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Everything You Need to Know About the Rebooted 'Narnia' Franchise, Starting With 'The Silver Chair'

Based on the classic books by C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia proved to be a huge hit; now, news has emerged that a fourth installment is finally happening.

By Lewis JefferiesPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' [Credit: Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures]

Based on the classic books by C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia proved to be a huge hit at the box office. The current three films — The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) — made a combined total of $1.5 billion; but are they about to make that massive sum even bigger?

When The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was released, a fourth film hung in the balance as the crew were unsure if the franchise was strong enough to continue. This was due to each film dropping a significant amount money at the box office, sliding down from $745 million to $415 million. However, news has emerged that a fourth installment is finally happening and filming begins sooner than you thought!

The Crew Behind the Rebooted Franchise

'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian' [Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]

Following a press release from Sony, The Silver Chair is set to storm the box office. Instead of Andrew Adamson or Michael Apted sat in the directors chair, Joe Johnston will be taking over the franchise, and he intends to reboot the franchise completely. Joining Johnston at the helm are Oscar-nominated production designer Andy Nicholson (Gravity), Oscar-winning designer Jacqueline West (The Revenant), and composer, Thomas Newman (Skyfall).

During Sony's press release it was announced that The Silver Chair will begin shooting this November for five months. While filming is penned to take place in the Henderson Valley Studios, it'll also base locations in New Zealand's North and South Islands.

The Cast of 'The Silver Chair'

'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' [Credit: 20th Century Fox]

Fans of the fantasy series have been waiting with bated breath for news of the original cast reprising their roles in the franchise — but those hopes have just been shot down. In an online video, which has now been removed, Johnston told NarniaWebbers:

"I don’t think so. For really, the main reason is that that cast, those main characters, have aged more than would be natural to be playing these characters. And even though this is a different cast with Jill and Eustace, even though Eustace was in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Will Poulter, who is a very good actor but he’s too old to play Eustace now. But beyond that, I want to set this apart from the other trilogy and so I’m going to start with an all-new cast and I don’t think anyone will say 'Hey, how come that person’s not in the movie?' It wouldn’t be appropriate."

A transcript from the video is available online. While Johnston will cast a whole host of new faces, references to the previous cast will still be made throughout the reboot.

Release Date

'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' [Credit: 20th Century Fox]

At this point in time no official release date or provisional slate has been announced. Primarily because the movie is still in the early stages of pre-production. However, the synopsis is enough to keep fans hyped. The synopsis reads:

"60 years after the events of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, King Caspian is now an old man and in failing health, soon to die. More than ten years earlier his wife was killed by a serpent and his only son Rilian disappeared without a trace, leaving Narnia without an heir. Many of Narnia's greatest heroes have set out in search of the prince but never returned. Aslan enlists the help of schoolchildren Jill and Eustace to find the lost prince. They're paired with a cheerful pessimist, a Marshwiggle named Puddleglum to guide them on their journey. Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, the noble band of friends pursue the quest that brings them face to face with an evil more beautiful and more deadly than they ever expected."

TriStar Pictures are teaming up with the Mark Gordon Company, the C.S. Lewis Company, and Entertainment One on the project; Mark Gordon, C.S. Lewis’ stepson Douglas Gresham, Vincent Sieber, and Melvin Adams are producing. Adapting the script is Life of Pi's David Magee.

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About the Creator

Lewis Jefferies

MA Media and Communication graduate from the University of Portsmouth - Massive Doctor Who Fan.

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