply not possible to capture the detail, subplots, and character depth in one hundred twenty minutes that's found in three hundred pages of text. Our family enjoyed the first film. We were less enthusiastic about Prince Caspian; our criticism was based on the fact that the script deviated significantly from the most interesting aspects of the book (i.e. the children's discovery that they are at Cair Paravel - it should have taken a third of the movie, but it took all of three minutes). But I can't say we hated it; it was fine.

I'm also a huge, HUGE fan of LoR, and I don't think comparing LoR trilogy with the Narnia series is comparing apples to apples. I know Lewis and Tolkien were contemporaries and probably influenced each other, but I just see the two stories as well as the movies as being totally different. Both are great for different reasons.

It will be interesting to see how/if the Chronicles of Narnia continue past Dawn Treader. Like BigGoofy44, I would be excited about The Silver Chair and The Magician's Nephew.

 

[MJMcBride]

It will be interesting to see how/if the Chronicles of Narnia continue past Dawn Treader. Like BigGoofy44, I would be excited about The Silver Chair and The Magician's Nephew.

I don't know the books well enough to make that call. i do know the kids from these movies are done

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

No sci-fi movies come close to Star Wars either

Clearly you've never seen Space Balls.

(Yes, that was a joke.)

 

[rlovew]

I don't know the books well enough to make that call. i do know the kids from these movies are done

The kids from the movies would be done after this one until the last movie (when they would be grown up) as they aren't in the books 4-6. In fact Peter and Susan aren't even in book 3.

 

[FigNewton]

I'm so upset with Disney for dropping Narnia. We loved the first, thought the second was great if not as good as the first... but Dawn Treader had the potential to be the best one yet. I can't believe they are dropping the third film of a planned trilogy because the second 'only' grossed in the 400 million range. I know it's not a High School Musical moneymaker for them, but the third movie in a planned trilogy that you are still making money on? Poo on you Disney.>_<

(and yes, before anyone goes into it, I know very well how many books there are, but as I understand it the movies were planned as a trilogy with Lion, Caspian, and Dawn Treader)

 

[Narnian_Princess]

I may be biased, but I loved these films, both of them. Yes, even though Prince Caspian deviated rather a lot from the book. I would've loved to see all the books made into decent movies, but without Disney to back it... I don't see how the quality can be maintained.

I kind of figured we wouldn't get any more after Dawn Treader anyway, simply because that's the last one where we actually get the Pevensies for any length of time. The Silver Chair just has Eustace Scrubb (introduced in VotDT) and a new character of Jill Pole. I can't believe that the movies-only audience would appreciate that.

And yes, Disney starts things only to drop them. As seen recently with their destruction of VMK. Why can't they stick with the quality stuff instead of cheap money-making junk?

 

[MJMcBride]

I'm so upset with Disney for dropping Narnia. We loved the first, thought the second was great if not as good as the first...

unfortunately, the box office was half the first one. And dvd sales were 10% of the first one from my understanding. Considering the costs of these types of films its no surprise the series got axed

 

[SWVA BGSU Fan]

I loved both movies, but I am in my early 40s and probably not the demographic that Disney is trying to reach. DSs are 13 and 9, and they are not interested in the Narnia movies at all. DS13 reluctantly agreed to go to the Prince Caspian attraction with me at DHS in November, and couldn't wait to get out of there. When DH and DS asked him about the attraction later, he said something like, "Don't worry, you didn't miss much."

I thought both movies were both visually and musically beautiful. However, when you look at how much they cost to make and the fact that Prince Caspian brought in much lower box office numbers than The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, you can see why Disney made its decision. This trilogy did not have the "star power" of a Johnny Depp or an Orlando Bloom to keep drawing the audiences back in.

 

[disneycruiser2007]

Our daughters both loved the Narnia Movies. We are sorry they aren't going to make the third one, because that may mean the quality won't be as good. We saw the props from the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at at Hollywood Studios. Our 8 year old was inspired to read that book, and as a reward she got to see the movie. We read the same books as children. It was great having Disney involved in passing on that tradition.

 

[LuvOrlando]

-

 

[doconeill]

Fox (which already has a first look partnership with Walden - came after Disney's partnership for Narnia) will help finance Dawn Treader...

 

[crazy4wdw]

Here's some more info:

Fox to pick up Narnia franchise for third film

January 29, 2009: 09:00 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Twentieth Century Fox has stepped in to partner with Walden Media on at least one more film based on the C.S. Lewis children's book series "The Chronicles of Narnia," after the Walt Disney Co bowed out, a Fox spokesman said Thursday.

The News Corp-owned studio plans to release the film during late 2010, the Fox spokesman said. No information was released about production costs for the film, "Voyage of the Dawn Treader," which would be the third based on Lewis' beloved fantasy novels.

Disney bowed out of the franchise last month, citing "budgetary considerations and other logistics," three years after touting "Narnia" as its next blockbuster film property.

The effects-laden films cost Disney and Walden an estimated $180 million to $200 million to produce.

The two studios collaborated on the 2005 hit, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", which grossed $745 million at box offices worldwide, and on "Prince Caspian", whose grosses sank to $420 million last year partly from stiff summer box office competition.

Both titles were top DVD sellers.

Walden could not be reached for comment. (Reporting by Gina Keating; Editing by Bernard Orr)

 

[MJMcBride]

well, I would like to see the movie

I wonder how long it will be before they pull the plug on the Narnia attraction