Chronicles of Narnia Comes to the Big Screen

Walden Media has gained the film rights to C.S. Lewis epic series The Chronicles of Narnia. Much like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter this series stays within the realm of fantasy. Since the fantasy genre has really started to pick up studios are taking advantage of the vast literature they can choose from for upcoming films.

Production has started on the first film in the series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and plans to release it in December of 2005. The film is scheduled to start filming next month in New Zealand and casting is taking place right now. The only major role that has been announced as cast is that of the evil White Witch who will be played by Tilda Swinton (there is a picture of her below).

Andrew Adamson, one of the co-directors of Shrek, will direct and Disney will be the main distributor for the project. Special effects will be done by Rhythm & Hues, which currently have Garfield and Around the World in Eighty Days coming out in the next month.

Walden Media essentially holds the rights to all seven Narnia books and plans to adapt them in some form for the big screen. There is no word yet on if it will stay true to each book and have seven movies like LOTR and Harry Potter did.

At E3, Disney also announced that they will produce a game in connection with the film that will be released in the Fall of 2005 just before the film hits the big screen.