The “Narnia” franchise will live again.
The Mark Gordon Company and the C.S. Lewis Company are joining forces to produce “The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Silver Chair,” the fourth film in the ongoing fantasy franchise which has bounced around the studio system.
Gordon (“Saving Private Ryan,” “Source Code”) will produce alongside CS Lewis” stepson Douglas Gresham and Vincent Sieber, according to Deadline.
Based on Lewis’ beloved 7-book cycle, “Narnia” was initially set up at Disney, who released “The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe” in 2005 and “Prince Caspian” in 2008, with Andrew Adamson directing. “The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader,” directed by Michael Apted, was released through 20th Century Fox in 2010. Mark Johnson produced all three films, but won;t return for “Silver.”
“Silver Chair” is the first book in the series that doesn’t center around any of the Pevensie children, but does feature Caspian (played by Ben Barnes in the second and third films) and the magical lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson). With “Silver” in development, it may be a while before we hear any casting news.
2010’s “Treader” cost a reported $155 million to produce and grossed just $104 million in the U.S., but fared better overseas. Combined, the first three films earned $1.6 billion worldwide, with “Wardrobe” taking credit for $745 million of the total.
“Like many readers, both young and old, I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis”s beautiful and allegorical world of Narnia,” Gordon said in a release. “These fantasy stories inspire real-world passion among millions of devoted fans around the world. As we prepare to bring the next book to life, we are humbled and excited to contribute to the outstanding legacy of Narnia.”
No release date has yet been set for “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair.”