The Next Narnia Film: Where We Are Now
For quite some time now, Narnia fans have been waiting patiently for news on whether or not there will be another Narnia movie. But in the past few days, many rumors and bits of news have started circulating over the internet and our forums–both that more films are actively being scripted and that work on the Narnia films has ceased entirely. We were hoping for an official statement before posting any more news on the situation, but now we feel that things need to be cleared up immediately.
During the negotiations between Fox, Walden, and the C.S. Lewis Estate, the film option that Walden Media owned was allowed to expire and Walden Media no longer has exclusive purchasing rights to any further Narnia films. (What’s the difference between a film option and the film rights? Check out Wikipedia’s article here.) This has been confirmed to us by representatives of the C.S. Lewis Estate.
And while Walden and Fox have confirmed they are both interested in making more Narnia films, our understanding is that, by law, the C.S. Lewis Estate must wait a certain period of time (called a moratorium) before they can sell the film option for the Narnia books again. And when they do, it will be available to any film company out there interested in bidding on it, not just Walden and Fox.
So what does this mean? It means that the ball is entirely in the C.S. Lewis Estate’s court at this point, and they have to wait this mandatory period of time until they can sell the film option again. We here at NarniaWeb don’t know exactly how long this moratorium is, though it is likely several years. What we do know, however, is that Doug Gresham has mentioned many times that it’s his dream to make all seven Narnia books into movies so he probably won’t rest until he’s done that. This is not the end of the Narnia movies! We’re only going to have to wait a while before we see another one.
Wait did Phsycho really just say that Walden Media is a bunch of money grabbers who cry when they dont make 700 million or more??? Dude, if it werent for Walden Media there would be no Narnia movies. And i dont think any of us would appreciate that!
Hmmm, maybe. What about a Philosopher?
Yes, that was what He/She said. Ech. If another company other than Walden did the Narnia movies, imagine how terrible they would be. (Like BBC)
But he looked a bit ill in the third movie. I know Apted wanted to make him look like a "real" lion, but, it wasn't "Aslan". You know?
The rest of the films NEED to be made. It shouldn't be a game about if it made Fox or Disney 'enough money'. All three movies covered their budget several times over, and continue to bring in incremental sales. It might not have the pull-thru toy sales of other franchises, but for the sake of the message, the Chronicles of Narnia DESERVES to be made into the best series of movies ever.
I wonder what that would be like? It would have cheesy actors, cheesy sets, odd costumes…wait a minute!
He was very different. I wish they kept him the same.
"All three movies covered their budget several times over"
No, they did not. Think about that for a moment. If this were true, do you really think there'd be any debate about making more films? Film studios receive a PORTION of the revenue from films, NOT all of it. When you see "Star Wars opens to $100 million dollar weekend…", FOX/LucasFilm aren't MAKING $100 million that weekend. THey receive a predetermined PERCENTAGE of the receipts. Only the first film was profitable. 'Dawn Treader' will come close to breaking even, once all of the broadcast/pay-per-view/DVD revenue has been accounted for in a few years, but has not, as of yet. 'Prince Caspian' was a financial disaster. Mickey Mouse's grandchildren will be paying for that into their old age. The fact that we want more films doesn't mean that other people should throw their hard-earned money into a giant inferno to make it happen. Any future Narnia films are going to have to be better managed, better planned, and produced by passionate, talented creative people who know how to make art thrive on restriction. Not to mention a studio willing to risk the venture to begin with. This COULD happen. I hope it DOES happen. It is going to take time, IF it happens.
Disney made a good decision by dropping the project, I hope really bad that Fox does well with the next movies so that they wont have to drop it. Yes, the Chronicles DESERVES to be the best series ever made, but looking at how bad VDT did, looking at this realistically, it might just end up being really bad.
I'm tired of film politics! Let's get on with the next movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To the people below me I did NOT want to interrupt: You guy's are TOO funny!!!!!
Correction:ABOVE…;)
they may be working on writing it now so it will be ready when the papers are all signed.
i think they could do a pixar style version of the whole series that would be cool. and everyone being animation might be less problematic.
i just watched PC again last night .it seemed like the battling would never end. and the worst part- SUSAN: BRAAAAAAAACE YOURRRRSELLLLLLVVVESSSSS LOL
great part: bulgy bear- duh! for aslan! duh!
all the church groups that got together to support LWW were dismayed to see a big war movie out as the sequel, with questionable theology thrown in.
it's very refreshing to be at narniaweb, practically the only place on the web where people are courteous to each other. : )
i felt like having another witch show up was boring. we had one in the first book.
i doubt anyone else will pick it up
Well, that quality of animation is very expensive, too. The last four feature films released by Pixar have cost an average of $189 million. More than, I suspect, any studio (or combination of studios) would want to invest in a very risky prospect like Narnia, at this point. And, really, even if it weren't costly, I just wouldn't care to see that. Pixar does a great job, but I want to see these stories adapted to as real a world as possible, with as many real, breathing people as possible. Anything else would seem really empty. To me, at least.
Oh, we are just too glad to make your day. Right, Dylan, Aslan's BFF?
(Reeememmmber thaaat timmeeee….?)
"Wait a minute", what? OOOHHHH, do you mean they actually HAD BBC Narnia? Funny, I've seen those, too. It is such a small world.
You know, the two most terrible subjects to talk about, are, Religion, and Narnia Politics.
Tooo fuuuny issss whhhhaaaatt yeeeee ssaaaay? Youuungg whiiiiperrrsnaapper, Illll shooow yooou funnny….
Not as small as there budget!
Mostly because both tend to start huge arguments that amount to nothing accept for creating nasty snobs out of people.
I'm glad there is a moratorium. Maybe that will allow someone who actually trusts the original stories of the books will have the opportunity to make a Narnia film that reflects something, anything of C. S. Lewis' original intent. The three films that have been produced thus far have been increasingly hostile to the original narrative and the original point of the books. And I do not believe that Walden Media deserves the right to continue mutilating Narnia for their own purposes.
Haha…..
But really, I wonder what the series would look like if they did it by BBC now a days, it might be somewhat interesting…
You're forgeting something. Never talk to people about politics, religion, and the Great Pumpkin 🙂
"I do not believe that Walden Media deserves the right to continue mutilating Narnia for their own purposes."
Mutilating eh? I dont see how LWW and PC were mutilated. I can see how it might come acroos that VDT was mutilated, but to say LWW and PC is a little bit of a stretch.
?
Have you ever seen Charlie Brown? And I was reponding to Hiking Peter.
Have you ever seen Charlie Brown? And I was responding to Hiking Peter.
Gosh! This must be the 100th time I've hit the wrong reply butten!
Well, tomorrow it turns out that Mr. Douglas Gresham is going to be interviewed tomorrow by Middle Earth Network live on their radio programming. And listeners watching can ask questions. He will probably bring up the situation the Narnia film series is, and maybe he will give out a little new information on why this happened, but we'll have to wait and see.
Here's some more information.
http://radio.mymiddle-earth.net/2011/10/03/exclusive-interview-with-douglas-gresham/
Nazgul??? *shudders*
Not getting this…read the Wikipedia article and it sounded like an option was linked to an actual script…is it that they didn't have a script and so the filming option expired because of that? Sorry if I'm not getting this…
🙁
Laugh..You sound like SC's Trumpkin!!!( … Wish I could quote it… how could I forget those lines?!?!…something like "useless? I dare say he is" " Not useless, EUSTACE" "You don't have to bawl it out so loud I'm not as deaf as all that!" 😉
Interesting is not the word for it ( no offense to the BBC)have you ever seen Doctor Who? or Merlin…Not sure how well that would translate to Narnia.
🙂
oh rian, I may be you can get the best of narnia, but I agree, with your coment, salout for narnia, if out thw triler, of magician's nephew, or the last betle,
for you
well, Narnian's I realy agree, about that, when we're o it was the big question for narnia, I hope Narnia Can out all the bes movie again, with make much thriler, in narnia's book,
I think The magician's nephew, was intersting book, to make a movie, he he he.
I realy would to be narnia's family, so I hope Narnia can give me a positive reponse about this he he he.
my name is rian,and I come from Indonesia,
I would to recomended my eslf, ass digory, in the first thriler of narnia, if will out, he he he.
you can found me in fb and twitter,
Facbeookk ; rian.chappy@yahoo.com
twitter ; @rian.chappy. he he he
may be it will make a positive ruselt.
salout for narnia
Its funny, Ive seeen all the other Charlie Browns, but I never really saw the Great Pumpkin, I need to sometime!
well, i would accept a decent animation of some sort that had appeal to adults too, that is true to the books and kept the spirituality intact- the REAL meaning and the whole purpose of the series i the first place. and im thinking an entirely animated series so when you get to taking apes, etc, which is expensive, you can do it. look how little aslan shows up now cause he's so expensive. Shift the ape has a big role, plus Jewel the unicorn, etc. plus thecreation and destruction of narnia could just be drawn anyway they want it instead of mixing in live actors with it. im just thinking pricewise the story gets pricey. too many talking animals, very costly in the method they use now. heck, i finally saw the 1979 cartoon and that has it's charms, i can just imagine a better version of that would be nice, if it was done properly. i just really want to see the real stpories, all seven, done effectively. look at all the modern disney cartoons that were effectively done, like Lion King. something on that order.
they shot themselves in the foot by dropping/minimizing the christianity and losing their care fan base! duh! dumb@sses!
the great pumpkin is the most famous one! i think the first too-
Whoa, Dylan! You've never seen the great pumpkin????? You really haven't lived. It should play in a couple weeks for the Halloween deal.
Har har. Yeah I've seen the Charlie Brown shows. They're awesome! I can do a great Pigpen impression whenever I have a cold. "They'll never guess it's me under here….How, did you know, it was me?" I also have a Charles Schultz quote as the signature in my email. "Yesterday I was a dog, today I'm a dog, and tomorrow I'll probably still be a dog. Sigh! There's so little hope for advancement!"
Merlin is FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!! I'm at the edge of my chair right now, because the next season 4 episode is coming out today, and Lancelot gave up his life for Merlin and Arthur in the last episode, but, I saw a preview of later and he is actually alive, so now I am so anxious to see what happens to him! GRRR!!!!
Oh, sorry if I just gave out spoilers to those who haven't seen Season 4 episode 1 and 2 yet. 🙁
Watch you language missie! lol
I LOVE Charlie brown christmas, that one is awesome. I love the soundtrack too, one of my fav movie soundtracks.
Charlie Brown is the best cartoon ever! It's the highlight of any holiday which there's a holiday special.
That's an awesome quote!
what narnia 3 at vb4 on television? bot merely narnia 3, but all? because violenter watch on television from in watch at laptop or the cassete
Another movie that is a real christmas classic is christmas Story! That one and Elf are like some of my favorites!
whoa, colorful language! eew.
I'm sorry–what?
Darn, I didn't hit reply on that last comment.