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The Chronicles of Narnia

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"Narnia" redirects here. For other uses, see Narnia (disambiguation).
This article is about the book series. For the film series, see The Chronicles of Narnia (film series).
The Chronicles of Narnia
ScholasticNarnia.jpg
The Chronicles of Narnia HarperCollins boxed set; books presented in order of the fictional chronology
 
(in publication order)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician's Nephew
The Last Battle
 
Author
Clive Staples Lewis
Language
English
Genre
Fantasy
 Children's literature
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
16 October 1950 – 4 September 1956
Media type
Print (hardcover and paperback)
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven high fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages.[1][2] Written by Lewis between 1949 and 1954, illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published in London between October 1950 and March 1956, The Chronicles of Narnia has been adapted several times, complete or in part, for radio, television, the stage, and film.
Set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals, the series narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of that world. Except in The Horse and His Boy, the protagonists are all children from the real world, magically transported to Narnia, where they are called upon by the lion Aslan to protect Narnia from evil and restore the throne to its rightful line. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in The Magician's Nephew to its eventual destruction in The Last Battle.
Inspiration for the series is taken from multiple sources; in addition to adapting numerous traditional Christian themes, the books freely borrow characters and ideas from Persian, Greek, Anatolian and Roman mythology as well as from traditional British and Irish fairy tales. The books have profoundly influenced adult and children's fantasy literature since World War II. Lewis's exploration of themes not usually present in children's literature, such as religion, as well as the books' perceived treatment of issues including race and gender, has caused some controversy.


Contents
  [hide] 1 Background and conception
2 Publication history
3 Books



4 Reading order
5 Main characters





6 Narnian universe


7 Influences

8 Influences on other works

9 Christian themes
10 Criticism

11 Adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia


12 Notes
13 References
14 Further reading
15 External links
Background and conception[edit]
Although Lewis originally conceived what would become The Chronicles of Narnia in 1939,[3] he did not finish writing the first book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe until 1949. The Magician's Nephew, the penultimate book to be published, but the last to be written, was completed in 1954. Lewis did not write the books in the order in which they were originally published, nor were they published in their current chronological order of presentation.[4] The original illustrator, Pauline Baynes, created for the Narnia books pen and ink drawings which are still used in the books as published today. Lewis was awarded the 1956 Carnegie Medal for The Last Battle, the final book in the saga. Fellow children's author Roger Lancelyn Green first referred to the series as The Chronicles of Narnia, in March 1951, after he had read and discussed with Lewis his recently completed fourth book The Silver Chair, originally entitled Night under Narnia.[5]
Lewis described the origin of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in an essay entitled It All Began with a Picture:

The Lion all began with a picture of a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood. This picture had been in my mind since I was about sixteen. Then one day, when I was about forty, I said to myself: 'Let's try to make a story about it.'[6]
Shortly before the start of World War II, many children were evacuated to the English countryside in anticipation of attacks on London and other major urban areas by Nazi Germany. As a result, on 2 September 1939, three school girls, Margaret, Mary and Katherine,[7] came to live at The Kilns in Risinghurst, Lewis' home three miles east of Oxford city centre. Lewis later suggested that the experience gave him a new appreciation of children and in late September[8] he began a children's story on an odd sheet of paper which has survived as part of another manuscript:

This book is about four children whose names were Ann, Martin, Rose and Peter. But it is most about Peter who was the youngest. They all had to go away from London suddenly because of Air Raids, and because Father, who was in the Army, had gone off to the War and Mother was doing some kind of war work. They were sent to stay with a kind of relation of Mother's who was a very old professor who lived all by himself in the country.[9]
In It All Began With a Picture C. S. Lewis continues:

At first I had very little idea how the story would go. But then suddenly Aslan came bounding into it. I think I had been having a good many dreams of lions about that time. Apart from that, I don't know where the Lion came from or why he came. But once he was there, he pulled the whole story together, and soon he pulled the six other Narnian stories in after him.[10]
The manuscript for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was complete by the end of March 1949.
Name[edit]
The name Narnia is based on Narni, Italy, written in Latin as Narnia. Lancelyn Green wrote:

"When Walter Hooper asked [C. S. Lewis] where he found the word 'Narnia', Lewis showed him Murray's Small Classical Atlas, ed.G.B. Grundy (1904), which he acquired when he was reading the classics with Mr Kirkpatrick at Great Bookham [1914–1917]. On plate 8 of the Atlas is a map of ancient Italy. Lewis had underscored the name of a little town called Narnia, simply because he liked the sound of it. Narnia — or 'Narni' in Italian — is in Umbria, halfway between Rome and Assisi".[11]
Publication history[edit]
The Chronicles of Narnia's seven books have been in continuous publication since 1956, selling over 100 million copies in 47 languages and with editions in Braille.[12][13][14]
The first five books were originally published in the United Kingdom by Geoffrey Bles. The first edition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was released in London on 16 October 1950. Although three more books, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Horse and His Boy, were already complete, they were not released immediately at that time, but appeared (along with The Silver Chair) one at a time in each of the subsequent years (1951–1954). The last two books (The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle) were published in the United Kingdom originally by The Bodley Head in 1955 and 1956.[15][16]
In the United States, the publication rights were first owned by Macmillan Publishers, and later by HarperCollins. The two issued both hardcover and paperback editions of the series during their tenure as publishers, while at the same time Scholastic, Inc. produced paperback versions for sale primarily through direct mail order, book clubs, and book fairs. Harper Collins also published several one-volume collected editions containing the full text of the series. As noted below (see Reading Order), the first American publisher, Macmillan, numbered the books in publication sequence, but when Harper Collins won the rights in 1994, at the suggestion of Lewis' stepson they used the series' internal chronological order. Scholastic switched the numbering of its paperback editions in 1994 to mirror Harper Collins'.[4]
Books[edit]
The seven books that make up The Chronicles of Narnia are presented here in order of original publication date:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)[edit]
Main article: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, completed by the end of March 1949[17] and published by Geoffrey Bles in the United Kingdom on 16 October 1950, tells the story of four ordinary children: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie, who have been evacuated to the English countryside from London in 1940 following the outbreak of World War II. They discover a wardrobe in Professor Digory Kirke's house that leads to the magical land of Narnia. The Pevensie children help Aslan, a talking lion, save Narnia from the evil White Witch, who has reigned over the land of Narnia for a century of perpetual winter with no Christmas. The children become kings and queens of this new-found land and establish the Golden Age of Narnia, leaving a legacy to be rediscovered in later books.
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia (1951)[edit]
Main article: Prince Caspian
Completed after Christmas 1949[18] and published on 15 October 1951, Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia tells the story of the Pevensie children's second trip to Narnia. They are drawn back by the power of Susan's horn, blown by Prince Caspian to summon help in his hour of need. Narnia, as they knew it, is no more, as more than 1,000 years have passed and their castle is in ruins, while all Narnians have retreated so far within themselves that only Aslan's magic can wake them. Caspian has fled into the woods to escape his uncle, Miraz, who has usurped the throne. The children set out once again to save Narnia.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)[edit]
Main article: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Written between January and February 1950[19] and published on 15 September 1952, The Voyage of the ‘Dawn Treader’ sees Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their priggish cousin, Eustace Scrubb, return to Narnia. Once there, they join Caspian's voyage on the ship Dawn Treader to find the seven lords who were banished when Miraz took over the throne. This perilous journey brings them face to face with many wonders and dangers as they sail toward Aslan's country at the edge of the world.
The Silver Chair (1953)[edit]
Main article: The Silver Chair
Completed at the beginning of March 1951[19] and published 7 September 1953, The Silver Chair is the first Narnia book without any of the Pevensie children. Instead, Aslan calls Eustace back to Narnia together with his classmate Jill Pole. There they are given four signs to aid in the search for Prince Rilian, Caspian's son, who disappeared after setting out ten years earlier to avenge his mother's death. 50 years have passed in Narnia and Caspian, who was barely an adult in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is now an old man, while Eustace is still a child.
Eustace and Jill, with the help of Puddleglum the Marsh-wiggle, face danger and betrayal on their quest to find Rilian.
The Horse and His Boy (1954)[edit]
Main article: The Horse and His Boy
Begun in March and completed at the end of July 1950,[19] The Horse and His Boy was published on 6 September 1954. The story takes place during the reign of the Pevensies in Narnia, an era which begins and ends in the last chapter of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. A talking horse called Bree and a young boy named Shasta, both of whom are in bondage in the country of Calormen, are the protagonists. By "chance", they meet and plan their return to Narnia and freedom. Along the way they meet Aravis and her talking horse Hwin who are also fleeing to Narnia.
The Magician's Nephew (1955)[edit]
Main article: The Magician's Nephew
Completed in February 1954[20] and published by Bodley Head in London on 2 May 1955, the prequel The Magician's Nephew brings the reader back to the origins of Narnia where we learn how Aslan created the world and how evil first entered it. Digory Kirke and his friend Polly Plummer stumble into different worlds by experimenting with magic rings made by Digory's uncle. They encounter Jadis (The White Witch) in the dying world of Charn, and witness the creation of Narnia. Many long-standing questions about the world are answered as a result. The story was set in 1900, when Digory was a 12-year-old boy. He is a middle-aged professor and host to the Pevensie children by the time of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 40 years later.
The Last Battle (1956)[edit]
Main article: The Last Battle
Completed in March 1953[21] and published 4 September 1956, The Last Battle chronicles the end of the world of Narnia. Jill and Eustace return to save Narnia from Shift, an ape, who tricks Puzzle, a donkey, into impersonating the lion Aslan, precipitating a showdown between the Calormenes and King Tirian.
Reading order[edit]
Fans of the series often have strong opinions over the order in which the books should be read. The issue revolves around the placement of The Magician's Nephew and The Horse and His Boy in the series. Both are set significantly earlier in the story of Narnia than their publication order and fall somewhat outside the main story arc connecting the others. The reading order of the other five books is not disputed.

 

 An earlier Macmillan paperback boxed set, where the books are presented in order of original publication
Original publication order
Harper Collins order (chronological)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe The Magician's Nephew
Prince Caspian The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Horse and His Boy
The Silver Chair Prince Caspian
The Horse and His Boy The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Magician's Nephew The Silver Chair
The Last Battle The Last Battle
When first published, the books were not numbered. The first American publisher, Macmillan, enumerated them according to their original publication order, while some early British edition specified the internal chronological order. When Harper Collins took over the series rights in 1994, they adopted chronological order. To make the case for chronological order, Lewis' stepson, Douglas Gresham, quoted Lewis' 1957 reply to a letter from an American fan who was having an argument with his mother about the order:

I think I agree with your [chronological] order for reading the books more than with your mother's. The series was not planned beforehand as she thinks. When I wrote The Lion I did not know I was going to write any more. Then I wrote P. Caspian as a sequel and still didn't think there would be any more, and when I had done The Voyage I felt quite sure it would be the last, but I found I was wrong. So perhaps it does not matter very much in which order anyone read them. I’m not even sure that all the others were written in the same order in which they were published.[22]
In the 2005 Harper Collins adult editions of the books, the publisher cites this letter to assert Lewis' preference for the numbering they adopted by including this notice on the copyright page:

Although The Magician's Nephew was written several years after C. S. Lewis first began The Chronicles of Narnia, he wanted it to be read as the first book in the series. Harper Collins is happy to present these books in the order in which Professor Lewis preferred.
Paul Ford cites several scholars who have weighed in against this view,[23] and continues, "most scholars disagree with this decision and find it the least faithful to Lewis's deepest intentions".[4] Scholars and readers who appreciate the original order believe that Lewis was simply being gracious to his youthful correspondent and that he could have changed the books' order in his lifetime had he so desired.[24] They maintain that much of the magic of Narnia comes from the way the world is gradually presented in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – that the mysterious wardrobe, as a narrative device, is a much better introduction to Narnia than The Magician's Nephew, where the word "Narnia" appears in the first paragraph as something already familiar to the reader. Moreover, they say, it is clear from the texts themselves that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was intended to be read first. When Aslan is first mentioned in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, for example, the narrator says that "None of the children knew who Aslan was, any more than you do" — which is nonsensical if one has already read The Magician's Nephew.[25] Other similar textual examples are also cited.[26]
Doris Meyer, author of C. S. Lewis in Context and Bareface: A guide to C. S. Lewis, writes that rearranging the stories chronologically "lessens the impact of the individual stories" and "obscures the literary structures as a whole".[4] Peter Schakel devotes an entire chapter to this topic in his book Imagination and the Arts in C. S. Lewis: Journeying to Narnia and Other Worlds, and in Reading with the Heart: The Way into Narnia he writes:

The only reason to read The Magician's Nephew first [...] is for the chronological order of events, and that, as every story teller knows, is quite unimportant as a reason. Often the early events in a sequence have a greater impact or effect as a flashback, told after later events which provide background and establish perspective. So it is [ ...] with the Chronicles. The artistry, the archetypes, and the pattern of Christian thought all make it preferable to read the books in the order of their publication.[25]
Main characters[edit]
Further information: List of The Chronicles of Narnia characters
Aslan[edit]
Main article: Aslan
Aslan, the Great Lion, is the central character of The Chronicles of Narnia. He is the eponymous lion of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and his role in Narnia is developed throughout the remaining books. He is also the only character to appear in all seven books. Aslan is a talking lion, the King of Beasts, son of the Emperor-Over-the-Sea; a wise, compassionate, magical authority (both temporal and spiritual); mysterious and benevolent guide to the human children who visit as well as guardian and saviour of Narnia. C. S. Lewis described Aslan as an alternative version of Jesus as the form in which Christ might have appeared in an alternative reality.[27]
Pevensie Family[edit]
Main articles: Peter Pevensie, Susan Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie, and Lucy Pevensie
The four Pevensie siblings are the main human protagonists of The Chronicles of Narnia. Varying combinations of some or all of them appear in five of the seven novels. They are introduced in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and eventually become Kings and Queens of Narnia: High King Peter the Magnificent, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, and Queen Lucy the Valiant. Although introduced in the series as children, the siblings (Peter in a passing mention) appear as adults in The Horse and His Boy. Echoing the Christian theme of redemption, Edmund betrays his siblings to Jadis, the White Witch, but eventually realises the error of his ways whereupon he is redeemed with the intervention of Aslan and joins the fight against the White Witch. Lucy is the central character of the four Pevensie siblings. Of all the Pevensie children, Lucy is the closest to Aslan, and of all the human characters who visit Narnia, Lucy is perhaps the one who believes in Narnia the most. All four appear in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. Susan, Lucy, and Edmund (Peter is mentioned) appear in The Horse and His Boy. Lucy and Edmund appear in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Peter, Edmund, and Lucy appear in The Last Battle. Susan doesn't appear in The Last Battle because she has stopped believing in Narnia. Asked by a child in 1958 if he would please write another book entitled "Susan of Narnia" so that the entire Pevensie family would be reunited, C. S. Lewis replied: "I am so glad you like the Narnian books and it was nice of you to write and tell me. There's no use just asking me to write more. When stories come into my mind I have to write them, and when they don't I can't!..."*
[28]
Eustace Scrubb[edit]
Main article: Eustace Scrubb
Eustace Clarence Scrubb is a cousin of the Pevensies, and a classmate of Jill Pole at their school Experiment House. He is portrayed at first as a brat and a bully, but comes to confront and improve his behaviour. In the later books, Eustace is shown as an altogether better person, becoming a hero along with Jill Pole. He appears in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle.
Jill Pole[edit]
Main article: Jill Pole
Jill Pole appears in The Silver Chair and The Last Battle. She is a classmate and neighbour of Eustace Scrubb.
Digory Kirke[edit]
Main article: Digory Kirke
Digory Kirke is the character referred to in the title of The Magician's Nephew. He first appears as a minor character in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but his true significance in the narrative is only revealed in The Magician's Nephew.
Polly Plummer[edit]
Main article: Polly Plummer
Polly Plummer appears in The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle. She is a friend of Digory Kirke. Her accidental journey to the wood between worlds prompts Digory to follow her, and sets up the pair's adventures in The Magician's Nephew.
Prince Caspian / Caspian X[edit]
Main article: Caspian X
Prince Caspian, later to become King Caspian X of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel and Emperor of The Lone Islands – also called "Caspian the Seafarer" and "Caspian the Navigator" — is the title character of the second book in the series, first introduced as the young nephew and heir of King Miraz of Narnia. Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia is set 1300 years after the rule of High King Peter and his siblings, when Old Narnians have been driven into hiding by Caspian's ancestors the Telmarines. Caspian is also a central character in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and appears briefly at the beginning and end of The Silver Chair.
White Witch / Jadis[edit]
Main article: White Witch
Jadis, commonly known during her rule of Narnia as the White Witch, is the main antagonist of The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. She is the witch responsible for the freezing of Narnia resulting in the Hundred Years Winter. The White Witch was born in the world of Charn before the creation of Narnia and died in battle in Narnian year 1000.
Shasta / Cor[edit]
Main article: Shasta (Narnia)
Shasta, later known as Cor of Archenland, is the principal character in The Horse and His Boy. He also appears briefly at the end of The Last Battle. Born as the eldest son and heir of King Lune of Archenland, and elder twin of Prince Corin, Cor was kidnapped as an infant and raised as a fisherman's son in the country of Calormen. In The Horse and his Boy (the events of which all occur during the reign of the four Pevensie children in Narnia) Shasta escapes to freedom, saves Archenland and Narnia from invasion, learns his true identity, and is restored to his heritage. Shasta grows up to become King of Archenland, marries the Calormene Tarkheena Aravis, and fathers the next king of Archenland, Ram the Great.
Appearances of main characters[edit]

Character
Book

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia (1951)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
The Silver Chair (1953)
The Horse and His Boy (1954)
The Magician's Nephew (1955)
The Last Battle (1956)

Aslan
Major
Peter Pevensie
Major  Cameo
Susan Pevensie
Major  Minor 
Edmund Pevensie
Major  Minor  Cameo
Lucy Pevensie
Major  Minor  Cameo
Eustace Scrubb
 Major  Major
Jill Pole
 Major  Major
Digory Kirke
Minor  Major Cameo
Polly Plummer
 Major Cameo
Prince Caspian
 Major Minor  Cameo
White Witch
Major  Major 
Shasta (Prince/King Cor)
 Major  Cameo
Narnian universe[edit]
Main article: Narnia (world)

 

 A map of the fictional universe of the Narnian world from C. S. Lewis.
The main setting of The Chronicles of Narnia is the world of Narnia constructed by Lewis and, in The Magician's Nephew, the world containing the city of Charn. The Narnian and Charnian worlds are themselves posited as just two in a multiverse of countless worlds that includes our own universe, the main protagonists' world of origin. Passage between these worlds is possible, though rare, and may be accomplished by various means. Narnia itself is described as populated by a wide variety of creatures, most of which would be recognisable to those familiar with European mythologies and British fairy tales.
Inhabitants[edit]
See also: Narnia creatures and List of The Chronicles of Narnia characters
Lewis' stories are populated with two distinct types of character: Humans originating from the reader's world of Earth, and Narnian creatures and their descendants created by Aslan. This is typical of works that involve parallel universes. The majority of characters from the reader's world serve as the protagonists of the various books, although some are only mentioned in passing depending on chronology. Lewis does not limit himself to a single source of inspiration, instead he borrows from many sources including ancient Greek and German mythology as well as Celtic literature.
Geography[edit]

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See also: Narnian places
The Chronicles of Narnia describes the world in which Narnia exists as one major landmass faced by "the Great Eastern Ocean". This ocean contains the islands explored in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. On the main landmass Lewis places the countries of Narnia, Archenland, Calormen, and Telmar, along with a variety of other areas that are not described as countries. The author also provides glimpses of more fantastic locations that exist in and around the main world of Narnia, including an edge and an underworld.
There are several maps of the Narnian universe available, including what many consider the "official" one, a full-colour version published in 1972 by the books' illustrator, Pauline Baynes. This is currently out of print, although smaller copies can be found in the most recent HarperCollins 2006 hardcover edition of The Chronicles of Narnia. Two other maps were produced as a result of the popularity of the 2005 film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. One, the "Rose Map of Narnia", is based loosely on Baynes' map and has Narnian trivia printed on the reverse. The other, made in a monochromatic, archaic style reminiscent of maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth, is available in print and in an interactive version on the DVD of the movie. The latter map depicts only the country Narnia and not the rest of Lewis' world.
Cosmology[edit]
A recurring plot device in The Chronicles is the interaction between the various worlds that make up the Narnian multiverse. A variety of methods are used to initiate these cross-overs which generally serve to introduce characters to the land of Narnia. The Cosmology of Narnia is not as internally consistent as that of Lewis' contemporary Tolkien's Middle-earth, but suffices given the more fairy tale atmosphere of the work. During the course of the series we learn in passing, that the world of Narnia is flat, geocentric, has different stars from those of Earth, and that the passage of time does not correspond directly to the passage of time in our world.
History[edit]
See also: Narnian timeline and History of Narnia
The Chronicles cover the entire history of the world of Narnia, describing the process by which it was created, offering snapshots of life in Narnia as its history unfolds, and how it is ultimately destroyed. As is often the case in a children's series, children themselves, usually from our world, play a prominent role in all of these events. The history of Narnia is generally divided into the following periods: creation and the period shortly afterwards, the rule of the White Witch, the Golden Age, the invasion and rule of the Telmarines, their subsequent defeat by Caspian X, the rule of King Caspian and his descendants, and the destruction of Narnia. Like many stories, the narrative is not necessarily always presented in chronological order.
Influences[edit]
Lewis' life[edit]
Lewis' early life has parallels with The Chronicles of Narnia. At the age of seven, he moved with his family to a large house on the edge of Belfast. Its long hallways and empty rooms inspired Lewis and his brother to invent make-believe worlds whilst exploring their home, an activity reflected in Lucy's discovery of Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[29] Like Caspian and Rilian, Lewis lost his mother at an early age, spending much of his youth in English boarding schools similar to those attended by the Pevensie children, Eustace Scrubb, and Jill Pole. During World War II many children were evacuated from London and other urban areas because of German air raids. Some of these children, including one named Lucy (Lewis' goddaughter) stayed with him at his home The Kilns near Oxford, just as the Pevensies stayed with The Professor in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[30]
Influences from mythology and cosmology[edit]
Drew Trotter, president of the Center for Christian Study, noted that the producers of the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe felt that the books' plots adhere to the archetypal "monomyth" pattern as detailed in Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces.[31]
Lewis was widely read in medieval Celtic literature, an influence reflected throughout the books, and most strongly in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The entire book imitates one of the immrama, a type of traditional Old Irish tale that combines elements of Christianity and Irish mythology to tell the story of a hero's sea journey to the Otherworld.[32][33] Medieval Ireland also had a tradition of High Kings ruling over lesser kings and queens or princes, as in Narnia. Lewis' term "Cair," as in Cair Paravel, also mirrors "Caer", or "fortress" in the Welsh language. Reepicheep's small boat, The Coracle, is a type of vessel traditionally used in the Celtic regions of the British Isles. Some creatures in the book such as the one-footed Dufflepuds reflect elements of Greek, Roman and Medieval mythology while other Narnian creatures borrow from Greek and Germanic mythology by, for example, taking centaurs from the former and dwarfs from the latter.
In 2008 Michael Ward published Planet Narnia,[34] which proposed that each of the seven books related to one of the seven moving heavenly bodies or "planets" known in the Middle Ages according to the Ptolemaic geocentric model of cosmology. At that time, each of these heavenly bodies was believed to have certain attributes, and Ward contends that these attributes were deliberately but subtly used by Lewis to furnish elements of the stories of each book:

In The Lion [the Pevensie children] become monarchs under sovereign Jove; in The Dawn Treader they drink light under searching Sol; in Prince Caspian they harden under strong Mars; in The Silver Chair they learn obedience under subordinate Luna; in The Horse and His Boy they come to love poetry under eloquent Mercury; in The Magician's Nephew they gain life-giving fruit under fertile Venus; and in The Last Battle they suffer and die under chilling Saturn."[35]
Similarly, Lewis' interest in the literary symbolism of medieval and Renaissance astrology is more overtly referenced in other works such as his study of medieval cosmology The Discarded Image, in his early poetry as well as in Space Trilogy. Narnia scholar Paul F. Ford finds Ward's assertion that Lewis intended The Chronicles to be an embodiment of medieval astrology implausible,[4] though Ford addresses an earlier (2003) version of Ward's thesis (also called Planet Narnia, published in the Times Literary Supplement). Ford argues that Lewis did not start with a coherent plan for the books, but Ward's book answers this by arguing that the astrological associations grew in the writing.[citation needed]
George MacDonald's "Phantastes" (1858) influenced the structure and setting of "The Chronicles". It was a work that was " a great balm to the soul"[36]
Influences on other works[edit]
Influences on literature[edit]
The Chronicles of Narnia has been a significant influence on both adult and children's fantasy literature in the post-World War II era. Examples include:
Philip Pullman's acclaimed fantasy series His Dark Materials is seen as a response to The Chronicles. Pullman is a self-described atheist who wholly rejects the spiritual themes that permeate The Chronicles, yet his series nonetheless addresses many of the same issues and introduces some similar character types, including talking animals. In another parallel both Pullman's Northern Lights and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first books in each series, open with a young girl hiding in a wardrobe.[37][38][39][40]
Neil Gaiman's young-adult horror novella Coraline has been compared to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as both books involve young girls travelling to magical worlds through doors in their new houses and fighting evil with the help of talking animals. His Sandman comic book series also features a Narnia-like "dream island" in its story arc entitled A Game of You.
The novel Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson has Leslie, one of the main characters, reveal to her co-protagonist Jesse her love of Lewis' books, subsequently lending him The Chronicles of Narnia so that he can learn how to behave like a king. Her book also features the island name "Terabithia", which sounds similar to Terebinthia, a Narnian island that appears in Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Katherine Paterson herself acknowledges that Terabithia is likely to be derived from Terebinthia:

I thought I had made it up. Then, rereading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis, I realized that I had probably gotten it from the island of Terebinthia in that book. However, Lewis probably got that name from the Terebinth tree in the Bible, so both of us pinched from somewhere else, probably unconsciously."[41]
Science-fiction author Greg Egan's short story "Oracle" depicts a parallel universe in which an author nicknamed Jack (Lewis' nickname) has written novels about the fictional "Kingdom of Nesica", and whose wife is dying of cancer, paralleling the death of Lewis' wife Joy Davidman. Several Narnian allegories are also used to explore issues of religion and faith versus science and knowledge.[42]
Lev Grossman's New York Times best-seller The Magicians is a contemporary dark fantasy about an unusually gifted young man obsessed with Fillory, the magical land of his favourite childhood books. Fillory is a thinly veiled substitute for Narnia, and clearly the author expects it to be experienced as such. Not only is the land home to many similar talking animals and mythical creatures, it is also accessed through a grandfather clock in the home of an uncle to whom five English children are sent during World War II. Moreover, the land is ruled by two Aslan-like rams named Ember and Umber, and terrorised by The Watcherwoman. She, like the White Witch, freezes the land in time. The book's plot revolves heavily around a place very like the "wood between the worlds" from The Magician's Nephew, an interworld waystation in which pools of water lead to other lands. This reference to The Magician's Nephew is echoed in the title of the book.[43]
J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, has said that she was a fan of the works of Lewis as a child, and cites the influence of The Chronicles on her work: "I found myself thinking about the wardrobe route to Narnia when Harry is told he has to hurl himself at a barrier in Kings Cross Station — it dissolves and he's on platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and there's the train for Hogwarts."[44] Nevertheless she is at pains to stress the differences between Narnia and her world: "Narnia is literally a different world", she says, "whereas in the Harry books you go into a world within a world that you can see if you happen to belong. A lot of the humour comes from collisions between the magic and the everyday worlds. Generally there isn't much humour in the Narnia books, although I adored them when I was a child. I got so caught up I didn't think CS Lewis was especially preachy. Reading them now I find that his subliminal message isn't very subliminal."[44] New York Times writer Charles McGrath notes the similarity between Dudley Dursley, the obnoxious son of Harry's neglectful guardians, and Eustace Scrubb, the spoiled brat who torments the main characters until he is redeemed by Aslan.[45]
Influences on popular culture[edit]
As with any popular long-lived work, contemporary culture abounds with references to the lion Aslan, travelling via wardrobe and direct mentions of The Chronicles. Examples include:
Charlotte Staples Lewis, a character first seen early in the fourth season of the TV series Lost, is named in reference to C. S. Lewis. Lost producer Damon Lindelof said that this was a clue to the direction the show would take during the season.[46] The book Ultimate Lost and Philosophy, edited by William Irwin and Sharon Kaye, contains a comprehensive essay on Lost plot motifs based on The Chronicles.[47]
The second SNL Digital Short by Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell features a humorous nerdcore hip hop song entitled Chronicles of Narnia (Lazy Sunday), which focuses on the performers' plan to see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at a cinema. It was described by Slate magazine as one of the most culturally significant Saturday Night Live skits in many years, and an important commentary on the state of rap.[48] Swedish Christian power metal band Narnia, whose songs are mainly about the Chronicles of Narnia or the Bible, feature Aslan on all their album covers.[49][50] In anticipation of the 9 December 2005 premiere of the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, various Christian artists released a collection of songs based on The Chronicles of Narnia.
During interviews, the primary creator of the Japanese anime and gaming series Digimon has noted the heavy influence of The Chronicles of Narnia on his series.[51]
Christian themes[edit]
Main article: Religion in The Chronicles of Narnia
A convert to Christianity in later life, Lewis had previously authored a number of works on Christian apologetics and other literature with Christian-based themes. Specifically, the character Aslan is widely accepted by literary academia as being based on Jesus Christ.[52] Lewis did not initially plan to incorporate Christian theological concepts into his Narnia stories. Lewis maintained that the Narnia books were not allegorical, preferring to term their Christian aspects a "supposition".[53][54]
The Chronicles have, consequently, a large Christian following, and are widely used to promote Christian ideas. However, some Christians object that The Chronicles promote "soft-sell paganism and occultism" due to recurring pagan imagery and themes.
Criticism[edit]
Accusations of gender stereotyping[edit]
In later years, both Lewis and The Chronicles have been criticised (often by other authors of fantasy fiction) for Gender role stereotyping, though other authors have defended Lewis in this area. For example, Lucy gets a healing potion and a dagger, while Peter gets a sword. Most allegations of sexism centre on the description of Susan Pevensie in The Last Battle when Lewis writes that Susan is "no longer a friend of Narnia" and interested "in nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and invitations".
J.K. Rowling has said:

There comes a point where Susan, who was the older girl, is lost to Narnia because she becomes interested in lipstick. She's become irreligious basically because she found sex. I have a big problem with that.[55]
Philip Pullman (critical of Lewis on many fronts) calls the Narnia stories "monumentally disparaging of women".[56] His interpretation of the Susan passages reflects this view:

Susan, like Cinderella, is undergoing a transition from one phase of her life to another. Lewis didn't approve of that. He didn't like women in general, or sexuality at all, at least at the stage in his life when he wrote the Narnia books. He was frightened and appalled at the notion of wanting to grow up.[57]
In fantasy author Neil Gaiman's short story "The Problem of Susan" (2004),[58] an elderly woman, Professor Hastings, deals with the grief and trauma of her entire family's death in a train crash. Although the woman's maiden name is not revealed, details throughout the story strongly imply that this character is the elderly Susan Pevensie. The story is written for an adult audience and deals with issues of sexuality and violence and through it Gaiman presents a critique of Lewis' treatment of Susan.[59]
Other writers, including fan-magazine editor Andrew Rilstone, oppose this view, arguing that the "lipsticks, nylons and invitations" quote is taken out of context. They maintain that in The Last Battle, Susan is excluded from Narnia explicitly because she no longer believes in it. At the end of The Last Battle Susan is still alive with her ultimate fate unspecified. Moreover, in The Horse and His Boy, Susan's adulthood and sexual maturity are portrayed in a positive light, and therefore argued to be unlikely reasons for her exclusion from Narnia.
Lewis supporters also cite the positive roles of women in the series, including Jill Pole in The Silver Chair, Aravis Tarkheena in The Horse and His Boy, Polly Plummer in The Magician's Nephew, and particularly Lucy Pevensie in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Alan Jacobs, an English professor at Wheaton College, asserts that Lucy is the most admirable of the human characters and that generally the girls come off better than the boys throughout the series (Jacobs, 2008: 259).[60][61] In her contribution to The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy, Karin Fry, an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, notes that "the most sympathetic female characters in The Chronicles are consistently the ones who question the traditional roles of women and prove their worth to Aslan through actively engaging in the adventures just like the boys."[62] Fry goes on to say:

The characters have positive and negative things to say about both male and female characters, suggesting an equality between sexes. However, the problem is that many of the positive qualities of the female characters seem to be those by which they can rise above their femininity ... The superficial nature of stereotypical female interests is condemned.[62]
Accusations of racism[edit]
In addition to sexism, Pullman and others have also accused the Narnia series of fostering racism.[56][63] Over the alleged racism in The Horse and His Boy, newspaper editor Kyrie O'Connor wrote:

It's just too dreadful. While the book's storytelling virtues are enormous, you don't have to be a bluestocking of political correctness to find some of this fantasy anti-Arab, or anti-Eastern, or anti-Ottoman. With all its stereotypes, mostly played for belly laughs, there are moments you'd like to stuff this story back into its closet.[64]
Gregg Easterbrook, writing in The Atlantic, calls the Calormen "standins for Muslims",[65] while novelist Philip Hensher raises specific concerns that a reader might gain the impression Islam is a "Satanic cult".[66] In rebuttal to this charge, at an address to a C. S. Lewis conference,[67] Dr. Devin Brown observed that there are too many dissimilarities between the Calormen religion and Islam, particularly in the areas of polytheism and human sacrifice, for Lewis' writing to be regarded as critical.
Adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia[edit]
Main article: Adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia
Television[edit]
Various books from The Chronicles of Narnia have been adapted for television over the years, including:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was first adapted in 1967. Comprising ten episodes of thirty minutes each, the screenplay was written by Trevor Preston, and directed by Helen Standage. Unlike subsequent adaptations, it is currently unavailable to purchase for home viewing. The book was adapted again in 1979, this time as an animated cartoon co-produced by Bill Meléndez and the Children's Television Workshop, with a screenplay by David D. Connell. Winner of the 1979 Emmy award for Outstanding Animated Program, it was the first ever made for television feature-length animated film. Many of the characters' voices in the British TV release were re-recorded by British actors and actresses with the exception of the characters Aslan, Peter, Susan, and Lucy.
Between 1988–1990, the first four books (as published) were adapted by the BBC as four television serials. They were also aired in America on the PBS/Disney show WonderWorks.[68] They were nominated for a total of 14 Emmy awards, including "Outstanding Children's Program", and a number of BAFTA awards including Best Children's Programme (Entertainment / Drama) in 1988, 1989 and 1990.[69][70][71] The serials were later edited into three feature-length films (the second of which combined Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader into one) and released on VHS and DVD.
Radio[edit]
A critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 dramatisation was produced in the 1980s, starring Maurice Denham as Professor Kirke. Collectively titled Tales of Narnia, the programs covered the entire series with a running time of approximately 15 hours. In Great Britain, BBC Audiobooks release both audio cassette and compact disc versions of the series.
Between 1999 and 2002 Focus on the Family produced radio dramatisations of the entire series through its Radio Theatre program.[72] Over one hundred performers took part including Paul Scofield as "The Storyteller" and David Suchet as Aslan. Accompanied by an original orchestral score and cinema-quality digital sound design, the series was hosted by Lewis' stepson Douglas Gresham and ran for just over 22 hours. Recordings of the entire adaptation were released on compact disc between 1999–2003.
Stage[edit]
Many stage adaptations of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe have been produced over the years.
In 1984, Vanessa Ford Productions presented The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at London's Westminster Theatre. Adapted by Glyn Robbins, the play was directed by Richard Williams and designed by Marty Flood. The production was later revived at Westminster and The Royalty Theatre and went on tour until 1997. Productions of other tales from The Chronicles were also staged, including The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1986), The Magician's Nephew (1988) and The Horse and His Boy (1990).
The Royal Shakespeare Company premiered The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1998. The novel was adapted as a musical production by Adrian Mitchell, with music by Shaun Davey.[73] The show was originally directed by Adrian Noble and designed by Anthony Ward, with the revival directed by Lucy Pitman-Wallace. Well received by audiences, the production was periodically re-staged by the RSC for several years afterwards.[74] Limited engagements were subsequently undertaken at the Barbican Theatre in London and at Sadler's Wells. This adaptation also toured the United States in the early 2000s.
Film[edit]
Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)

 

 The premiere of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian in 2008
Skeptical that any cinematic adaptation could render the more fantastical elements and characters of the story realistically, Lewis never sold the film rights to the Narnia series.[75] In answering a letter with a question posed by a child in 1957, asking if the Narnia series could please be on television, C. S. Lewis wrote back: "They'd be no good on TV. Humanized beasts can't be presented to the eye without at once becoming either hideous or ridiculous. I wish the idiots who run the film world [would] realize that there are stories [which] are for the ear alone."[76] Only after seeing a demo reel of CGI animals did Douglas Gresham, Lewis's stepson and literary executor, and the films' co-producer, give approval for a film adaptation.
The first novel adapted was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe released in December 2005. Produced by Walden Media and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film was directed by Andrew Adamson, with a screenplay by Ann Peacock, Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus. The movie was a critical and box-office success, grossing over $745 million worldwide and as of March 2011 ranked 38th on the list of highest-grossing films in nominal terms. Disney and Walden Media then co-produced a sequel The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, released in May 2008, which grossed over $419 million worldwide.
In December 2008 Disney pulled out of financing the remainder of the Chronicles of Narnia film series.[77][78] Already in pre-production at the time, 20th Century Fox and Walden Media eventually co-produced The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which was released in December 2010 going on to gross over $415 million worldwide.
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "CS Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia author, honoured in Poets' corner". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 February 2013
2.Jump up ^ "CS Lewis to be honoured in Poets' Corner". BBC News. Retrieved 23 November 2012
3.Jump up ^ Roger Lancelyn Green & Walter Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography. Fully revised & expanded edition. (2002), pp. 302–307. (The picture of a Faun with parcels in a snowy wood has a history dating to 1914.)
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Ford, Paul (2005). Companion to Narnia: Revised Edition. San Francisco: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-079127-8.
5.Jump up ^ Roger Lancelyn Green & Walter Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography. (2002), p. 311.
6.Jump up ^ C. S. Lewis. On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature. 1982, p. 53. ISBN 0-15-668788-7
7.Jump up ^ Paul F. Ford. Companion to Narnia. Revised Edition. 2005, p. 106. ISBN 978-0-06-079127-8
8.Jump up ^ Owen Dudley Edwards. British Children's Fiction in the Second World War. 2007, p. 129. ISBN 978-0-7486-1650-3
9.Jump up ^ Roger Lancelyn Green and Walter Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography. Fully Revised and Expanded Edition. 2002, p. 303. ISBN 0-00-715714-2
10.Jump up ^ C. S. Lewis. On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature. 1982, p. xix & 53. ISBN 0-15-668788-7. It all Began with a Picture is reprinted there from the Radio Times, 15 July 1960.
11.Jump up ^ Roger Lancelyn Green and Walter Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography, 2002, p. 306.
12.Jump up ^ Kelly, Clint (2006). "Dear Mr. Lewis". Respone 29 (1). Retrieved 22 September 2008. "The seven books of Narnia have sold more than 100 million copies in 30 languages, nearly 20 million in the last 10 years alone"
13.Jump up ^ Edward, Guthmann (11 December 2005). "'Narnia' tries to cash in on dual audience". SFGate. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
14.Jump up ^ Glen H. GoodKnight. (2010). Narnia Editions & Translations. Last updated 3 August 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
15.Jump up ^ Peter J. Schakel, The Way Into Narnia, William B. Eerdmans, 2005, p 13.
16.Jump up ^ Paul Ford. Companion to Narnia, 5th Edition, 2005, p 464.
17.Jump up ^ Roger Lancelyn Green & Walter Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography. 2002, p. 307.
18.Jump up ^ Roger Lancelyn Green & Walter Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography. 2002, p. 309.
19.^ Jump up to: a b c Roger Lancelyn Green & Walter Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography. 2002, p. 310.
20.Jump up ^ Roger Lancelyn Green & Walter Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography. 2002, p. 313.
21.Jump up ^ Roger Lancelyn Green & Walter Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography. 2002, p. 314.
22.Jump up ^ Dorsett, Lyle; Marjorie Lamp Mead (ed.) (1995). C. S. Lewis: Letters to Children. Touchstone. ISBN 978-0-684-82372-0.
23.Jump up ^ Paul Ford. Companion to Narnia, 5th Edition, 2005, p xxiii–xxiv.
24.Jump up ^ Brady, Erik (1 December 2005). "A closer look at the world of Narnia". USA Today. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
25.^ Jump up to: a b Schakel, Peter (1979). Reading with the Heart: The Way into Narnia. Grand Rapids: Erdmans. ISBN 978-0-8028-1814-0.
26.Jump up ^ Rilstone, Andrew. "What Order Should I Read the Narnia Books in (And Does It Matter?)". The Life and Opinions of Andrew Rilstone, Gentleman. Archived from the original on 30 November 2005.
27.Jump up ^ See Walter Hooper’s C. S. Lewis: A Companion and Guide
28.Jump up ^ *Private collection, Patricia Baird
29.Jump up ^ Lewis, C. S. (1990). Surprised by Joy. Fount Paperbacks. p. 14. ISBN 0-00-623815-7.
30.Jump up ^ Wilson, Tracy V. (7 December 2005). "How Narnia Works". HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
31.Jump up ^ Trotter, Drew (11 November 2005). "What Did C. S. Lewis Mean, and Does It Matter?". Leadership U. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
32.Jump up ^ Huttar, Charles A. (22 September 2007). ""Deep lies the sea-longing": inklings of home (1)". Mythlore / The Free Library. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
33.Jump up ^ Duriez, pp80, 95
34.Jump up ^ Michael Ward, Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis (Oxford University Press, 2008)
35.Jump up ^ Planet Narnia, by Michael Ward The Independent, 9 March 2008
36.Jump up ^ Into The Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles, Downing, David C. 2005 pp12-13 ISBN 13:978-0-7879-7890
37.Jump up ^ Miller, "Far From Narnia The New Yorker, 26 December 2005
38.Jump up ^ Cathy Young, "A Secular Fantasy – The flawed but fascinating fiction of Philip Pullman", Reason Magazine (March 2008)
39.Jump up ^ Peter Hitchens, "This is the most dangerous author in Britain", The Mail on Sunday (27 January 2002), p. 63
40.Jump up ^ Chattaway, Peter T. "The Chronicles of Atheism, Christianity Today
41.Jump up ^ Bridge to Terabithia, 2005 Harper Trophy edition, section "Questions for Katherine Paterson."
42.Jump up ^ Egan, Greg. "Oracle", 12 November 2000.
43.Jump up ^ Publishers Weekly blog Decatur Book Festival: Fantasy and its practice « PWxyz
44.^ Jump up to: a b Renton, Jennie. "The story behind the Potter legend". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 October 2006.
45.Jump up ^ McGrath, Charles (13 November 2005). "The Narnia Skirmishes". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
46.Jump up ^ Jensen, Jeff, (20 February 2008) "'Lost': Mind-Blowing Scoop From Its Producers", Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
47.Jump up ^ Irwin, William (2010). Ultimate Lost and Philosophy Volume 35 of The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series. John Wiley and Sons. p. 368. ISBN 0-470-63229-1, 9780470632291 Check |isbn= value (help).
48.Jump up ^ Josh Levin (23 December 2005,). "The Chronicles of Narnia Rap". Slate. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
49.Jump up ^ Brennan, Herbie (2010). Through the Wardrobe: Your Favorite Authors on C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. BenBella Books. p. 6. ISBN 1-935251-68-6, 9781935251682 Check |isbn= value (help).
50.Jump up ^ "Narnia". Encyclopedia Metallum. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
51.Jump up ^ "Digimon RPG". Gamers Hell. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
52.Jump up ^ Carpenter, The Inklings, p.42-45. See also Lewis' own autobiography Surprised by Joy
53.Jump up ^ Martindale, Wayne; Root, Jerry. The Quotable Lewis. p. 59
54.Jump up ^ Sharing the Narnia Experience:A Family Guide to C. S. Lewis's the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Paul Friskney p. 12
55.Jump up ^ *Lev Grossman J.K. Rowling Hogwarts And All TIME, 17 July 2005
56.^ Jump up to: a b Ezard. "Narnia books attacked as racist and sexist" The Guardian, 3 June 2002
57.Jump up ^ Pullman "The Darkside of Narnia" The Cumberland River Lamppost, 2 September 2001
58.Jump up ^ The story can be found in Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy Volume II (edited by Al Sarrantonio) and in the Gaiman collection Fragile Things.
59.Jump up ^ Gaiman: "The Problem of Susan", p. 151ff.
60.Jump up ^ "The Problem of Susan" RJ Anderson, 30 August 2005
61.Jump up ^ Lipstick on My Scholar" Andrew Rilstone, 30 November 2005
62.^ Jump up to: a b Chapter 13: No Longer a Friend of Narnia: Gender in Narnia The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy: The Lion, the Witch and the Worldview Edited by Gregory Bassham and Jerry L. Walls; Open Court, Chicago and La Salle, Illinois, 2005
63.Jump up ^ "Pullman attacks Narnia film plans" BBC News, 16 October 2005
64.Jump up ^ Kyrie O'Connor, "5th Narnia book may not see big screen" IndyStar.com, 1 December 2005
65.Jump up ^ October 2001 of The Atlantic
66.Jump up ^ Philip Hensher, "Don't let your children go to Narnia: C. S. Lewis's books are racist and misogynist" Discovery Institute, 1 March 1999
67.Jump up ^ Keynote Address at The 12th Annual Conference of The C. S. Lewis and Inklings Society Calvin College, 28 March 2009 Are The Chronicles of Narnia Sexist and Racist? | NarniaWeb
68.Jump up ^ Wonderworks Family Movie Series at VideoHound
69.Jump up ^ "Children's Nominations 1988". BAFTA. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
70.Jump up ^ "Children's Nominations 1989". BAFTA. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
71.Jump up ^ "Children's Nominations 1990". BAFTA. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
72.Jump up ^ Wright, Greg. "Reviews by Greg Wright — Narnia Radio Broadcast". Retrieved 31 March 2011.
73.Jump up ^ Cavendish, Dominic (21 November 1998). "Theatre: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe". The Independent. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
74.Jump up ^ Melia, Liz (9 December 2002). "Engaging fairytale is sure to enchant all". BBC. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
75.Jump up ^ A general dislike of cinema can be seen in Collected Letters, Vol. 2, a letter to his brother Warren on 3 March 1940, p. 361; see also All My Road Before Me, 1 June 1926, p. 405
76.Jump up ^ Patricia Baird, private collection
77.Jump up ^ Sanford, James (24 December 2008). "Disney No Longer Under Spell of Narnia".
78.Jump up ^ "Disney opts out of 3rd 'Narnia' film". Orlando Business Journal. 29 December 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
References[edit]
Anderson, R.J. "The Problem of Susan", Parabolic Reflections 30 August 2005
Chattaway, Peter T. "Narnia 'baptises' — and defends — pagan mythology", Canadian Christianity, 2005
Ezard, John. "Narnia books attacked as racist and sexist", The Guardian, 3 June 2002
Gaiman, Neil, "The Problem of Susan", Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy Volume II (ed. by Al Sarrantonio), New American Library, New York, 2004, ISBN 978-0-451-46099-8
GoodKnight, Glen H. (2010). Narnia Editions & Translations. Last updated 3 August 2010. Retrieved 9–6–10
Gopnik, Adam (2005). "Prisoner of Narnia". The New Yorker.
Green, Jonathon "The recycled image", Times and Reasons, 2007
Green, Roger Lancelyn & Hooper, Walter. C. S. Lewis: A Biography. Fully revised & expanded edition. HarperCollins, 2002. ISBN 0-00-715714-2
Grossman, Lev J.K. Rowling Hogwarts And All, Time Vol. 166 – Issue=4 (25 July 2005)
Goldthwaite, John, The Natural History of Make-believe: A Guide to the Principal Works of Britain, Europe and America: OUP 1996, ISBN 978-0-19-503806-4, ISBN 978-0-19-503806-4
Hensher, Philip "Don't let your children go to Narnia: C. S. Lewis's books are racist and misogynist", The Independent, 4 December 1998
Holbrook, David, The Skeleton in the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis' Fantasies — A Phenomenological Study: Bucknell University Press, 1991, ISBN 978-0-8387-5183-1, ISBN 978-0-8387-5183-1
Drama: 'Narnia' A Children's Musical, Stephen Holden, New York Times, 5 October 1986
Hurst, Josh "Nine Minutes of Narnia", Christianity Today, 2005
Jacobs, Tom (2004). Remembering a Master Mythologist and His Connection to Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara News-Press. ISBN.
Kjos, Berit Narnia: Blending Truth and Myth, Kjos Ministries, 2005
Moynihan, Martin (ed.) The Latin Letters of C. S. Lewis: C. S. Lewis and Don Giovanni Calabria, St. Augustine's Press, 1009, ISBN 978-1-890318-34-5
Martindale, Wayne; Root, Jerry The Quotable Lewis, Tyndale House, 1990, ISBN 978-0-8423-5115-7
Miller, Laura "Far From Narnia, The New Yorker
O'Connor, Kyrie "5th Narnia book may not see big screen" Houston Chronicle, 1 December 2005
Meghan O'Rourke The Lion King: C. S. Lewis' Narnia isn't simply a Christian allegory, Meghan O'Rourke, Slate magazine, 9 December 2005
Paterson, Katherine Katherine Paterson: On Her Own Words, Walden Media, 2006
Pearce, Joseph Literary Giants, Literary Catholics, Ignatius Press, 2004, ISBN 978-1-58617-077-6
Pullman, Philip "The Darkside of Narnia", The Guardian, 1 October 1998
Ward, Michael Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis, Oxford University Press, 2008
Further reading[edit]
Bruner, Kurt & Ware, Jim Finding God in the Land of Narnia, Tyndale House Publishers, 2005
Bustard, Ned The Chronicles of Narnia Comprehension Guide, Veritas Press, 2004
Duriez, Colin A Field Guide to Narnia. InterVarsity Press, 2004
Downing, David Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles, Jossey-Bass, 2005
Hein, Rolland Christian Mythmakers: C. S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, J. R. R. Tolkien, George MacDonald, G.K. Chesterton, & Others Second Edition, Cornerstone Press Chicago, 2002, ISBN 978-0-940895-48-5
Jacobs, Alan The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis, HarperSanFrancisco, 2005
McIntosh, Kenneth Following Aslan: A Book of Devotions for Children, Anamchara Books, 2006
Ward, Michael Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis, Oxford University Press, 2008
External links[edit]

Portal icon Narnia portal
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Chronicles of Narnia
C. S. Lewis entry at BBC Religions
Harper Collins site for the books
The secret of the wardrobe BBC News, 18 November 2005
The Chronicles of Narnia Wiki
Are The Chronicles of Narnia Sexist and Racist?

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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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For the film adaptation of the novel, see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. For other uses, see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (disambiguation).

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
TheLionWitchWardrobe(1stEd).jpg
First edition dustjacket
 
Author
C. S. Lewis
Illustrator
Pauline Baynes
Cover artist
Baynes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Series
The Chronicles of Narnia
Genre
Children's fantasy novel, Christian literature
Publisher
Geoffrey Bles
Publication date
16 October 1950
Media type
Print (hardcover)
Pages
172 pp (first edition)[1]
ISBN
ISBN 978-0-00-671677-8
 (Collins, 1998; full colour)
OCLC Number
7207376
LC Classification
PZ8.L48 Li[2]
Followed by
Prince Caspian
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1950. It was the first published of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956) and it is the best known; among all the author's books it is the most widely held in libraries.[3] Although it was written as well as published first in the series, it is volume two in recent editions, which are sequenced according to Narnia history. Like the others it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes and her work has been retained in many later editions.[1][2]
Most of the novel is set in Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures that the White Witch has ruled for one hundred years of deep winter. In the frame story, four English children live in a big old country house during their World War II evacuation from London. The youngest visits Narnia three times via the wardrobe in a spare room. All four children are together on her third visit, which validates her stories and comprises the last 12 of 17 chapters except a brief conclusion. In Narnia the siblings seem to fulfill an old prophecy, so they are soon adventuring both to save their lives and to deliver the country. Lewis wrote the book for, and dedicated it to, his god-daughter Lucy Barfield. She was the daughter of Owen Barfield, the friend, teacher, adviser and trustee of Lewis.
Time magazine included the novel in its "All-TIME 100 Novels" (best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005).[4] In 2003, the novel was listed at number 9 on the BBC's survey The Big Read.[5] It has also been published in 47 foreign languages.[6]

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot summary
2 Character list
3 Writing
4 Illustrations
5 Reception
6 Allusions
7 Differences between the British and American editions
8 Adaptations
9 References
10 Spoofs
11 See also
12 References
13 Further reading
14 External links
Plot summary[edit]
In 1940, four siblings – Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie – are among many children evacuated from London during World War II to escape the Blitz. They are sent to the countryside to live with professor Digory Kirke.
While the four children explore the house, Lucy climbs into a wardrobe and discovers she is in a magical forest in Narnia. At a lamppost in the midst of the forest she meets Mr.Tumnus the faun. She accepts his offer to have tea in his home. Afterward he confesses that he had planned to betray her to the White Witch, who has ruled Narnia and made it "always Winter, but never Christmas". She has ordered all Narnians to report or capture any Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve. Instead, he escorts Lucy back to the lamppost.
When Lucy returns through the wardrobe, her siblings do not believe her story. She later returns to Narnia during a game of hide-and-seek with her siblings. Her older brother Edmund, who had been particularly spiteful about her story, enters the wardrobe and while searching for Lucy meets a lady who introduces herself as the Queen of Narnia. She enchants him with magical Turkish delight. She encourages him to bring his siblings to her in Narnia, with the promise of more Turkish delight and of being a prince - and eventually the King of Narnia when she dies.
Lucy discovers Edmund by the lamppost, and they return through the wardrobe. In conversation with Lucy, Edmund realizes that the lady was in fact Jadis, the White Witch, but he does not tell anyone that he has met her and lies to Peter and Susan, denying Lucy's claim that he too had entered Narnia.
Soon after, all four children enter Narnia together while hiding in the wardrobe after an encounter with the professor's housekeeper, Mrs Macready. Lucy guides them to Tumnus's cave but finds it ransacked, with a notice from Jadis's police about his arrest for high treason.
They are spotted by Mr. Beaver, who guides them to his house. Mr. and Mrs. Beaver tell them of a prophecy that Jadis's power will fail when two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve fill the four thrones at Cair Paravel. The Beavers tell them of Aslan, who has been absent for many years but is now "on the move again."
Meanwhile, Edmund sneaks away to Jadis's castle, which is filled with statues – enemies she has turned to stone. Jadis is furious with Edmund for coming alone and is angrier still when she hears that Aslan is in Narnia.
The Beavers realize where Edmund has gone and abandon their home, leading the other children to Aslan. Snow begins to melt as Jadis's spell over Narnia starts to break. Winter ends, and Father Christmas appears with presents for the three children and the Beavers.
Aslan welcomes the children and the Beavers to his camp, but Peter is shortly engaged in his first battle, killing Maugrim, chief of Jadis's Secret Police, to rescue Susan. Aslan's forces rescue Edmund just as Jadis is about to kill him.
Jadis approaches in truce to parley with Aslan, insisting that, according to "deep magic from the dawn of time", she has the right to execute Edmund for treason. Aslan speaks with her privately and persuades her to renounce her claim. That evening, Aslan secretly leaves the camp but is followed by Lucy and Susan. Aslan has bargained his own life for Edmund's. Jadis ties Aslan to the Stone Table and kills him with a knife. The next morning the Stone Table is broken and Aslan is restored to life, telling Lucy and Susan that "deeper magic from before the dawn of time" (which Jadis did not know about) will resurrect an innocent killed in place of a traitor.
Aslan allows Lucy and Susan to ride on his back as he hurries to Jadis's castle. There he breathes upon the statues, restoring them to life. Peter and Edmund lead the Narnian army against Jadis's army. Jadis is winning until Aslan arrives with the former statues as reinforcements. The Narnians rout Jadis's army, and Aslan kills Jadis.
The Pevensie children are named kings and queens of Narnia: King Peter the Magnificent, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, and Queen Lucy the Valiant.
Fifteen years later, the siblings are hunting for a white stag when they find the lamppost in the forest. Beyond it, the branches become coats. They come through the wardrobe in Digory's house and are children again.
Character list[edit]
Lucy Pevensie is the youngest Pevensie child. She is the first to discover the land of Narnia when she slips through the magical wardrobe in the professor's house. When Lucy tells her three siblings, they don't believe her: Peter and Susan think she is just playing a game, but Edmund persistently ridicules and teases her about it. After the restoration of Narnia, Lucy is crowned Queen of Narnia with her sister Susan, and becomes known as Queen Lucy the Valiant.
Edmund Pevensie is the second-youngest of the Pevensie children. In Narnia he meets the White Witch, who plies him with treats and smooth talk. Tempted by the White Witch's promise of power and an unlimited supply of Turkish delight, Edmund betrays his siblings. He eventually regrets his actions and repents. After he helps Aslan and the good denizens of Narnia defeat the White Witch, he is crowned King of Narnia with his brother and becomes known as King Edmund the Just.
Susan Pevensie is the second-oldest of Pevensie children. She does not believe in Narnia until she actually goes there. She is crowned Queen of Narnia, and becomes known as Queen Susan the Gentle.
Peter Pevensie is the eldest of the Pevensie siblings. At first, Peter disbelieves Lucy's stories about Narnia, but changes his mind when he sees it for himself. He is hailed as a hero for his part in the overthrow of the White Witch. He is eventually crowned High King of Narnia, and becomes known as King Peter the Magnificent.
Aslan, a lion, is the true lord of Narnia. He sacrifices himself to save Edmund, but is resurrected in time to aid the denizens of Narnia and the Pevensie children against the White Witch and her minions.
The White Witch is the land's self-proclaimed queen. She tyrannizes Narnia through her magically imposed rule. Her spell on Narnia has made it "always winter but never Christmas" for a hundred years. When provoked, she turns creatures to stone with her wand. She fears the fulfillment of a prophecy that "two sons of Adam" and "two daughters of Eve" will come to Narnia and help Aslan overthrow her. Her name Jadis appears in one proclamation in this book,[7] and Lewis's later prequel The Magician's Nephew tells of her origin and how she came to the Narnian world.
Tumnus, a faun, is the first person Lucy meets in Narnia. Tumnus befriends her, despite the White Witch's standing order to kidnap any human who enters Narnia. After getting to know Lucy, he changes his mind about handing her over to the witch. He is betrayed accidentally by Edmund, who tells the White Witch that Lucy met a faun. The witch arrests Tumnus and turns him to stone. He is later restored to life by Aslan.
The Professor is a kind gentleman who takes the Pevensie children in when they are evacuated from London. He is the only one who believes that Lucy did indeed visit Narnia and tries to convince the others of her veracity. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe hints that he knows more of Narnia than he wants to tell. He is identified in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as Professor Kirke, and appears as a young boy, Digory Kirke, a main character in the prequel The Magician's Nephew in which he is present at Aslan's creation of Narnia.
Mr and Mrs Beaver are friends of Tumnus. They hide Peter, Susan, and Lucy and lead them to Aslan.
The Dwarf is the White Witch's servant. Unnamed in the book, he is called Ginnarbrick in the film, where he has a more significant role.
Maugrim (Fenris Ulf in some editions), a wolf, is the chief of the White Witch's secret police. She sends him to hunt down the Pevensie children. He tries to kill Susan but is killed by Peter.
Father Christmas arrives when the Witch's magical hold over Narnia begins to break. He gives gifts to Peter, Susan and Lucy but not to Edmund, who is with the witch. The gifts, which include the sword Peter uses to slay Maugrim, ultimately help the children defeat the White Witch. Mrs Beaver receives a better sewing machine and Mr. Beaver gets his dam completed.
Mrs. Macready is the housekeeper for the Professor.
Giant Rumblebuffin is a character who was turned to stone by the White Witch. Aslan restores him to life. He breaks down the gate of the Witch's castle and crushes some of her army.
Writing[edit]
Lewis described the origin of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in an essay entitled It All Began with a Picture:[8]

"The Lion all began with a picture of a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood. This picture had been in my mind since I was about sixteen. Then one day, when I was about forty, I said to myself: 'Let's try to make a story about it.'"
Shortly before World War II, many children were evacuated from London to the English countryside to escape bomber attacks on London by Nazi Germany. On 2 September 1939 three school girls: Margaret, Mary and Katherine,[9] came to live at The Kilns in Risinghurst, Lewis's home three miles east of Oxford city centre. Lewis later suggested that the experience gave him a new appreciation of children and in late September[10] he began a children's story on an odd sheet which has survived as part of another manuscript:

"This book is about four children whose names were Ann, Martin, Rose and Peter. But it is most about Peter who was the youngest. They all had to go away from London suddenly because of Air Raids, and because Father, who was in the Army, had gone off to the War and Mother was doing some kind of war work. They were sent to stay with a kind of relation of Mother's who was a very old professor who lived all by himself in the country." [11]
How much more of the story Lewis then wrote is uncertain. Roger Lancelyn Green thinks that he might even have completed it. In September 1947 C. S. Lewis wrote in a letter about stories for children: "I have tried one myself but it was, by the unanimous verdict of my friends, so bad that I destroyed it."[12]
In August 1948, during the visit of the American writer Chad Walsh, Lewis vaguely talked about completing a children's book which he had begun "in the tradition of E. Nesbit".[13] After this conversation not much happened – until the beginning of the next year. Then everything changed.
In his essay It All Began With a Picture C. S. Lewis continues: "At first I had very little idea how the story would go. But then suddenly Aslan came bounding into it. I think I had been having a good many dreams of lions about that time. Apart from that, I don't know where the Lion came from or why he came. But once he was there, he pulled the whole story together, and soon he pulled the six other Narnian stories in after him.":[14]
On 10 March 1949 Roger Lancelyn Green dined with him at Magdalen College. After the meal, Lewis read two chapters from his new children's story to Green. Lewis asked Green's opinion of the tale, and Green thought it was good. The manuscript of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was complete by the end of March 1949. Lucy Barfield received it by the end of May.[15] When on 16 October 1950 Geoffrey Bles in London published the first edition, three new Chronicles – Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Horse and His Boy – had also been completed.
Illustrations[edit]
Lewis’s publisher, Geoffrey Bles, allowed him to choose the illustrator for the novel and the Narnia series. His choice was Pauline Baynes, possibly as a result of J. R. R. Tolkien’s recommendation. Baynes had greatly impressed Tolkien with her illustrations for his Farmer Giles of Ham (1949). However Baynes claimed that Lewis learned about her work after going into a bookshop and asking for a recommendation of an illustrator who was skilled at portraying both humans and animals. In December 1949, Geoffrey Bles showed Lewis the first drawings for the novel and Lewis sent Baynes a note congratulating her, particularly on the level of detail. Lewis’s appreciation of the illustrations is evident in a letter Lewis wrote to Baynes after The Last Battle won the Carnegie Medal for best Children’s book of 1956: "is it not rather 'our' medal? I’m sure the illustrations were taken into account as well as the text".[16]
The British edition of the novel had 43 illustrations. American editions generally had fewer. The popular United States paperback edition published by Collier between 1970 and 1994, which sold many millions, had only 17 illustrations, many of them severely cropped from the originals, giving many readers in that country a very different experience when reading the novel. All the illustrations were restored for the 1994 worldwide HarperCollins edition, although these lacked the clarity of early printings.[17]
Reception[edit]
Lewis very much enjoyed writing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and embarked on the sequel Prince Caspian soon after finishing the first novel. He completed the sequel in less than a year, by the end of 1949. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe had not been widely released until 1950; thus his initial enthusiasm did not stem from favourable reception by the public.[18]
While Lewis is known today on the strength of the Narnia stories as a highly successful children’s writer, the initial critical response was muted. At the time it was fashionable for children’s stories to be realistic: fantasy and fairy tales were seen as indulgent, appropriate only for very young readers, and potentially harmful to older children, even hindering their ability to relate to everyday life. Some reviewers thought the tale overtly moralistic, or the Christian elements over-stated — attempts to indoctrinate children. Others were concerned that the many violent incidents might frighten children.[19]
Lewis’s publisher, Geoffrey Bles, feared that the Narnia tales would not sell and might damage Lewis’s reputation and affect sales of his other books. Nevertheless the novel and its successors were highly popular with young readers, and Lewis’s publisher was soon anxious to release further Narnia stories.[20]
A 2004 study found that it was a common read-aloud book for seventh-graders in schools in San Diego County, California.[21] The novel was #58 on Time's 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels published since 1923.[4] Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association in the U.S. named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children."[22] It was one of the "Top 100 Chapter Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.[23] A 2012 survey by the University of Worcester determined that it was the second most common book that UK adults had read as children, after Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.[24]
Allusions[edit]
The main story is an allegory of Christ's crucifixion:[25][26] Aslan sacrifices himself for Edmund, a traitor who may deserve death, in the same way that Christians believe Jesus sacrificed himself for sinners. Aslan is killed on the Stone Table, symbolizing Mosaic Law, which breaks when he is resurrected, symbolizing the replacement of the strict justice of Old Testament law with Christ's forgiveness, according to Christian theology.[27] As with the Christian Passion, it is women (Susan and Lucy) who tend Aslan's body after he dies and are the first to see him after his resurrection. The significance of the death contains elements of both the ransom theory of atonement and the satisfaction theory: Aslan suffers Edmund's penalty (satisfaction), and buys him back from the White Witch, who was entitled to him by reason of his treachery (ransom). In Christian tradition, Christ is associated with the Biblical "Lion of Judah," mainly on the strength of Revelation 5:5.
Professor Kirke is based on W.T. Kirkpatrick, who tutored a 16-year-old Lewis. "Kirk," as he was sometimes called, taught the young Lewis much about thinking and communicating clearly, skills that would be invaluable to him later.[28]
Narnia is caught in endless winter that has lasted a century when the children first enter. Norse tradition mythologises a "great winter," known as the Fimbulwinter, said to precede Ragnarök. The trapping of Edmund by the White Witch is reminiscent of the seduction and imprisonment of Kay by The Snow Queen in Hans Christian Andersen's novella of that name.[29]
The dwarves and giants are found in Norse mythology; fauns, centaurs, minotaurs and dryads derive from Greek mythology. Father Christmas, of course, was part of popular English folklore.
There are several parallels between the White Witch and the immortal white queen, Ayesha, of H. Rider Haggard's She, a novel greatly admired by C.S. Lewis.[30]
The Story of the Amulet written by Edith Nesbit also contains scenes that can be considered as sources to sequences presenting Jadis, mostly in The Magician's Nephew.[31]
The freeing of Aslan's body from the stone table by field mice is reminiscent of Aesop's fable of "The Lion and the Mouse." In the fable, a lion catches a mouse, but the mouse persuades the lion to release him, promising that the favor would be rewarded. Later in the story, he gnaws through the lion's bonds after he has been captured by hunters. It is also reminiscent of a scene from Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Pit and the Pendulum," in which a prisoner is freed when rats gnaw through his bonds.[32]
Differences between the British and American editions[edit]
First published by Geoffrey Bles in the UK in 1950, prior to the publication of the first American edition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Macmillan US, Lewis made the following changes:[1][2]
In chapter one of the American edition, the animals that Edmund and Susan express interest in are snakes and foxes rather than the foxes and rabbits of the British edition.
In chapter six of the American edition, the name of the White Witch's chief of police is changed to "Fenris Ulf" from "Maugrim" in the British.
In chapter thirteen of the American edition, "the trunk of the World Ash Tree" takes the place of "the fire-stones of the Secret Hill".
When HarperCollins took over publication of the series in 1994, they used the British edition for all subsequent editions worldwide.[33]
Adaptations[edit]
The story has been adapted three times for television. The first adaptation was a ten-part serial produced by ABC Weekend Television for ITV and broadcast in 1967. In 1979, an animated TV-movie,[34] directed by Peanuts director Bill Meléndez, was broadcast and won the first Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. A third television adaptation was produced in 1988 by the BBC using a combination of live actors, animatronic puppets and animation. The programme was nominated for an Emmy and won a BAFTA. It was followed by three further Narnia adaptations.
Stage adaptations include a 1984 version staged at London's Westminster Theatre, produced by Vanessa Ford Productions. The play, adapted by Glyn Robbins, was directed by Richard Williams and designed by Marty Flood.[35] The Royal Shakespeare Company did an adaptation in 1998, for which the acting edition has been published.[36] Jules Tasca wrote an adaptation called Narnia: The Musical, which was published in 1986. [3] In 2003, there was an Australian commercial stage production which toured the country by Malcolm C. Cooke Productions, using both life-size puppets and human actors. It was directed by notable film director Nadia Tass, and starred Amanda Muggleton, Dennis Olsen, Meaghan Davies and Yolande Brown.[37][38]
In 2002, the Philippines' Christian-based "Trumpets Playshop" did a musical rendition that Douglas Gresham, Lewis' stepson (and co-producer of the Walden Media film adaptations), has openly declared that he feels is the closest to Lewis' intent.[39][40] It starred among others popular young Filipino singer Sam Concepcion as Edmund Pevensie.[41] The book and lyrics were by Jaime del Mundo and Luna Inocian. Music was composed by Lito Villareal.
In 2005, the story was adapted for a theatrical film, co-produced by Walt Disney and Walden Media. It has so far been followed by two films (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), the third one co-produced by Twentieth-Century Fox and Walden Media.
Multiple audio editions have been released. The best-known consists of all the books read aloud by Michael York, Anthony Quayle, Patrick Stewart, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Alex Jennings, Lynn Redgrave, Ian Richardson, Claire Bloom and Jeremy Northam. However, three audio CDs in the form of "radio plays" with various actors, sound effects, and music have also been released, one by the BBC, one by Radio Theatre, and one by Focus on the Family.
References[edit]
In the 1993 film Shadowlands, based on Lewis' life and his marriage to Joy Gresham, there is a scene where Joy's son Douglas opens the wardrobe in Lewis' home, hoping to find Narnia, and is disappointed to find it an ordinary wardrobe.
The 2011 Christmas episode of Doctor Who is called "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe," and there are numerous references to the book throughout the story.
Spoofs[edit]
1980s UK comedy show The Young Ones spoofed The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe in the episode Flood.[42][43] Punk rocker Vyvyan (Ade Edmondson) enters Narnia while playing hide-and-seek via a wardrobe and meets the White Queen and her dwarf Shirley (David Rappaport). Like Edmund in the original story, the queen offers Vyvyan Turkish Delight only to be met with "No thanks."
See also[edit]

Tom Sawyer 1876 frontispiece.jpgChildren's literature portal
 Portal-puzzle.svgFantasy portal
 Narnia aslan.jpgNarnia portal
 
 
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c "Bibliography: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". ISFDB. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "The lion, the witch and the wardrobe; a story for children" (first edition). Library of Congress Catalog Record.
"The lion, the witch and the wardrobe; a story for children" (first U.S. edition). LCC record. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
3.Jump up ^ "Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples) 1898–1963". WorldCat. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
4.^ Jump up to: a b Grossman, Lev (16 October 2005). "All-TIME 100 Novels: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe". Time. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
5.Jump up ^ "BBC - The Big Read". BBC. April 2003, Retrieved 19 October 2012.
6.Jump up ^ GoodKnight, Glen H. "Translations of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis" (index). Narnia Editions & Translations (inklingsfocus.com). Updated 3 August 2010. Confirmed 2012-12-10.
7.Jump up ^ She is mentioned by name in the notice left by Maugrim after the arrest of Tumnus in chapter 6, "Into the Forest".
8.Jump up ^ Lewis [1960], p. 53.
9.Jump up ^ Ford, p. 106.
10.Jump up ^ Edwards, Owen Dudley (2007). British Children's Fiction in the Second World War. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-7486-1650-3.
11.Jump up ^ Green, Roger Lancelyn, and Walter Hooper (2002). C. S. Lewis: A Biography. Fully Revised and Expanded Edition. p. 303. ISBN 0-00-715714-2.
12.Jump up ^ Lewis (2004 [1947]). Collected Letters: Volume 2 (1931-1949). p. 802. ISBN 0-06-072764-0. Letter to E. L. Baxter dated 10 September 1947.
13.Jump up ^ Walsh, Chad (1974). C. S. Lewis: Apostle to the Skeptics. Norwood Editions. p. 10. ISBN 0-88305-779-4.
14.Jump up ^ Lewis [1960], pp. xix, 53.
15.Jump up ^ Hooper, Walter. Lucy Barfield (1935-2003). In SEVEN; An Anglo-American Literary Review. Volume 20, 2003, p. 5. ISSN 0271-3012 "The dedication... was probably taken from Lewis's letter to Lucy of May 1949".
16.Jump up ^ Schakel, pp. 30–31.
17.Jump up ^ Schakel, p. 132.
18.Jump up ^ Veith, pp. 11–12.
19.Jump up ^ Veith, p. 12.
20.Jump up ^ Veith, p. 13.
21.Jump up ^ Fisher, Douglas, et al. (2004). "Interactive Read-Alouds: Is There a Common Set of Implementation Practices?". The Reading Teacher 58 (1): 8–17. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
22.Jump up ^ National Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Retrieved 2012-08-22.
23.Jump up ^ Bird, Elizabeth (7 July 2012). "Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results". A Fuse #8 Production (blog). School Library Journal. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
24.Jump up ^ "Top ten books parents think children should read". The Telegraph. 19 August 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
25.Jump up ^ Lindskoog, Kathryn. "Journey into Narnia". pp. 44-46.
26.Jump up ^ Gormley, Beatrice. "C. S. Lewis: the man behind Narnia". p. 122.
27.Jump up ^ Lewis, C. S. (2007). The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950 - 1963. Zondervan. p. 497. ISBN 0060819227.
28.Jump up ^ CS Lewis Institute Resources.
29.Jump up ^ "No sex in Narnia? How Hans Christian Andersen's "Snow Queen" problematizes C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. – Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
30.Jump up ^ Wilson, Tracy V. "Howstuffworks "The World of Narnia"". Howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
31.Jump up ^ "C. S. Lewis And The Scholarship Of Imagination In E. Nesbit And Rider Haggard – Research and Read Books, Journals, Articles at Questia Online Library". Questia.com. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
32.Jump up ^ Project Gutenberg.
33.Jump up ^ Ford.[page needed]
34.Jump up ^ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Internet Movie Database
35.Jump up ^ Hooper, Walter (1998). C. S. Lewis: A Complete Guide to His Life & Works. HarperCollins. p. 960.
36.Jump up ^ [1] Amazon page
37.Jump up ^ Murphy, Jim (2 January 2003). "Mythical, magical puppetry". The Age. Retrieved 2012-12-11.
38.Jump up ^ Yench, Belinda. "Welcome to the lion's den". The Blurb (Australian arts and Entertainment). Retrieved 2010-12-11. This review mistakenly identifies C. S. Lewis as the author of Alice in Wonderland.
39.Jump up ^ "Trumpets The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe". Retrieved 2010-12-11.
40.Jump up ^ See also blog reprint of local paper article at [2]. Article in English. Blog in Filipino.
41.Jump up ^ Garcia, Rose (29 March 2007). "Is Sam Concepcion the next Christian Bautista?". PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal). Retrieved 2010-12-11.
42.Jump up ^ Keefer, Ryan (1 January 2007). "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe: 4-disc extended edition (review)". DVDverdict.com. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
43.Jump up ^ Mann, John (1999, 2000). "The Young Ones". Retrieved 2011-01-02.[dead link]
CitationsFord, Paul F. (2005). Companion to Narnia: Revised Edition. San Francisco: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-079127-8.
Lewis, C. S. (1960). "It All Began with a Picture". Radio Times. 15 July 1960. Collected in Lewis, On Stories and Other Essays on Literature, 1982, ISBN 0-15-668788-7.
Schakel, Peter J. (2002). Imagination and the arts in C. S. Lewis: journeying to Narnia and other worlds. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 0-8262-1407-X.
Veith, Gene (2008). The Soul of Prince Caspian: Exploring Spiritual Truth in the Land of Narnia. David C. Cook. ISBN 0-7814-4528-0.
Further reading[edit]
Sammons, Martha C. (1979). A Guide Through Narnia. Wheaton, Illinois: Harold Shaw Publishers. ISBN 0-87788-325-4.
Downing, David C. (2005). Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 0-7879-7890-6.
Ryken, Leland; and Mead, Marjorie Lamp (2005). A Reader's Guide Through the Wardrobe: Exploring C. S. Lewis's Classic Story. London: InterVarsity Press. ISBN 0-8308-3289-0.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in libraries (WorldCat catalog) —immediately, the full-colour C. S. Lewis centenary edition
C. S. Lewis at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

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Prince Caspian

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Jump to: navigation, search

For the film adaptation of the novel, see The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. For other uses, see Prince Caspian (disambiguation).

Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
PrinceCaspian(1stEd).jpg
First edition dustjacket
 
Author
C. S. Lewis
Illustrator
Pauline Baynes
Cover artist
Baynes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Series
The Chronicles of Narnia
Genre
Children's fantasy novel, Christian literature
Publisher
Geoffrey Bles
Publication date
15 October 1951
Media type
Print (hardcover)
Pages
195 pp (first edition)[1]
ISBN
ISBN 978-0-00-671679-2
 (Collins, 1998; full colour)
OCLC Number
2812448
LC Classification
PZ8.L48 Pr[2]
Preceded by
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Followed by
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1951. It was the second published of seven novels in the The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956) and Lewis had finished writing it in 1949, before the first book was out.[3] It is volume four in recent editions of the series, which are sequenced according to Narnia history. Like the others it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes and her work has been retained in many later editions.[1][2]
Prince Caspian features "return to Narnia" by the four Pevensie children of the first novel, about one year later in England but 1300 years later in Narnia.[a] It is the only one of The Chronicles where men dominate Narnia; the talking animals and mythical beings are oppressed and some may be endangered. The English siblings are legendary Kings and Queens of Narnia whom the refugee Prince Caspian magically recalls for assistance, as children once again.
Macmillan US published an American edition within the calendar year.[1][2]
Prince Caspian has been adapted and filmed as two episodes of BBC television series in 1989 and as a feature film in 2008.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot summary
2 Characters
3 Themes
4 Adaptations
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
Plot summary[edit]
While standing on a British railway station, awaiting their train to school after the summer holidays, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are magically whisked away to a beach near an old and ruined castle. They come to realize the ruin is Cair Paravel, where they once ruled as the Kings and Queens of Narnia, and discover the treasure vault where Peter's sword and shield, Susan's bow and arrows, and Lucy's bottle of magical cordial and dagger are stored. Susan's horn for summoning help is missing, however, as she left it in the woods the day they returned to England after their first visit to Narnia. Although only a year has passed in England, many centuries have passed in Narnia.[a]
That same day, they intervene to rescue Trumpkin the dwarf from soldiers who have brought him to the ruins to drown him. Trumpkin tells the children that since their disappearance, a race of men called Telmarines have invaded Narnia, driving the Talking Beasts into the wilderness and pushing even their memory underground. Narnia is now ruled by King Miraz and his wife Queen Prunaprismia, but the rightful king is Miraz's young nephew, Prince Caspian, who has gained the support of the Old Narnians.
Miraz had usurped the throne by killing his own brother, Caspian's father King Caspian IX. Miraz tolerated Caspian as heir until his own son was born. Prince Caspian, until that point ignorant of his uncle's evil deeds, escaped from Miraz's Castle with the aid of his tutor Doctor Cornelius, who had schooled him in the lore of Old Narnia, and who gives him in parting Queen Susan's horn. Caspian flees into the forest but is knocked unconscious when his horse bolts. He awakes in the den of a talking badger, Trufflehunter, and two dwarfs, Nikabrik and Trumpkin, who accept Caspian as their king.
The badger and dwarves take Caspian to meet many creatures of Old Narnia. They gather for a council at midnight on Dancing Lawn. Doctor Cornelius arrives to warn them of the approach of King Miraz and his army; he urges them to flee to Aslan's How in the great woods near Cair Paravel. But the Telmarines follow the Narnians to the How, and after several skirmishes the Narnians appear close to defeat. At a second war council, they discuss whether to use Queen Susan's horn, and whether it will bring Aslan or the Kings and Queens of the golden age. Not knowing where help will arrive, they dispatch Pattertwig the Squirrel to Lantern Waste and Trumpkin to Cair Paravel, and it is then that Trumpkin is captured by the Telmarines and rescued by the Pevensies.
Trumpkin and the Pevensies make their way to Caspian. They try to save time by travelling up Glasswater Creek, but lose their way. Lucy sees Aslan and wants to follow where he leads, but the others do not believe her and follow their original course, which becomes increasingly difficult. In the night, Aslan calls Lucy and tells her that she must awaken the others and insist that they follow her on Aslan's path. In the cold early hours of morning the others eventually obey. They begin to see Aslan's shadow, then Aslan himself. Aslan sends Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin ahead to Aslan's How to deal with the treachery brewing there, and follows with Susan and Lucy, who see the wood come alive.
Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin enter Aslan's How; they overhear Nikabrik and his confederates, a Hag and a Wer-Wolf, trying to convince Caspian, Cornelius, and Trufflehunter to help them resurrect the White Witch in hopes of using her power to defeat Miraz. A fight ensues, and Nikabrik and his two friends are slain.
Peter challenges Miraz to single combat; the army of the victor in this duel will be considered the victor in the war. Even though he has a stronger army and thus has more to lose by a duel, Miraz accepts the challenge, goaded by his two lords, Glozelle and Sopespian. After a stiff fight, Miraz falls. Glozelle and Sopespian cry that the Narnians have cheated and stabbed the King in the back while he was down. They command the Telmarine army to attack, and in the commotion that follows, Glozelle stabs Miraz in the back. The Living Wood is wakened by Aslan's arrival, and the Telmarines flee. Discovering themselves trapped at the Great River, where their bridge has been destroyed by forces of Narnia, the Telmarines surrender.
Aslan gives the Telmarines a choice of staying in Narnia under Caspian or returning to Earth, their original home. After one volunteer disappears through the magic door created by Aslan, the Pevensies go through to reassure the other Telmarines, though Peter and Susan reveal to Edmund and Lucy that they are too old to return furthermore to Narnia. The Pevensies find themselves back at the railway station where the adventure began, just as the train to Susan and Lucy's boarding school pulls up into the station.
Characters[edit]
Lucy Pevensie, the youngest Pevensie child, is the first to see Aslan again.
Edmund Pevensie is the third Pevensie child. Unlike his older siblings, he trusts Lucy's sighting of Aslan, pointing out that in their first adventure she turned out to be right and he ended up looking a bit silly.
Peter Pevensie, the oldest of the Pevensie siblings, is High-King of Narnia.
Susan Pevensie is the second eldest of the Pevensie children. She uses a bow and arrow
Prince Caspian, the rightful Telmarine King, who becomes King of Narnia. He reappears in the next two books in the series: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair, and makes a brief appearance in the end of The Last Battle.
Aslan, the Great Lion, who created Narnia.
Miraz, Caspian's uncle, usurped the throne of the Telmarines. So long as Miraz has no son, he tolerates Caspian as heir, but when a son is born he moves to eliminate Caspian. He fights the Old Narnians, who support Caspian, and accepts a challenge to single combat with Peter to settle the matter; but he is killed treacherously by Lord Glozelle after the duel.
Trumpkin, a Red Dwarf who helps Caspian defeat Miraz. When he is captured by Miraz's soldiers and taken to Cair Paravel to be drowned, he is freed by the Pevensie children and leads them to Caspian. At the beginning of the novel he is entirely skeptical about the existence of Aslan and the ancient Kings and Queens, but learns better in the course of the story.
Doctor Cornelius, half-dwarf and half-human, is tutor to Caspian and aids in the Narnians' defeat of the Telmarines.
Reepicheep, a talking mouse (descended from the non-talking mice who freed Aslan from his bonds in the previous book, and were thus given the gift of speech), is a fearless swordsman and a staunch supporter of Aslan and Caspian.
Nikabrik, a Black Dwarf in Caspian's army, resists fighting alongside Caspian. Together with a Hag and a Wer-Wolf, he plots to raise the White Witch against the Telmarines through black magic, but all three are killed by Caspian and his allies.
Trufflehunter, a talking badger, holds faith with Aslan and Old Narnia, and aids Prince Caspian in his struggle against Miraz.
Queen Prunaprismia, Miraz's wife.
Lord Sopespian and Lord Glozelle, lords of Telmar. After being insulted by Miraz they manipulate him into accepting Peter's challenge, cry treachery when Miraz falls and secretly stab him in the back
Themes[edit]
The two major themes of the story are courage and chivalry and, as Lewis himself said in a letter to an American girl, "the restoration of the true religion after a corruption".[4]
The Telmarine conquest of Narnia, as depicted in the book, is in many ways similar to the historical Norman Conquest of England. Though there is no precise parallel in actual English history to the specific events of this book, the end result - "Old Narnians" and Telmarines becoming a single people and living together in harmony - is similar to the historical process of Saxons and Normans eventually fusing into a single English people.
Adaptations[edit]
The BBC adapted Prince Caspian in two episodes of the 1989 series of The Chronicles of Narnia.
The second in the series of films from Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, titled The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, was released in the US on 16 May 2008. The UK release date was 26 June 2008.
The book was the inspiration for a song of the same name on the Phish album Billy Breathes.
The script for a stage adaptation was written by Erina Caradus and first performed in 2007.[5]
See also[edit]

Tom Sawyer 1876 frontispiece.jpgChildren's literature portal
 Portal-puzzle.svgFantasy portal
 Narnia aslan.jpgNarnia portal
 
 
Notes[edit]
a.^ Jump up to: a b A manuscript by Lewis, the "Outline of Narnian History", dates major events in the Narnia world and simultaneous events in England. Since his death it has been published in books about Narnia and it is generally considered valid.
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c "Bibliography: Prince Caspian". ISFDB. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "Prince Caspian, the return to Narnia" (first edition). Library of Congress Catalog Record.
"Prince Caspian, the return to Narnia" (first U.S. edition). LCC record. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
3.Jump up ^ Roger Lancelyn Green & Walter Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography, 2002, p. 309.
4.Jump up ^ Walter Hooper, ed. The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Volume III, p. 1245.
5.Jump up ^ Narnia Productions. narniaproductions.co.nz (Dunedin, New Zealand). Retrieved 2012-12-10. The homepage now promotes the last of four productions, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2008). Information about the four numbers varies.
Further reading[edit]
Downing, David C. (2005). Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-7879-7890-7.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian in libraries (WorldCat catalog) —immediately, the full-colour C. S. Lewis centenary edition
C. S. Lewis at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

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Categories: 1951 novels
The Chronicles of Narnia books
Christian fiction and allegory
1950s fantasy novels
Novels about orphans
British novels adapted into films



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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Jump to: navigation, search

For the film adaptation of the novel, see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader(1stEd).jpg
First edition dustjacket
 
Author
C. S. Lewis
Illustrator
Pauline Baynes
Cover artist
Baynes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Series
The Chronicles of Narnia
Genre
Children's fantasy novel, Christian literature
Publisher
Geoffrey Bles
Publication date
15 September 1952
Media type
Print (hardcover)
Pages
223 pp (first edition)[1]
ISBN
ISBN 978-0-00-671680-8
 (Collins, 1998; full colour)
OCLC Number
2805288
LC Classification
PZ8.L48 Vo[2]
Preceded by
Prince Caspian
Followed by
The Silver Chair
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader[a] is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1952. It was the third published of seven novels in the The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956) and Lewis had finished writing it in 1950, before the first book was out.[citation needed] It is volume five in recent editions, which are sequenced according to Narnia history. Like the others it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes and her work has been retained in many later editions.[1][2]It is the only Narnia book that does not have a main villain.
Lewis dedicated the book to Geoffrey Corbett. He is the foster-son of Owen Barfield the friend, teacher, adviser and trustee of Lewis.
The Voyage features a second return to the Narnia world by Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, the younger two of four English children featured in the first two books. Prince Caspian is King Caspian X, about three years later in Narnia and one year in England.[b] He leads a sea voyage to the eastern end of the world, which the English siblings and their cousin Eustace Scrubb magically join soon after his ship Dawn Treader sets sail.
Macmillan US published an American edition within the calendar year[1][2] with substantial revisions that were retained in the U.S. until 1994.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has been adapted and filmed as four episodes of BBC television series in 1989 and as a feature film in 2010.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot summary
2 Chapters
3 Differences between British and American editions
4 Main characters
5 Reception
6 Influences
7 Film, television, or theatrical adaptations 7.1 Film adaptation
8 Legacy
9 See also
10 Notes
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
Plot summary[edit]
The two youngest Pevensie children, Lucy and Edmund, are staying with their odious cousin Eustace Scrubb while their older brother Peter is studying for his university entrance exams with Professor Kirke, and their older sister Susan is traveling through America with their parents. Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace are drawn into the Narnian world through a picture of a ship at sea. (The painting, hanging neglected in the guest bedroom that the Pevensie children were using, had been an unwanted present to Eustace's parents.) The three children land in the ocean near the pictured vessel, the titular Dawn Treader, and are taken aboard.
The Dawn Treader is the ship of Caspian X, King of Narnia, who was the key character in the previous book (Prince Caspian). Edmund and Lucy (along with Peter and Susan) helped him gain the throne from his evil uncle Miraz.
Three years have passed since then, peace has been established in Narnia, and Caspian has undertaken a quest in fulfillment of his coronation oath to find the seven lost Lords of Narnia. Lucy and Edmund are delighted to be back in the Narnian world, but Eustace is less enthusiastic, as he has never been there before and had taunted his cousins with his belief that this alternate universe had never existed. The Talking Mouse Reepicheep is also on board, as he hopes to find Aslan's Country beyond the seas of the "utter East". When Eustace teases Reepicheep, much is revealed about the mouse's pugnacious character.
They first make landfall in the Lone Islands, nominally Narnian territory but fallen away from Narnian ways: in particular the slave trade flourishes here, despite Narnian law stating that it is forbidden. Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, Eustace and Reepicheep are captured as merchandise by a slave trader, and a man "buys" Caspian before they even reach the slave market. He turns out to be the first lost lord, Lord Bern, who moved to the islands and married a woman there after being banished from Narnia by Miraz. When Caspian reveals his identity, Bern acknowledges him as King. Caspian reclaims the islands for Narnia, and replaces Gumpas, the greedy governor, with Lord Bern, whom he names Duke of the Lone Islands.
At the second island they visit, Eustace leaves the group to avoid participating in the work needed to render the ship seaworthy after a storm has damaged it, and hides in a dead dragon's cave to escape a sudden downpour. The dragon's treasure arouses his greed: he fills his pockets with gold and jewels and puts on a large golden bracelet; but as he sleeps, he is transformed into a dragon. As a dragon, he becomes aware of how bad his previous behaviour was. He attempts to shed his dragon skin without success. It is only with the help of Aslan that he is able to become human again, though the process is very painful. Caspian recognizes the bracelet: it belonged to Lord Octesian, another of the lost lords. They speculate that the dragon killed Octesian — or even that the dragon was Octesian. Aslan turns Eustace back into a boy, and as a result of his experiences he is now a much nicer person.
They make stops at Burnt Island (where among human artifacts in the now uninhabited isle, a coracle is discovered -and given to Reepicheep); at Deathwater Island (so named for a pool of water which turns everything immersed in it into gold, including one of the missing lords who turns out to have been Lord Restimar); at the Duffers' Island, where Lucy herself encounters Aslan; and at the Island Where Dreams Come True — called the Dark Island since it is permanently hidden in darkness. They rescue a desperate Lord Rhoop from this last. Eventually they reach the Island of the Star, where they find the three remaining lost lords in enchanted sleep. Ramandu, the fallen star who lives on the island, tells them that the only way to awaken them is to sail to the edge of the world and there to leave one member of the crew behind.
The Dawn Treader continues sailing into an area where merpeople dwell and the water turns sweet rather than salty, as Reepicheep discovers when he belligerently jumps in to fight a mer-man whom he thinks challenged him. At last the water becomes so shallow that the ship can go no farther. Caspian orders a boat lowered and announces that he will go to the world's end with Reepicheep. The crew object, saying that as King of Narnia he has no right to abandon them. Caspian goes to his cabin in a temper, but returns to say that Aslan appeared in his cabin and told him that only Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, and Reepicheep will go on.
These four named venture in a small boat through a sea of lilies until they reach a wall of water that extends into the sky. Fulfilling Ramandu's condition, Reepicheep paddles his coracle up the waterfall and is never again seen in Narnia (Lewis hints that he reaches Aslan's Country). Edmund, Eustace, and Lucy find a Lamb, who transforms into Aslan and tells them that Edmund and Lucy will not return to Narnia – that they should learn to know him by another name in their own world (as Lewis explicitly stated, Aslan is how Jesus manifests Himself in Narnia). He then sends the children home.
In their own world, everyone remarks on how Eustace has changed and "you'd never know him for the same boy" - although his mother believes that Edmund and Lucy have been a bad influence on him.
Chapters[edit]
1.The Picture in the Bedroom
2.On Board the Dawn Treader
3.The Lone Islands
4.What Caspian Did There
5.The Storm and What Came of It
6.The Adventures of Eustace
7.How the Adventure Ended
8.Two Narrow Escapes
9.The Island of the Voices
10.The Magician's Book
11.The Dufflepuds Made Happy
12.The Dark Island
13.The Three Sleepers
14.The Beginning of the End of the World
15.The Wonders of the Last Sea
16.The Very End of the World
Differences between British and American editions[edit]
Several weeks or months after reading the proofs for the British edition of The Chronicles,[clarification needed] Lewis read through the proofs for the American edition. While doing so, he made several changes to the text. When HarperCollins took over publication of the series in 1994 they made the unusual decision to ignore the changes that Lewis had made and use the earlier text as the standard for their editions.[3]
In Dawn Treader, Lewis made two changes; one minor and one of more substance. The minor change appears in the first chapter where Lewis changes the description of Eustace from "far too stupid to make anything up himself" to "quite incapable of making anything up himself". Paul Ford, author of Companion to Narnia, suggests that Lewis might have felt the need to soften the passage for his American readers or perhaps he was starting to like Eustace better.[4] Peter Schakel, author of Imagination and the arts in C.S. Lewis, notes that the passage should have been changed in both cases as "calling a character 'stupid' in a children's book is insensitive and unwise".[5] Both Schakel and Ford agree that it is not an accurate depiction of Eustace as Lewis describes him, and this too may be the reason for the change.
The more substantive change appears in Chapter 12, "The Dark Island", where Lewis rewrote the ending in a way that, Schakel maintains, improves the imaginative experience considerably.
The reader cannot [in this version] dismiss the island as unreal or as no longer existing: it is still there, and anyone who can get to Narnia still could get caught in it. More important, the inserted analogy, with its second-person pronouns, draws readers into the episode and evokes in them the same emotions the characters experience. This is no laughing matter, as the earlier version risks making it.[6]
A side by side comparison of the ending of chapter 12 follows:

British Edition
Pre-1994 American Edition
In a few moments [...] warm, blue world again. And all at once everybody realized that there was nothing to be afraid of and never had been. They blinked their eyes and looked about them. The brightness of [...] grime or scum. And then first one, and then another, began laughing.
“I reckon we’ve made pretty good fools of ourselves,” said Rynelf.
 In a few moments [...] warm, blue world again. And just as there are moments when simply to lie in bed and see the daylight pouring through your window and to hear the cheerful voice of an early postman or milkman down below and to realise that it was only a dream: it wasn’t real, is so heavenly that it was very nearly worth having the nightmare in order to have the joy of waking, so they all felt when they came out of the dark. The brightness of [...] grime or scum.
Lucy lost no time [...] Grant me a boon.”
“What is it?” asked Caspian.
 Lucy lost no time [...] Grant me a boon.”
“What is it?” asked Caspian.

“Never to bring me back there,” he said. He pointed astern. They all looked. But they saw only bright blue sea and bright blue sky. The Dark Island and the darkness had vanished for ever.
“Why!” cried Lord Rhoop. “You have destroyed it!”
“I don’t think it was us,” said Lucy.
 “Never to ask me, nor to let any other ask me, what I have seen during my years on the Dark Island.”
“An easy boon, my Lord,” answered Caspian, and added with a shudder. “Ask you: I should think not. I would give all my treasure not to hear it.”

“Sire,” said Drinian, [...] the clock round myself.” “Sire,” said Drinian, [...] the clock round myself”
So all afternoon with great joy they sailed south-east with a fair wind. But nobody noticed when the albatross had disappeared. So all afternoon with great joy they sailed south-east with a fair wind, and the hump of darkness grew smaller and smaller astern. But nobody noticed when the albatross had disappeared.
Main characters[edit]
Lucy Pevensie - the youngest of the four Pevensie children.
Edmund Pevensie - the next youngest.
Eustace Scrubb - a cousin of the four Pevensie siblings; Edmund and Lucy are staying with him at the house that Eustace shares with his parents.
Caspian X - the King of Narnia.
Reepicheep - a valiant mouse who is a main ally to King Caspian.
Lord Drinian - The Captain of the Dawn Treader.
Seven Great Lords of Narnia - Characters central to the plot; Caspian is aboard to the Dawn Treader to help find these lost Lords.
Reception[edit]
Boucher and McComas found Voyage "not quite up to the high level set by previous Narnian adventures". They singled out Reepicheep for praise as "one of Lewis's finest imaginings."[7]
Researcher Sue Baines wrote: "In contrast to other Narnia books, Dawn Threader has virtually no overt villains, other than the slavers in the very beginning who are quickly overcome and disposed of. Rather, the plot confronts the protagonists again and again with the flaws of their own character. Eustace's greediness and general bad behavior cause him to turn into a dragon, and he must work hard to show himself worthy of becoming human again; Caspian is tempted to seize the magic pool which turns everything to gold – which would have turned Caspian himself into a greedy tyrant ready to kill in order to preserve his power and wealth; later, Caspian faces the nobler but still wrong-headed temptation to go off to Aslan's Country and abandon his responsibilities as a King; Lucy is tempted to make herself magically beautiful, which would have led to her becoming the focus of terrible wars devastating Narnia and all its neighbors; and having resisted this temptation, she succumbs to a lesser temptation to magically spy on her schoolmates – and is punished by hearing malicious things and destroying what could have developed into an enduring nice friendship. ... Edmund, who had undergone a very severe test of his character on his first arrival in Narnia, is spared such an experience in the present book, and acts as the most mature and grown-up member of the group." [8]
Influences[edit]
Arguably, Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the novel which shows the most influence of Lewis' Irish background. It is reminiscent of the Immram genre of Irish literature.[9][10] However, unlike such voyages, Dawn Treader travels East rather than West.
The novel also underscores the idea of Aslan representing Jesus Christ. In the end of the novel Aslan appears as a lamb which has been used as a symbol for him. After transforming into a Lion, Aslan tells the Pevensie children "'I am [in your world],' said Aslan. 'But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little you may know me better there'".
Film, television, or theatrical adaptations[edit]
In 1983 the world premiere of the musical stage adaptation of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was produced by Northwestern College (Minnesota) at the Totino Fine Arts Center. Director: Carol Thomas; Libretto: Wayne Olson; Music and Lyrics: Kevin Norberg (ASCAP).
A stage adaptation of "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", written and directed by Ken Hill, designed by Sarah-Jane McClellan , with music by Brendan Healy, was first presented at the Newcastle Playhouse on 29th. Nov. 1985.
The BBC produced a TV miniseries of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989); it was combined with the previous film and released as Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. (see The Chronicles of Narnia (TV miniseries)).
BBC Radio produced a radio play based on the book in 1994.
Focus on the Family released a longer version as part of its complete production of all the Chronicles of Narnia.
The playscript for 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' was written by Erina Caradus and first performed in 2008. see http://narniaproductions.co.nz
In 2000 a musical version was written and produced by the Alternative Community School of Ithaca, NY
BG Touring Theatre company produced a version of the Glynn Robins stage adaptation of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Film adaptation[edit]
Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the third installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media. Unlike the earlier two films, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox. Michael Apted took over as director from Andrew Adamson, who opted to produce with Mark Johnson, Perry Moore and Douglas Gresham. Will Poulter joined the cast as Eustace Scrubb, while Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes, Liam Neeson, and Tilda Swinton all returned.
The film had a wide theatrical release in traditional 2D, and a limited theatrical release in RealD 3D and Digital 3D in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom on December 10, 2010.
Legacy[edit]
"The Dawntreader" is a song about the sea by Joni Mitchell, one track on her debut album Song to a Seagull (1968).
"Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is a song by Bobby Wynn based on The Chronicles of Narnia.[when?]
"Dawn Treader" is a song by Charlotte Hatherley on her 2007 album The Deep Blue.
The spaceship Dawn Treader in Greg Bear's novel Anvil of Stars is presumably also named for the ship in this book.
See also[edit]

Tom Sawyer 1876 frontispiece.jpgChildren's literature portal
 Portal-puzzle.svgFantasy portal
 Narnia aslan.jpgNarnia portal
 
 
Notes[edit]
a.Jump up ^ Note that the name of the ship Dawn Treader is italicised in the title on the first edition dust jacket. By English typographical conventions, both book titles and ship names are usually italicised when written. Where "Dawn Treader" appears as part of the full title it might be distinguished by another typographic convention but in this article the entire title is simply italicised. "Dawn Treader" alone always refers to the featured ship.
b.Jump up ^ A manuscript by Lewis, the "Outline of Narnian History", dates major events in the Narnia world and simultaneous events in England. Since his death it has been published in books about Narnia and it is generally considered valid.
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c "Bibliography: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader". ISFDB. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "The voyage of the Dawn Treader" (first edition). Library of Congress Catalog Record.
"The voyage of the Dawn Treader" (first U.S. edition). LCC record. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
3.Jump up ^ Schakel, p. 35.
4.Jump up ^ Ford, Paul (2005). Companion to Narnia: A Complete Guide to the Magical World of C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. HarperCollins Publishers. p. 178. ISBN 978-0-06-079127-8.
5.Jump up ^ Schakel, p. 37.
6.Jump up ^ Schakel, p. 38.
7.Jump up ^ "Recommended Reading", F&SF, February 1953, p. 74.
8.Jump up ^ Sue Baines, "Moral and educational themes in the Narnia and Harry Potter books" in Gerald Sumner (ed.) "Round Table on the Development of Twentieth Century Fantasy".
9.Jump up ^ Huttar, Charles A. (2009-06-02). ""Deep lies the sea-longing": inklings of home — page 10 — Mythlore". Findarticles.com. Retrieved 2010-02-01.[dead link]
10.Jump up ^ Duriez, pp. 80, 95.
CitationsColin Duriez (2004-06-02). A Field Guide to Narnia. IVP Books. ISBN 978-0-8308-3207-1.
Schakel, Peter (2002). Imagination and the Arts in C.S. Lewis: Journeying to Narnia and Other Worlds. University of Missouri Press. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-8262-1407-2.
Further reading[edit]
Downing, David C. (2005). Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-7879-7890-7.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in libraries (WorldCat catalog) —immediately, the full-colour C. S. Lewis centenary edition
C. S. Lewis at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

 This section 's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (December 2012) 
Aslan's Country
Narnia Fans
NarniaWeb
Artist Kevin Kihn's portrait of the Dawn Treader
John Gresham Voyage of the Dawn Treader Interview
St. Peter's Blog Narnia Project original song demos from composer-director Kevin Norberg's Dawn Treader stage musical

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The Silver Chair

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The Silver Chair
TheSilverChair(1stEd).jpg
First edition dustjacket
 
Author
C. S. Lewis
Illustrator
Pauline Baynes
Cover artist
Baynes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Series
The Chronicles of Narnia
Genre
Children's fantasy novel, Christian literature
Publisher
Geoffrey Bles
Publication date
7 September 1953
Media type
Print (hardcover)
Pages
217 pp (first edition)[1]
ISBN
ISBN 978-0-00-671681-5
 (Collins, 1998; full colour)
OCLC Number
1304139
LC Classification
PZ8.L48 Si[2]
Preceded by
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Followed by
The Horse and His Boy
The Silver Chair is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1953. It was the fourth published of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956); it is volume six in recent editions, which are sequenced according to Narnia history. Like the others it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes and her work has been retained in many later editions.[1][2]
The novel is set primarily in the Narnia world, decades after The Voyage of the Dawn Treader there but less than a year later in England.[a] King Caspian X is now an old man but his son and only heir Prince Rilian is missing. Aslan the lion sends two children from England to Narnia on a mission to resolve the mystery: Eustace Scrubb, from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Jill Pole. In the frame story Eustace and Jill are students at a horrible boarding school.
The Silver Chair is dedicated to Nicholas Hardie, the son of Colin Hardie, a member of the Inklings with Lewis.
Macmillan US published an American edition within the calendar year.[1][2]
The Silver Chair was adapted and filmed as a BBC television series of six episodes in 1990.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot summary
2 Main characters
3 Commentary
4 Film, television, or theatrical adaptations
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
Plot summary[edit]
The story starts when Eustace Scrubb, introduced in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is driven into the company of classmate Jill Pole at their miserable school Experiment House. The impetus is their need to find sanctuary from the gang of school bullies who run rampant in this laissez-faire and mismanaged school run by an incompetent headmistress. Eustace confides to Jill that he has recently been "out of this world" to a land called Narnia, and that his experiences there have led to the changes in his behaviour that everyone seems to have noticed. Jill initially believes that Eustace is lying, but when he promises and asks her to attempt to go to Narnia with him, she agrees. When the bullies are about to converge on the two, Eustace suggests asking for Aslan's help, and the two blunder through a gate that leads them to a high cliff in Aslan's Country.
Jill shows off by approaching the cliff's edge, and Eustace, trying to pull her back, falls over the edge. Aslan appears and saves Eustace by blowing him to Narnia. He charges Jill with helping Eustace find Prince Rilian of Narnia (the son of King Caspian X, he disappeared some years before), and he gives Jill four Signs to guide her and Eustace on their quest. The fourth and final Sign is that at a key moment they will be asked to do something in Aslan's name. Aslan then blows Jill into Narnia, where she arrives a few moments after Eustace—just as an elderly and frail King takes ship and sails from the harbor. Jill remembers the Signs, and asks Eustace if he has seen an 'old friend'; if he had, and had greeted him, they would have received help in their quest. They eventually realize, much to Eustace's chagrin, that the departing King is actually King Caspian X, who has set off to search for Aslan or his son. Trumpkin the Dwarf, now Lord Regent and quite deaf, provides Jill and Eustace with rooms in Cair Paravel, but on the advice of Glimfeather the Owl they make no mention of their quest. Instead, they are summoned by Master Glimfeather to a Parliament of his fellow talking owls (a pun on Chaucer's Parlement of Foules, but also a nod towards the use of the word "parliament" as a collective noun for owls). The owls explain that Caspian's son, Prince Rilian, disappeared while searching for the green serpent that killed his mother, and is under the spell of an enchantress.
Jill and Eustace are flown to the marshes on the northern edge of Narnia where they are partnered with the delightfully gloomy but stalwart Marsh-wiggle Puddleglum, who serves as a guide, hunter for food in the wilderness, and down-to-earth voice of reason. They journey toward the giant-lands north of Narnia after crossing the River Shribble. The first giants they encounter take no notice of them, and the trio continue north where they encounter a deep and sinister canyon. The only route across this barrier is an enormous and ancient bridge, many times larger in scale than anything a human might normally use.
Hungry and suffering from exposure, they cross the bridge and meet the Lady of the Green Kirtle accompanied by a silent knight in black armour. She encourages them to proceed northward to Harfang, the castle of the "Gentle Giants". There, she tells them, they will find warm beds and hot food while the Giants celebrate their Autumn Feast. Jill and Eustace are overtaken at the thought of comfort and warmth, and forget all about the signs and the quest, with only straight-headed Puddleglum arguing against the journey to Harfang. Upon their arrival, they find the Gentle Giants only too pleased to "have them for their Autumn Feast." After a night of rest, the three look out a window of the castle and discover the obvious ruins of a giant city in the valley below. They also see the words "Under Me" engraved on the road, which they recognize as Aslan's third Sign. Later they make another discovery: that the giants are planning to eat them for the Autumn Feast. After finding an unguarded door, Scrubb, Pole, and Puddleglum escape the castle only to be chased by hunting dogs and giant nobles. They take shelter in a cave under the ruined city, where they fall down a long dark slope into Underland. Battered and bruised, they are now in complete darkness; but they have followed the Sign that said "Under Me".
They are found by an army of earthmen, who take them aboard a boat across a Sunless Sea to the city ruled by the Lady of the Green Kirtle. Her protégé, a young man, greets the travellers pleasantly but does not seem right in the head. He explains that he suffers from nightly psychotic episodes, and during these episodes he must, by the Lady's orders, be bound to a silver chair; for if he is released, he will turn into a deadly green serpent and kill everyone in sight. The threesome determine to witness the youth in his torment, as they sense it could be the key to their quest.
When the young man is tied to his chair, his "ravings" seem instead to indicate desperation to escape an enchanted captivity. After launching a battery of dire threats, the youth finally begs his companions to release him in the name of Aslan. Recognizing the fourth Sign, they hesitantly do so. Far from their apprehension of him turning into a serpent or killing them, the young man proceeds to destroy the silver chair. Free from the enchantment, he thanks them. He declares that he is the vanished Prince Rilian, kept underground by the Lady of the Green Kirtle as part of her plot to conquer Overland.
The Green Lady returns and tries to bewitch them all into forgetting who they are. The barefoot Puddleglum stamps out the enchantress's magical fire and breaks her spell. The enraged Lady transforms herself into a green serpent, and Rilian realizes that he has been enslaved all these years by his mother's murderer. Rilian kills the serpent with the help of Eustace and Puddleglum,[3] and leads the travellers to escape from Underland. The gnomes, who had also been magically enslaved by the Lady, are now freed by her death and joyfully return to their home even deeper in the earth, a land called Bism. One of them shows Rilian's party a route to the surface before leaving. Rilian returns to Cair Paravel as King Caspian is returning home, and Caspian is reunited with his long-lost son just before dying.
Aslan appears and congratulates Eustace and Jill on achieving their goal, then returns them to the stream in his country where Jill first met him. The body of King Caspian appears in the stream, and Aslan instructs Eustace to drive a thorn into the lion's paw. Eustace obeys, and Aslan's blood flows over the dead King, who is revived and returned to youth. Aslan explains that when Jill and Eustace return to their own world, Caspian will go with them briefly, to help set things right there. At the portal between the worlds, Aslan roars, and part of the wall surrounding Experiment House collapses. Caspian, Eustace, and Jill cross the wall and give the school bullies a sound thrashing. The beaten bullies run back towards the school in terror, having also seen Aslan, who lets them glimpse his back as part of the plan. In the confusion Eustace and Jill sneak back into the school building and change into their school clothes, while Aslan and Caspian return to Aslan's country. The headmistress calls the police with a wild story of armed hoodlums and an enormous lion on the school grounds; subsequent enquiries expose her incompetence and mismanagement. The worst of the bullies are expelled and the incompetent headmistress given a new job—failing as a school inspector, she is eventually elected to Parliament. Experiment House becomes a well-managed learning institution, and Eustace and Jill remain good friends.
Main characters[edit]
Jill Pole - A pupil at Experiment House who is befriended by Eustace Scrubb after she is bullied by a gang of children.
Eustace Scrubb - Appeared in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and is a cousin of the four Pevensie siblings from the earlier stories. Became a much nicer person after his brief time as an enchanted dragon in the previous story.
Puddleglum - A Marsh-wiggle who helps Jill and Eustace on their quest.
The Lady of the Green Kirtle - The evil ruler of the Underworld.
Prince Rilian - Heir to the Narnian throne, who was captured by the Lady of the Green Kirtle and enslaved in her Underworld.
Aslan - Creator of Narnia and the only character to appear in every book.
King Caspian - Elderly King of Narnia who appeared in Prince Caspian as a boy and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as a young man; in The Silver Chair he is sad because his only son was taken from him 10 years earlier just after the death of his wife from a serpent attack.
Commentary[edit]
In Chapter IV of the book, an owl speculates that the Lady of the Green Kirtle—the enchantress of the Underworld—may be "one of the same crew" as the White Witch from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Magician's Nephew. Some readers have suggested that she may in fact be the White Witch brought back to life. The cast of characters introduced by later editors seems to promote this, but it is not supported by Lewis's text. (See the Lady of the Green Kirtle for more discussion.)
Film, television, or theatrical adaptations[edit]
The BBC network produced a TV series of The Silver Chair, which aired in late 1990. It was the fourth and last of the Narnia books that the BBC adapted for television.
On October 1, 2013, The C.S. Lewis Company announced that it has entered into an agreement with The Mark Gordon Company to jointly develop and produce The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, following the film series' mirroring of the novel's publication order (in contrast to Walden Media's initial pushing for The Magician's Nephew during planning for a fourth film). Mark Gordon and Douglas Gresham along with Vincent Sieber, the Los Angeles based director of The C.S. Lewis Company, will serve as producers and work with The Mark Gordon Company on developing the script.[4]
See also[edit]

Tom Sawyer 1876 frontispiece.jpgChildren's literature portal
 Portal-puzzle.svgFantasy portal
 Narnia aslan.jpgNarnia portal
 
 
Notes[edit]
a.Jump up ^ King Caspian X of Narnia is now an old man but both stories occur during English calendar year 1942.
• A manuscript by Lewis, the "Outline of Narnian History", dates major events in the Narnia world and simultaneous events in England. Since his death it has been published in books about Narnia and it is generally considered valid.
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c "Bibliography: The Silver Chair". ISFDB. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "The silver chair" (first edition). Library of Congress Catalog Record.
"The silver chair" (first U.S. edition). LCC record. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
3.Jump up ^ In a scene heavily influenced by Spenser's The Faerie Queene, Book I, Canto I, stanzas 17–24.
4.Jump up ^ Fourth ‘Chronicles Of Narnia’ Movie In Works From Mark Gordon Co
Further reading[edit]
Downing, David C. (2005). Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-7879-7890-7.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Silver Chair
The Silver Chair in libraries (WorldCat catalog) ——immediately, the full-colour C. S. Lewis centenary edition
C. S. Lewis at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

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The Horse and His Boy

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The Horse and His Boy
TheHorseAndHisBoy(1stEd).jpg
First edition dustjacket
 
Author
C. S. Lewis
Illustrator
Pauline Baynes
Cover artist
Baynes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Series
The Chronicles of Narnia
Genre
Children's fantasy novel, Christian literature
Publisher
Geoffrey Bles
Publication date
6 September 1954
Media type
Print (hardcover)
Pages
199 pp (first edition)[1]
ISBN
ISBN 978-0-00-671678-5
 (Collins, 1998; full colour)
OCLC Number
2801054
LC Classification
PZ7.L58474 Ho[2]
Preceded by
The Silver Chair
Followed by
The Magician's Nephew
The Horse and His Boy is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1954. It was the fifth published of seven novels in the The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956) and one of four that Lewis finished writing before the first book was out. It is volume three in recent editions, which are sequenced according to Narnia history.[a] Like the others it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes and her work has been retained in many later editions.[1][2]
The Horse and His Boy is the only Narnia chronicle that features native rather than English children as the main characters and the only one set entirely in the Narnia world. It is set during the last chapter of the inaugural The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; that is, during the reign of the four Pevensie children as Kings and Queens of Narnia. The story features two children and two talking horses fleeing north through Calormen to Narnia; while in Calormen's capital city, they discover a raid being planned on Narnia's southern neighbor Archenland.
Macmillan US published an American edition within the calendar year.[1][2]

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot summary
2 Series continuity
3 Themes and motifs 3.1 "Narnia and the North!"
3.2 Divine providence revealed
4 Created proverbs
5 Future adaptations
6 Allusions and references
7 See also
8 Notes
9 References
10 Further reading
11 External links
Plot summary[edit]
A boy by the name of Shasta is found as a baby and raised by Arsheesh, a Calormene fisherman. As the story begins, Shasta overhears Arsheesh agreeing to sell him to a powerful Calormene feudal nobleman, Anradin. He also learns about Arsheesh finding him, and is relieved to discover that he is not really Arsheesh's son, since there was little love between them. While Shasta awaits his new master in the stable, Bree, the nobleman's stallion, astounds Shasta by speaking to him. He is a talking horse from Narnia who was captured by the Calormenes as a foal. He tells Shasta that Anradin will treat him cruelly, and Shasta resolves to escape. The horse suggests that they escape a life of servitude by riding north together to Narnia. They meet another pair of escaping travellers, Aravis, a young Calormene aristocrat, and her talking horse, Hwin. Aravis is fleeing to avoid a forced marriage with Ahoshta, the Tisroc's grand vizier.
The four must travel through Tashbaan, the bustling capital of Calormen. There they encounter a procession of visiting Narnian royalty, who mistake Shasta for Corin, a prince of Archenland, who was separated from their group earlier that day. Unsure what to do, Shasta goes with the Narnians and overhears their plans to escape from Calormen to prevent a forced marriage of Queen Susan with the Tisroc's son, Rabadash. Shasta escapes when the real Prince Corin returns.
Meanwhile, Aravis has been spotted by her friend Lasaraleen. She asks Lasaraleen not to betray her, and to help her escape from Tashbaan. Lasaraleen cannot understand why Aravis would want to abandon the life of a Calormene princess or refuse marriage with Ahoshta, but she helps Aravis escape through the palace. On the way, they hide when the Tisroc, Rabadash, and Ahoshta approach. Unfortunately, they have hidden in the very room where the men are about to meet. Aravis overhears the Tisroc and Rabadash as they discuss the Narnians' escape. Rabadash is still determined to have Queen Susan and wants to invade Narnia to seize her. The Tisroc gives Rabadash permission to invade Archenland and Narnia while High King Peter is preoccupied battling giants to the north. The Archenlanders are at peace with Calormen and expecting no attack from them. So Rabadash and the Tisroc expect the invasion will be easy.
Outside Tashbaan, Aravis rejoins Shasta and the horses, and tells them of the plot. The four set out across the desert, and a lion (later revealed to be Aslan) frightens the travellers into fleeing swiftly enough to outrun Rabadash's army. Shasta arrives in Archenland in time to warn King Lune of the approaching Calormenes, and the army of Archenland prepares to defend their kingdom. Shasta is then separated from them and heads to Narnia, where he also warns the Narnians of the plot, and they send word to King Edmund and Queen Lucy. When Rabadash and his army arrive at King Lune's castle, they are surprised and disappointed to find their prey on guard and waiting for them. Although this has disrupted Rabadash's plan, which depended on speed and surprise, a battle ensues. There is no clear outcome until an army from Narnia, led by Edmund and Lucy, reinforces the defenders. Shasta and Corin, having become friends, sneak into the battle with varying success. The Northern alliance of Archenland and Narnia wins a complete victory over the Calormenes, and Rabadash is captured. Anradin is among those who fall in the battle.
Rabadash rebuffs King Lune's merciful offer of conditional release. Aslan appears and warns Rabadash to accept King Lune's mercy before his doom strikes. Rabadash rebuffs Aslan as well, so his doom strikes: he is turned into a donkey. His true form will be restored if he stands before the altar of Tash at the Autumn Feast. However, he will become a donkey again if he ever strays more than ten miles from the Temple of Tash, and there will be no return. For this reason Rabadash pursues peaceful policies when he becomes Tisroc as he dare not risk the ten mile limit by going to war. People call him "Rabadash the Peacemaker" but in reality they consider him "Rabadash the Ridiculous" as they never forget his donkey transformation. His name becomes a synonym for a stupid person over future generations in Calormen.
The victorious King Lune recognizes Shasta as Cor, the long-lost identical twin of Prince Corin and, as barely the elder of the two, the heir to the throne. He was kidnapped as a baby to prevent a prophecy that he would one day save Archenland from the greatest peril she would ever face. But the prophecy was fulfilled when Cor foiled Rabadash's invasion with his timely warnings. Aravis and Cor live in Archenland thereafter and eventually marry years later, and their son becomes the most famous king of Archenland.
Series continuity[edit]
The adventures are mentioned twice in The Silver Chair. Corin, Cor (or Shasta), Aravis, Bree and Hwin all appear in the great reunion in The Last Battle. Lucy and Edmund still retain their memories of their time on Earth, as evidenced by Lucy's retelling of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Themes and motifs[edit]
"Narnia and the North!"[edit]
Bree and Shasta use the phrase "Narnia and the North" as their "rallying cry" as they make their escape from their life in Calormen. They are both motivated by a deep longing to find their way to the place that is ultimately their true homeland. In the setting of The Horse and His Boy, the reader finds a departure from the landscapes, culture, and people of the Narnian realms which have become familiar in the other books. The placement of the action in the more alien realm of Calormen helps to convey a sense of "unbelonging" on the part of the characters and the reader, which reinforces the motif of longing for a true home. (Gresham 2000)
In other works, Lewis uses the German word Sehnsucht to encapsulate the idea of an "inconsolable longing" in the human heart for "we know not what." C. S. Lewis identifies the objects of Sehnsucht-longing as God and Heaven. (Bruner 2005, pp. 135–140)
Divine providence revealed[edit]
After meeting up with King Lune of Archenland and his hunting party, and warning them of the impending Calormene invasion, Shasta becomes lost in the fog and separated from the King's procession. After continuing blindly for some way, he senses that he has been joined in the darkness by a mysterious presence. Engaging in conversation with the unknown being, Shasta confides what he sees as his many misfortunes, including being chased by lions on two separate occasions, and concluding with "If nothing else, it was bad luck to meet so many lions." His companion then proclaims himself as the single lion that Shasta has encountered in his travels:

"I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you."
Thus it is revealed to Shasta, that, in the incidents which he perceived as misfortunes, Aslan, in his Divine Providence, has been orchestrating events for his greater purposes. (Bruner 2005, pp. 141–146) (Rogers 2005, p. 122)
Created proverbs[edit]
In two conversations, both between adults and not involving children, Lewis has speakers use a number of proverbs that he created, one way to convey the flavor of Calormene culture (Unseth 2011). The proverbs are found at the very beginning (as Shasta's father and a Calormene nobleman haggle on a price for Shasta) and later in a scene where the Tisroc, the Vizier, and Prince Rabadash have a secret counsel. Proverbs in Calormene culture (as in so many real cultures) are the domain of adults, especially older, wiser adults. As a result, Prince Rabadash is the recipient of many proverbs, but is only able to use one, the only proverb in this exchange which is originally drawn from English, "Women are as changeable as weathercocks."
The Vizier delights in the use of proverbs, boasting that Calormene culture is "full of choice apophthegms and useful maxims." Rabadash, on the other hand, has no such appreciation and complains, "I have had maxims and verses flung at me all day and I can endure them no more." When the Vizier begins yet another proverb, "Gifted was the poet who said...", Rabadash stifles him with a threatened kick.
Lewis also uses the proverbs to subtly make fun of the Calormenes. For example, the fisherman cites a proverb, "Natural affection is stronger than soup and offspring more precious than carbuncles" (p. 4). Myers wryly notes “Soup, of course, varies greatly in its strength; 'carbuncle' means 'a red jewel' in medieval romances, but its modern meaning is 'a red sore'” (1998:162). Later, as the Vizier addresses the Tisroc, he refers to part of the same proverb, saying “sons are in the eyes of their fathers more precious than carbuncles” (p. 112), (but he rephrases it into a longer, wordier form—being verbose being one of the hallmarks of Calormene speech (Myers 1998:162)). The relationship between the Tisroc and Prince Rabadash is nicely paralleled by the "red sore" meaning of "carbuncle".
Future adaptations[edit]
Walden Media, having already made movie adaptions of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, also retains the option to make The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy in the future.[3]
Allusions and references[edit]
The association of Cor with horses, and his twin brother Corin with boxing, recalls the traditional associations of the Spartan twins Castor and Pollux of Greek mythology.(Ward 2008, pp. 153–154)
See also[edit]

Tom Sawyer 1876 frontispiece.jpgChildren's literature portal
 Portal-puzzle.svgFantasy portal
 Narnia aslan.jpgNarnia portal
 
 
Notes[edit]
a.Jump up ^ The story takes place during the period covered by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and it was the fourth to be written, as Lewis completed it before The Silver Chair. It was published after The Silver Chair because Lewis wanted the three books involving Caspian (the "Caspian Triad") to appear together. The events of The Horse and his Boy figure in The Silver Chair as a story-within-a-story.
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c "Bibliography: The Horse and His Boy". ISFDB. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "The horse and his boy". (first edition). Library of Congress Catalog Record.
"The horse and his boy". (first U.S. edition). LCC record. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
3.Jump up ^ Jensen, Jeff. "The Family Business". EW.com: Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
Citations
Bruner, Kurt; Ware, Jim (2005), Finding God in the Land of Narnia, Tyndale House, ISBN 978-0-8423-8104-8
Downing, David C. (2005). Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-7879-7890-7.
Ford, Paul (2005), Companion to Narnia, Revised Edition, SanFrancisco: Harper, ISBN 978-0-06-079127-8
Gresham, Douglas (2000), Focus on the Family Radio Theatre: The Horse and His Boy (audio dramatization), Prologue, Hong Kong: Tyndale House, ISBN 978-1-58997-294-0
Markos, Louis (2000), The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis (audio course), Lecture 10: Journeys of Faith-The Chronicles of Narnia II, Chantilly, VA: The Teaching Company, ISBN 978-1-56585-316-4
Myers, Doris T. (1998.) C.S. Lewis in Context. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press.
Rogers, Jonathan (2005), The World According to Narnia: Christian Meaning in C. S. Lewis' Beloved Chronicles, Time Warner, ISBN 978-0-446-69649-4
Schakel, Peter J. (1979), Reading With the Heart: The Way into Narnia, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, ISBN 978-0-8028-1814-0
Schakel, Peter J. (2005), The Way into Narnia: A Reader's Guide, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, ISBN 978-0-8028-2984-9
Unseth, Peter. (2011.) A culture “full of choice apophthegms and useful maxims”: invented proverbs in C.S. Lewis’ The Horse and His Boy. Proverbium 28: 323-338.
Further reading[edit]
Downing, David C. (2005). Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-7879-7890-7.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Horse and His Boy
The Horse and His Boy in libraries (WorldCat catalog) ——immediately, the full-colour C. S. Lewis centenary edition
C. S. Lewis at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

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Categories: 1954 novels
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1950s fantasy novels





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The Magician's Nephew

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The Magician's Nephew
TheMagiciansNephew(1stEd).jpg
First edition dustjacket
 
Author
C.S. Lewis
Illustrator
Pauline Baynes
Cover artist
Baynes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Series
The Chronicles of Narnia
Subject
The creation of Narnia
Genre
Children's fantasy novel, Christian literature
Publisher
The Bodley Head
Publication date
2 May 1955
Media type
Print (hardcover)
Pages
183 pp (first edition)[1]
ISBN
978-0-00-671683-9
 (Collins, 1998; full-colour)[1]
OCLC Number
2497740
LC Classification
PZ8.L48 Mag[2]
Preceded by
The Horse and His Boy
Followed by
The Last Battle
The Magician's Nephew is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Bodley Head in 1955. It was the sixth published of seven novels in the The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956); it is volume one in recent editions, which are sequenced according to Narnia history. Like the others it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes and her work has been retained in many later editions. The Bodley Head was a new publisher for The Chronicles, a change from Geoffrey Bles.[1][2]
The Magician's Nephew is a prequel to the books of the same series. The middle third of the novel features creation of the Narnia world by Aslan the lion, centered at a lamp-post brought by accidental observers from London during year 1900. The visitors then participate in the beginning of Narnia history, 1000 years before The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe[a] (which inaugurated the series in 1950). The frame story set in England features two children ensnared in experimental travel via "the wood between the worlds". So the entire novel shows Narnia and our middle-age world to be only two of many in a multiverse that changes as some worlds begin and others end. It also explains the origin of foreign elements in Narnia, not only the lamp-post but the White Witch and a human king and queen.
Lewis began The Magician's Nephew soon after completing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, spurred by a friend's question about the lamp-post in the middle of nowhere, but he needed more than five years to complete it. The story includes several autobiographical elements and it explores a number of themes with general moral and Christian implications including atonement, original sin, temptation, and the order of nature.
Macmillan US published an American edition within the calendar year.[1][2]

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot summary
2 Principal characters
3 Writing 3.1 The Lefay Fragment 3.1.1 Authenticity
3.2 Autobiographical elements
4 Style
5 Reading order
6 Themes and interpretations 6.1 Parallels with Biblical Genesis
6.2 The Holy Spirit and the Breath of Life
6.3 Nature and a natural order
7 Influences on The Magician's Nephew 7.1 Edith Nesbit
7.2 Creation of Narnia
7.3 Morgan Le Fay and Pandora's Box
7.4 The Atlantis legend
8 Adaptations 8.1 Theatrical adaption
8.2 Film adaptation
9 Critical reception
10 See also
11 Notes
12 References
13 External links
Plot summary[edit]
The story begins in London during the summer of 1900. Two children, Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, meet while playing in the adjacent gardens of a row of terraced houses. They decide to explore the attic connecting the houses, but take the wrong door and surprise Digory's Uncle Andrew in his study. Uncle Andrew tricks Polly into touching a yellow magic ring, causing her to vanish. Then he explains to Digory that he has been dabbling in magic, and that the rings allow travel between one world and another. He persuades Digory, effectively through blackmail, to take another yellow ring to follow wherever Polly has gone, and two green rings so that both can return.
Digory finds himself transported to a sleepy woodland with an almost narcotic effect; he finds Polly nearby. The woodland is filled with pools. Digory and Polly surmise that the world is not really a proper world at all but a "Wood between the Worlds," similar to the attic that links their rowhouses back in England, and that each pool leads to a separate universe. They decide to explore a different world before returning to England, and jump into one of the nearby pools. They then find themselves in a desolate abandoned city of the ancient world of Charn. Inside the ruined palace, they discover statuesque figures of Charn's former kings and queens, which degenerate from the fair and wise to the unhappy and cruel. They find a bell with a hammer, with these words:

Make your choice, adventurous Stranger
 Strike the bell and bide the danger
 Or wonder, till it drives you mad
 What would have followed if you had
Despite protests from Polly, Digory rings the bell. This awakens the last of the statues, a witch named Jadis, who, to avoid defeat in battle, had deliberately killed every living thing in Charn by speaking the "Deplorable Word." As the only survivor left in her world, she placed herself in an enchanted sleep that would only be broken by someone ringing the bell.
The children realize Jadis's evil nature and attempt to flee, but she follows them back to England by clinging to them as they clutch their rings. In England, she dismisses Uncle Andrew as a mere dabbler in magic. She discovers that her magic does not work in England but she still has her strength. She enslaves Uncle Andrew and orders him to fetch her a chariot, so she can set about conquering Earth. They leave, and she returns standing atop a hansom with no driver, followed by a fire engine. There is a collision at the front door of the Kirke house, and police arrive. Jadis breaks off a rod from a nearby lamp-post and brandishes it as a weapon, hitting and stunning two policemen.
Polly and Digory grab her and put on their magic rings to take her out of their world, dragging with them Uncle Andrew, Frank the cab-driver, and Frank's horse, since all were touching one another when Digory and Polly grabbed their rings. In the Wood between the Worlds they jump into a pool, hoping it leads back to Charn. Instead they stumble into a dark void that Jadis recognizes as a world not yet created. They then all witness the creation of a new world by the lion Aslan, who brings various entities, stars, plants, and animals, into existence as he sings. Jadis attempts to kill Aslan with the iron bar from the lamp-post, but it deflects harmlessly off of him and begins to sprout into a new lamp-post "tree." Jadis flees.
Aslan gives some animals the power of speech, commanding them to use it for justice and merriment. Digory's uncle is frozen with fear and unable to communicate with the talking animals, who mistake him for a kind of tree. Aslan confronts Digory with his responsibility for bringing Jadis into his young world, and tells Digory he must atone by helping to protect Narnia from her evil. Aslan transforms the cabbie's horse into a winged horse named Fledge, and Digory and Polly fly on him to a garden high in the mountains. Digory's task is to take an apple from a tree in this garden, and plant it in Narnia. In the garden Digory finds a sign reading:

Come in by the gold gates or not at all
 Take of my fruit for others or forbear
 For those who steal or those who climb my wall
 Shall find their heart's desire and find despair
Digory picks one of the apples for his mission, but has to resist temptation to eat one for himself after he smells the apples. As he prepares to leave he is shocked to see the witch Jadis. She has eaten one of the magic apples, thereby becoming immortal, but her face is now "deadly white;" Digory begins to understand what the last line in the sign means. She tempts Digory to either eat an apple himself and join her in immortality, or steal one back to Earth to heal his dying mother. Digory resists temptation, knowing that his mother would never condone theft. However the clincher comes when the Witch suggests he leave Polly behind, not knowing Polly can get away by her own ring. At this, Digory sees through the Witch's ploy. Foiled, the Witch departs for the North. Digory returns to Narnia with an apple, which is planted in Narnian soil. A new tree springs up, which Aslan says will repel the Witch for centuries to come. Aslan informs Digory that a stolen apple would have healed his mother, but at a terrible price: anyone who steals the apples gets their heart's desire, but it comes in a form that makes it unlikeable. In the case of the Witch, she now has her heart's desire for immortality, but it only means eternal misery because of her evil heart. Moreover, the magic apples are now a horror to her, which is why the tree repels her. With Aslan's permission, Digory then takes an apple from the new tree to heal his mother. Aslan promises the apple will now bring joy. Aslan returns Digory, Polly, and Uncle Andrew to England; Frank and his wife, Helen (transported from England by Aslan) stay to rule Narnia as its first King and Queen.
Digory's apple restores his dying mother to health, and he and Polly remain lifelong friends. Uncle Andrew reforms and gives up magic but he still enjoys bragging about his adventures with the Witch on their tour of London. Digory plants the apple's core, together with Uncle Andrew's magic rings, in the back yard of his aunt's home in London. Years later the tree that grows from it blows down in a storm. Digory has its wood made into a wardrobe.Little does he know that later four children discover Narnia and help defeat Jadis again.
Principal characters[edit]
Digory Kirke: The boy who becomes the Professor Kirke who appears in other books of the series.
Polly Plummer: Digory's friend, who lives next door.
Mrs. Kirke : Digory's mother.
Andrew Ketterley: Digory's uncle, a minor magician.
Mrs. Ketterley : Uncle Andrew's wife.
Jadis: Queen of Charn, who becomes the White Witch appearing in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Aslan:The Lion who was the king of Narnia,who kills Jadis in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Writing[edit]
Lewis had originally intended only to write the one Narnia novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. However, when Roger Lancelyn Green asked him how a lamp post came to be standing in the midst of Narnian woodland, Lewis was intrigued enough by the question to attempt to find an answer by writing The Magician's Nephew, which features a younger version of Professor Kirke from the first novel.[3]
The Magician's Nephew seems to have been the most challenging Narnia novel for Lewis to write. The other six Chronicles of Narnia were written between 1948 and 1953, The Magician's Nephew was written over a six-year period between 1949 and 1954. He started in the summer of 1949 after finishing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but came to a halt after producing 26 pages of manuscript and did not resume work until two years later. This may be as a result of the autobiographical aspects of the novel, as it reflects a number of incidents and parallels very close to his own experiences.[4]
He returned to The Magician's Nephew late in 1950, after completing The Silver Chair. He managed to finish close to three quarters of the novel, and then halted work once again after Roger Green, to whom Lewis showed all his writing at the time, suggested there was a structural problem in the story. Finally he returned to the novel in 1953, after finishing The Last Battle in the spring of that year and completed early in 1954.[5]
Lewis originally titled the novel "Polly and Digory"; his publisher changed it to The Magician's Nephew.[6] This book is dedicated to "the Kilmer family".
The Lefay Fragment[edit]
The original opening of the novel differs greatly from the published version, and was abandoned by Lewis. It is now known as 'The Lefay Fragment', and is named after Mrs Lefay, Digory's fairy godmother, who is mentioned in the final version as Uncle Andrew's godmother, a less benevolent user of magic, who bequeathed him the box of dust used to create two magic rings.[7]
In the Lefay Fragment, Digory is born with the ability to speak to trees and animals, and lives with an Aunt Gertrude, a former school mistress with an officious, bullying nature, who has ended up as a Government minister after a lifetime of belligerent brow-beating of others. Whenever his aunt is absent, Digory finds solace with the animals and trees, including a talking squirrel named Pattertwig. Polly enters the story as a girl next door who is unable to understand the speech of non-human creatures. She wants to build a raft to explore a stream which leads to an underground world. Digory helps construct the raft, but ends up sawing a branch from a talking tree necessary to complete it, in order not to lose face with Polly. This causes him to lose his supernatural powers of speech. The following day he is visited by his godmother Mrs Lefay who knows that Digory has lost his abilities and gives him a card with the address of a furniture shop which she instructs him to visit. At this point the fragment ends.[8]
Pattertwig and Aunt Gertrude do not appear in the final version of the novel. Pattertwig does, however, appear as a Narnian creature in Prince Caspian, and Aunt Gertrude is the principal of the experimental school in The Silver Chair.[9]
Authenticity[edit]
Some doubt has been cast on the authenticity of the Lefay Fragment, as the handwriting in the manuscript differs in some ways from Lewis' usual style, and the writing is not of a similar calibre to his other work. Also in August 1963 Lewis had given instructions to Douglas Gresham to destroy all his unfinished or incomplete fragments of manuscript when his rooms at Magdalene College, Cambridge were being cleaned out, following his resignation from the college early in the month.[10]
Autobiographical elements[edit]
There are a number of aspects of The Magician's Nephew which closely follow Lewis' own life. Both Digory and Lewis were children in the early 1900s, both wanted a pony, and both were faced with the death of their mothers in childhood. Digory is separated from his father, who is in India, and misses him. Lewis was schooled in England after his mother’s death, while his father remained in Ireland. He also had a brother in India. Lewis was a voracious reader when a child, Digory is also, and both are better with books than with numbers. Digory (and Polly) struggle with sums when trying to work out how far they must travel along the attic space to explore an abandoned house, Lewis failed the maths entrance exam for Oxford University. Lewis remembered rainy summer days from his youth and Digory is faced with the same woe in the novel. Additionally Digory becomes a professor when he grows up, who takes in evacuated children during World War II.[11]
The character of Andrew Ketterley also closely resembles Robert Capron, a schoolmaster at Wynyard School which Lewis attended with his brother, whom Lewis suggested during his teens would make a good model for a villain in a future story. Ketterley resembles Capron in his age, appearance and behaviour.[12]
Style[edit]
The Magician's Nephew is written in a lighter tone than other Chronicles of Narnia books, in particular The Last Battle, which was published after. It frequently makes use of humour; this perhaps reflects the sense of looking back at an earlier part of the century with affection, and Lewis as a middle-age man recalling his childhood during those years. There are a number of humorous references to life in the old days, in particular school life. Humorous exchanges also take place between Narnian animals. Jadis' attempt to conquer London is portrayed as more comical than threatening, and further humour derives from the contrast between the evil empress and Edwardian London and its social mores, and her mistaking bumbling Andrew Ketterley for a powerful sorcerer. This recalls the style of Edith Nesbit's children's books.[13] Lewis was fond of these books, which he read in childhood, a number were set in the same period and The Magician's Nephew has some apparent references or homages to them.[6]
Reading order[edit]
The Magician's Nephew was originally published as the sixth book in the Narnia Chronicles. Most reprintings of the novels until the 1980s also reflected the order of original publication. In 1980 HarperCollins published the series in order of chronological of the events in the novels, which meant The Magician's Nephew was numbered as first in the series. HarperCollins, which had previously published editions of the novels outside the United States, also acquired the rights to publish the novels in that country in 1994 and used this sequence in the uniform worldwide edition published in that year.[14]
Lewis appeared to have given his blessing to this sequence of reading the novels. In a letter dated 23 April 1957, a young fan, Laurence Krieg wrote to Lewis following the publication of The Magician's Nephew. He asked for Lewis to adjudicate between his views of the correct sequence of reading the novels — according to the sequence of events, with The Magician's Nephew being placed first, and that of his mother, who thought the order of publication was more appropriate. Lewis wrote back, appearing to support the younger Krieg's views, although he did point out that the views of the author may not be the best guidance, and that perhaps it would not matter what order they were read in.[15]
However this approach may have some effect upon Lewis' strategies for drawing readers into the world of Narnia. An example is Lucy Pevensie's discovery of the wardrobe, Narnia and a mysterious lamp post in the woods in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which creates a sense of suspense about an unknown land she is discovering for the first time. This would be affected if the reader has already been introduced to Narnia in The Magician's Nephew and discovered the origins of Narnia, the wardrobe and the lamp post. Indeed, the narrative of the The Magician's Nephew appears to assume a reader has already read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and is now being shown its beginnings.[16]
Paul Ford cites several scholars who have weighed in against the decision of HarperCollins to present the books in the order of their internal chronology,[17] and continues, "most scholars disagree with this decision and find it the least faithful to Lewis's deepest intentions".[18]
Themes and interpretations[edit]
Parallels with Biblical Genesis[edit]
Lewis suggested that he did not directly intend to write his Narnia stories as Christian tales, but that these aspects appeared subconsciously as he wrote, although the books did become Christian as they progressed. He thought that the tales were not direct representations or allegory, but that they might evoke or remind readers of Biblical stories.[19] In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan is a Christ-like figure who suffers a death of atonement and returns to life in a similar way to Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.[20] The Magician's Nephew has similar biblical allusions, reflecting aspects of The Book of Genesis such as the creation, original sin and temptation.[21]
Parallels with events in Genesis include the forbidden fruit represented by an Apple of Life. Jadis tempts Digory to eat one of the forbidden apples in the garden, as the serpent tempts Eve into eating a forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Unlike Eve however, Digory rejects Jadis's offer. (It is noteworthy that also Lewis's Perelandra features a re-enactment of the same Biblical story, which also in that book ends with the tempter foiled and the fall avoided.)
While the creation of Narnia closely echoes the creation of the Earth in the Book of Genesis, there are a number of important differences. In Narnia the fall takes place before the creation. Human beings are not created in Narnia by Aslan, they are brought into Narnia from our own world. Unlike Genesis, where souls are given only to human beings, animals and half-human half-animal creatures such as Fauns and Satyrs and even trees and watercourses are given souls and the power of rational thought and speech. This appears to suggest Lewis combined his Christian worldview with his fondness for nature, myth and fairy tales.[22]
Parallels may also be found in Lewis's other writings. Jadis's references to "reasons of State", and her claim to own the people of Charn and to be beyond morality, represent the eclipse of the medieval Christian belief in natural law by the political concept of sovereignty, as embodied first in royal absolutism and then in modern dictatorships.[23] Uncle Andrew represents the Faustian element in the origins of modern science.[24]
The Holy Spirit and the Breath of Life[edit]
On a number of occasions in the Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan uses his breath to give strength to characters, demonstrating his benevolent power or bringing life. He specifically does so in The Magician's Nephew when a 'long warm breath' gives life to Narnia. Lewis used the symbol of the breath to represent the Holy Spirit also known as the Holy Ghost. Both 'spirit' and 'ghost' are translations of the word for breath in Hebrew and Greek. The flash from the stars when the Narnian animals are given the ability to talk also most probably represents the Holy Spirit[25] or "breath of life" of Genesis chapter 2, as well as (possibly) the scholastic concept of the divine active intellect which inspires human beings with rationality.[b]
Nature and a natural order[edit]
The Magician's Nephew suggests two opposing approaches to nature, a good approach associated with Aslan as creator and an evil approach associated with human deviation from divine intentions and the harmony of a natural order. On the one hand there is the beauty of Aslan's creation of Narnia, which is suggested as having a natural order by the use of musical harmony to bring landscapes and living things into being. There is also a distinct order to the process of creation, from earth to plants to animal, which evokes the concept of The Great Chain of Being. Lewis himself was a strong believer in the intrinsic value of nature for itself, rather than as a resource to be exploited. This is perhaps reflected in how Aslan also gives speech to spiritual aspects of nature, such naiads in the water and dryads in the trees. Andrew Ketterley and Jadis represent an opposite, evil approach of bending the forces of nature to human will for the purpose of self gain. They see nature solely as a resource to use for their plans and thus disturb and destroy the natural order.[26]
Influences on The Magician's Nephew[edit]
Edith Nesbit[edit]
Lewis read Edith Nesbit's children's books as a child and was greatly fond of them.[6] The Magician's Nephew refers to these books in the opening of the novel as though their events were true, mentioning the setting of the piece as being when "Mr. Sherlock Holmes was still living in Baker Street and the Bastables were looking for treasure in the Lewisham Road". The Bastables were children who appeared in a number of Edith Nesbit's stories.[27] In addition to being set in the same period and location as several of Nesbit's stories, The Magician's Nephew also and has some similarities with Nesbit's The Story of the Amulet (1906). This novel focuses on four children living in London who discover a magic amulet, their father is away and their mother is ill, as is the case with Digory. They also manage to transport the queen of ancient Babylon to London and she is the cause of a riot; a very similar event takes place in The Magician's Nephew when Polly and Digory transport Queen Jadis to London and she also causes a similar disturbance.[6]
Creation of Narnia[edit]
The creation of Narnia strongly reflects the Book of Genesis, but may also have been influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion, which also contains a creation scene driven by the effect of music.[28] Some of the details of the creation of Narnia, such as the emergence of animals from the ground, and the way they shake earth from their bodies are also similar to John Milton's Paradise Lost, and may also have been inspired by descriptions of the processes of nature in The seventh book of Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene.[29]
Morgan Le Fay and Pandora's Box[edit]
Lewis greatly enjoyed stories of Arthurian legend and wrote poetry about this world. Mrs Lefay visits Digory in the The Lefay Fragment, and becomes Andrew Ketterley's nefarious godmother in the finished novel. She gives Ketterley a box from Atlantis containing the dust from which he constructs the rings Digory and Polly use to travel between worlds. Both Lefays are allusions to Morgan Le Fay, a powerful sorceress in a number of versions of King Arthur's tales, who is often portrayed as evil. The box itself is also evocative of Pandora's box from Greek myth, which also contained dangerous secrets.[30]
The Atlantis legend[edit]
The box of dust enabling travel between worlds originated in Atlantis.[30] Both Lewis and his close friend J.R.R. Tolkien were fascinated by the Atlantis legend. The degeneration of Charn's rulers, Jadis' ancestors, from the early kind and wise to the later cruel and arrogant is reminiscent of the similar degeneration in Tolkien's Númenor, the fabled island kingdom which finally sunk under the waves due to the sinfulness of its latter inhabitants.The world of Charn was destroyed when Jadis spoke The Deplorable Word, a form of knowledge ancient Charnian scholars feared for its destructive potential. A number of commentators believed Lewis was referring to the use of the atomic bomb, used less than a decade earlier. It is perhaps more likely that Lewis was echoing the mythical destruction of Atlantis by the forces of evil and arrogance.[31] The comparison with nuclear arms is made explicit in Aslan's last warning: "You [Earth] are growing more like it [Charn]. It is not certain that some wicked one of your race will not find out a secret as evil as The Deplorable Word and use it to destroy all living things".
Adaptations[edit]
Theatrical adaption[edit]
Aurand Harris was a well-known American playwright for children, whose works are among the most performed in that medium. He wrote 36 plays for children including an adaption of The Magician's Nephew.[32] The play was first performed on May 26, 1984 by the Department of Drama, University of Texas, Austin and staged at the B. Iden Payne Theatre. A musical score by William Penn was written for use with productions of the play.[33]
Erina Caradus wrote a playscript for The Magician's Nephew that was performed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 2005.[34]
Film adaptation[edit]
Walden Media, the company responsible for the film adaptations of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, has confirmed that the next film will be The Magician's Nephew rather than The Silver Chair.
20th Century Fox, Walden, and the C. S. Lewis Estate finally decided that The Magician's Nephew would be the basis for the next movie following the release of the 2010 film The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.[35][36][37] However, in October 2011, Douglas Gresham confirmed that Walden Media's contract with the C. S. Lewis estate had expired, and any production of a future film was on hold indefinitely.[38][39]
On October 1, 2013, The C.S. Lewis Company announced that has entered into an agreement with The Mark Gordon Company to jointly develop and produce The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, ultimately deciding to continue releasing the films to mirror the novel series' publication order. The decision thus places the work on The Magician's Nephew film on an indefinite hiatus.[40]
Critical reception[edit]
T.M. Wagner of SF Reviews said "The Magician's Nephew may not be the best of the Narnia novels, but it's a brisk and funny tale certain to delight its intended young audience", saying that it may not satisfy readers in their teenage years and older.[41]
Jandy's Reading Room reviewed the book, saying that although they feel it is the weakest of the series, they would still recommend it. They say it "gives a wonderful picture of the beginning of a new world, in the manner of the Creation."[42]
See also[edit]

Tom Sawyer 1876 frontispiece.jpgChildren's literature portal
 Portal-puzzle.svgFantasy portal
 Narnia aslan.jpgNarnia portal
 
 
Notes[edit]
a.Jump up ^ Forty years pass in our world, from 1900 to 1940, during that first millenium in Narnia. • A manuscript by Lewis, the "Outline of Narnian History", dates major events in the Narnia world and simultaneous events in England. Since his death it has been published in books about Narnia and it is generally considered valid.
b.Jump up ^ In the view of Avicenna and Maimonides, intellectual inspiration descends through ten angelic emanations, of which the first nine are the intelligences of the heavenly spheres and the tenth is the Active Intellect.
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Bibliography: The Magician's Nephew". ISFDB. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "The magician's nephew" (first edition). Library of Congress Catalog Record.
"The magician's nephew" (first U.S. edition). LCC record. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
3.Jump up ^ Downing, p. 36.
4.Jump up ^ Downing, p. 56.
5.Jump up ^ Duriez, Colin (2004). The Life of C.S. Lewis. InterVarsity Press. p. 47. ISBN 0-8308-3207-6.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d Lindskoog, Kathryn Ann (1997). Journey Into Narnia: C. S. Lewis's Tales Explored. Hope Publishing House. p. 87. ISBN 0-932727-89-1.
7.Jump up ^ Downing, pp. 36–39.
8.Jump up ^ Downing, pp. 36–37.
9.Jump up ^ Downing, p. 39.
10.Jump up ^ Lindskoog, Kathryn Ann (2001). Sleuthing C.S. Lewis: more Light in the shadowlands. Mercer University Press. pp. 111–12. ISBN 0-86554-730-0.
11.Jump up ^ Hinten, pp. 68–69.
12.Jump up ^ Downing, pp. 57–59.
13.Jump up ^ Myers, p. 174.
14.Jump up ^ Schakel, pp. 13–16.
15.Jump up ^ Schakel, pp. 17–18.
16.Jump up ^ Schakel, pp. 19–21.
17.Jump up ^ Ford, pp. xxiii–xxiv.
18.Jump up ^ Ford, p. 24.
19.Jump up ^ Sammons, Martha C. (2004). A Guide Through Narnia. Regent College Publishing. pp. 128–9. ISBN 1-57383-308-8.
20.Jump up ^ Ryken, Leland; Lamp Mead, Marjorie (2005). A reader's guide through the wardrobe: exploring C.S. Lewis's classic story. Inter Varsity Press. p. 165. ISBN 0-8308-3289-0.
21.Jump up ^ Vaus, Will; Gresham, Douglas (2004). Mere theology: a guide to the thought of C.S. Lewis. Inter Varsity Press. pp. 76–7. ISBN 0-8308-2782-X.
22.Jump up ^ Downing, pp 73–74.
23.Jump up ^ Lewis (1944). English Literature in the Sixteenth Century Excluding Drama. Chapter 1.
24.Jump up ^ Lewis (1943). The Abolition of Man.
25.Jump up ^ Colbert, pp. 81–83.
26.Jump up ^ Myers, pp. 169–70.
27.Jump up ^ Hinten, p. 68.
28.Jump up ^ Downing, p. 59.
29.Jump up ^ Myers, pp. 170–71.
30.^ Jump up to: a b Colbert, pp. 77–78.
31.Jump up ^ Colbert, pp. 91–92.
32.Jump up ^ Jennings, Coleman A.; Sendak, Maurice (2005). Theatre for Young Audiences. Macmillan. pp. 46–7. ISBN 0-312-33714-0.
33.Jump up ^ Harris, Aurand; Lewis, C.S.; Penn, William A. (1984). The magician's nephew: a dramatization. Dramatic Publishing. pp. 4–5. ISBN 0-87129-541-5.
34.Jump up ^ Narnia Productions. narniaproductions.co.nz (Dunedin, New Zealand). Retrieved 2012-12-10. The homepage now promotes the last of four Narnia theatrical productions, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2008). Information about the four numbers varies.
35.Jump up ^ "Narnia 4 Will Be Magician's Nephew, Not Silver Chair". Katherine T. Phan. CP Entertainment. The Christian Post. 22 March 2011. Confirmed 2012-12-10.
36.Jump up ^ "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Most Inspiring Faith, Family and Values Movie of 2011". CharismaNews.com.[dead link]
37.Jump up ^ "Narnia: Walden, Fox in discussions on The Magician's Nephew". Bryan Lufkin. Inside Movies. Entertainment Weekly (EW.com). 23 March 2011. Confirmed 2012-12-10.
38.Jump up ^ "Gresham Confirms: Walden's Contract Expired". Aslan's Country.[dead link]
39.Jump up ^ "Walden Media's Option for a Fourth Narnia film Expires". ChristianCinema.com. 18 October 2011. Confirmed 2012-12-10.
40.Jump up ^ Fourth ‘Chronicles Of Narnia’ Movie In Works From Mark Gordon Co
41.Jump up ^ Wagner, T.M. "Narnia01". Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Reviews. SFReviews.net. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
42.Jump up ^ "Book Review: The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis". Jandy's Reading Room. Jandy's Books (JandysBooks.com). Retrieved 2012-06-13.
CitationsColbert, David (2005). The Magical Worlds of Narnia. McArthur & Company. ISBN 1-55278-541-6.
Downing, David C. (2005). Into the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-7879-7890-7.
Ford, Paul (2005). Companion to Narnia: Revised Edition. San Francisco: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-079127-8.
Hinten, Marvin D. (2005). The Keys to the Chronicles: Unlocking the Symbols of C.S. Lewis's Narnia. B&H Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8054-4028-3.
Myers, Doris T. (1998). C. S. Lewis in Context. Kent State University Press. ISBN 0-87338-617-5.
Schakel, Peter J. (2005). The way into Narnia: a reader's guide. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 0-8028-2984-8.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Magician's Nephew
The Magician's Nephew in libraries (WorldCat catalog) ——immediately, the full-colour C. S. Lewis centenary edition
C. S. Lewis at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

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The Last Battle

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This article is about the novel by C. S. Lewis. For other meanings, see Last Battle (disambiguation).

The Last Battle
TheLastBattle(1stEd).jpg
First edition dustjacket
 
Author
C. S. Lewis
Illustrator
Pauline Baynes
Cover artist
Baynes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Series
The Chronicles of Narnia
Genre
Children's fantasy novel, Christian literature
Publisher
The Bodley Head
Publication date
4 September 1956
Media type
Print (hardcover)
Pages
184 pp (first edition)[1]
ISBN
ISBN 978-0-00-671682-2
 (full-colour; Collins, 1998)
OCLC Number
752428300
LC Classification
PZ8.L48 Las[2]
Preceded by
The Magician's Nephew
The Last Battle is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by The Bodley Head in 1956. It was the seventh and final novel in the The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956). Like the others it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes and her work has been retained in many later editions.[1][2]
The Last Battle is set almost entirely in the Narnia world and the English children who participate arrive only in the middle of the narrative. The novel is set some 200 Narnian years after previous novel The Silver Chair and about 2500 years since the creation of the world narrated in The Magician's Nephew.[a] A false Aslan is set up in the north-western borderlands and conflict between true and false Narnians merges with that between Narnia and Calormen, whose people worship Tash. It concludes with termination of the world by Aslan, after a "last battle" that is practically lost.
Macmillan US published an American edition within the calendar year.[2]
Lewis and The Last Battle won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject.[3] The author wrote to illustrator Baynes, "is it not rather 'our' medal? I'm sure the illustrations were taken into account as well as the text."[4]

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 See also
3 Notes
4 References
5 Further reading
6 External links
Plot[edit]
Narnia has had peace and prosperity since the reign of King Caspian X, but Roonwit the Centaur warns Tirian, the latest king of Narnia, that strange and evil things are happening to Narnia and that the stars portend ominous developments.
An ape named Shift has persuaded a well-meaning but simple-minded donkey called Puzzle to dress in a lion's skin and pretend to be the Great Lion Aslan. Using Puzzle as his pawn, Shift convinces the Narnians that he speaks for Aslan. Once the Narnians are convinced that Aslan has returned, Shift orders the Narnians to work for the Calormenes, and to cut down Talking Trees for lumber. The money will be paid into "Aslan's" treasury, held by Shift, on the pretext that it will be used for the good of the Narnians.
King Tirian and his friend Jewel the Unicorn at first believe the rumours of Aslan's return, but realize the lie when they hear Shift telling the Narnians that Aslan and the Calormene god Tash are one and the same. When Tirian accuses the ape of lying, the Calormenes overpower the king and bind him to a tree. He calls on Aslan for help and receives a vision of Digory Kirke, Polly Plummer, Peter Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie, Eustace Scrubb, Lucy Pevensie, and Jill Pole, though he does not know who they are. (Susan does not appear because she has stopped believing in Narnia, thinking of it only as some silly childhood game she had played when she was younger and immature.) The people in the vision also see Tirian and, though Tirian can't speak to them, they guess he is a messenger from Narnia. A few minutes later by Narnian time – although a week later from their perspective – Jill and Eustace arrive in Narnia. They release the King and rescue Jewel and Puzzle. A band of dwarfs are also rescued, but because their faith in Aslan has been shattered, they refuse to help, claiming "the dwarfs are for the dwarfs". Only one dwarf, Poggin, is faithful to Tirian, Aslan, and Narnia.
Tirian and his small force advance on the stable where the false Aslan is kept, and engage Shift and the Calormenes in battle. All the animals are killed – many by the dwarfs, who attack both sides. Tirian throws Shift into the stable, and Tash, who now haunts the stable, swallows the ape whole. In the last desperate struggle, Eustace, Jill, and Poggin are thrown into the stable. Tirian, left alone and fighting for his life, drags Rishda Tarkaan, the leader of the Calormenes, into the stable.
On the other side of the stable door lies a vast and beautiful land. Much to the Calormen leader's surprise and terror, Tash appears, and snatches him up under an arm. Tirian finds Peter, Edmund, Eustace, Lucy, Jill, Polly, and Digory all standing before him, and Peter orders Tash to leave. Aslan appears, and as they watch at the stable door, all of the people and animals, including those who had previously died, gather outside the barn and are judged by Aslan. Those who have been loyal to Aslan or the morality upheld by Narnians join Aslan in Aslan's Country. Those who have opposed or deserted him become ordinary animals and vanish to an unmentioned place.
The vegetation is eaten by dragons and giant lizards. Father Time calls the stars down from the skies into the sea, which rises to cover Narnia. The Sun expands and draws in the moon. Father Time then puts it out, freezing Narnia. Peter closes the door, and Aslan leads them to his country, telling them to go further in to Real Narnia. (Digory alludes to Plato whose Allegory of the Cave describes multiple levels of reality.) They move up a waterfall to some gates and are greeted by Reepicheep as well as meeting other good characters from the earlier novels. They find they can see a real England. Aslan tells them that the English friends of Narnia and the Pevensies' parents have died in a train crash. (Susan, who was not on the train, is the only surviving member of the family, and Lewis does not say whether she eventually comes to Aslan's country.) The series ends with the revelation that it was only the beginning of the true story, "which goes on forever, and in which every chapter is better than the one before."
See also[edit]

Tom Sawyer 1876 frontispiece.jpgChildren's literature portal
 Portal-puzzle.svgFantasy portal
 Narnia aslan.jpgNarnia portal
 
 
Notes[edit]
a.Jump up ^ In England it is 1949, seven years after The Silver Chair and 49 years after The Magician's Nephew.
• A manuscript by Lewis, the "Outline of Narnian History", dates major events in the Narnia world and simultaneous events in England. Since his death it has been published in books about Narnia and it is generally considered valid.
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b "Bibliography: The Last Battle". ISFDB. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "The last battle, a story for children" (first edition). Library of Congress Catalog Record.
"The last battle" (first U.S. edition). LCC record. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
3.Jump up ^ (Carnegie Winner 1956). Living Archive: Celebrating the Carnegie and Greenaway Winners. CILIP. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
4.Jump up ^ Schakel, Peter J. (2002). Imagination and the arts in C. S. Lewis: journeying to Narnia and other worlds. University of Missouri Press. pp. 30–31. ISBN 0-8262-1407-X.
CitationsCaughey, Shanna (2004), Revisiting Narnia: Fantasy, Myth and Religion in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles, Benbella Books, ISBN 978-1-932100-63-1
Further reading[edit]
Downing, David C. (2005). Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-7879-7890-7.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Last Battle
The Last Battle in libraries (WorldCat catalog) —immediately, the full-colour C. S. Lewis centenary edition
C. S. Lewis at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB)

Awards
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The Little Bookroom Carnegie Medal recipient
1956 Succeeded by
A Grass Rope

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The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
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The Chronicles of Narnia film series
Narnia Official Logo
Official Logo
 
Directed by
Andrew Adamson (1–2)
Michael Apted (3)
Produced by
Mark Johnson (1–3)
 David Minkowski (1)
 Philip Steuer (1–3)
 Matthew Stillman (1)
Andrew Adamson (2–3)
Douglas Gresham (4)
Mark Gordon (4)
 Vincent Sieber (4)
Written by
Ann Peacock (1)
Andrew Adamson (1–2)
Christopher Markus (1–3)
Stephen McFeely (1–3)
Michael Petroni (3)
Based on
The Chronicles of Narnia
 by C. S. Lewis
Starring
Liam Neeson
Tilda Swinton
Skandar Keynes
Georgie Henley
William Moseley
Anna Popplewell
Ben Barnes
Will Poulter
Music by
Harry Gregson-Williams (1–2)
David Arnold (3)
Cinematography
Donald McAlpine (1)
Karl Walter Lindenlaub (2)
Dante Spinotti (3)
Editing by
Jim May (1)
 Sim Evan-Jones (1–2)
 Josh Campbell (2)
 Rick Shaine (3)
Studio
Walden Media (1–3)
The Mark Gordon Company (4)
Distributed by
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (1–2)
20th Century Fox (3)
Release date(s)
2005–Present
Country
United Kingdom
United States
Czech Republic
Poland
Slovenia
Language
English
Budget
Total (3 films):
 $560 million
Box office
Total (3 films):
 $1,580,364,900
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of fantasy films from Walden Media based on The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of novels written by C. S. Lewis. From the seven novels, there have been three film adaptations so far—The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) which have grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide among them.
The series revolves around the adventures of children in the fictional world of Narnia, guided by Aslan, a wise and powerful lion that can speak and is the true king of Narnia. Most of the children featured in the films are the Pevensie siblings, and a prominent antagonist is the White Witch (sometimes known as Jadis). The first two films were directed by Andrew Adamson and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The third film is the first of the Chronicles to be released in Digital 3D. It was directed by Michael Apted and distributed by 20th Century Fox.[1] On October 1, 2013, The C.S. Lewis Company announced that they have entered into an agreement with The Mark Gordon Company to jointly develop and produce the fourth film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair.[2]
The series is the 25th highest-grossing film series of all time.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Development
2 Films 2.1 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
2.2 Prince Caspian (2008)
2.3 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)
2.4 The Silver Chair
2.5 Future
3 Main cast 3.1 Children
3.2 Other recurring characters
4 Reception 4.1 Box office performance
4.2 Critical reception
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Development[edit]
C. S. Lewis never sold the film rights to the Narnia series, being skeptical that any cinematic adaptation could render the more fantastical elements and characters of the story realistically.[3] Only after seeing a demo reel of CGI animals did Douglas Gresham (Lewis's stepson and literary executor, and film co-producer) give approval for a film adaptation.[citation needed]
Films[edit]
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)[edit]
Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was directed by New Zealander Andrew Adamson and was shot mainly in New Zealand, though locations were used in Poland, the Czech Republic and England.
The story follows four British children who are evacuated during the Blitz to the countryside and find a wardrobe that leads to the fantasy world of Narnia; there, they must ally with the lion Aslan against the forces of the White Witch, who has the world under an eternal winter.
The film was released theatrically starting on December 9, 2005. The film grossed over $745 million worldwide, making it the 44th highest grossing film worldwide of all time.
Prince Caspian (2008)[edit]
Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian was the second adaption to the Chronicles of Narnia franchise. The whole production team from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe returned but also new cast members joined the Narnia team such as Ben Barnes, Peter Dinklage and Eddie Izzard.
The story follows four British children who were transported to Narnia in the previous film returning to Narnia and finding out that over 1300 years have passed and the land has been invaded by Telmarines. The four Pevensie children (William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley) return to aid Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) in his struggle for the throne against his corrupt uncle, King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto).
The film was released on May 16, 2008. It grossed $419 million worldwide and was considered a moderate success. This film was the last in the Narnia film series to be distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)[edit]
Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, based on the novel with the same title, was directed by Michael Apted and was the third official film in the series.
The story follows the two younger Pevensie children as they return to Narnia with their cousin, Eustace. They join the new king of Narnia, Caspian, in his quest to rescue seven lost lords to save Narnia from a corrupting evil that resides on a dark island.[4]
Production was put on hold when Disney chose not to produce the film after a budget dispute with Walden Media, who then negotiated with 20th Century Fox to replace them.[5] Fox officially joined Walden Media on January 28, 2009.[6] It was released on December 10, 2010 in Digital 3D in select theaters, along with its wide 2D release. It grossed over $415 million worldwide.
The Silver Chair[edit]
On October 1, 2013, The C.S. Lewis Company announced that it has entered into an agreement with The Mark Gordon Company to jointly develop and produce The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, following the film series' mirroring of the novel's publication order (in contrast to Walden Media's initial pushing for The Magician's Nephew during planning for a fourth film). Mark Gordon and Douglas Gresham along with Vincent Sieber, the Los Angeles based director of The C.S. Lewis Company, will serve as producers and work with The Mark Gordon Company on developing the script.[2]
Future[edit]
As there are seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia, each book could potentially become a theatrical feature film.[7] Although they originally produced the films in the same order as the book series' original publication, 20th Century Fox, Walden Media, and the C.S Lewis Estate selected The Magician's Nephew, which recounts the creation of Narnia, to be the basis for the fourth movie, instead of The Silver Chair.[8] Shortly before Perry Moore's death in February 2011, he told his family that he had secured funding for such a film. In March 2011, Walden Media confirmed that they intended The Magician's Nephew to be next in the series, but stressed that it was not yet in development.[9]
In October 2011, Douglas Gresham stated that Walden Media's contract with the C. S. Lewis estate had expired, with Walden Media no longer having exclusive purchasing rights to any further Narnia films. Thus any production of a future film is on hold indefinitely.
It was originally assumed that 2014 would be the earliest that production on another Narnia film could begin, according to the moratorium placed on the C. S. Lewis estate's right to sell the books' film option.[10][11][12] However, in May 2012, Gresham confirmed that technically any studio still has the option of making a Narnia film during the moratorium, but without the involvement of Walden Media it cannot be released until 2018 at the earliest (the actual end year of the moratorium).[13] Gresham also hinted that Walden Media's lapse in renegotiating their contract with the C. S. Lewis estate was due to internal conflicts between both companies about the direction of future films.[13] Contrary to Walden Media's initial plan, Gresham stated that he plans for The Silver Chair to be the next film to be made, hinting that future films might be made independently.[13]
On October 1, 2013, The C.S. Lewis Company announced that they have entered into an agreement with The Mark Gordon Company to jointly develop and produce The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, following the film series' mirroring of the novel's publication order (in contrast to Walden Media's initial pushing for The Magician's Nephew during planning for a fourth film). Mark Gordon and Douglas Gresham along with Vincent Sieber, the Los Angeles based director of The C.S. Lewis Company, will serve as producers and work with The Mark Gordon Company on developing the script.[2]
Main cast[edit]
Main article: List of Chronicles of Narnia cast members
Children[edit]
William Moseley as Peter Pevensie, title: King Peter the Magnificent, the eldest Pevensie child and the High King of Narnia.
Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie, title: Queen Susan the Gentle, the elder Pevensie girl and Queen of Narnia.
Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie, title: King Edmund the Just, the younger Pevensie boy and King of Narnia.
Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie, title: Queen Lucy the Valiant, the youngest Pevensie child and Queen of Narnia.
Will Poulter as Eustace Scrubb, the Pevensie children's cousin.
Other recurring characters[edit]
Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan, the magnificent and powerful lion who helps govern Narnia, his own creation. He is the only character to appear in all of the books.
Tilda Swinton as Jadis, the White Witch, the former queen of Charn and a witch who ruled Narnia after the events of The Magician's Nephew and during the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Ben Barnes as Caspian X, the Telmarine prince who becomes King of Narnia after overthrowing his evil uncle Miraz.
Eddie Izzard and later Simon Pegg as the voice of Reepicheep, the noble and courageous mouse who fights for Aslan and the freedom of Narnia. Izzard played the character in Prince Caspian, and Pegg took over the role in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Reception[edit]
Box office performance[edit]

Film
Release date
Box office revenue
Box office ranking
Budget
Reference

US & Canada
Other Countries
Worldwide
All time US & Canada
All time Worldwide
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe December 9, 2005 $291,710,957 $453,302,158 $745,013,115 #48 #49 $180,000,000 [14]
Prince Caspian May 16, 2008 $141,621,490 $278,044,078 $419,665,568 #259 #143 $225,000,000 [15]
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader December 10, 2010 $104,386,950 $311,299,267 $415,686,217 #470 #145 $140,000,000 - $155,000,000 [16]
Total $537,719,397 $1,042,645,503 $1,580,364,900   $545,000,000 - $560,000,000 
Critical reception[edit]
Main article: Critical response to the Chronicles of Narnia films

Film
Rotten Tomatoes
Metacritic
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 76% (210 reviews)[17] 75% (39 reviews)[18]
Prince Caspian 67% (186 reviews)[19] 62% (34 reviews)[20]
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 49% (156 reviews)[21] 53% (33 reviews)[22]
See also[edit]

Portal icon Narnia portal
The Chronicles of Narnia novels: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
Prince Caspian (1951)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
The Silver Chair (1953)
The Horse and His Boy (1954)
The Magician's Nephew (1955)
The Last Battle (1956)
The Chronicles of Narnia video games: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Disney opts out of 3rd 'Narnia' film
2.^ Jump up to: a b c Fourth ‘Chronicles Of Narnia’ Movie In Works From Mark Gordon Co
3.Jump up ^ A general dislike of cinema can be seen in Collected Letters, Vol. 2, a letter to his brother Warren on March 3, 1940, p. 361; see also All My Road Before Me, June 1, 1926, p. 405
4.Jump up ^ Alexonx (November 10, 2010). "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader-Spectacular trailer". filmissimo.it. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
5.Jump up ^ Borys Kit (2008-12-24). "Disney jumps ship on next 'Narnia'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2008-12-24.[dead link]
6.Jump up ^ Emily; Martin, Paul (2009-01-28). "Fox To Pick Up Dawn Treader". NarniaFans.com. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
7.Jump up ^ NarniaWeb — Walden Media Outlines Narnia Series
8.Jump up ^ Moring, Mark (April 7, 2011). "The Lion, the Witch, and the Box Office". Christianity Today. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
9.Jump up ^ 'Narnia': Walden, Fox in discussions on 'The Magician's Nephew'
10.Jump up ^ Gresham Confirms: Walden’s Contract Expired
11.Jump up ^ Walden Media’s Option for a Fourth Narnia film Expires
12.Jump up ^ Narnia 4?
13.^ Jump up to: a b c http://www.narniaweb.com/2012/05/gresham-shares-plans-for-next-narnia-film/
14.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
15.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
16.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
17.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
18.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
19.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
20.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
21.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
22.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Internet Movie Database
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian at the Internet Movie Database
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at the Internet Movie Database

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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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For the novel by C.S. Lewis, see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. For other uses, see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (disambiguation).

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The-chronicles-of-narnia-poster.jpg
Theatrical Poster
 
Directed by
Andrew Adamson
Produced by
Mark Johnson
 Phillip Steuer
Written by
Ann Peacock
 Andrew Adamson
Christopher Markus
Stephen McFeely
Based on
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
 by C. S. Lewis
Starring
William Moseley
Anna Popplewell
Skandar Keynes
Georgie Henley
Liam Neeson
Tilda Swinton
James McAvoy
Jim Broadbent
Ray Winstone
Dawn French
Music by
Harry Gregson-Williams
Cinematography
Donald McAlpine
Editing by
Sim Evan-Jones
 Jim May
Studio
Walt Disney Pictures
Walden Media
Distributed by
Buena Vista Pictures
Release date(s)
December 8, 2005 (United Kingdom)
December 9, 2005 (United States)
 
Running time
145 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
 United States
Language
English
Budget
$180 million[1]
Box office
$745,013,115[1]
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 fantasy adventure film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's children's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It was co-produced by Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures. William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes play Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund, four British children evacuated during the Blitz to the countryside, who find a wardrobe that leads to the fantasy world of Narnia. There they ally with the Lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) against the forces of Jadis, the White Witch (Tilda Swinton). The screenplay based on the novel by C. S. Lewis was written by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus.
The film was released on December 9, 2005, in both Europe and North America to positive reviews and was highly successful at the box office grossing more than $745 million worldwide, making it 2005's third most successful film. It won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Makeup and various other awards and is the first film in the series of films based on the books. An Extended Edition was released on December 12, 2006, and was only made available on DVD until January 31, 2007, when it was discontinued. It was the best selling DVD in North America in 2006 taking in $332.7 million that year.[2]

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Pre-production
3.2 Filming
3.3 Music
4 Release 4.1 Box office
4.2 Awards received
4.3 Reception
5 DVD and Blu-ray release
6 Notes
7 External links
Plot[edit]
In 1940, in the London suburb of Finchley, the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, are endangered by a Second World War attack of numerous German Heinkel He 111 bombers. When running to the shelter, Edmund runs back to the house to get a photograph of his father for which Peter scolds him. The next morning, they are evacuated to the country home of Professor Digory Kirke, who is not accustomed to having children in his house, as Ms. Macready, the strict housekeeper, explains.
While the Pevensies are getting used to the house and playing hide-and-seek out of boredom, Lucy discovers a wardrobe and, to her surprise, she enters a wintry fantasy world called Narnia. Seeing a lamppost, Lucy shortly encounters and befriends the faun, Mr. Tumnus, who explains about the land she has just entered and invites her back to his home to which she accepts. There, he puts Lucy to sleep by playing a Narnian Lullaby on his flute. However, when she wakes up, Lucy finds Tumnus grieving, and he explains that Jadis, the White Witch, has cursed Narnia, and it has been winter for one hundred years. If a human is ever encountered, they were to be brought to her. Tumnus takes a huge liking to Lucy and cannot bring himself to kidnap her, so he sends her home. When she returns, hardly any time has passed in the normal world, and her siblings do not believe her story since that when they look in the wardrobe, it has a normal wooden back. Peter then scolds Edmund when he jokes about believing Lucy, to which Edmund responds by yelling at Peter and storms out of the room, believing that Peter is trying to be a father figure (presumably showing us that Edmund's bad behavior began when his father was forced to fight in the war).
One night, Edmund follows Lucy into the wardrobe, presumably to tease her about the country he thinks she has made up. However, he enters Narnia as well, and shortly after searching for Lucy, he meets the White Witch who claims to be "The Queen of Narnia" and her dwarf Ginarrbrik. She offers him Turkish Delight as well as the prospect of becoming king and having power over his siblings if he brings them to her castle. After she departs, Edmund and Lucy meet again and return; Lucy tells Peter and Susan about the experience, but Edmund lies about it. Professor Kirke talks with Peter and Susan; he does not understand why they do not believe Lucy's story and gives them three possible logical explanations of Lucy's behaviour — madness, dishonesty and sincerity — the others know she is neither mad nor dishonest, so she must be telling the truth. However, they are still not convinced.
While running away from Ms. Macready after accidentally breaking a window while playing cricket, the four siblings retreat to the wardrobe and enter Narnia. There, they apologize to Lucy. They discover Mr. Tumnus has been taken by the Witch's secret police, and meet Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, who tell them about Aslan. According to the beavers, Aslan is on the move to take control of Narnia from the Witch. The four must help Aslan and his supporters; it has been prophesied that if two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve sit in the four thrones, the White Witch's reign would end.
Edmund sneaks off to visit the Witch, where Mr. Beaver explains the witch's motive and that the siblings now must resort to reaching Aslan to save him. When he arrives at her castle, she is angry that he did not deliver his siblings. The Witch sends wolves to hunt down the children and the beavers, who barely escape with the help of a fox. Edmund is chained in the Witch's dungeon where he meets Tumnus. The Witch demands that Edmund reveal where his siblings are because her police could not find them; Edmund then tells her about Aslan and the witch demands to know where Aslan is. Edmund hesitates when Tumnus claims that Edmund does not know anything and Edmund tells the Witch that he heard no further information regarding Aslan. Seeing that Tumnus is hindering the information, the Witch tells Mr. Tumnus that Edmund betrayed him (by talking about him at Edmund's first visit), then turns Tumnus to stone.
While Peter, Lucy, Susan and the beavers travel to the Stone Table, they see what they believe to be the White Witch chasing after them, so they hide. It is really Father Christmas, a sign that the Witch's reign is ending. Father Christmas gives Lucy a healing cordial and a dagger to defend herself with. Susan, a bow and arrows and a magical horn that will summon help when blown, and Peter a sword and shield.
Pursued by wolves led by Maugrim, the group crosses a thawing river, leaving the Witch unable to reach them. The Witch's wolves who then appear had captured the fox that helped the Pevensies escape. The Witch then demands that the fox reveals the Pevensies destination. After the fox refuses to comply, the Witch is about to turn him to stone when Edmund reveals that the Pevensies are heading to the Stone Table and that Aslan is already assembling his army. The Witch however still turns the fox to stone and slaps Edmund in the face for hiding information from her. Arriving at Aslan's camp, the group encounters Aslan, who is revealed as a huge and noble lion. Aslan promises to help Edmund in any way he can. Later, two wolves ambush Lucy and Susan while they are frolicking by the river. When Peter intervenes, Maugrim attacks him, and Peter kills him with his sword. After some of Aslan's troops follow the other wolf to the witch's camp and rescue Edmund, Peter is knighted by Aslan.
After Edmund and his siblings reunite, The White Witch journeys to Aslan's camp and asserts her claim to the traitor Edmund, but Aslan secretly offers to sacrifice himself instead. That night, as Lucy and Susan covertly watch, Aslan is killed by the White Witch at the Stone Table with a crowd of creatures watching. In the morning he is resurrected because "there is a magic deeper still the Witch does not know". Aslan takes Susan and Lucy to the Witch's castle, where he frees the prisoners that the White Witch turned to stone, forming reinforcements for Aslan's army.
Edmund persuades Peter to lead Aslan's army to fight the White Witch's forces. Though Aslan's army begins to have a winning streak, the White Witch's huge army is much larger than Aslan's (that is, Peter's), so it soon begins to lose. To stop the Witch from attacking and killing Peter, Edmund attacks the White Witch and destroys her wand, but is gravely wounded by the Witch in return. Peter, angered at what the Witch did, fights her. As the Witch fights Peter, Aslan arrives with reinforcements and kills her. After Edmund is revived by Lucy's cordial, the Pevensies become Kings and Queens, staying in Narnia until they are adults.
Fifteen years later, while chasing a white stag through the forest, they come to the same forest clearing where there is a lamppost that Lucy saw on her first trip to Narnia. Lucy begins to remember, and with Edmund, Susan and Peter following, fights through the trees, where they begin to tumble through the coats and finally out of the wardrobe and return to England; the same time & day as they left, becoming children again. The Professor enters the room and asks what they were doing. Peter replies, "You wouldn't believe us if we told you, sir." The Professor tosses him the ball that broke the window and replies, "Try me." Lucy later attempts to return to Narnia via the wardrobe, but Professor Kirke tells her he has been trying for many years, and they will probably return to Narnia when they least expect to return.
Cast[edit]
Further information: List of Chronicles of Narnia cast members
William Moseley as Peter Pevensie, the eldest of the four Pevensie children.
Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie, the second eldest child of the four Pevensie children.
Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie, the third of the four Pevensie children.
Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie, the youngest of the four Pevensie children.
Tilda Swinton as Jadis, the White Witch, the main antagonist of the film who holds Narnia under an eternal winter without Christmas or Spring or Summer.
Liam Neeson voices Aslan, the great lion who was responsible for creating Narnia.
James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus, a faun who at first works for the White Witch, but befriends Lucy Pevensie and joins Aslan's forces.
Ray Winstone voices Mr. Beaver, a beaver who helps lead the children to Aslan.
Dawn French voices Mrs. Beaver, a beaver who helps lead the children to Aslan.
Kiran Shah as Ginarrbrik, the White Witch's servant dwarf.
Jim Broadbent as Professor Digory Kirke, an old professor. He lets the children stay at his country estate during the war.
Elizabeth Hawthorne as Mrs. Macready, Kirke's strict housekeeper.
James Cosmo as Father Christmas. He gives Peter, Susan, and Lucy their Christmas gifts.
Michael Madsen as the voice of Maugrim, a wolf who is captain of the White Witch's secret police.
Patrick Kake as Oreius, a centaur who is second-in-command of Aslan's army.
Shane Rangi as General Otmin, a minotaur who is second-in-command of the White Witch's army.
Morris Cupton as Train Guard, the guard of the train Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy ride.
Judy McIntosh as Helen Pevensie, the mother of the four Pevensie children.
Rupert Everett as the voice of a fox who helps the children along their way to Aslan.
Cameron Rhodes as the voice of a Gryphon who helps Peter in the war.
Noah Huntley as the adult Peter Pevensie, who has grown up as a king in Narnia.
Sophie Winkleman as the adult Susan Pevensie, who has grown up as a queen in Narnia.
Mark Wells as the adult Edmund Pevensie, who has grown up as a king in Narnia.
Rachael Henley as the adult Lucy Pevensie, who has grown up as a queen in Narnia.
Producer Philip Steuer voices Phillip, Edmund's talking horse.
The radio-announcer that Peter listens to on the rainy day near the beginning of the film is played by Douglas Gresham, co-producer of the movie and C. S. Lewis's stepson.[3] Keynes' voice broke during filming, so some of his voice track had to be re-looped by his sister Soumaya.[3] Mr. Pevensie is only glimpsed in a photo which Edmund tries to retrieve during the bombing, which is of Sim-Evan Jones' father.[4]
With the exception of Tilda Swinton, who was the first choice to play Jadis, the White Witch,[5] casting was a long process. Beginning in 2002,[6] Adamson went through 2500 audition tapes, met 1800 children and workshopped 400 before coming down to the final four actors for the Pevensies. Moseley and Popplewell came from the very start of casting, whilst Henley and Keynes were cast relatively late.[7] Moseley was cast because casting director Pippa Hall remembered she cast him as an extra in a 1998 dramatization of Cider with Rosie. He quit school to learn all his lines and beat 3000 boys to the role of Peter.[8]
Aslan's voice was a contention point. Brian Cox was originally cast in the role on December 9, 2004,[9] but Adamson changed his mind.[10] Liam Neeson sought out the role,[6] and was announced as the voice on July 17, 2005.[11]
Production[edit]
Pre-production[edit]
During the early 1990s, producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy were planning a film version.[12] They could not find a space in Britain to shoot the film during 1996,[13] and their plans to set the film in modern times[14] made Douglas Gresham oppose the film,[15] in addition to his feeling that technology had yet to catch up.[14] Perry Moore began negotiations with the C. S. Lewis Estate in 2000.[16] On December 7, 2001, Walden Media announced that they had acquired the rights to The Chronicles of Narnia.[17]
The success of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone prompted the producers to feel they could make a faithful adaptation of the novel set in Britain. "Harry Potter came along, and all those cultural or geographical lines were broken," Mark Johnson explained. "When The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was being developed at Paramount, the imperative was to set it in the U.S., and it just doesn't hold. [...] It's not the book."[18] Guillermo del Toro turned down the offer to direct due to his commitment on Pan's Labyrinth.[19] Following his Academy Award win for Shrek, director Andrew Adamson began adapting the source material with a 20-page treatment based on his memories of the book.[5] As such the film begins with the Luftwaffe bombing and concludes with an enormous battle, although they do not take up as much time in the novel.[16]
In the novel, the battle is never seen until Aslan, Susan, Lucy and their reinforcements arrive. This was changed in the movie because Adamson said he could vividly remember a huge battle,[7] an example of how Lewis left a lot to the readers' imagination. Other small changes include the reason all four children come to Narnia, in that an accident breaks a window and forces them to hide. Tumnus also never meets Edmund until the end in the novel. Minor details were added to the Pevensies, such as their mother's name, Helen, being the actual first name of Georgie Henley's mother.[3] Finchley as the home of the Pevensies was inspired by Anna Popplewell, who actually is from Finchley.[20] Adamson also changed the circumstances in which Lucy first comes into Narnia. He felt it was more natural that she first see the wardrobe while looking for a hide-and-seek hiding place, rather than just chance upon it exploring the house.[7] The film also hints at Professor Kirke's role in The Magician's Nephew, such as the engravings on the wardrobe, when it is a simple one in the novel, and the Professor's surprise and intrigue when Peter and Susan mention Lucy's discovery in the wardrobe. When Lewis wrote the novel, it was the first of the series and the back-story later outlined by the subsequent books in the series did not exist. Additionally in the novel, the father of the Pevensie children is in London with their mother, but in the film, their father is fighting in the war as Lucy states to Mr. Tumnus when they first meet in Narnia.
Weta Workshop head Richard Taylor cited Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights as an inspiration on the film. He felt Narnia had to be less dark and gritty than their depiction of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings because it is a new world.[21] Many of Weta's creature designs were designed for digital creation, so when Howard Berger and KNB FX inherited the practical effects work, they had to spend three months retooling approved designs for animatronics.[22] Berger's children would comment and advise upon his designs; they suggested the White Witch's hair be changed from black to blonde, which Berger concurred with as he realized Swinton's wig looked too Gothic.[23]
Filming[edit]
Principal photography began on June 28, 2004,[24] shooting in primarily chronological order.[4] Adamson did this in order to naturally create a sense of mature development from his young actors, which mirrored their real life development.[15] Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes[6] were never shown the set before filming scenes of their characters entering Narnia, nor had Henley seen James McAvoy in his Mr. Tumnus costume before shooting their scenes together.[3]
The first scene shot was at the disused Hobsonville Air Base for the railway scene.[25] Afterwards, they shot the Blitz scene, which Adamson called their first formal day of shooting.[7]
The filmmakers asked permission to bring in twelve reindeer to New Zealand to pull the Ice Queen's sled. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry denied, citing the potentially deadly Q fever from which the North American reindeer population suffers as the reason. However, ten wolves and wolf hybrids were allowed in for filming in Auckland.[26] To replace the denied live reindeer Mark Rappaport's Creature Effects, Inc. created four animatronic reindeer that were used in shots where the deer were standing in place. The reindeer were designed with replaceable skins to get the most usage; brown for Father Christmas's and white for the those of the White Witch.
The cast and crew spent their time in New Zealand in Auckland before moving in November to the South Island. The castle scene was filmed in Purakaunui Bay, not far from the most southern point in NZ[27]
They filmed in the Czech Republic (Prague and National Park České Švýcarsko), Slovenia and Poland after the Christmas break,[4] before wrapping in February.[28]
Music[edit]
Main articles: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (soundtrack) and Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The soundtrack was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. Gregson-Williams had previously worked with Adamson on Shrek (2001) and Shrek 2 (2004). In addition there are three original songs in the film; Can't Take It In by Imogen Heap, Wunderkind by Alanis Morissette and Winter Light by Tim Finn. Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee also wrote a song entitled Good Enough for the film, but it was not included in the soundtrack. Good Enough was later included in the band's album entitled The Open Door in 2007.[29]
The soundtrack was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, England, and in Los Angeles, CA. Gregson-Williams employed the 75-piece Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra, along with a 140-member choir (mostly members of The Bach Choir) and numerous other solo musicians such as electric violinist Hugh Marsh and vocalist Lisbeth Scott (at his Wavecrest Studio).[30] He composed the original score and then spent late September through early November 2005 conducting the Hollywood Orchestra and overseeing the recording of the English choir.[30] For "colour", he employed instruments used in ancient folk music, and to underscore critical dramatic moments, he added choral textures and, occasionally, a solo voice. The score includes instances of electronic music.[31]
The soundtrack received two Golden Globe Award nominations: "Best Original Score" and "Best Original Song" (for "Wunderkind").
EMI also released a compilation soundtrack entitled Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was released on September 2005. The album features songs by Contemporary Christian music artists, such as Bethany Dillon, Kutless, and Nichole Nordeman. It released Waiting For The World To Fall by Jars of Clay as a single. The album went on to win the Special Event Album of the Year at the GMA Music Awards.
Release[edit]
On December 7, 2005, the film premiered in London, going on general release the following day. The film was released December 8, 2005, in the United Kingdom and December 9, 2005, in North America and the rest of Europe.
Box office[edit]

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Worldwide, Narnia earned $745,013,115 marking it the 49th highest-grossing film of all-time worldwide. It had a worldwide opening of $107.1 million, marking Disney's fifth largest opening worldwide (at the time it was the largest).[32] It is the third-largest movie worldwide among those released in 2005[33] and it currently still remains the highest grossing movie of the Narnia franchise worldwide, and separately in North America and overseas.[34] Finally, it the largest film of Walden Media worldwide.[35]
United States and Canada
The film opened with $23,006,856 in 3,616 theatres on its opening day (Friday, December 9, 2005), averaging $6,363 per location. The film took in a total of $65,556,312 on its opening weekend (December 9–11, 2005),[36] the 24th best opening weekend at the time (now 54th). It was also Disney's third largest opening weekend at the time (now the 8th largest)[37] as well as the second biggest December opening, behind The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. It is now fourth following the 2012 opening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the 2007 release of I Am Legend, and the 2009 release of Avatar as well.[38] Additionally, it made the third largest opening weekend of 2005.[39] It grossed $291,710,957 in total becoming the second highest grossing film of 2005 behind Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.[40] It surpassed the gross of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by only $1.7 million, although the latter grossed $895.9 million worldwide, ahead of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It is the highest-grossing film of the 2005 holiday period,[41] the second highest grossing Christian film,[42] the 6th largest family - children's book adaptation,[43] the 9th highest-grossing fantasy - live action film[44] and the 10th highest-grossing film overall in Disney company history.[45] Finally, it is the largest film of Walden Media worldwide.
Awards received[edit]
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe won several awards including the Academy Award for Makeup; the BeliefNet Film Award for Best Spiritual film; the Movieguide Faith & Values Awards: Most Inspiring Movie of 2005 and Best Family Movie of 2005; and the CAMIE (Character and Morality In Entertainment) Award. Others include the British Academy Film Awards for Makeup and Hair and Orange Rising Star (James McAvoy); Outstanding Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media; the Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role (Georgie Henley, Female); the Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Fantasy Film (Isis Mussenden); and the Saturn Award for Costumes (Isis Mussenden) and Make-up (Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero, and Nikki Gooley).
Georgie Henley, in her performance as Lucy Pevensie earned critical acclaim for her performance. She won several awards, including the Phoenix Film Critics Society award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Performance by a Youth. She also won another awards either for Best Young Performance or Best Actress in a Leading Role.
The film was nominated for AFI's Top 10 Fantasy Films list.[46]

Year
Award
Category/Recipient
Result
Reference
2005 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role - Female
 (Georgie Henley) Won
[47]

Satellite Awards Outstanding Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media Won
2006 Best DVD Extras Nominated
78th Academy Awards[48] Best Makeup
 (Howard Berger)
 (Tami Lane) Won
Best Sound Mixing
Terry Porter
 (Dean A. Zupancic)
 (Tony Johnson) Nominated
Best Visual Effects Nominated
Annie Awards Best Character Animation
 Matt Shumway Nominated
Australian Film Institute Excellence in Filmmaking
 (Roger Ford) (Production design) Nominated
Excellence in Filmmaking
 (Donald McAlpine) (Cinematography) Nominated
59th BAFTA Awards Best Makeup and Hair
 Howard Berger
Gregory Nicotero
 Nikki Gooley Won
Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects
Dean Wright
Bill Westenhofer
 Jim Berney
Scott Farrar Nominated
Best Costume Design
 Isis Mussenden Nominated
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Best Family Film (Live Action) Won
Best Young Actress
Georgie Henley Nominated
CAMIE Awards (no name for this award was given)
 Charlie Nelson (Walt Disney Pictures)
 Brigham Taylor (Disney vice-president productions)
Mark Johnson (producer)
 Philip Steuer (producer)
Douglas Gresham (co-producer)
Andrew Adamson (director)
 Ann Peacock (screenwriter)
Christopher Markus (screenwriter)
Stephen McFeely (screenwriter)
Georgie Henley (actor)
William Moseley (actor)
Skandar Keynes (actor)
Anna Popplewell (actor)
(Walden Media) Won
CFCA Awards Most Promising Performer
Georgie Henley Nominated
Costume Designers Guild Awards Fantasy Film
 Isis Mussenden Won
11th Empire Awards Best Newcomer
 Georgie Henley Nominated
Best Newcomer
James McAvoy Nominated
Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy Nominated
63rd Golden Globe Awards Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
Harry Gregson-Williams Nominated
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Alanis Morissette
 "Wunderkind" Nominated
Hugo Awards Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation Nominated
Humanitas Prize Feature Film Category
 Ann Peacock
Andrew Adamson
Christopher Markus
Stephen McFeely Nominated
London Film Critics Circle Awards 2005 British Supporting Actor of the Year (James McAvoy) Nominated
British Supporting Actress of the Year (Tilda Swinton) Nominated
MTV Movie Awards MTV Movie Award for Best Villain (Tilda Swinton) Nominated
Motion Picture Sound Editors Best Sound Editing in Feature Film - Dialogue and Automated Dialogue Replacement
 George Watters II (supervising sound editor)
 Kimberly Harris (supervising adr editor)
 Richard Beggs (sound designer)
 David Bach (supervising dialogue editor)
 David V. Butler (dialogue editor)
 Laura Graham (adr editor)
 Michele Perrone (adr editor) Nominated
Best Sound Editing in Feature Film - Sound Effects & Foley
 Richard Beggs (supervising sound editor)
 George Watters II (supervising sound editor)
 Victoria Martin (supervising foley editor)
F. Hudson Miller (sound editor)
 R.J. Palmer (sound editor)
 John Morris (sound editor)
 Suhail Kafity (sound editor)
 Chuck Michael (sound editor)
 Todd Toon (sound editor)
 Gary Wright (sound editor)
 Heather Gross (sound editor)
 Matthew Harrison (foley editor)
 James Likowski (foley editor)
 Dan O'Connell (foley artist)
 John T. Cucci (foley artist) Nominated
MovieGuide Awards Best Film for Families Won
Epiphany Prize Won
Online Film Critics Society Awards Best Breakthrough Performance(Georgie Henley) Nominated
Visual Effects Society Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture
Richard Baneham
Erik-Jan de Boer
 Matt Logue
 Joe Ksander
For "Aslan"
 Nominated
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture
Dean Wright
 Randy Starr
Bill Westenhofer
 Jim Berney Nominated
World Soundtrack Awards Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film
 Harry Gregson-Williams (music)
Imogen Heap (music/lyrics/performer)
For the song "Can't Take It In" Nominated
27th Young Artist Awards Best Family Feature Film - Drama Won
Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Actress Age Ten or Younger
Georgie Henley
 Won
Best Performance in a Feature Film (Comedy or Drama) - Leading Young Actor
William Moseley
 Nominated
2007 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA Best DVD Special Edition Release
For the "Extended Edition" Nominated
49th Grammy Awards Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (Harry Gregson-Williams) Nominated
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
 (Imogen Heap)
For the song "Can't Take It In"
 Nominated
Reception[edit]
The film received positive reviews from critics, with a 75% "certified fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes and 157 of the listed 208 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. Metacritic gives the movie a 75 out of 100, based on 39 reviews.[49] Respected critic Roger Ebert also gave the film 3 out of 4 stars. Ebert and Roeper gave the movie "Two Thumbs Up". Movie critic Leonard Maltin gave the film 3 out of four stars, calling it, "an impressive and worthwhile family film," though he also said, "it does go on a bit and the special effects are extremely variable."[50] Duane Dudak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel gave the movie 3 out of 4 stars. Stuart Klawans of The Nation said, "All ticket buyers will get their money's worth."[51] Elizabeth Weitzman of New York Daily News gave it 4 out of 4 stars and said: "A generation-spanning journey that feels both comfortingly familiar and excitingly original." Critic Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle listed it as the second best film of the year.[52] Kit Bowen (Hollywood.com) gives this film 3 out of 4 stars.[53]
However, John Anderson from Newsday, reacted negatively to the film, stating, "…there's a deliberateness, a fastidiousness and a lack of daring and vision that marks the entire operation."[54]
DVD and Blu-ray release[edit]
The DVD for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was released on April 4, 2006. It is available in a standard one-disc set (with separate fullscreen and widescreen editions), and a deluxe widescreen two-disc boxed set with additional artwork and other materials from Disney and Walden Media. The DVD sold four million copies on its first day of release[55] and overtook Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to become the top selling DVD in North America for 2006.[56] As of December 2008 it has grossed $353.5 million in DVD sales, equivalent to 12,458,637 units sold.[57][58]
Disney later issued a four-disc extended cut of the film on DVD. It was released on December 12, 2006, and was available commercially until January 31, 2007, after which Disney put the DVD on moratorium.[59] The extended cut of the film runs approximately 150 minutes. The set includes all of the features previously released on the two-disc special edition. The two additional discs include a segment called "The Dreamer of Narnia", a previously unreleased feature length film about C. S. Lewis, and additional production featurettes.[60] Most of the extended footage, besides the extended battle sequence, is longer establishing shots of Narnia and footage of the Pevensies walking in Narnia.[61]
The high-definition Blu-ray Disc version was released on May 13, 2008, in the United States, and on June 16, 2008, in the United Kingdom,[62] delayed from the original planned release date in late 2007.[citation needed]
Notes[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
2.Jump up ^ "Narnia dvd sales". the-numbers.com. 2008-12-20.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d Andrew Adamson, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley (2006). The Chronicles of Narnia:The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Cast Commentary (DVD).
4.^ Jump up to: a b c Richard Taylor, Howard Berger, Isis Mussendun, Roger Ford, Donald McAlpine, Sim-Evan Jones, Harry Gregson-Williams, Mark Johnson (2006). Cinematic Storytellers (DVD). Buena Vista.
5.^ Jump up to: a b Chronicles of a Director (DVD). Buena Vista. 2006.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c Visualizing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Complete Production Experience (DVD). Buena Vista. 2006.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d Andrew Adamson, Mark Johnson, Roger Ford (2006). Commentary (DVD). Buena Vista.
8.Jump up ^ Roya Nikkhah (2008-07-03). "William Moseley on Prince Caspian". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
9.Jump up ^ "Brian Cox Cast as the Voice of Aslan". NarniaWeb. 2004-12-09. Retrieved 2007-01-13.
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30.^ Jump up to: a b Brennan, Mike. "Exclusive - The Chronicles of Narnia - First Listen". SoundtrackNet. November 14, 2005.
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External links[edit]

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The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

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For the book, see Prince Caspian. For the video game, see The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (video game).

The Chronicles of Narnia:
 Prince Caspian
PrinceCaspianposter.jpg
Theatrical poster
 
Directed by
Andrew Adamson
Produced by
Andrew Adamson
Cary Granat
Mark Johnson
Perry Moore
Douglas Gresham
Philip Steuer
 
Screenplay by
Andrew Adamson
Christopher Markus
Stephen McFeely
 
Based on
Prince Caspian
 by C. S. Lewis
Starring
William Moseley
Anna Popplewell
Skandar Keynes
Georgie Henley
Ben Barnes
Liam Neeson
Sergio Castellitto
Peter Dinklage
 
Music by
Harry Gregson-Williams
Cinematography
Karl Walter Lindenlaub
Editing by
Sim Evan-Jones
Studio
Walt Disney Pictures
Walden Media
Distributed by
Walt Disney Studios
 Motion Pictures
Release date(s)
May 16, 2008 (United States)
June 26, 2008 (United Kingdom)
 
Running time
150 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
 United States
Language
English
Budget
$225 million[1]
Box office
$419,665,568[2]
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a 2008 epic fantasy film based on Prince Caspian, the second published, fourth chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It is the second in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media, following The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). The four Pevensie children (William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley) return to Narnia to aid Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) in his struggle for the throne against his corrupt uncle, King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto). The film was released on May 16, 2008 in the United States and on June 26, 2008 in the United Kingdom. The screenplay based on the novel by C. S. Lewis was written by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus.
Prince Caspian is also the last Narnia film to be distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, as 20th Century Fox became the distributor of its future films starting with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Work on the script began before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was released, so filming could begin before the actors grew too old for their parts. Director Andrew Adamson wanted to make the film more spectacular than the first, and created an action sequence not in the novel. The Narnians were designed to look wilder as they have been hiding from persecution, stressing the darker tone of the sequel. The filmmakers also took a Spanish influence for the antagonistic race of the Telmarines. Filming began in February 2007 in New Zealand, but unlike the previous film, the majority of shooting took place in Central Europe, because of the larger sets available in those countries. To keep costs down, Adamson chose to base post-production in the UK, because of recent tax credits there.
The film was a moderate success in the United States and Canada with a total sum of $141 million.[3] and $278 million in the rest of the world. It received mixed to positive reviews from film critics which some criticism was followed based on Prince Caspian's plot and imagery being substantially darker than that of the previous film based on the great amount of violence portrayed in the film, while others praised its acting, visuals, and story. It went on to become 2008's 10th highest grossing film worldwide.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Cast and characters 2.1 Pevensies
2.2 Telmarines
2.3 Narnians
2.4 Cameos
3 Production 3.1 Writing
3.2 Design
3.3 Filming
3.4 Effects
3.5 Music
4 Release 4.1 Marketing
4.2 Reception
4.3 Box office
4.4 Accolades
4.5 Home release
5 References
6 External links
Plot[edit]
1,300 years after the Pevensie siblings left Narnia, a Telmarine prince, Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne, is awakened by his mentor Doctor Cornelius, informing him that his aunt, Prunaprismia, has given birth to a son and Caspian's life is endangered. (Caspian is only a foster son of his uncle, Miraz, the regent who wishes to take power and who will cheerfully kill him now that he has his own son.) Cornelius gives him Queen Susan's ancient magical horn, instructing him to blow it only at his greatest need. Knowing that his uncle, Miraz, would kill him to steal the kingship, Caspian flees. Pursued into the woods, where the Telmarines fear to go, Caspian hits a branch and falls off his horse. He is rescued by two Narnian dwarfs, Trumpkin and Nikabrik, and a talking badger named Trufflehunter. While Trumpkin acts as a decoy, Nikabrik saves Caspian. Confused, Caspian blows the horn to summon help.
The film cuts to England, in which one year has passed since the Pevensie children returned from Narnia. World War II still wages on and the children, slightly melancholic, are waiting in the London Underground station for their train to school. All of a sudden the station starts collapsing, and the Pevensies are magically transported to Narnia. At first they cast off their shoes and run into the waters of the bay, for fun and the joy of returning to Narnia. Edmund, however, looking upward to the cliffs, is the first to realize that he doesn't remember any ruins in Narnia. While exploring the ruins, Lucy sees landmarks and announces that they are at Cair Paravel. After using their old scouting abilities, Edmund recognizes a catapult and realizes the site was attacked.
In the Telmarine castle, while Miraz takes delight in his newborn son, the lords of the council learn that Prince Caspian is gone. Lord Sopespian blames Miraz, but Miraz blames the Narnians and tells the lords to fight them to get Caspian back, though Miraz actually intends to kill Caspian.
The Pevensies save Trumpkin from being drowned by two Telmarines; he quickly realizes that the four children are the Kings and Queens of Old and they continue on together. On the way, Lucy glimpses Aslan and tries to convince the others that she has seen him, but only Edmund believes her.
Nikabrik and Trufflehunter lead Caspian to the Dancing Lawn, where the old Narnians have assembled. Caspian convinces them to help him win his throne so he can return their land. Caspian and the Narnians steal weapons from the Telmarines. They also encounter the Pevensies and Trumpkin; they all journey to Aslan's How, a huge barrow built over the Stone Table. Peter decides they will preemptively attack Miraz's castle. Lucy suggests waiting for Aslan to return, but Peter thinks they have waited long enough.
The Narnians raid Miraz’s castle, but Peter calls a retreat when they are overwhelmed by Telmarine soldiers. Peter, Susan, Edmund, Caspian, and half of the Narnians manage to escape, but the rest are slaughtered. When they return to Aslan's How, Peter and Caspian argue about the attack on the castle. Back at the castle, Miraz is crowned King of Narnia.
Nikabrik, with the aid of a hag and a werewolf, tells Caspian that they can help him claim his throne and guarantee Miraz's death. The hag uses black sorcery to summon Jadis, the White Witch. From inside a wall of ice, the White Witch tries to convince Caspian to free her with a drop of blood. Peter, Edmund, Lucy and Trumpkin arrive. Edmund kills the werewolf and Trumpkin stabs Nikabrik just as he is about to kill Lucy. Peter kills the hag and then, seeing Caspian being manipulated by the White Witch, knocks him down and faces the White Witch. She tries to convince Peter to release her. Before he can do anything, Edmund shatters the ice, destroying the White Witch.
As Miraz and his army arrive at Aslan's How, Caspian suggests Peter and Miraz duel one-on-one under the condition of surrender, to buy Lucy and Susan time to find Aslan. Miraz agrees to the duel, not wanting to look like a coward in front of his men. The girls are spotted by Telmarine soldiers, so Susan sends Lucy off alone, remaining behind to face the soldiers. A soldier on a horse runs into her, knocking her down. She is rescued by Caspian and they return to the battle. After a fierce fight, Peter defeats Miraz, but gives his sword to Caspian to finish him off. Caspian spares Miraz's life but says that he will give Narnia back to its people.
Sopespian suddenly kills Miraz with one of Susan's arrows and accuses the Narnians of shooting Miraz, leading to a battle between the Telmarines and the Narnians, with the Telmarines gradually winning. Lucy finds Aslan in the woods and he awakens the trees. The battle turns as the trees attack the Telmarines. Lord Sopespian orders retreat to a bridge, where they are confronted by Lucy and Aslan. Aslan summons the river god, who destroys the bridge, killing Sopespian. The battle is won with the surviving Telmarine soldiers surrendering.
Before the Pevensies depart Narnia, Peter and Susan are told by Aslan that they have gained everything they could from their experiences in Narnia and will never return. Caspian invites the Telmarines to remain in Narnia if they will coexist peacefully with the Narnians; but if they wish, they can return to the human world, from whence they originally hailed. Some agree to do so, and Aslan creates a portal for them and the four Pevensies. Susan kisses Caspian, knowing they will never meet again. The Pevensies return to England, leaving Caspian as King of Narnia.
Cast and characters[edit]
See also: List of Chronicles of Narnia cast members
Pevensies[edit]
William Moseley reprises his role as Peter Pevensie. In a departure from the novel, Peter has a rivalry with Caspian. Moseley explained, "Peter's got his own issues to deal with, and Caspian's got his own issues to deal with, and when neither is willing to compromise, there's bound to be friction. Peter came back to Narnia expecting to be king again and that everyone would do as he said, and Caspian is unwilling to let him take over, so that causes some of it. That's really what happens. And it's a lot about humility. I think they both have to learn a certain humility [...] and that's really what a great king needs is to be humble, to listen to his people, to be willing to compromise, and they start off as these sort of angry teenagers, and become kings at the end." In real life, the two actors got on well together. Moseley also stated that he identified with Peter, having gone back to school between shooting both films.[4] He trained for three months in New York City to improve his performance and his physicality.[5]
Anna Popplewell reprises her role as Susan Pevensie, the second oldest Pevensie. Popplewell had been disappointed she barely used her bow and arrow in the first film.[6] Adamson convinced Douglas Gresham to have her present during the battles by suggesting her passive role in the novel indicated Lewis' view of women before he met Joy Gresham. "I think [Lewis] cast women down in the earlier books, but when you look at The Horse and His Boy, it has a strong female character. Doug's mother was a strong woman."[7] Adamson also chose to have her fall for Caspian, because "The kids are growing up. If you look at Ben and you look at Anna, it seems really implausible that they wouldn't have some feelings for each other." He knew it had to be "sensitively handled" though,[8] and ultimately it is not about romance, but "[accepting] the fact that you can have a wondrous experience, enjoy it and move on".[9] Popplewell added that it would not make sense for the Narnians not to use Susan, a talented archer, in battle, and that the romance contributed to her character's reconciliation with losing Narnia in the first place.[10]
Skandar Keynes reprises his role as Edmund Pevensie, the second youngest Pevensie. Edmund matured during the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, so the writers saw him "as our Han Solo", "[doing] the right thing" and "probably going to be a little low-key about it", highlighting the immaturity of his older brother.[11] Keynes bruised his heel when performing a stunt where he jumped onto a horse. He narrowly missed landing on it and hit his foot against a column when holding on. Excepting that, he enjoyed performing the action.[12]
Georgie Henley reprises her role as Lucy Pevensie. Henley acknowledged Lucy represents faith in the story, being the youngest and therefore most open-minded of the Pevensies.[5] During filming, Henley's baby teeth were falling out, so she wore fake teeth to fill in the gaps.[13]
Telmarines[edit]
Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian. Adamson said "Caspian is a coming of age and, to some degree, a loss of innocence story, with Caspian starting out quite naïve, then craving revenge and finally letting go of the vengeance."[9] While many readers interpret Caspian as a child, a passage in the novel mentions his age to be near that of Peter's, so an older actor was sought to match Moseley. Barnes had read the novel as a child, and was cast in two-and-a-half weeks after meeting with the filmmakers. He spent two months in New Zealand horse riding and stunt training to prepare for shooting.[14][15] Barnes modelled his Spanish accent on Mandy Patinkin's performance as Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride,[16] though he also had a dialect coach aiding him.[15] Adamson did not expect to cast a British actor as Caspian, and said Barnes fitted well into the surrogate family of Adamson and the four actors playing the Pevensies.[17] When cast, Barnes was set to tour with the Royal National Theatre's production of The History Boys: producer Mark Johnson joked Barnes "probably isn't the Nation's favourite actor right now". Barnes left England without telling the Theatre.[18] They were furious when they found out that he had left them without permission, so they considered suing him for breach of contract, but decided against it.[15]
Sergio Castellitto as King Miraz. Castellitto was not familiar with the novel, but his four children had enjoyed the first film. Miraz marks the first time the Italian actor has portrayed a villain, and he found it interesting to "act out a stereotype." Nonetheless, he also felt that he and Adamson brought depth to the role, explaining Miraz is a soldier, not a coward, and that he takes the throne for his son. He compared the character to King Claudius in Hamlet.[19]
Pierfrancesco Favino as Lord Glozelle, Miraz's general, who intends to have his king killed in combat with Caspian and Peter in order to lead his own attack on the Narnians. However, in the end, Glozelle repents and is the first to volunteer to go into the Pevensies' world, and in return, is granted a good future by Aslan. This was Favino's idea, because originally Glozelle would have died in battle.[20] Adamson dubbed the character "a real Benedict Arnold".[9] Favino is able to speak several languages and generally acted as a translator to Adamson on set while working with actors and crew members of multiple nationalities.[6]
Damián Alcázar as Lord Sopespian.[21] "In some ways Sopespian turns out to be the real bad guy of the film," Adamson said. "Where it seems that Miraz has the upper hand at the beginning, we see that Sopespian, like Shakespeare's Iago, is trying to manipulate the situation."[9]
Vincent Grass as Doctor Cornelius: Caspian's mentor,[22] who is half-dwarf. Adamson compared Caspian and Cornelius' relationship to Aristotle and Alexander the Great.[9] Cornelius' role in the movie is significantly smaller than in the novel, and he is not named on screen, being referred to only as "Professor".
Alicia Borrachero as Queen Prunaprismia.[23] Prunaprismia was Miraz's wife. When she had learned that her husband had killed his own brother, she became heartbroken. After Miraz's death, Prunaprismia was the second volunteer to go back to our world (with her child). Because of her repenting, Prunprismia and her child were promised a good life back in our world.
Simón Andreu as Lord Scythley.[24]
Predrag Bjelac as Lord Donnon.[25]
David Bowles as Lord Gergiore. He served as one of the marshals during the duel between Peter and Miraz.
Juan Diego Montoya Garcia as Lord Montoya.
Narnians[edit]
Liam Neeson reprises his role as the voice of the lion Aslan. Aslan is "more parental here, [he] lets the kids, well, make their own mistakes".[9] Aslan's entrance was filmed as a dream sequence to emphasize his messianic nature, and not make it reflect badly on his absence when Narnia is in turmoil.[26] Although the character is considered C.S. Lewis' version of Jesus, Neeson "see[s] him more as the spirit of the planet – this living, breathing planet. That's what he stands for, for me; more what the native Americans would believe."[27] As Aslan has fewer action scenes than in the first film, the animators found it difficult to make him move interestingly. His pose had to be regal, but if he moved his head too much, he would remind viewers of a dog. As well as having his size increased by fifteen percent,[28] Aslan's eyes were also changed to look less "Egyptian".[29] Many of his shots were finished at the last minute.[6]
Peter Dinklage as Trumpkin, a cynical red dwarf. Dinklage was Adamson and Johnson's first choice, having seen him in The Station Agent.[18] He accepted because "often, you get the hero and the villain and not much in between. Trumpkin is in between. He is not a lovable Snow White dwarf. Audiences appreciate these cynical characters. It helps parents and adults to go along with the journey."[30] Dinklage's prosthetics took three hours to apply,[18] and restricted his performance to his eyes. Even his frown was built into the make-up.[20] On his first day of filming, he was bitten by sand flies and fell into a river. "We were lucky that he returned after his first day!" recalled Johnson.[18]
Warwick Davis as Nikabrik, a black dwarf. He is descendant of Ginarrbrik, who served the White Witch, and bears one of his rings, which was passed down from each generation.[31] Mark Johnson acknowledged casting Davis as the treacherous Nikabrik was casting against type:[18] Berger covered all his face bar his eyelids in prosthetics, to allow Davis to ward off the audience's perceptions of him.[32] Nikabrik's nose was based on Berger.[33] Davis feared filming in the Czech Republic, because the grass is filled with ticks, so he put elastic bands to hold his trousers against his legs.[34] Davis portrayed Reepicheep in the 1989 BBC production of Prince Caspian.
Eddie Izzard as the voice of Reepicheep, a swashbuckling mouse. Over 100 actors auditioned to voice the character.[35] Izzard approached Reepicheep as less camp and more of a bloodthirsty assassin with a sense of honour (a cross between Mad Max and a Stormtrooper from Star Wars): Izzard interpreted Reepicheep as someone whose family was killed by the Telmarines.[32] The Narnia series were some of the few books Izzard read as a child, and he cherished them.[36] When discussing Reepicheep to the animators, Adamson told them to rent as many Errol Flynn films as possible.[18] Adamson credits Izzard for making the role his own; beforehand, the director was approaching the character similarly to Puss in Boots in Shrek 2.[37]
Ken Stott as the voice of Trufflehunter the badger.[38] Adamson called Trufflehunter "a walking and talking Narnian library [who is] totally old-school".[9] The animators visited a badger sanctuary to aid in depicting his performance.[29]
Cornell John as Glenstorm the Centaur.[39] Adamson had seen John perform in Porgy and Bess in London, and liked his long face.[32] John imagined the character as being 170-years old, and wanted to convey "honour, pride and tradition".[35] Lejla Abbasová as Windmane (Glenstorm's wife).[32]
Yemi Akinyemi as Ironhoof (Glenstorm's son).[40]
Carlos Da Silva as Suncloud (Glenstorm's son).[40]
Ephraim Goldin as Rainstone (Glenstorm's son). He dies in the Attack on Miraz' castle, but pops up in the end of the movie.
David Walliams as the voice of the Bulgy Bear.[41]
Klara Issova as a Narnian Hag who attempts to resurrect the White Witch.[32] She used some Arabic words in her incantation.[20]
Gomez Mussenden (son of costume designer Isis Mussenden) plays Lightning Bolt, a child Centaur.[42]
Jan Pavel Filipensky as Wimbleweather the giant.[40]
Shane Rangi as Asterius the Minotaur and Josh Campbell as the voice of Asterius. An elderly minotaur who aids Caspian. He is killed during the raid while holding the gate open to allow some of the army to escape. Rangi also stood in for Aslan, the Bulgy Bear, the Werewolf, another Minotaur, and the Wild Bear on set.[43] Rangi played General Otmin in the previous film and Tavros in The Voyage of The Dawn Treader. He was able to see more in the redesigned animatronic minotaur heads, though "in order to make the eye line straight and correct, you've actually got to hold your head down, so your view is only about a foot and a half in front of you, which still makes it a little bit hard". This resulted in Rangi knocking himself against the rising gate of the Telmarine castle, although he was fine and it was the animatronic head that bore the brunt of the damage.[44] The costumes were still very hot, reducing him to a "walking waterfall". Although a head sculpt of Aslan was used to stand in for the character on the first film, Rangi had to portray the character on set because Lucy interacts with him more.[45] Rangi lost four kilograms wearing all his costumes.[44]
David Mottl and Michaela Dvorska each portrayed Tyrus, a satyr. He is shot by Glozelle when attempting to kill Miraz and then pushed off the balcony by Miraz.
Cameos[edit]
Tilda Swinton reprises her role as Jadis, the White Witch. Her ghost appears as the hag and werewolf attempt to resurrect her. Swinton and her two children also cameoed towards the film's end as centaurs.[20]
Composer Harry Gregson-Williams made a vocal cameo as Pattertwig the squirrel, as Adamson felt he had a "squirrel-like energy".[20]
Douglas Gresham cameos as a Telmarine crier.[46]
Production[edit]
Writing[edit]


We had some difficulty figuring out how to make Caspian work as a film. In the book, the children arrive in Narnia, and they all sit down around the campfire and Trumpkin tells them the story of Prince Caspian – which means that the four Pevensie children vanish for half of the book.
Douglas Gresham[47]
Before the release of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the screenplay for the sequel Prince Caspian had already been written.[48] Director Andrew Adamson said the decision was made to follow the publication order of the novels because "if we don't make it now we'll never be able to, because the [actors will] be too old". Prince Caspian, the second published novel in the series, is the fourth chronologically. The Horse and His Boy takes place during a time only hinted at in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[49] The writers briefly considered combining Caspian with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which the BBC did for their television adaptation.[40]
Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wanted to explore how the Pevensies felt after returning from Narnia, going from being kings and queens back to an awkward year as school children. They noted, "[C. S. Lewis] doesn't much consider what it would be like for a King of Narnia to return to being a 1940's schoolchild." They also decided to introduce the Pevensies back into Narnia nearer the start, in order to weave the two separate stories of the Pevensies and Caspian, in contrast to the book's structure.[50] A sense of guilt on the Pevensies' part was added, seeing the destruction of Narnia in their absence,[51] as was hubris for Peter to enhance the theme of belief: his arrogance means he is unable to see Aslan.[52]
Adamson also desired to make the film larger in scale; "I've gained confidence having gone through the first. This time, I was able to go larger [in] scale, with more extras and bigger battle scenes."[30] Inspired by a passage in the novel where Reepicheep says he would like to attack the castle,[53] a new battle scene in which Peter and Caspian make an attempted raid on Miraz's castle was created.[54] Adamson felt the imagery of mythological Greek creatures storming a castle was highly original.[17] Markus and McFeely used the sequence to illustrate Peter and Caspian's conflict and Edmund's maturity, in an effort to tighten the script by using action as drama. Adamson preferred subtlety to the drama scenes, asking his young male actors not to perform angrily. Adamson copied Alfred Hitchcock by "tell[ing] people at the end of the scene, 'Now just give me something where you're not thinking about anything.' By using it in context, the audience will read an emotion into it."[53]
Design[edit]

 

 Concept art of Miraz's armour. The Telmarines are stereotypically Spanish in appearance, and their masked helmets are partly based on conquistadors
Andrew Adamson described the film as being darker, as it takes place "another 1300 years later, [and] Narnia has been oppressed by Telmarines for a large period of that time, so it's a dirtier, grittier, darker place than the last world was".[55] He added, "This one is more of a boy's movie. It's a harsher world. The villains are human, and that lends a more realistic attitude."[30] Creatures were designed by veteran horror and monster concept artist Jordu Schell[56] and supervised by Howard Berger, who said that Prince Caspian would be more medieval than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[51] Alongside Adamson, Berger's children critiqued his designs, aiding the process:[34] his son thought the werewolf's ears were silly, so they were made smaller.[32]
For the Narnians, Berger envisioned them as more wild in appearance, as they have been forced into the forests. He also decided to increase the portrayal of various ages, sizes and races.[57] The black dwarfs are distinguished from the red dwarfs as they have more leather and jewellery, and a darker colour scheme in their costumes.[31] Each race of creatures also had their fighting styles made more distinguishable.[58] The minotaurs have maces, and the centaurs use swords.[59] The satyrs were redesigned, as their creation on the first film had been rushed.[42] 4,600 make-up jobs were performed, which Berger believes is a record.[35]
The filmmakers interpreted the Telmarines, including Caspian, as being Spanish because of their pirate origins, which producer Mark Johnson noted made Caspian "a contrast to the lily-white [Pevensies]".[60] Production designer Roger Ford originally wanted the Telmarines to be French, as they had a confrontational history with the English, who are represented by the Pevensies. This was scrapped as the crew were unable to shoot at Pierrefonds Castle, for Miraz's lair, so they went for the Spanish feel.[61] Weta Workshop created masked helmets for their army, and faceplates for the live horses on set. The stunt soldiers wield two-hundred polearms in two different styles, two-hundred rapiers of varying design, over a hundred falchions, two-hundred and fifty shields and fifty-five crossbows. Caspian's own sword is a variation of the Royal Guard's weapons.[59] Costume designer Isis Mussenden looked to the paintings of El Greco to inspire the Telmarines' costumes.[51] She wanted to use colours that looked "acidic and hot and cool at the same time", unlike the red and gold seen in the Narnian soldiers.[31] Their masked helmets are based on conquistadors and samurai.[62] She visited the armour archives of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for inspiration.[35] An eagle emblem was incorporated into the characters' lairs to make them feel fascist.[63]
Filming[edit]
Eight months were spent scouting locations,[40] including Ireland,[64] China and Argentina,[65] before New Zealand, Prague, Slovenia and Poland were chosen.[40] Whereas the previous film was predominantly shot in New Zealand with a few months of filming in Central Europe, Adamson decided New Zealand lacked enough sound stages to accommodate the larger scale of the film.[55] The decision to film most of the picture in Europe also allowed the ability to shoot during summer in both continents,[66] although the weather turned out to be so erratic during filming that Adamson joked he had been lied to.[6]

 

 The Pevensies' return to Narnia was shot at Cathedral Cove because of an arch which mirrors the train tunnel the children are transported from
Filming began on February 12, 2007 in Auckland.[38] The scene where the Pevensies return to the ruined Cair Paravel was shot at Cathedral Cove. The filmmakers chose the location because it had a tunnel-like arch, which echoed the train tunnel the children go into before being summoned back into Narnia.[61] Henderson Valley Studios was used for the Pevensies' ancient treasure room and the Underground station.[35][67]
On April 1, 2007, the crew began filming at Barrandov Studios in Prague.[68] There, sets such as Miraz's castle, Aslan's How and the underground hiding places of the Narnians were created.[54] The 200-foot-tall (61 m) castle was built to scale because Adamson felt he overused digital sets on the last film.[53] The castle was built in the open air during winter, where the temperature would drop to minus 20 °C.[67] Miraz's courtyard is the largest set in production designer Roger Ford's career, including the previous Narnia film. Aslan's How was modified into the hideout after filming for those scenes was finished.[54] To create Trufflehunter's den, Ford's crew put a camera inside a badger's den to study what it should look like.[40] The den's roof had to be raised by three inches because Ben Barnes was too tall.[20]
In June 2007, they shot the bridge battle near Bovec in the Soča Valley, Slovenia.[69] The location was chosen for its resemblance to New Zealand. A large bridge was built, which was modelled on the one Julius Caesar built to cross the Rhine.[61] Whereas Caesar supposedly built his bridge in ten days, the filmmakers had around forty. The schedule was short though, but the authorities would only allow them this build time to not completely disrupt normal summer activities on the lake. The filmmakers made a trench to change the river's course, so they could deepen the drained sides of the riverbed so it looked like one could drown in it. The crew also cut down 100 trees for shots of the Telmarines building the bridge; the trees were moved to another side of the river for decoration.[70] The bridge stood for two months before being dismantled.[71] As part of the clean-up, the cut-down trees and parts of the bridge were sent to a recycling plant, while other portions of the bridge were sent to the studio for close-ups shot against bluescreen.[70]
Part of the battle was shot at Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic.[72] Only the entrance to Aslan's How was built on location. Adamson wanted Peter and Miraz's duel to feel unique and not like a controlled, overly choreographed fencing match: Moseley and Castellitto began training for the scene in November 2006. The stunt coordinator Allan Poppleton doubled for Castellitto in some shots because they are similar in size. For claustrophobic shots, cameras were built into their shields.[73] The main camera was placed on a 360 degree track surrounding the ruin it takes place on.[40] The filmmakers dug a large hole in the ground for the scene where the Narnians cause the pillars supporting the growth near Aslan's How to collapse on the Telmarines. The earth was then restored following completion of the scene. They also had to restore the grass after filming numerous cavalry charges. 18,000 fern plants were imported to the Czech Republic to create a forest. A scene shot in Poland, which involved building a cliff face, also had to leave no trace behind.[67] Filming finished by September 8, 2007.[74]

Effects[edit]
Prince Caspian has over 1,500 special effects shots, more than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe's 800 effects shots, yet the film had less time to complete them.[51] The scale of special effects led Andrew Adamson to base production in the UK, to take advantage of new tax credits. Therefore, it legally qualifies as a British film.[75] This also meant the director only had to walk five minutes from the editing room to supervise the effects.[76] British visual effects companies the Moving Picture Company and Framestore CFC were hired to create the visual effects alongside Weta Digital. Framestore worked on Aslan, Trufflehunter and the door in the air; Scanline did the River-god; Weta created the werewolf, the wild bear and Miraz's castle; MPC and Escape Studios did the main battle, the tunnel scene, the castle assault, the council scenes and all the other creatures.[76][77][78]
Alex Funke, who worked on The Lord of the Rings, directed the film's miniatures unit.[51] These include 1/24th and 1/100th scale miniatures of Miraz's castle.[59] A scale model was built of the Narnians' cave hideouts during the climactic battle, which the actor playing the giant Wimbleweather was filmed against.[79] One of the improvements made over the previous film was to make the centaurs walk during dialogue scenes, so Cornell John as Glenstorm wore Power Risers (mechanical stilts with springs), to mimic a horse's canter and height.[54] The animatronic Minotaur heads were also improved to properly lip sync,[79] although this was not as successful as hoped and had to be revamped digitally.[80]
In the climactic battle, 150 extras stood in for the Narnians, while 300 extras were used for the Telmarines. These were digitally duplicated until there were 1,000 Narnians and 5,000 Telmarines onscreen. The animators found it easier to create entirely digital centaurs and fauns, rather than mix digital legs with real actors.[76] The dryads were entirely computer-generated, whereas in the first film digital petals had been composited over actors.[29] However, Adamson had chosen to make the centaurs not wear armour, meaning the animators had to make the human–horse join behave more cohesively. Combining digital characters with actors, such as when Lucy hugs Aslan, had become easier since the first film, as lighting had improved.[76] To achieve Lucy hugging Aslan, Framestore even replaced Georgie Henley's arm with a digital version.[29] For the gryphons, a motion control rig was created for the actors to ride on. The rig could simulate subtle movements such as wing beats for realism.[28] Adamson cited the river-god as the character he was most proud of. "It was a really masterful effect: to control water like that is incredibly difficult", he said. "The [visual effects company] told us they'd been waiting to do a shot like that for ten years."[76]
The film features catapults resembling windmills, that can fire rapidly, and a ballista that can fire three projectiles at a time. The practical versions of these were metal with fibreglass painted and aged to resemble wood on top. Weta created props of the missiles thrown by the Telmarine equipment. The practical version of the catapult had its upper half painted blue, to composite a digital version programmed for rapid firing movement.[81]
Music[edit]
Further information: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (soundtrack)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe composer Harry Gregson-Williams began composing the sequel in December 2007. Recording began at Abbey Road Studios the following month, and finished by April 2008. The Crouch End Festival Chorus,[82] Regina Spektor's song, "The Call", Oren Lavie's song, "Dance 'Round The Memory Tree" and Switchfoot's song, "This Is Home", are featured on the soundtrack. Imogen Heap, who sang "Can't Take It In" for the first film, wrote a new song which Gregson-Williams considered too dark.[83]
Gregson-Williams' score is darker to follow suit with the film. Gregson-Williams wanted Caspian's theme to convey a vulnerability, which would sound more vibrant as he became more heroic. It originally used a 3/4 time signature, but the opening scene required a 4/4 and thus it was changed. To represent Miraz's cunning, the heroic theme from the first film was inverted. For Reepicheep, a muted trumpet was used to present his militaristic and organised character.[84] Gregson-Williams considered arranging his theme for a small pennywhistle, but found that it sounded too cute and broke the tension of the night raid.[85]
Release[edit]

 

 Entrance to the O2 premiere in London on June 19, 2008
During pre-production, Disney announced a December 14, 2007 release date,[86] but pushed it back to May 16, 2008, because Disney opted to not release it in competition with The Water Horse, another Walden Media production.[87] Disney also felt the Harry Potter films comfortably changed their release dates from (northern hemisphere) winters to summers, and Narnia could likewise do the same because the film was darker and more like an action film.[1] The world premiere was held at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City on May 7, 2008.[88] The British premiere was held at the O2 Arena on June 19, the first time the dome has hosted a film screening. Around 10,000 people attended the event, the proceeds of which went to Great Ormond Street Hospital.[89]
The film opened in 3,929 theaters in the United States and Canada on May 16, 2008.[90] The Motion Picture Association of America gave the film a PG. To earn this rating, which the filmmakers were contractually bound by Disney to do, Adamson altered a shot of a fallen helmet to make clear that it did not contain a severed head.[91] Adamson made numerous edits to the film beforehand after showing the film to a young audience, explaining "When you sit down and you're watching it, and you see the kids' faces while making the film, you're just making an attempt, you're making it exciting, you're doing all of these things because you're essentially making the film for yourself. When you start showing it to an audience, that then influences how you feel about the film."[26]
Marketing[edit]
Adding to the film's $225 million budget (almost $100 million of which were spent on the effects), Disney also spent $175 million on promoting the film.[1] Play Along Toys created a playset of Miraz's castle, a series of 3¾-inch and 7-inch action figures, and roleplaying costumes. Weta Workshop's Collectibles unit also created statues, busts and helmets based on their props for the film,[92] and there was also a Monopoly edition based on the film.[93] In the UK, Damaris Trust was commissioned to produce resources relating to the film for churches and schools, which are available from the official UK Narnia website.[94] In June 2008, the Journey into Narnia: Prince Caspian Attraction opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios, featuring a recreation of the Stone Table, behind-the-scenes footage, concept art, storyboards, props and costumes from the film.[95] The tone of the film's marketing focused on the film's action, and unlike The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Disney and Walden did not screen the film for pastors or give Bible-based study guides in North America.[96]
Reception[edit]
The film received mostly positive reviews.[97] The review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 67% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 187 reviews.[98] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 62 out of 100, based on 34 reviews.[97] Audience members polled by CinemaScore mostly gave it an A−.[99] Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film 3 out of 4 stars (as he did with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe), calling the performances "strong", the storytelling "solid", and the scenery "breathtaking", though he also said, "it's a dark tale, and the climactic battle scenes go on at length."[100]
Two film industry trade journals gave the film positive reviews. Todd McCarthy of Variety felt Adamson's direction had a "surer sense of cinematic values" and praised the improved special effects, the "timeless" locations and production design. On the performances, he felt "the four kids overall have more character and are therefore more interesting to watch than they were before, and Italian actor Castellitto registers strongly with evil that's implacable but not overplayed."[101] Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter noted the film was darker than its predecessor, with "the loss of innocence theme [...] significantly deepened". He highlighted Peter Dinklage's performance, which "outmaneuver[ed] the title character as Narnia's most colorful new inhabitant";.[102]
A number of critics took issue with what they interpreted as the film's underlying messages. San Francisco Chronicle critic Mick Lasalle wrote in his parental advisory that "basically, this is a movie about kids who go into another world and dimension and spend the whole time killing people."[103] MSNBC reviewer Alonso Duralde noted that "all the heroes have British accents while the Telmarines are all decidedly Mediterranean in appearance and inflection".[104] An Anglican Journal review described the movie as reasonably faithful to the adventure elements of the book, much lighter on the religious faith aspects, which they found integral to the novel, and deficient on character and emotion.[105]
The Visual Effects Society nominated it for Best Visual Effects and Best Compositing.[106] It was nominated for Best Fantasy Film, Best Costumes, Best Make-up, and Best Special Effects at the Saturn Awards.[107] Keynes and Henley received nominations at the Young Artist Awards.[108]
In 2010, Mark Johnson, a producer from all of the Narnia movies, admitted that "We made some mistakes with Prince Caspian and I don't want to make them again." He also said Caspian lacked some of the "wonder and magic of Narnia," was "a little bit too rough" for families, and too much of a "boys' action movie."[109]
Box office[edit]
When released on May 16 in the United States and Canada, the film grossed $55 million from 8,400 screens at 3,929 theaters in its opening weekend, ranking #1 at the box office.[110] Disney said it was happy with the film's performance, although the opening fell short of industry expectations of $80 million and was also behind The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe's opening gross of $65.6 million.[111] By June 1 it grossed $115 million, while the first film had grossed $153 million in the same amount of time.[112] Disney CEO Robert Iger attributed the film's underperformance to being released between two of the year's biggest hits, Iron Man and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.[87][113]
On May 16, the film also opened at number one in twelve other countries,[111] grossing $22.1 million, and bringing the worldwide opening total to about $77 million.[114] The film opened in Russia with $6.7 million, the biggest opening of the year; it earned $6.3 million (15% more than the first) in Mexico; $4 million in South Korea, making it in the third most successful Disney film there; $2 million from India, which was triple the gross of the first; and it earned $1.1 million in Malaysia, making it the country's third most popular Disney film after the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels.[115] The film also opened with $1 million in Argentina on June 13, which was Disney's third biggest opening in the country and the biggest of 2008 at that time.[116] Prince Caspian made $141,621,490 in the United States and Canada while the worldwide total stands at $419,651,413. The movie was the tenth highest-grossing film of 2008 worldwide,[117] and was Disney's second highest-grossing film of 2008 after WALL-E.[1]
Accolades[edit]

Year
Award
Category/Recipient
Result
Reference
2008 MTV Movie Awards Best Summer Movie So Far Nominated
[118]

Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Action Adventure Won
Choice Movie Breakout Male (Ben Barnes) Nominated
National Movie Awards Best Family Film Nominated
Best Performance – Male (Ben Barnes) Nominated
2009 People's Choice Awards Favorite Family Movie Nominated
Costume Designers Guild Awards Excellence in Costume Design for Film – Fantasy Nominated
Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in a Foreign Feature Film Nominated
Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture Nominated
Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture Nominated
Young Artist Award Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Ensemble Cast (Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell) Nominated
Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress (Georgie Henley) Nominated
Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actor (Skandar Keynes) Nominated
Taurus World Stunt Awards Best Fight Nominated
BMI Film & TV Awards BMI Film Music Award Won
MTV Movie Awards Breakthrough Male Performance (Ben Barnes) Nominated
Saturn Award Best Fantasy Film Nominated
Best Costume Nominated
Best Make-Up Nominated
Best Visual Effects Nominated
Home release[edit]
Prince Caspian was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in the UK on 17 November 2008, and on 2 December 2008 in North America. It was the top selling DVD of its release week in the U.S.[119] taking in $54.7 million.[120] The film was released in Australia on 27 November 2008. There were one-disc and three-disc DVD editions (two-disc only in the UK), and two-disc and three-disc Blu-ray Disc editions (two-disc only in the UK). The first two discs contain an audio commentary by Adamson, blooper reel, deleted scenes and documentaries, while the third disc contains a digital copy of the film.[121] For the Blu-ray Disc, Circle-Vision 360° was used to allow viewers to watch the night raid from different angles.[122] An additional disc of special features was only made available in Japan and Zavvi stores in the UK, while a separate version containing a disc of electronic press kit material was exclusive to Sanity stores in Australia.[123] By the end of 2008, the film earned almost $71 million in DVD sales.[124] As of 2012, the studio was unable to achieve enough money to create an extended edition of the theatrical release for Prince Caspian.
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External links[edit]

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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

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This article is about the film. For the novel, see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

The Chronicles of Narnia:
 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The voyage of the dawn treader poster.jpg
Theatrical poster
 
Directed by
Michael Apted
Produced by
Mark Johnson
Andrew Adamson
 Philip Steuer
Screenplay by
Christopher Markus
Stephen McFeely
Michael Petroni
Based on
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
 by C. S. Lewis
Starring
Georgie Henley
Skandar Keynes
Will Poulter
Ben Barnes
Liam Neeson
Simon Pegg
Tilda Swinton
Music by
David Arnold
Cinematography
Dante Spinotti
Editing by
Rick Shaine
Studio
Walden Media
Dune Entertainment
Distributed by
20th Century Fox
Release date(s)
November 30, 2010 (Royal Film Performance)
December 9, 2010 (United Kingdom)
December 10, 2010 (United States)
 
Running time
115 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
 United States
Language
English
Budget
$140[1]–155[2][3] million
Box office
$415,686,217[3]
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a 2010 fantasy-adventure film based on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third novel in C. S. Lewis's epic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia (and fifth in internal chronological order). It is the third installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media. Unlike the first two films, which were distributed by The Walt Disney Company, this was distributed by 20th Century Fox and the first and so far only film in the series to be released in Digital 3D.
The film is set three Narnian years after the events of Prince Caspian. The two youngest Pevensie siblings, Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley), are transported back to Narnia along with their cousin Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter). They join the new king of Narnia, Caspian (Ben Barnes), in his quest to rescue seven lost lords and to save Narnia from a corrupting evil that resides on a dark island. Each character is tested as they journey to the home of the great lion Aslan at the far end of the world.
Development on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader began in 2007, while Prince Caspian was still in production. Filming was supposed to take place in Malta, Czech Republic and Iceland in 2008 with Michael Apted as its new director, for a planned release in 2009. But production was halted after a budgetary dispute between Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures concerning Prince Caspian's performance at the box office, resulting in Disney's departing the production and being replaced by 20th Century Fox. Filming later took place in Australia and New Zealand in 2009 and was converted into 3D in 2010. It was released in traditional 2D, RealD 3D, and Digital 3D, and a limited release in 4D.[4][5] The screenplay based on the novel by C. S. Lewis was written by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus.
The film premiered on November 30, 2010, at a Royal Film Performance in London[6] and was released worldwide on December 10, 2010 and was commercially successful but met with mixed reviews praising the performances and visual effects but criticizing the script and pace. The film received moderate success in North America with a gross of $104 million, which was lower than its predecessors. However, it fared better than Prince Caspian internationally with $310 million. The film was the 12th highest-grossing film of 2010 worldwide with nearly $415 million and received a nomination at the 68th Golden Globe Awards. It then became 20th Century Fox's highest-grossing film in 2010.[7] The Magician's Nephew was to be the fourth entry to the series,[8][9] but in Fall 2011 Walden Media's contract with the C. S. Lewis estate expired, which placed the possibility of another film on indefinite hold.[10][11] However, on October 1, 2013, The C.S. Lewis Company announced that they have entered into an agreement with The Mark Gordon Company to jointly develop and produce the fourth film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair.[12]

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Cast 2.1 Pevensies and Scrubbs
2.2 Dawn Treader crew
2.3 Narnians
2.4 Cameos
3 Production 3.1 Development
3.2 Writing
3.3 Filming
3.4 Effects 3.4.1 Conversion to 3D
3.5 Music
4 Marketing 4.1 Promotions
4.2 Books
4.3 Games
5 Release 5.1 Critical reception
5.2 Commercial analysis
5.3 Box office performance
5.4 Accolades
5.5 Home media 5.5.1 Collector's Edition and Blu-ray 3D

6 Sequel
7 References
8 External links
Plot[edit]
Three Narnian years after the events of Prince Caspian, Lucy and Edmund Pevensie are staying with their irritating bookworm cousin Eustace Scrubb until the war is over. Edmund is still too young to enlist in His Majesty's Armed Forces, much to his chagrin; he then tries to enlist using his older sister Alberta's identity card as his, saying that "Alberta" on it was an error for "Albert A.", but that trick does not work. At their cousin's home a magical painting of a ship on the ocean transports Lucy, Edmund and Eustace into an ocean in Narnia.
They are rescued by the Dawn Treader. Caspian invites them on a voyage to rescue the seven Lords of Narnia whom his uncle Miraz banished. In the Lone Islands, where people are sold as slaves, Caspian and Edmund are captured and imprisoned while Lucy and Eustace are sold as slaves. Caspian meets one of the lost lords, who reveals that the slaves are not sold, but sacrificed to a mysterious green mist. The crew of the Dawn Treader then rescue the four. The lord, who becomes the new governor, gives Caspian a sword, one of seven originally given to each of the lords by Aslan.
At another island, Lucy is abducted by invisible Dufflepuds who force her to enter the manor of the magician Coriakin to find a visibility spell. Coriakin encourages the crew to defeat the mist by laying the lords' seven swords at Aslan's Table on Ramandu's island, but warns them that they are all about to be tested. Lucy recites a beauty incantation she found, and enters a dream in which she has transformed into Susan, and neither Lucy nor Narnia exist. Aslan chides Lucy for her self-doubt, explaining that her siblings only know of Narnia because of her.
Another sword is recovered from a magical pool that turns anything that touches it (including one of the lost lords) into gold. Meanwhile, Eustace discovers and steals from a rock pit full of treasure. While Edmund and Caspian look for Eustace, they discover the remains of another of the lords and recover his sword. A dragon approaches and is driven away from the Dawn Treader. The dragon is Eustace, transformed by the enchanted treasure after succumbing to its temptations. Reepicheep befriends Eustace, and Eustace is touched by the mouse's kindness. He has a change of heart and becomes a valued asset to the crew.
The crew arrive at Aslan's Table to find three lost lords sleeping. As they place the swords on the table they realize one is still missing. A star descends from the sky and transforms into Lilliandil, a beautiful woman who guides them to the Dark Island, lair of the mist, where they discover the last surviving Lord. Edmund's fear manifests itself as a monstrous sea serpent that attacks the ship. Eustace fights the serpent, but the panicked lord wounds him with the last sword, causing him to fly away with the sword impaled in his side. He encounters Aslan, who transforms him back into a boy, removes the sword from his body and sends him to Ramandu's island with it. As the crew continues to fight the serpent, the mist tries to distract Edmund by appearing as Jadis, the White Witch. Eustace reaches the table, but the mist tries to stop him from putting the sword on the table with the others. Ultimately, he overcomes the mist and succeeds, allowing the swords to unleash their magic and bestow Edmund's own sword with the power to slay the sea serpent, the death of which awakens the three sleeping lords, destroys the mist and Dark Island and liberates the sacrificed slaves.
Eustace rejoins Lucy, Edmund, Caspian and Reepicheep, and they sail to a mysterious shore before a massive wave. Aslan appears and tells them that his country lies beyond, although if they go there they may never return. Caspian refuses, knowing that he has more duties to do as king, but Reepicheep is determined to enter, and Aslan blesses him before he paddles beyond the wave. Aslan opens a portal to send Lucy, Edmund and Eustace home, but informs Lucy and Edmund they have grown up and can never return to Narnia. Aslan encourages them to know him in their world by another name, and tells a reformed Eustace that he may return. The three enter the portal and are returned to the bedroom. Eustace hears his mother announcing a visitor, Jill Pole. The three leave the room, stopping to look back at the painting, which shows the Dawn Treader sailing out of sight behind the waves.
Cast[edit]
See also: List of Chronicles of Narnia cast members
Pevensies and Scrubbs[edit]
Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie: Lucy is the youngest of the Pevensie children. A Queen of Narnia who first discovered the world of Narnia during the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, she comes back to Narnia to save it from a threatening evil while her faith is being tested along the way. Henley feels that Lucy's desire to be more beautiful than her sister Susan represents the dilemma of modern teenage girls on beauty and image.[13]
Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie: Edmund is the second-youngest of the Pevensie children and a King of Narnia. He is more matured after the events of Prince Caspian, and he takes good care of his younger sister and cousin while they embark on a voyage to defeat the enemy. On his last journey, his hunger for more power against Caspian and the White Witch is being tested.[13]
Will Poulter as Eustace Scrubb: Eustace is the Pevensie children's annoying cousin who gets transported to Narnia for the first time. At first, he irritates everyone with his bad attitude, but he dramatically changes after he is cursed and becomes a dragon. With the support of his cousins and the warrior mouse Reepicheep, Eustace becomes a more generous and cooperative soul. He uses his dragon form to good advantage first when the Dawn Treader is caught in magically induced doldrums by towing the ship and later attacking the sea serpent, earning the crew's respect.[13]
Dawn Treader crew[edit]
Ben Barnes as King Caspian: Caspian was raised as a Telmarine prince and was helped by the Pevensie children to ascend to the throne as the new King of Narnia during the events of Prince Caspian. As the King of Narnia, he has grown into a wise young man and embarks on a voyage to seek the seven lost lords of Narnia and to defeat an enemy who threatens to corrupt it. Along the way, his faith is tested when he is tempted by the green mist of Dark Island, which appears to him as his greatest fear - his father feeling nothing but disappointment in him. Also on the voyage, Caspian finds a new love interest when he meets Lilliandil on Ramandu's Island and is instantly smitten with her.[13]
Simon Pegg as the voice of Reepicheep: Reepicheep is the valiant swashbuckling mouse who aided Caspian and the Pevensie children during the events of Prince Caspian. He joins Caspian in the voyage on the Dawn Treader because he is aware that his time is at an end; he must seek the unseen Aslan's Country as his last voyage. Pegg replaced Eddie Izzard because director Michael Apted thought that his voice is more mature and serious compared to Izzard's.[13][14]
Gary Sweet as Lord Drinian: Drinian is the captain of the Dawn Treader and Caspian's best friend. He is a very cautious and protective captain, and is somewhat superstitious about stories of sea serpents.[13]
Shane Rangi as Tavros the Minotaur: Rangi also played Asterius the Minotaur in Prince Caspian and General Otmin in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.[13]
Morgan Evans as Randy the Faun[13]
Steven Rooke as Nausus the Faun[13]
Tony Nixon as 1st Mate (Rynelf)[13]
Narnians[edit]
Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan: Aslan is a great lion and the highest of all the Kings of Narnia. He tests everyone's faith as they embark on a voyage to defeat evil and to seek his country in the ends of the world. He later guides Reepicheep to his own country.[13]
Laura Brent as Lilliandil: Lilliandil is the daughter of the retired star, Ramandu and the Blue Star that shines over Ramandu's Island; the crew on the Dawn Treader follow her position in the sky to reach the island. She aides the crew in destroying the evil of Dark Island and is also Caspian's love interest. The name of Ramandu's Daughter is not mentioned in the novel, so producer Douglas Gresham coined the name "Lilliandil".[15]
Bille Brown as Coriakin: Coriakin is a wizard and a retired star who guides the Dufflepuds to wisdom. He reveals to the crew the evil that threatens to corrupt Narnia and warns them that each one of them will be tested in their faith by Aslan.
Terry Norris as Lord Bern: Bern is one of the Lost Lords of Narnia who settled on the Lone Islands. He later succeeds as its new Governor.[13]
Bruce Spence as Lord Rhoop: Rhoop of the Lost Lords of Narnia. He gets trapped on the Dark Island.[13]
Arabella Morton as Gael: Gael is a Lone Islander whose mother was sacrificed to the green mist. She later sneaks on board the Dawn Treader to follow her father, (Rhince, played by Arthur Angel) who also joins the Dawn Treader crew to look for his wife. She is good friends with Lucy and sees her as her heroine, as Lucy acts much like a big sister to her.
Nathaniel Parker as Caspian IX: The late father of Caspian X, who was murdered by his brother Miraz shortly after his son's birth. The green mist of Dark Island appears to Caspian as his father, telling him that he is ashamed to call him his son.
David Vallon as Governor Gumpas[13]
Michael Foster as Gumpas's money collector[13]
Roy Billing as Chief Dufflepud[16]
Cameos[edit]
William Moseley as Peter Pevensie: Peter is the oldest of the Pevensie children, who was crowned as the High King of Narnia during the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He was too old to experience the wonders of Narnia after the events of Prince Caspian.[17]
Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie: Susan is the second-oldest of the Pevensie children and a Queen of Narnia. She was too old to visit Narnia a third time along with her older brother Peter. She went to America with her parents, leaving her younger siblings to spend a not so fun holiday with their cousin Eustace.[17]
Tilda Swinton as Jadis, the White Witch:[17] The White Witch is a former queen of Charn and a witch who ruled Narnia after the events of The Magician's Nephew and during the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Edmund's memories of her are revived by the mist to torment him in his test to defeat temptation.
Douglas Gresham as a slave buyer: Douglas Gresham is the step son of C. S. Lewis and has made cameo appearances in all three Narnia films all of which he produced.
Laura Brent as Liliandil, the daughter of Ramandu. She instructs the travellers of Narnia to head to Dark Island where they would find the seventh and last sword.
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Michael Apted took over as the film's director from Andrew Adamson, who opted to produce, with Mark Johnson, Perry Moore, and Douglas Gresham. Steven Knight wrote the script following a draft by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Richard Taylor, Isis Mussenden, and Howard Berger continued their roles working on the production design and practical effects, while visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel, composer David Arnold, and cinematographer Dante Spinotti are newcomers to the series.[18] The film was officially budgeted at $140 million,[1] although some estimates put the cost at $155 million.[2][3]

 

 The Dawn Treader as featured in the film
When Apted signed on to direct The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in June 2007, filming was set to begin in January 2008 for a May 1, 2009 release date.[19] Shooting would have begun in Malta, and then moved to Prague and Iceland.[20] A few months later, Disney announced that "in consideration of the challenging schedules for [its] young actors", they were delaying the release date to May 7, 2010,[21] and filming was moved to October 2008.[22] Johnson rescheduled the shoot to Playas de Rosarito, Baja California (Mexico), where two-thirds of the film would be shot at the water tank that was used for Titanic and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.[23] Filming was also scheduled for Australia.[24] Disney and Walden eventually grew concerned over safety in Mexico, and Australian officials at Warner Roadshow Studios in Queensland offered to become the project's base for the whole shoot.[25]
Disney announced on December 24, 2008, that it would no longer co-produce the film. Disney and Walden disputed over the budget after the box office performance of Prince Caspian grossed far less than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Disney wanted to limit it to $100 million, whereas Walden wanted a $140 million budget, of which Disney would only need to provide half.[26] Another reason why Disney opted not to produce the film was because they feared the budget would only grow during filming and post-production. The Los Angeles Times also reported "creative differences" led to the split.[27] Times columnist Mary McNamara noted that Disney leaving the series could be a mistake, because Voyage is the most popular Narnia book, while Caspian was the series' least popular and did not create the anticipation surrounding the first film.[28] Walden had to find a new distributor for the film. Several other studios, including Sony's Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox were in negotiations to distribute the film, although several markets already predicted that Fox would take over.[29]
It was announced in January 2009 that 20th Century Fox would replace Walt Disney Pictures as the distributor while Disney would still retain the rights for the first two. Fox had pursued the Narnia film rights in 2001 and distributed various other Walden projects. Producer Mark Johnson admitted that "we made some mistakes with Prince Caspian and I don't want to make them again." He said it was "very important" that filmmakers regain the magic for Dawn Treader.[30]
Writing[edit]
Michael Petroni was hired to rewrite the script with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely,[31] following a draft written by Richard LaGravenese and Steven Knight.[32][33] The previous two films have been described as remaining more faithful to the original stories than the third installment.[34] Apted noted the episodic and disconnected nature of the story would need to be revised for a film version, such as the material involving the Dark Island, the Sea Serpent, and Eustace. They even discussed combining The Voyage of the Dawn Treader with The Silver Chair, much as the BBC combined Dawn Treader and Prince Caspian in its television serial. As a result, some elements were borrowed from The Silver Chair, where Narnians are held hostage and rescued. The author's estate did not initially receive the change well, but it gained favor after review.[32]
Eustace has a greater role as a dragon in the film such as not only allowed to proceed with the ship to the next islands in that state, but also proves a valuable asset for the crew for the remainder of the voyage. This is so he could take a major part in the action and not merely do expedition work duty as in the book. The book's stream of consciousness description about Eustace gradually realizing that he had become a dragon while sleeping is effective as text, but it could not easily be translated onto film. Further, a noted passage from the book where Aslan peels Eustace's dragon skin off in layers is not used.[34] Walden President Micheal Flaherty remarked about it that "people don't earn grace; they receive it once they are humbled and aware of their need."[32][35] The old dragon which Eustace finds, and sees it die of old age, in the valley in the book, is not used in the film.
Filming[edit]
Ernie Malik, a unit publicist for the film, confirmed[36] that filming began on July 27, 2009, on location in Queensland, Australia.[37] Filming took place at Village Roadshow Studios in August and September 2009, with filming of exterior shots on board the ship at Cleveland Point and the Gold Coast Seaway in September 2009. Apted stated that fellow directors Gore Verbinski and Peter Weir recommended him not to shoot on water, so they built a giant Dawn Treader on a gimbal at, which allowed it to rock and shift as if on the high seas. At the extreme end of the town's peninsula, jutting into Moreton Bay, the 145-tonne (160-ton) boat could be rotated through 360 degrees to keep the sun angles consistent.[38] Additional shots were taken at the Southport School, also located on the Gold Coast.[39] It was also filmed at White Island in New Zealand.[40]
Effects[edit]

 

 The two stages of animating the King's College Gatehouse in Cambridge University
There are 1,400 special effects shots that were made for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,[41] more than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe's 800 and fewer than Prince Caspian's 1,500 shots. Angus Bickerton served as the lead visual effects supervisor of the film while Jim Rygiel, who supervised the effects on The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, worked as the senior visual effects supervisor.[42] British visual effects companies the Moving Picture Company, Framestore CFC, and The Senate VFX were hired to create the visual effects alongside Cinesite and The Mill.[43] Moving Picture worked on the dragon Eustace and the Dawn Treader. They say the dragon is "amongst the most heroic characters ever created, and is scheduled to be featured in around 200 shots of the movie." They also revised Reepicheep from the previous film by saturating his color, giving him bushier eyebrows and ear hair, and made his whiskers a little more wiry just to give him a sense of age. Framestore also revised Aslan, changing his color palette to be a more realistic lion than a golden lion and adding a darker mane; they also created 16 different dufflepuds to replace Jonathan Fawkner and Angus Bickerton running around first as dufflepuds on the set; The Senate worked on the opening shot of King's College, Cambridge, as well as the star effect on Liliandil at Ramandu's Island; Cinesite worked on the Dark Island, and Fugitive Studios did the end titles and credits, which featured original drawings created by Pauline Baynes for the Narnia books.[42] These illustrations were included because the film's creators wanted the credits to have visual interest, and also because they wished to include an acknowledgement to Pauline Baynes, who died in August 2008.[44]
Conversion to 3D[edit]


"Well, the thing about us is that we have a long time. We decided in February [2010] to make Dawn Treader a 3D movie, so we had nine months to do it. Some of these other films put 3D in very quickly. I believe something like Clash of the Titans had about eight weeks. So we have had time to think about it, so it hasn't been a rush. I think we'll get very good value out of it. They won't see anything cheap or nasty. Rest assured on that."
 —Michael Apted defending the film's conversion to 3D after a series of media criticism of 3D conversions of films released in 2010,[45][46]
After the success of the 3D release of Avatar, 20th Century Fox announced on February 2010 that The Voyage of the Dawn Treader would be released in Digital 3D and RealD 3D formats; it is the first Narnia film to have a 3D release. Walden had previous experience creating 3D films, having released James Cameron's documentaries Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep, as well as Journey to the Center of the Earth with New Line Cinema. The filmmakers initially discussed shooting the film in 3D during principal photography but later decided to shoot in two-dimensional cameras to save on costs. Prime Focus Group was hired in June 2010 to convert the film to 3D during post-production. Film director Joe Dante remarked that Apted was at first skeptical about the conversion, stating "If I was gonna do a 3D movie, I would have done it differently." Later, he remarked that he was excited after seeing progress during the conversion. Dawn Treader was his first 3D film.[47] Johnson later said that the reason for the film's 3D release was to help Dawn Treader at the box office, where it would be in competition with films such as Tangled, Tron: Legacy, and Yogi Bear which were released in 3D.[48]
Music[edit]
Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (soundtrack)
Composer David Arnold scored the film, with themes composed by Harry Gregson-Williams (who scored the first two films). It was the Arnold's fourth collaboration with Apted, after The World Is Not Enough, Enough, and Amazing Grace. Arnold worked with Paul Apted in editing the score, which he said was "going to be epic."[49] The scoring sessions took place during September and work was completed on October 8, 2010. An original song, "There's A Place for Us" written by Carrie Underwood, David Hodges, and Hillary Lindsey, and recorded by Carrie Underwood, was released on November 16, 2010 exclusively on iTunes.[50][51][52][53] It was released on December 7, 2010 by Sony Masterworks.[citation needed] Covers of the song have recorded by various singers around the world.[citation needed]
Marketing[edit]
Promotions[edit]
In addition to its production budget, Fox and Walden spent around $100 million to promote the film around the world.[54] In late November 2009, three still pictures from the film were released on the social networking site Facebook.[55] In February 2010, Narnia.com, the official domain, returned after a nine-month hiatus, bringing exclusive reports from the set. The full site, with the first trailer, information on the film's story and cast, and other content, opened on June 17, 2010.[56] The film's first promotional banner was presented at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, which was followed by a teaser poster in May 2010.[57] A Christian Narnia conference was held from June 3–6, 2010, at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. Director Michael Apted and some of the producers gave exclusive commentary on and first looks at the film, including a 5-minute "super trailer". Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse program promoted an international relief campaign entitled Operation Narnia to donate relief goods to children around the world from July to December 2010.[58]
The historic caravel ship The Matthew was transformed into a replica of The Dawn Treader to promote the film.[59] It sailed from the Atlantic Ocean to the English Channel on August 2010. National Geographic Channel and Fox conducted a series of contests in Europe for people who want to visit the ship for three days.[60] The National Maritime Museum in Cornwall made the ship available to the public on August 28 to August 30, 2010.[61]


"It's a story that has English roots but its relatable to every child on the planet because its about growing up, finding yourself, coming to terms with yourself and knowing what your values are."
—Michael Apted on the heart of the film[45][46]
IGN said that the film "was far more reminiscent of the vibrant and optimistic The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe than of its dark and violent sequel, Prince Caspian".[62] UGO said that "Narnia's gone back to the magic" and remarked that "sailing the high seas looks fun!"[63]
The first official trailer for the film was released online on June 17, 2010. The trailer was attached to the theatrical release of Toy Story 3 on June 18, 2010. and then attached to Alpha and Omega on September 17, 2010.[64] 20th Century Fox released the trailer on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid DVD release. An international poster and trailer for the film was shown on October 7, 2010. A third trailer was released November 9, 2010.[65] To promote the film's release, American television networks ABC and Disney Channel broadcast The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe on December 11, 13, and 14. Cable network Syfy screened Prince Caspian on December 12 and 13.
Books[edit]
HarperCollins published new editions of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Chronicles of Narnia on October 26, 2010, with new images of the film. Harper published a new edition of The Chronicles of Narnia, commemorating the 60th anniversary of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and released it the same day.[66][67] A movie storybook and several other tie-in books were released by HarperChildrens, Walden Pond Press, and Zondervan to promote the film.[68] On November 12, 2010, HarperCollins released an enhanced multimedia e-book of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader for several platforms including iPad and Android.[69][70][71]
Group Publishing released three previews from the film and included it in their vacation Bible school resource kit called Fun for the Whole Family Hour on August 19, 2010.[72] Grace Hill Media released a resource tool entitled Narnia Faith for ministers and pastors on October 12, 2010.[73]
Games[edit]
Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (video game)
Nihilistic Software and Disney Interactive Studios was supposed to develop a video game based on the film for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii when Disney was still involved in the project. But when Fox took over the production, Nihilistic sought out negotiations with Fox Digital Entertainment division. They failed to agree on a settlement, which resulted in the cancellation of the video game.[74] Fox Digital Entertainment later collaborated with Gameloft to produce a mobile game for iPhone and iPod Touch which was released on November 18, 2010.[75]
Release[edit]
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader held its world premiere on November 30, 2010 in London at the Royal Film Performance in Leicester Square. It was the first time the Royal Film Performance was screened in Digital 3D and the second time a Narnia film premiered at the event, the first being The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in 2005.[6] The premiere was attended by various personalities, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.[76][77] It was given a pre-release gala on December 8 in Knoxville, Tennessee followed by a North American premiere in Louisville, Kentucky on December 9, 2010.[78] The film was originally set to have a May 2009 release date when Disney was still producing it.[19] But was later delayed when Disney pulled itself and Fox helmed the production. Fox later announced a December 2010 release date because it felt that Narnia will do better during the holidays. It had its major release in Digital 3D, RealD 3D, and 2D formats in Asia and Australia on December 2, 2010 and in North America and Europe on December 10, 2010.[79]
Critical reception[edit]
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was met with mixed reviews from critics. Film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 49% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on a sample of 153 reviews, with a rating average of 5.7 out of 10.[80] The consensus was: "Its leisurely, businesslike pace won't win the franchise many new fans, but Voyage of the Dawn Treader restores some of the Narnia franchise's lost luster with strong performances and impressive special effects." On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating from film critics, the film has a rating score of 53% based on 33 reviews.[81] CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend revealed the average grade cinemagoers gave the film an A- on an A+ to F scale.[82]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film and gave it three stars out of four, saying "This is a rip-snorting adventure fantasy for families, especially the younger members who are not insistent on continuity."[83] Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel gave it a three stars out of four; he remarked it is "a worthy challenger to the far more popular Harry Potter pictures".[84] The Guardian gave the film a positive review. They stated that the film "arrives with confidence and bravado intact. ... and arguably the most Tolkien-esque of the Narnia books".[85] IGN was positive, stating "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a solid sequel that might even surpass the first entry as the best in the series for some fans. It also bodes well for the future of this once iffy franchise." [86] Several film critics have praised Apted's direction in character development and Poulter's performance as Eustace. Among them, Arizona Republic's Kerry Lengel said, "the best thing about the film is neither the top-notch CGI nor the shallow moral lessons but the performance of Georgie Henley as Lucy as well as the performance of her and Edmund's insufferable cousin Eustace Scrubb." [87] Luke Y. Thompson from E! Online praised the performances, stating "Henley and Keynes are charming as ever, and Poulter's turn as Eustace injects a welcome note of comedic cynicism into the sea of sentimentality. Simon Pegg ably succeeds Eddie Izzard as mouse warrior Reepicheep, Bille Brown's sorcerer Coriakin has a fun performance and a sequence in which Lucy inadvertently wishes her life away is brilliantly disorienting and nightmarish."[88]
Despite the movie adaptation of the book to appeal to the "everyman" and not just to Christian audiences and Lewis fans (with the introduction of the search for the seven swords side plot, the continued reoccurrence of the White Queen, and the larger role for the dragon Eustace), Christian reviewers found much to like about the movie. Key for many was the closing scene with Lucy and Aslan in which Aslan assures a sobbing Lucy "that he's very much in her world, where he has 'another name'. and that "This was the very reason why (Lucy was) brought to Narnia, that by knowing (Aslan) here for a little, (she) may know (him) better there." This was in direct contradiction to the first two Narnia movies in which Christian reviewers felt that the director failed to grasp and accurately reproduce key sections and overriding themes from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian.[89][90]
Commercial analysis[edit]
Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo stated that "There certainly will be an audience for this picture, I just don't think it is going to restore the franchise to its former glory." He added that the film would be considered a relative success if it made anything close to Prince Caspian's box office numbers, which would increase the likelihood of further Narnia films.[91]


"They got a little careless by taking the faith group for granted — and by neglecting it paid the price. We realized we can't make the same mistake. We've got to sell the film to everybody."
—Michael Apted on focusing The Voyage of the Dawn Treader to the Christian audiences[92]
Mark Johnson, the producer of the Narnia films, later remarked that Prince Caspian "had strayed from its core audience," referring to the Christian and family audience who catapulted The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to the top at the box office. Tom Rothman, co-chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment, remarked, "We think this is a tremendously undervalued asset, we believe there is great life in the franchise." He feels the film is not just a single motion picture, but a re-launch of a movie series that still has long-term potential. He commented that Fox and Walden had engaged in talks about further potential Narnia films, though such discussions were made prior to the opening of Dawn Treader.[54]
Box office performance[edit]
The film grossed $415,686,217 worldwide, including $104,386,950 in North America as well as $311,299,267 in other territories.[3] It is the 12th highest-grossing film worldwide of 2010, as well as Fox's highest-grossing film of that year since, ahead of Knight and Day and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.[7]
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader opened in 3,555 theaters across the United States and Canada on December 10, 2010. On its opening day, the film grossed $8.3 million, which was far lower than the $23.0 million that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe made on its opening day in 2005, and also much lower than Prince Caspian, which had an opening day gross of $19.4 million in 2008.[93] Although The Voyage of the Dawn Treader debuted at #1 at the box office and grossed $24.0 million for its opening weekend, it was far less than the opening weekends of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ($65.6 million) and Prince Caspian ($55.0 million).[94] Despite The Voyage of the Dawn Treader's disappointing opening weekend, Fox believed that word of mouth and the holiday season would help the film hold well.[95] In its second weekend, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader dropped 48%, the smallest second-weekend drop in the franchise, and came in with $12.4 million, in third place to Tron: Legacy and Yogi Bear.[96] During its third weekend, the 2010 Christmas weekend, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader dropped only 24%, the smallest decline among nationwide releases, and grossed $9.5 million.[97] In the 2011 New Year's weekend, the film increased 8% from the previous weekend, grossing $10.3 million.[98] On January 22, 2011, the film's forty-fourth day in theaters, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader became 20th Century Fox's first film to gross $100 million in the United States and Canada since Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel crossed that mark in December 2009. However, it is the slowest Narnia film to reach $100 million in these regions, taking much longer than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (nine days) and Prince Caspian (thirteen days).[99]
Overseas, the film performed better. On its limited opening weekend (Dec. 3-5, 2010) when it opened in only 9 territories (among them some limited releases), it earned $11.9 million ranking 4th for the weekend.[100] On its first weekend of wide release (Dec. 10-12, 2010), it expanded to 58 countries and topped the box office, earning $65.8 million, for an overseas total of $79.8 million. The film's biggest opening market was Russia, where it opened with $10.9 million (the best start for the franchise) including previews. It had the best opening of for a Narnia film in Mexico ($7.1 million including previews) and South Korea ($5.3 million including previews). Its opening in the UK, a mere $3.9 million, was less than half of what Prince Caspian opened with and about a quarter of the first film's UK opening in 2005.[101] However, the film held well throughout the holiday season in the UK, and on the weekend ending January 9, 2011 it outgrossed the £11,653,554 that Prince Caspian made in that region.[102] It made £14,317,168 ($23,650,534) at the UK box office.[103]
On its second weekend, it held to the top spot at the box office, but declined 53% to $31.2 million for an overseas total of $125.2 million.[104] It fell to fifth place on the Christmas weekend ($23.1 million) and on New Year's weekend it went down to sixth place ($19.3 million) for an overseas total of $210.2 million.[105] It eased 5% to $18.4 million from 53 markets on its fifth showing for a fourth place finish. It had a major opening of $6.3 million in China, which was better than Prince Caspian's $3.9 million.[106][107] On its 12th weekend (February 25–27), it surpassed Prince Caspian's foreign gross ($278 million) when it opened in Japan, with a $6.6 million gross, which is behind the first film's opening ($8.9 million) but better than the second film's ($5 million).[108]
Accolades[edit]
On 14 December 2010, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominated The Voyage of the Dawn Treader for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song ("There's a Place for Us") at the 68th Golden Globe Awards.[109][110][111][111][112] It received three nominations at the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards: Best Youth Actor (Will Poulter), Best Live Action Family Film, and Best Original Song.[113] Poulter received a nomination for Young British Performer of the Year at the 2010 London Film Critics Circle Awards.[114] The film also received four nominations at the 37th Saturn Awards. It was awarded the Epiphany Prize as the Most Inspiring Movie of 2010.[115]


Year
Award
Category/Recipient(s)
Result
Reference
2010 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Family Film Nominated
[113]

Best Youth Actor (Will Poulter) Nominated
Best Original Song ("There's a Place for Us") Nominated
2010 London Film Critics Circle Awards Young Performer of the Year (Will Poulter) Nominated
[114]

2010 Art Directors Guild Awards Excellence in Production Design for a Fantasy Feature Film Nominated
[116]

2011 68th Golden Globe Awards Best Original Song ("There's a Place for Us") Nominated
[117]

9th Annual Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture (Reepicheep) Nominated
[118]

People's Choice Awards Favorite 3D Live Action Movie Won
[119]

2011 London Critics Circle Film Awards Young British Performer of the Year (Will Poulter) Nominated
[120]

32nd Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Ensemble Cast (Georgie Henley, Skander Keynes, Will Poulter) Nominated
[121]

19th MovieGuide Faith and Values Awards Most Inspiring Movie Won
[115]

Crystal Dove Seal Award Best Adventure Won
[122]

37th Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Film Nominated
[123]

Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Will Poulter) Nominated
Best Costume Nominated
Best Special Effects Nominated
National Movie Awards Fantasy Nominated
[124]

Performance of the Year (Ben Barnes) Nominated
Performance of the Year (Georgie Henley) Nominated
Home media[edit]
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader on Blu-ray and DVD on April 8, 2011.[125] The release included a single disc DVD, a two-disc DVD double pack, a single disc Blu-ray, and a three-disc Blu-ray with DVD and Digital Copy.[126]
The two-disc DVD double pack will feature an animated short film entitled The Untold adventures of the Dawn Treader, a guide to the Dawn Treader, seven featurettes aired on Fox Movie Channel and 5 minutes of deleted scenes.[127] The three-disc Blu-ray edition will also feature 8 international music videos, a sword game, five Island explorations, two additional short films entitled Portal to Narnia: A Painting Comes to Life & Good vs. Evil: Battle on the Sea, a visual effects progression reel, and a digital copy.[128][129]
Collector's Edition and Blu-ray 3D[edit]
20th Century Fox, have announced that the 3D Blu-ray will be released in the US on August 30, 2011.[130]
Walden Media President Micheal Flaherty stated in an interview that 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment are developing a collector's edition box set DVD and Blu-ray containing the first three films.[131]
Sequel[edit]
On March 22, 2011, it was announced that The Magician's Nephew would be the next film in the series. The C. S. Lewis Estate were in final negotiations to produce it and were yet to confirm a release date and the screenwriter.[132] However, in Fall 2011, Douglas Gresham, a co-producer of the films, said that Walden Media no longer owns the rights to produce another Narnia film. If another film was to be made, it would not be for another three or four years.[10][11] On October 1, 2013, it was announced that the Mark Gordon Company will produce The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, now officially in development as the fourth film in the franchise.[12]
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Mike Collett-White (2010-11-29). "Will Narnia blockbuster sink or sail?". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-12-02. "Mark Johnson, a producer on all three Narnia films, told the Wall Street Journal that the new movie was made for a relatively modest $140 million."
2.^ Jump up to: a b "Company Town: 'Dawn Treader's' foreign appeal". Ben Fritz (L.A. Times). 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader". Box Office Mojo (boxofficemojo.com). 2010-12-19. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
4.Jump up ^ "South Korea to See 'Dawn Treader' in 4D". Narniaweb.com. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
5.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader — Release dates". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
6.^ Jump up to: a b "Voyage of the Dawn Treader film chosen for royal gala". BBC News. 2010-08-16. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
7.^ Jump up to: a b 2010 Yearly Box Office Results. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
8.Jump up ^ Narnia 4 Will Be 'Magician's Nephew,' Not 'Silver Chair'
9.Jump up ^ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Most Inspiring Faith, Family and Values Movie of 2011
10.^ Jump up to: a b Gresham Confirms: Walden’s Contract Expired
11.^ Jump up to: a b Walden Media’s Option for a Fourth Narnia film Expires
12.^ Jump up to: a b Fourth ‘Chronicles Of Narnia’ Movie In Works From Mark Gordon Co Retrieved October 17, 2013
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14.Jump up ^ Tirian. "Simon Pegg Replaces Bill Nighy as the Voice of Reepicheep". NarniaWeb.com. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
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57.Jump up ^ "The First Dawn Treader Movie Poster". NarniaWeb. 2010-05-14. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
58.Jump up ^ "About". Operation Narnia. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
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60.Jump up ^ "Italian Narnia Fans: Win a Trip to Sail on the Dawn Treader". NarniaWeb. 2010-07-12. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
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65.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader-Spectacular trailer". Filmissimo. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
66.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia 60th Anniversary Edition". HarperCollins. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
67.Jump up ^ "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Movie Tie-in Edition". HarperCollins. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
68.Jump up ^ "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Movie Storybook". HarperCollins. 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
69.Jump up ^ Tim Carmody (2010-11-12). "Enhanced Narnia E-Book Has Promise, Restrictions". Wired. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
70.Jump up ^ CNN (2010-11-12). "Narnia's 'Dawn Treader' sails enhanced e-book wave". CNN.com. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
71.Jump up ^ "iBooks: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Enhanced Version)". Apple Inc. 2010-10-26. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
72.Jump up ^ Matthew Reynolds (2010-08-19). "Three New Video Clips from Voyage of the Dawn Treader [Updated]". AslansCountry. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
73.Jump up ^ "Narnia-Inspired Resources for People of Faith". Narnia Faith. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
74.Jump up ^ "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Video Game Has Been Cancelled!". NarniaWeb. 2010-07-12. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
75.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader for Mobile". Gameloft. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
76.Jump up ^ "New Narnia Film Gets Royal Approval". Sky News. 2010-11-30. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
77.Jump up ^ Bull, Sarah (2010-11-30). "Where's the White Witch when you need her? Chronicles Of Narnia stars Georgie Henley and Anna Popplewell brave the snow for Voyage Of The Dawn Treader premiere". London: Daily Mail UK. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
78.Jump up ^ "Dawn Treader to Get Two Premieres in the US — First in Knoxville, TN". NarniaWeb. 2010-11-12. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
79.Jump up ^ Naman Ramachandran (2010-11-14). "'Narnia' to get record release in India". Variety (Reed Business Information). Retrieved 2010-11-27.
80.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
81.Jump up ^ Metacritic (2010-12-09). "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) – Metacritic review". CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
82.Jump up ^ "Company Town". Los Angeles Times.
83.Jump up ^ Roger Ebert (2010-12-09). "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) – RogerEbert.com :: review". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
84.Jump up ^ Roger Moore (2010-12-09). "Movie Review: The Chronicles of Narnia-The Voyage of the Dawn Treader". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
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86.Jump up ^ Jim Vejvoda (2010-12-09). "The Chronicles of Narnia-The Voyage of the Dawn Treader review". IGN. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
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88.Jump up ^ Narnia's The Dawn Treader a Fun Family Adventure on the High Seas
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92.Jump up ^ Brooks Barnes (2010-12-01). "Studios Battle to Save Narnia (From Grip of Sequel Fatigue)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
93.Jump up ^ "Friday Report: Third 'Narnia' Flounders, 'Tourist' Doesn't Sizzle". Boxofficemojo.com. 2010-12-11. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
94.Jump up ^ "'Narnia" cruises to No. 1 debut with modest $24.5M (AP)". Movies.yahoo.com. 2010-12-12. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
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98.Jump up ^ Jan 2 Box office report: 'Little Fockers' wins New Year's weekend with $26.3 mil, 'True Grit' close behind
99.Jump up ^ 'Narnia' Becomes Fox's First $100 Million Movie in 13 Months
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119.Jump up ^ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Wins People's Choice Award for Favourite Live 3D Action Film
120.Jump up ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0980970/awards
121.Jump up ^ http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms32.html
122.Jump up ^ 2010 Crystal Dove Seal Award Winners | The Dove Foundation provides online family movie and video reviews and ratings and awards the Dove Family Approved Seal
123.Jump up ^ 37th Annual Saturn Award Nominations
124.Jump up ^ 2011 National Movie Awards nominations
125.Jump up ^ The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader DVD and Blu-ray set for April
126.Jump up ^ Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader Sails to DVD and Blu-ray
127.Jump up ^ Voyage Of The Dawn Treader Casts Off Into Blu-Ray Waters
128.Jump up ^ Amazon.com: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader [Blu-ray]: Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Michael Apted: Movies & TV
129.Jump up ^ The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Blu-ray Announced
130.Jump up ^ 3D Blu-rays of Rio, Ice Age 3 and The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader Announced
131.Jump up ^ HJ Live! » The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
132.Jump up ^ Weekly Ketchup: Narnia To Continue With The Magican's Nephew - Rotten Tomatoes
External links[edit]

Portal icon Narnia portal
Official website
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at the Internet Movie Database
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at AllRovi
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at Box Office Mojo
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at Rotten Tomatoes
Photographs of the Dawn Treader at the Cleveland Point, Queensland set

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The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)

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The Chronicles of Narnia film series
Narnia Official Logo
Official Logo
 
Directed by
Andrew Adamson (1–2)
Michael Apted (3)
Produced by
Mark Johnson (1–3)
 David Minkowski (1)
 Philip Steuer (1–3)
 Matthew Stillman (1)
Andrew Adamson (2–3)
Douglas Gresham (4)
Mark Gordon (4)
 Vincent Sieber (4)
Written by
Ann Peacock (1)
Andrew Adamson (1–2)
Christopher Markus (1–3)
Stephen McFeely (1–3)
Michael Petroni (3)
Based on
The Chronicles of Narnia
 by C. S. Lewis
Starring
Liam Neeson
Tilda Swinton
Skandar Keynes
Georgie Henley
William Moseley
Anna Popplewell
Ben Barnes
Will Poulter
Music by
Harry Gregson-Williams (1–2)
David Arnold (3)
Cinematography
Donald McAlpine (1)
Karl Walter Lindenlaub (2)
Dante Spinotti (3)
Editing by
Jim May (1)
 Sim Evan-Jones (1–2)
 Josh Campbell (2)
 Rick Shaine (3)
Studio
Walden Media (1–3)
The Mark Gordon Company (4)
Distributed by
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (1–2)
20th Century Fox (3)
Release date(s)
2005–Present
Country
United Kingdom
United States
Czech Republic
Poland
Slovenia
Language
English
Budget
Total (3 films):
 $560 million
Box office
Total (3 films):
 $1,580,364,900
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of fantasy films from Walden Media based on The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of novels written by C. S. Lewis. From the seven novels, there have been three film adaptations so far—The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) which have grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide among them.
The series revolves around the adventures of children in the fictional world of Narnia, guided by Aslan, a wise and powerful lion that can speak and is the true king of Narnia. Most of the children featured in the films are the Pevensie siblings, and a prominent antagonist is the White Witch (sometimes known as Jadis). The first two films were directed by Andrew Adamson and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The third film is the first of the Chronicles to be released in Digital 3D. It was directed by Michael Apted and distributed by 20th Century Fox.[1] On October 1, 2013, The C.S. Lewis Company announced that they have entered into an agreement with The Mark Gordon Company to jointly develop and produce the fourth film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair.[2]
The series is the 25th highest-grossing film series of all time.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Development
2 Films 2.1 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
2.2 Prince Caspian (2008)
2.3 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)
2.4 The Silver Chair
2.5 Future
3 Main cast 3.1 Children
3.2 Other recurring characters
4 Reception 4.1 Box office performance
4.2 Critical reception
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Development[edit]
C. S. Lewis never sold the film rights to the Narnia series, being skeptical that any cinematic adaptation could render the more fantastical elements and characters of the story realistically.[3] Only after seeing a demo reel of CGI animals did Douglas Gresham (Lewis's stepson and literary executor, and film co-producer) give approval for a film adaptation.[citation needed]
Films[edit]
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)[edit]
Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was directed by New Zealander Andrew Adamson and was shot mainly in New Zealand, though locations were used in Poland, the Czech Republic and England.
The story follows four British children who are evacuated during the Blitz to the countryside and find a wardrobe that leads to the fantasy world of Narnia; there, they must ally with the lion Aslan against the forces of the White Witch, who has the world under an eternal winter.
The film was released theatrically starting on December 9, 2005. The film grossed over $745 million worldwide, making it the 44th highest grossing film worldwide of all time.
Prince Caspian (2008)[edit]
Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian was the second adaption to the Chronicles of Narnia franchise. The whole production team from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe returned but also new cast members joined the Narnia team such as Ben Barnes, Peter Dinklage and Eddie Izzard.
The story follows four British children who were transported to Narnia in the previous film returning to Narnia and finding out that over 1300 years have passed and the land has been invaded by Telmarines. The four Pevensie children (William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley) return to aid Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) in his struggle for the throne against his corrupt uncle, King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto).
The film was released on May 16, 2008. It grossed $419 million worldwide and was considered a moderate success. This film was the last in the Narnia film series to be distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)[edit]
Main article: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, based on the novel with the same title, was directed by Michael Apted and was the third official film in the series.
The story follows the two younger Pevensie children as they return to Narnia with their cousin, Eustace. They join the new king of Narnia, Caspian, in his quest to rescue seven lost lords to save Narnia from a corrupting evil that resides on a dark island.[4]
Production was put on hold when Disney chose not to produce the film after a budget dispute with Walden Media, who then negotiated with 20th Century Fox to replace them.[5] Fox officially joined Walden Media on January 28, 2009.[6] It was released on December 10, 2010 in Digital 3D in select theaters, along with its wide 2D release. It grossed over $415 million worldwide.
The Silver Chair[edit]
On October 1, 2013, The C.S. Lewis Company announced that it has entered into an agreement with The Mark Gordon Company to jointly develop and produce The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, following the film series' mirroring of the novel's publication order (in contrast to Walden Media's initial pushing for The Magician's Nephew during planning for a fourth film). Mark Gordon and Douglas Gresham along with Vincent Sieber, the Los Angeles based director of The C.S. Lewis Company, will serve as producers and work with The Mark Gordon Company on developing the script.[2]
Future[edit]
As there are seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia, each book could potentially become a theatrical feature film.[7] Although they originally produced the films in the same order as the book series' original publication, 20th Century Fox, Walden Media, and the C.S Lewis Estate selected The Magician's Nephew, which recounts the creation of Narnia, to be the basis for the fourth movie, instead of The Silver Chair.[8] Shortly before Perry Moore's death in February 2011, he told his family that he had secured funding for such a film. In March 2011, Walden Media confirmed that they intended The Magician's Nephew to be next in the series, but stressed that it was not yet in development.[9]
In October 2011, Douglas Gresham stated that Walden Media's contract with the C. S. Lewis estate had expired, with Walden Media no longer having exclusive purchasing rights to any further Narnia films. Thus any production of a future film is on hold indefinitely.
It was originally assumed that 2014 would be the earliest that production on another Narnia film could begin, according to the moratorium placed on the C. S. Lewis estate's right to sell the books' film option.[10][11][12] However, in May 2012, Gresham confirmed that technically any studio still has the option of making a Narnia film during the moratorium, but without the involvement of Walden Media it cannot be released until 2018 at the earliest (the actual end year of the moratorium).[13] Gresham also hinted that Walden Media's lapse in renegotiating their contract with the C. S. Lewis estate was due to internal conflicts between both companies about the direction of future films.[13] Contrary to Walden Media's initial plan, Gresham stated that he plans for The Silver Chair to be the next film to be made, hinting that future films might be made independently.[13]
On October 1, 2013, The C.S. Lewis Company announced that they have entered into an agreement with The Mark Gordon Company to jointly develop and produce The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, following the film series' mirroring of the novel's publication order (in contrast to Walden Media's initial pushing for The Magician's Nephew during planning for a fourth film). Mark Gordon and Douglas Gresham along with Vincent Sieber, the Los Angeles based director of The C.S. Lewis Company, will serve as producers and work with The Mark Gordon Company on developing the script.[2]
Main cast[edit]
Main article: List of Chronicles of Narnia cast members
Children[edit]
William Moseley as Peter Pevensie, title: King Peter the Magnificent, the eldest Pevensie child and the High King of Narnia.
Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie, title: Queen Susan the Gentle, the elder Pevensie girl and Queen of Narnia.
Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie, title: King Edmund the Just, the younger Pevensie boy and King of Narnia.
Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie, title: Queen Lucy the Valiant, the youngest Pevensie child and Queen of Narnia.
Will Poulter as Eustace Scrubb, the Pevensie children's cousin.
Other recurring characters[edit]
Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan, the magnificent and powerful lion who helps govern Narnia, his own creation. He is the only character to appear in all of the books.
Tilda Swinton as Jadis, the White Witch, the former queen of Charn and a witch who ruled Narnia after the events of The Magician's Nephew and during the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Ben Barnes as Caspian X, the Telmarine prince who becomes King of Narnia after overthrowing his evil uncle Miraz.
Eddie Izzard and later Simon Pegg as the voice of Reepicheep, the noble and courageous mouse who fights for Aslan and the freedom of Narnia. Izzard played the character in Prince Caspian, and Pegg took over the role in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Reception[edit]
Box office performance[edit]

Film
Release date
Box office revenue
Box office ranking
Budget
Reference

US & Canada
Other Countries
Worldwide
All time US & Canada
All time Worldwide
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe December 9, 2005 $291,710,957 $453,302,158 $745,013,115 #48 #49 $180,000,000 [14]
Prince Caspian May 16, 2008 $141,621,490 $278,044,078 $419,665,568 #259 #143 $225,000,000 [15]
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader December 10, 2010 $104,386,950 $311,299,267 $415,686,217 #470 #145 $140,000,000 - $155,000,000 [16]
Total $537,719,397 $1,042,645,503 $1,580,364,900   $545,000,000 - $560,000,000 
Critical reception[edit]
Main article: Critical response to the Chronicles of Narnia films

Film
Rotten Tomatoes
Metacritic
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 76% (210 reviews)[17] 75% (39 reviews)[18]
Prince Caspian 67% (186 reviews)[19] 62% (34 reviews)[20]
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 49% (156 reviews)[21] 53% (33 reviews)[22]
See also[edit]

Portal icon Narnia portal
The Chronicles of Narnia novels: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
Prince Caspian (1951)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
The Silver Chair (1953)
The Horse and His Boy (1954)
The Magician's Nephew (1955)
The Last Battle (1956)
The Chronicles of Narnia video games: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Disney opts out of 3rd 'Narnia' film
2.^ Jump up to: a b c Fourth ‘Chronicles Of Narnia’ Movie In Works From Mark Gordon Co
3.Jump up ^ A general dislike of cinema can be seen in Collected Letters, Vol. 2, a letter to his brother Warren on March 3, 1940, p. 361; see also All My Road Before Me, June 1, 1926, p. 405
4.Jump up ^ Alexonx (November 10, 2010). "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader-Spectacular trailer". filmissimo.it. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
5.Jump up ^ Borys Kit (2008-12-24). "Disney jumps ship on next 'Narnia'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2008-12-24.[dead link]
6.Jump up ^ Emily; Martin, Paul (2009-01-28). "Fox To Pick Up Dawn Treader". NarniaFans.com. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
7.Jump up ^ NarniaWeb — Walden Media Outlines Narnia Series
8.Jump up ^ Moring, Mark (April 7, 2011). "The Lion, the Witch, and the Box Office". Christianity Today. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
9.Jump up ^ 'Narnia': Walden, Fox in discussions on 'The Magician's Nephew'
10.Jump up ^ Gresham Confirms: Walden’s Contract Expired
11.Jump up ^ Walden Media’s Option for a Fourth Narnia film Expires
12.Jump up ^ Narnia 4?
13.^ Jump up to: a b c http://www.narniaweb.com/2012/05/gresham-shares-plans-for-next-narnia-film/
14.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
15.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
16.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
17.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
18.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
19.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
20.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
21.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
22.Jump up ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Internet Movie Database
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian at the Internet Movie Database
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at the Internet Movie Database

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The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

 

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Categories: English-language films
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The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)
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