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

[thelongshot.livejournal.com]

Why don't you just say it was San Diego Comic-con? I mean, it is hardly just a comic book convention anymore, especially after Hollywood took over.

BTW, just saw that you've been posting over at JHM. (At least about DCA) I hope to maybe go there when I go on the October trip. Course, part of the problem is that I'll have the Bear with me, and the wife really has no desire to go to Disneyland.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

'cause i was reading it on one machine and posting it on another so it wasn't a simple cut-n-paste job and i'm a lazy typist (as you can see by my lack of caps and punctuaiton and rare spelling corrections)

what's her beef w/ disney(land)?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Prince Caspian and Dawn Treader are my favorites, so wooo!

On the other hand, I'm really wondering how they're going to handle 1) Reepicheep and 2) the really heavym, unsubtle religious symbolism.

[thelongshot.livejournal.com]

what's her beef w/ disney(land)?

Fake, overly corporate, and a fear of rodents of unusual size. (Yes, that's one of the reasons she gave.) Plus, there are things she'd rather do in California than go to Disneyland. (Course, she has never been to any Disney park, so I don't know how'd she know.)

At worst, I may go while she's in her meetings. My best friend, who just relocated to CA and is actually working for Disney (in the Disney Mobile division) has expressed interest.

For me, I haven't been to Disneyland in 25 years. Considering that we are going to be in the general area, it would be a shame if we didn't go.

[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.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

Prior to 2004 I hadn't been since 1980, so I know the 25 year thing is a huge gap. I had the almost the same gap (1984-2007) for WDW.

Mickey's not a rodent. he may be called "Mickey Mouse" but it is such a cartoon icon that i couldn't possibly associate him with the ROUS's. now, the life-size Remy from Ratatouille that's walking the park and parade?

However, "fake" is not something I would ever call it. see my essay earlier this month on "art" and Disney's Animal Kingdom.

as for "overly corporate": what the hell isn't? :) again, addressed in that essay. is the Smithsonian not run by a corporation? Colonial Williamsburg? the Maryland Renaissance Festival? Bryn Mawr College? :)

IMHO using the word "overly" is just an excuse to create a completely artificial dividing line, a line that doesn't really exist.

[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.