Narnia & Disney

[acroyear]

At a comic convention this past weekend (where some plot details for the next Pixar film, Wall-E, were also released), Disney made the announcement that after this winter's Prince Caspian, followed 18 months later by Dawn Treader in May of '09, Disney will complete the Narnia series one a year every May with Last Battle being released in 2013.

I figure they can do this because they generally outsource the effects, and aside from Eustace going from Dawn Treader to Silver Chair, there's very little cast overlap (since there's very little character overlap) so if one film's production runs over, it won't affect production plans for subsequent films.  Now, if post-production runs over...

No future director announcements have been made.  It may even be possible that they'll do this by not having the same director for every film.

Comments

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

in the BBC version, Reepicheep was Warwick ("Flitwick") Davis in a pretty decent mouse costume - Willow with 'tude.

Now, i'm not sure if he'll reprise him in that, considering he's actually going to be Nikabrik in Disney's version of Caspian.

Then again, he was doubled as a Goblin bank teller in Potter I and may do the double role when 7 comes around.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Now, see, I didn't like the people in costumes in the BBC production. Made it come across a little too Christmas panto.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

suit yourself. i took it for what it was and thought it achieved its goals fine.

and to a degree, it was *meant* to be like Christmas panto - that's still considered stylish (or at least, was at the time) in the UK. it's exactly the same holiday semi-silliness that's created 2 (and going on 3) "Christmas Specials" for Dr. Who.

now if they *really* wanted to do it right, and use all the resources they *own*, they should play with a combination of computer animation and Jim Henson Creatureshop puppetry.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

they should play with a combination of computer animation and Jim Henson Creatureshop puppetry

I'm assuming that's exactly what they're going to do in the new movies. With the bar raised by Lord of the Rings, I don't think the general public in America will go for people in animal costumes anymore.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

well, even creature shop creations sometimes need someone inside who can still act. consider Hoggle for Labyrinth, and Marvin (Warwick again) for HHGG.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

An actor, yes, but I'm thinking that they'll do Reepicheep like Gollum was done - pure computer based on the actor's motions.

On the other hand, Aslan was a bit... muppety... in the first one.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

especially when compared to the lion that Henson's people were doing at the same time.