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Disney Officially Dumps Third Chronicles of Narnia Movie

by Alex Billington
December 24, 2008

The truth finally comes out, it just took 9 months to get it! Disney has officially decided to dump The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third movie based on C.S. Lewis' popular series of books. Citing "budgetary and logistical reasons" for their decision, Disney has given up all future rights for any additional sequels. Back in March we first confirmed that Disney was dumping the series after finishing the trilogy (Dawn Treader), which was initially debunked by Disney reps then later re-confirmed by producer Mark Johnson in April. However, it looks like Prince Caspian from this summer hit Disney's bank accounts much harder than expected, as they won't even be finishing the trilogy at all!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe earned an impressive $292 million at the box office in its debut in 2005. The next sequel, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian from May this year, only earned $142 million, much less than they were expecting. Industry analysts have proposed countless reasons for its failure, including a darker storyline set thousands of years beyond The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe amongst other issues surrounding its lack of connection with the Chronicles of Narnia fan-base. Whatever reasons they come up with, it didn't turn out to be the hit they wanted.

Disney had already started pre-production on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, with Michael Apted set to direct and Steven Knight writing the screenplay. It was initially scheduled for release in May of 2010. For those unfamiliar with the books, Dawn Treader would have taken an even greater step out of the Chronicles of Narnia universe that we're familiar with, as most of the story is set on Prince Caspian's ship on the ocean. The two youngest Pevensies travel with Caspian on a quest to find the seven lost Lords of Narnia, as he had previously promised Aslan. Not only does it sound a lot like Pirates of the Caribbean, but it would've been very expensive to pull off, which is obviously not what they wanted to worry about after Prince Caspian.

Although I enjoyed Prince Caspian, this news comes as a relief to me, as it seems this franchise was literally slowly killing itself, and I'm glad to hear that Disney has dumped it before it killed them first. The bad news is that this means Fox might pick up where they left off. Should Dawn Treader still be made?

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Stephen

I just wanted to be the first to say that Disney is pretty damn evil. They have enough power and influence to take over a small country. Of course they will dump anything that does not produce dollar signs. Yes, I know evil is a harsh word, but these are the same people that gave us Britney Spears and other Micky Mouse spawns. If Disney and Oprah ever came together for a global take over it would be over before anyone knew what hit us. Oh well I can’t wait to wait to see what the next Disney cash baby is.

Madi865

I think that another movie should me made I mean not everybody likes Narnia but i'm ok with that but i know a lot of people who are big fans and we really hope that there will be another one where all of them come back now i know a lot of you don't agree with me and i know that a lot of you do but that shouldn't stop them from making a new movie

Theresa Bless

I too hope that someone produces all 7 Chron of Narnia....I am hooked on them and did not even know about them until 5-6 years ago....I'm a 59 yo.

Bilton3

Hi Theresa, my name is Tony from Australia, 60, & like you I hope they/someone completes the film versions of Narnia. I "discovered" them when I was 50 - I guess the time was right- & read all 7 chronicles ------ Absolutely loved them, have really loved the film versions & do so hope they/someone creates all 7 on film.

Scott McHenry

I hear you Stephen But Disney is making a smart choice here. The reason why Prince Caspian failed was that no one had even read it. I know lots of people who really loved the lion, witch, wardrobe book and movie, but no one seemed to know that there was a whole trilogy so the interest was not there. This is a good move by Disney
CSpuppydog

There is a God.

Dlpeeters

you bet cha there's a God and a Son of God, Jesus Christ who loves you and all people,

Anonymous

Guys, I think that Disney is being really clever and stupid at the same time, because if people know its Disney then they might think, 'oh, ok, lets buy it. Disney makes good films.' This way they might make more money. Plus, they're not just making a trilogy. Apparently, according to http://www.narniaweb.com, they are going all the way up to the Last Battle. Besides, I really liked Prince Caspian, and I thought that it was better than The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Anyway, I think that if Disney are going to be as stupid as that, then I don't want anything to do with them. The Chronicles of Narnia are well-loved stories, and are heaps better than the original adaptions by the BBC. So there!

Dlp1756

I agree it is amazing I think that when there's a movie that comes out a family can watch together it gets a bad rating and is likely to be dumped as Narnia was by Disney, but when there is sex, gore, or vampires it gets a A 1 rating. I just hope people wake up, my prayer is that families become families again and movies become family oriantated again I hope they make another Narnia movie, Thank you Lord for movies like this.

Shige

#2 What trilogy are you talking about there were more books than than. The reason why Caspian failed was because it was god damn awful. Bloodless battles, moronic acting from all the kids and moments of absolute wtf.
http://www.theaterhopper.com Tom Brazelton

Can we officially cite this as The End of The Trend? When Disney backs of Narnia, I think that's a pretty powerful message that the fantasy genre spawned from the success of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter has officially run out of gas. Audiences don't have a taste for it anymore. Of course, what do you expect when studios glut the market with crap like The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Golden Compass, Eragon and more? Practically any book series that had a supernatural element was being turned into a movie. I, for one, will be glad to see an end to it.
dan

i have to agree with #5.......the acting was really awful. and it's hard to have engaging battle sequences in a movie from disney.
Stanny

I still don't understand why world-wide box office doesn't matter. Prince Caspian made over $400 Million world-wide. Granted, Lion-Witch-and Wardrobe made over $700 million worldwide, but $400 million is still a nice chunk a change. I know that studios sometime sell the foreign box office to other studios or something, which I have never understood because if you look at the box office of any big action movies the foreign box office is always huge - even so called "bombs" like Troy- $500 Million worldwide.

Dlpeeters

you know it is really greed that keeps these movie CEO's going your right 400 million dollars is a nice chunk of change, but to them it's not enough I am so tired of hearing how that kind of money isn't enough the rich get richer the poor get poorer, get rid of the gore, sex, and horror and bring back stories that every age group can watch.

Black Dynamite

Stephen you trippin, lol. #3 Lmao your right. To me all the C.N. were completely garbage and the 1st pale of garbage was much better than the second. #4 I'm sure C.N. was a better book but movies heck no! Disney made the right move and I suspect the next Narnia movie to go straight to video and to be on the shelf at Blockbuster Video listed as an exclusive like Starship Troopers II, & The Art of War II. #8 It doesn't matter if it made $400 million WW because the disappointment has set in and set in so deep that a 3rd film world surely flop more than a fish outta water.
Chris

Narnia failed because Caspian was such a blatant rip off of the Lord of the Rings.

detourgirl

Prince Caspian was published in 1951. Lord of the Rings was not published until 1954. So how exactly can it be a "blatant rip off" as you phrase it.

Dlpeeters

exactlyI agree detourgirl. You need to know what your talking about before you talk Chris

Peloquin

Here Here # 6...I totally agree
darrin

the first one was shit, but the sequel was incredible. part 2 moved fast and i wasn't bored. i won't mind a third.
anon

this seriously upsets me... but surely someone else will pick up on it...
http://www.movielegacy.com Dan Geer

Neither The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or Prince Caspian were bad films. They are very good "Lord of the Rings for kids" movies. I thought they were very good. I think with Prince Caspian, it was a grave error to release the movie in the same month as Iron Man and Indy 4. This past summer, there was practically a new blockbuster coming out every week. Everyone thinks they have to release all the good movies in the summer. That's a load of crap. If Prince Caspian was released in April, September, November or any other month besides the summer time, I think it would've made a lot more money - at least as much as the first film. All the books should be made. Don't start something and not finish it. Disney, you just need to learn to market your films better and release them on dates that won't conflict with other blockbusters.
DinoChow

I hated the Lion, Witch, Wardrobe film...god, it was awful...but Prince Caspian was actually quite good, and this is coming from a lifelong fan of the books. I was interested to see what they did next, but I guess we never will.
KyB

I am really upset at this and I hope Walden gets a good studio who will finish the series out...
Juryduter

Son of a female canine.
Will S.

@1 I just don't understand people who complain when companies do things in order to turn a profit. That's kind of their sole purpose. If Disney doesn't think Dawn Treader will make a profit, then why the hell would they make it? If Harry Potter would make more money in the summer, then why would they release it in the fall? If you have such a problem with corporations, start your own and lose money. Anyway, I was not a fan of these most recent Narnia movies. The books provide such a great opportunity for amazing films. Yet these films seem to gloss over the plot and character development that the books give, and just pump out slightly over-commercialized popcorn fluff. If a new team were to take these on and give them a darker feel, we could have a real hit on our hands.

Mz5827

why do they have to be darker to be better? these are for kids and adults.

janet

I'm not surprised to see them dump it but I am disappointed. They just made bad decisions with it...for example the release date for Caspian was a horrible move and I can't believe they thought it could compete in May. Someone will definitely pick it up and they'll probably kill it.
SmartGuy

Fox should definitely pick it up and make it. Prince Caspian had a huge fanbase, but the movie was incredibly cheesy. If fox can make a serious adaptation of the movie that isn't goofy and cheesy, the Dawn Treader should definately be made and liked by fans, and people new to the books.
mk

"and it's hard to have engaging battle sequences in a movie from disney." What about the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy??
http://www.skonmovies.com/ Sean Kelly

I think Warner Bros would be a better choice for picking up the rights than Fox. Either way, I'm upset that Disney dropped the series, since I really thought Prince Caspian (which I was really reluctant to see) was an improvement from the first.
j money

Good news for diz-nee bad news for the fan-base. If the movie progresses with another studio, I hope they keep the same actors, but look to take that more epic and brooding step further like Potter did.
LW

Those who never watched, 'Prince Caspian' missed out on Anna Popplewell's bewbs. ... for shame.
sorr

i didnt like either narnia movie.. i just cant get attached to watching little kids run around claiming to be something special, when obvioulsy they arent.. and it might only be me, but i didnt real feel any character development either
marc

Maybe they should of kept the same release date as the first one (Dec. release?) rather than trying to make it a summer blockbuster.
rob

I am not a fan of either of these movies but I was interested by this news. All I have to say is that if FOX picks this franchise up, the rest of the movies will be garbage because 20th Century Fox makes terrible movies and ruins adapted stories. I've heard they interfere too much with the direction of the movie, and it has shown in that every movie lately from them has been panned. Max Payne, Australia, Day the earth stood still, Babylon AD, many more.
Jeep-Fu

IF Disney is dumping these movies this is a very bad decision. These movies rock and would have a soild fan base to see (all of) them. Plus the family and Christian groups loved them to death. Both the first and second movies were great. I hope someone else picks this series up and does the rest.
helle

it's funny everybody talks about the trilogy while there were seven books in narnia cycle...
Ajax

Personally, Disney had only themselves to blamebfor the death of CN. I thought it was wrong for them to release it during the summer. I always felt fantasy films are more of a Christmas time of film. Even though I liked the first one, I didn't care to see the second because of Iron Man and Indy 4. I am also upset with the fact of HP 6 being moved to summer. However, I really wanted to see if the other films would be better.
Gale

Goddamn Alex, you just keep on trucking and proving that you have horrible fucking taste in everything. The 2nd Narnia movie was one of the best movies to come out last year, and it, Iron Man, and TDK were pretty much the only enjoyable summer fare. The first was shit, but Caspian was REALLY well done.
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

Gale - I actually REALLY enjoyed Prince Caspian! But I was nervous to mention it in the article because most people did not. I really did not like the first Chronicles of Narnia at all... I thought Prince Caspian was a vast improvement over the first one... so, uh, thanks for the compliment...
Alfredo

Ugh. I also thought Caspian was also a big improvement over the first one, but am sad to see Disney drop the series. I watched it on opening night and thought it would make a good deal of money, tho I was wary of it being darker and kids not liking that. Never thought it would perform so poorly on the box office. Hopefully any studio OTHER than Fox picks it up.
http://www.swish.org.uk/files/u1/condominfo.gif chickachickaboomboom

thank fucking god
Gale

Oh...Well, then. You're welcome. It really was a great movie. I find that most of the disparaging remarks against it are from people who did not bother to see it or just saw the first Narnia (which was terrible.)
BaDGuY

fuckin' children shit is finally over...anyway I DIDN'T care...,bout this Horse Shit........
http://www.swish.org.uk/files/u1/condominfo.gif chickachickaboomboom

#35, I saw both movies in theaters - Okay, fine I guess Caspian was better than Wardrobe. I'd give the first ** out of ten and the second ** 1/2 out of ten only because the youngest boy didn't annoy me in the second movie as much as he did in the first. But that didn't matter as the only thing the actor playing Caspian had going for him were his incredibly out-of-place good looks. Jeez, maybe I should hope another studio will pick up the series so the next could be as good as *** out of ten. I guess I judge these movies by the acting. In #1 the little girl, Tilda Swinton and James McAvoy were solid but the other three kids were so, so bad. In #2 the youngest two of the kids were just okay and the bad humans were good - I especially like Damian Alcazar in everything he does. But this is the first time Peter Dinklage really disappointed me.
LeeMan

what a bunch of pricks. don't these fuck nuts ever think to themselves "okay we made money when we released it in december, but not as much in may, so let's release dawn treader on thanksgiving or close to that in 2010." duh
trig.

you guys are trippin balls who think Prince Caspian was a "vast improvement" over the first. That goes for you too, Alex. I think the reason most people disregard critics these days is because of how idiotic your opinions tend to be. I could rant more but I'll focus on the topic at hand. The biggest reason they screwed the pooch so bad on Narnia was they A. Ripped off Lord if the Rings and attempted nothing original at all- they just played it safe for their damned dollar signs. B. They didn't understand a bit what made the Narnia series interesting...sometimes I wonder if they read the books, especially on Prince Caspian. I'm glad they stopped-maybe get someone like Peter Jackson in there who actually has love for the source material in there who can make a solid film.
LW

What?! No mention of Anna Popplewell's ample bosom?!!? What kind of blog is this?!!? A "movie blog"?!??! 0_o Oh... wait... right ^^ lol
Jordan

I have no doubt that the series will continue. Disney was basically involved to provide some monetary backing and to distribute it. Walden Media is the production company who put it together, it was the only one that could convince Lewis's family to turn over the rights. With the profits of the first two movies I am sure Walden has the cash to do another if need be, but I have no doubt that another company will step in to fill Disney's shoes. The series has too big of a following not to. I think the second movie didn't do as well because it wasn't as close to the book as the first and a lot of the fans of the books heard that and didn't go see it, but frankly the book Prince Caspian would have been a very difficult movie to make. The third book however is much better, An epic sea voyage complete with dragons, sea monsters, wizards, and a great story of redemption; and that's without giving away too much. I checked IMDB and Walden Media is still slated to produce the Voyage of the Dawn Treader and the fourth book, the Silver Chair so it looks like the series will continue on.
Farris

This upsets me because this means that The Magician's Nephew will probably never be adapted.
Stellara

Well, this is sad news, but the second film just didn't live up to the first, and frankly, the first film didn't live up to the books. Narnia is NOT Middle-earth, and I wish Disney (and especially the films' lackluster director, Andrew Adamson) had understood that. Narnia is a brighter, more colorful, more joyous country than Middle-earth. Well, anyway, bummer. But if I hear that Disney is going to go ahead with that rumored Muppet movie, (after dumping Narnia), I will be truly cheesed. The Muppets have sucked for years and they weren't all that great to begin with (unlike Narnia). But it would figure for Disney to dump a franchise with potential and go with a franchise that ran its course a long time ago...
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

I liked the first one much better, but it does have a very loyal fanbase (will, not as big as we originally thought). Disney is making a LOT off of the DVD sales which are really through the roof($72.3M in two weeks). I think it is a smart idea for Fox to pick it up since the cast and script and crew are already in place. While the theater gross may be less, the DVD is still high.
Susana

this makes me very sad because I was really looking forward to the next Narnia movie... I really like the actors and I think they are all very good! I think the crew/cast would have made the next one at least as enjoyable, if not more so... But I agree with everyone that said they weren't surprised. I was just hoping they wouldn't dump it and that the 3rd would be really successful! Ah, that's a pretty big thing to hope for though. Anyways, it's good that Disney dumped it before it hurt them more. I would LOVE another Narnia movie to be made.... with the same cast/crew. But since Disney has dropped it, I don't know how I'd feel about other people continuing it. If it's by a good cast/crew that knows how to make the movies well, then heck yeah. I'm not over Narnia movies just yet!
Synch

I'm thrilled that Disney isn't going to ruin the next book. They already hurt TLTWTW, and absolutely ruined Caspian. Maybe someone with some respect for the series will pick it up and make the movies.
http://www.movieforums.com Chris Bowyer

First thing's first: there's no trilogy. There are seven books. Any division beyond that is completely artificial. Second: "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is nothing like "Pirates of the Caribbean." Unless you think the fact that they both involves ships and sailing to be a tremendously significant similarity. Third: commenter #5 said something about the "end of the trend." This is absurd on its face. "Prince Caspian," apparently a tremendous disappointment, made over $400 million worldwide and another $55 million on home video. That's just under half a BILLION dollars, people. Even with a large marketing budget, it's a significantly profitable film. You can't invent broad trends from anecdotal news, particularly without doing a modicum of homework.
http://www.movieforums.com Chris Bowyer

Pardon me; it was comment #6. As you were...
http://www.theaterhopper.com Tom Brazelton

What kind of research do you require? Clearly there has been an uptick in the number of fantasy movies in the last 5 years since the end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. If you choose to ignore the trend that Hollywood has pursued in producing these films, then you are blind. Two Narnia movies, Spiderwick Chronicles, Stardust, Eragon, Golden Compass, The Seeker: The Dark is Rising... even Nanny McPhee or Lemony Snickett. And of course the continued production of the Harry Potter movies. Now, quickly, how many fantasy movies can you name from the 1990's? The 1980's? And I'm talking about these hint-o-England, sword and sorcery epics. Not Star Wars or Tron. So what if Prince Caspian made $400M world wide? It cost $200M to make! And that's not including the marketing muscle the House of Mouse is notorious for throwing behind their films. Now compare that to Chronicles of Narnia which cost $180M to produce and brought in almost $750M world wide. Do the math... A sequel that recovers 1 times it production cost versus the original which recovered 4 times its production cost. Considering the Law of Diminishing returns, the glut of similarly themed fantasy films in the marketplace and Disney was right to drop this franchise.
http://www.movieforums.com Chris Bowyer

"What kind of research do you require? Clearly there has been an uptick in the number of fantasy movies in the last 5 years since the end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. If you choose to ignore the trend that Hollywood has pursued in producing these films, then you are blind." I think you're a little confused. I didn't dispute the idea that there was an increase in the number of fantasy films, so I'm not sure why you saw fit to dedicated several paragraphs to convincing me of it. See, it's not the word "trend" I'm arguing with, it's the word "end." And more specifically, the idea that Prince Caspian is somehow an example of this. "So what if Prince Caspian made $400M world wide? It cost $200M to make! And that's not including the marketing muscle the House of Mouse is notorious for throwing behind their films. Now compare that to Chronicles of Narnia which cost $180M to produce and brought in almost $750M world wide." Er, you mean 4 times as much vs. 2 times as much, I think. And anyway, unless you think they threw as much at the marketing as they did at the production (AND you ignore DVD sales), then the film made a significant profit. Not a runaway hit, but then again, no one's pretending it is. Hardly a bomb, and not a very good example of whatever fantasy death knell you think is sounding. "Considering the Law of Diminishing returns, the glut of similarly themed fantasy films in the marketplace and Disney was right to drop this franchise." Seeing as how it made a ton of money the first time out, and merely a more modest sum in the second, I wouldn't be so sure. You're drawing this conclusion from a grand total of two films -- Harry Potter saw diminishing returns up until the third film, before upticking with the 4th, and then again with the 5th, which brought in roughly the same amount as the 1st. And God forbid we consider any qualitative factors, like whether or not people like the movie. RT had "Wardrobe" at 75% and "Caspian" at 66%. Have you read the books, by the way? "Dawn Treader" is widely hailed as one of the best of the series; possibly *the* best. And it's certainly the most cinematic.
Gryndyl

No, the reason Prince Caspian didn't do well is because it was released four days before Indiana Jones and 2 weeks after Ironman. It was simply lost in the crowd due to poor planning on Disney's part.
http://firstshowing.net bobbyboy

We have failed you Aslan. (bows head.)
den

... i am very very sad at this news. and i DO hope that at least Voyage is made. but i am also relieved, because i was afraid of what was going to happen with "The Last Battle", which is essentially Armaggedon.
Ryn

I'm sad about the axing. I've very much enjoyed Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter come alive - the actors are quite believable and wonderful to watch. I, for one, read the entire Narnia series over and over as a child. I've been delighted to show such stunning productions to my kids as well. In fact, our family discussed in what order the next movies would be made (if they were) due to the chronology of the books and ages of the actors. I really believe that these books offered so much scope for movies, with three books following Caspian's lifetime and The Horse and His Boy also offering a completely different area of Narnia's world to explore. I was quite interested to see how The Silver Chair would be approached with Puddleglum, Jill and Eustace. Alas, it seems, its not to be. Sadly.
Faerylandmom

I thought Lion was much more well-done than Caspian - it stayed truer to the storyline, characters, and the acting wasn't half-bad. I was flat-out disappointed in Caspian. I have been a huge fan of the books for YEARS, and Disney did a crappy job of character development, not to mention completely changing the storyline and adding the conflict between Peter & Caspian, which NEVER existed in any form in the books. Lame. On top of that, the acting was stupid in Caspian. I don't think Caspian should have been attempted at all, frankly. I don't think there is anyway to make a truly good film out of a book like this. I'm not that disappointed that Dawn Treader won't be made. I hope no one picks it up, frankly. They butchered Caspian too badly - and I don't trust that Dawn Treader would be any better.
matthew blair

This was a very poor and disappointing decision by Disney. They should make a third movie even if it just breaks even, because we paid to see the first two. How much money do they have to make off of each one globally? Greed by the corporate giants as always. I purposely wont watch something Disney portays to be more then one installment because of their decision on this alone. If it is a single Disney movie coming out. Fine. Disney has done a lot of good ones. I'm just irritated on principal, that they at least didn't finish a trilogy(which would of been the 3 books predominantly based on the chidren).
Anonymous

To # 21... the reason pirates of the carribean trilogy had engaging fight scenes was because jack, will and the other pirates were fighting creatures that did not look like humans. The director of Caspian (Andrew) said it himself that for Caspian they couldn't really have gory fight scenes because this time the narnians were fighting humans not creatures. And when a creature kills a human (or a human kills another human) in a Disney family movie then they have a problem. so that’s why the other soldiers’ in Caspian wore solid masks, it made them seem less human, but even then they didn't really have much to work with. All those fantasy movies have humans fighting creatures, or creatures against creatures, so if the humans slice their necks off it's more acceptable because creatures like that shouldn't even exist. Why do you think the battle scene in the 1st movie displayed more killings? and if you notice in the 1st movie they show the white witch stab Aslan, but they only show the witches scared face when Aslan's about to kill her... I just wanted to point that out, it really isn't their fault the battle scene wasn't as epic as it could have been. Honestly their better off without Disney and its restraints.
anonymous

Their wasn't ever a trilogy rather an entire well-loved chronicle written by an incredibly famous Christian author. I agree with 55 above, there is no good way to make an accurate movie out of any of these books. Just like The Lord of the Rings was disappointing, so were these. Too much has to be left out and changed. The main point of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the parallel between good and evil, Aslan and Christ. C S Lewis always was seeking for his books to point the way to God, just read The Screwtape Letters. The entire point was missed in the movies, not that Hollywood can be expected to get that right. Just look at Ben-Hur.
awop

The reason why Chronicles of Narnia seems like a "rip off" of LOTR to the ignorant is caused by sheer lack of this knowledge (which anyone who knows Lewis' work knows): Clive Staples Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were adamant friends. Tolkien actually holds great responsibility for bringing Lewis to Christ. As Chonicles of Narnia is actually a childrens adaptation as a metaphor for the Christian story. Aslan is God / Christ. To judge any cause we must first examine the life of the founder. I much enjoy the company of the theological and intellectual writings of C. S. Lewis as well as his stories with sweet connection to love of Christ. "Lewis was a close friend of J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings. Both authors were leading figures in the English faculty at Oxford University and in the informal Oxford literary group known as the "Inklings". According to his memoir Surprised by Joy, Lewis had been baptised in the Church of Ireland at birth, but fell away from his faith during his adolescence. Owing to the influence of Tolkien and other friends, at about the age of 30, Lewis re-converted to Christianity, becoming "a very ordinary layman of the Church of England" (Lewis 1952, p. 6). His conversion had a profound effect on his work, and his wartime radio broadcasts on the subject of Christianity brought him wide acclaim."
Amy White

Frankly, this news makes me sad! I love the Narnia series. And the movies have been pretty good too. I think that Disney has made a terrible mistake in at least not finishing the trilagy. I was really looking forward to them finishing the series.
Katelyn

I am truly sad that they aren't going to make anymore of the Chronicles of Narnia Movies. I for one really liked the movies and couldn't wait for the next ones... The disney versions were way better than the BBC series. I hope that someone decides to pick them up and finish want Disney started.
Ajay

I think all this shows is that the entertainment industry has sculpted Americans to be overstimulated. Gone are the days where kids can watch movies with value and honor for entertainment; now the only thing that makes a movie worthwhile to prevent boredom are "bloody battle scenes", intense language, or a multitude of crude and rude bodily functions. The Narnia movies are not perfect, but the story and the acting is sweet and inspiring. Something I can show my kids and not have to worry about them repeating in play the next day. This is a rare breed, but it doesn't sell, because to America, values are "cheesy"...
babydog

Speaking as an adult who didn't read the books, I liked the Caspian movie as well as the Lion, and my guess is that it would have been received better around fall/winter than it did in the summer: less competition. Wonder if Harry Potter 6 will do well enough next summer, especially considering that 5 wasn't as good as 4.
Catherine

Who ever said that it was a smart move is stupid this is the best movie ever. It may not be the stupiest move ever, but I hope some other company will pick it up so it can keep going because I love these movie. Like I said best movie ever I don't know how Disney gave it up or it didn't make more money.
http://cool-kiez.hi5.com Cookie

i love this movie
Bethany

What trilogy are you talking about??? There is 7 books. The Voyage of The Dawn Treader is nothing like Pirates of The Caribbean but even if it was, it was written in 1950 so if anything, pirates of the caribbean is a copy. And Disney hasn't even dumped the Voyage of The Dawn Treader, i do believe that is being released in December 2010.
Crystal

I think it would be awesome if they made the third movie. I love these movies and don't want to see them go just b/c prince caspian didn't do as well in the box office as TL,TW,TW did. I haven't read the books yet but love the movie. I agree with everyone who said it should have a December release and not a summer one. I know it would have done better if it hadn't been released so close to IM and IJ
alice

You all know that this isnt a trilogy right? The Lion, Witch, and The Wardrobe was one book out of 7.
scott

well damn are you kidding me i loved both the movies they should finish the series because i think it will be very good and they cant leave it now or change directors or it will definitely be a downfall no matter what i hope they finish it out with the same people directing
Elisabeth

Very disappointing move by Disney! I enjoyed both Narnia films and was really looking forward to "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader". It's a great book, and one of my favourite characters, Reepicheep, plays a big part in it. Maybe all those, who want the third film, should bye an extra copy of the "Prince Caspian" DVD, as presents, to encourage some other company to join Walden. I do hope we get that film!!!
alan

wow i think disney is making a terrible choice by dumping the narnia sereies i hope warner bros pick it up because after harry potter the have noting and narnia would be a huge thing to make money off oh well disney will regret it
jag

the books and the movies are fantastic! they would be stupid to not make the 3rd, VODT. as it is prob. the most loved book af the whole 7 book series! if they didnt make it they would be as stupid as all you supporting this decision and writing massive para's about rott that u dont really know about! lets get behind it and make the 3rd the best movie yet!!!
jag

oh yea, ajay no.62 u are so right! i dont understand whats happening to peoples sence of decency? its pretty worrying what the world is coming to! and thats funny cause the idea of the "end" is exactally what the narnia stories deal with very subtly! i just hope ppl allow themselves to read/watch these stories and become aware of the msg that is right infront of them...
Movie Fanatic

Personally from an adult point of view, neither CN movies really blew me away. However for a CHILDREN's movie they are great films. A good mix of action, story telling and suspense. This is to all the ppl who have been writing on this page,(for those of have wrote inappropriate comments) Whats wrong with some of you did you fail high school literacy or what. first thing you learn. PLOT, CHARACTERS and of course STORYTELLING!!!! Ok on a more serious note i agree with both #73 and #62 as i'am a canadian and I do have values and morals. Please before you post a retarded comment know that I will find you. and hope that i don't. ohh and before i forget these are CHILDREN movies, remember that while posting.
MMEJIA

This saddened me because my kids loved watching the two movies and I loved the books. C.S. Lewis books are great literary pieces that should continued to be read by children. Having these movies are great tools to encourage them to do so. Just like what Harry Potter did to those who didn't read the books before they saw the movie. But I have great news to all of you who still want to see the next movie. Read this link about Fox saving the day!!! http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Next-Chronicles-Of-Narnia-Movie-Saved-11785.html Let's keep our fingers crossed
Elle

These movies are some of my favorites. I think that in it's own way, Prince Caspian was better. It's surprising how Disney decided to dump the Dawn Treader. The books were okay, but the movies better. The Chronicals wouldn't be the Chronicals without the rest! Plus, they should modify them since there was romance between Caspian and Susan. You can't leave Susan heartbroken! I LOVE BEN BARNES!!!
Amanda

I have read books 1-5 and am currently about half way through book 6. Though there are many differences from the book and the movies...I love both and am quite addicted to them. I would hate to see only 2-3 movies out of 7 produced when they are such great books. To simply make two movies and stop is a tease and will only make disney disliked for giving us two great movie and not finishing them. As i read the books I picture all those who play in the movie, and honestly I see all the movie truning out great. Honestly I think book 5 will be the one to put everyone in tears if they made it into a movie due to it being the very last time you will see the pevensies in Narnia. Also Elle..... You learn from the books later... that Caspian marries a woman in the 5th book. They never say about susan from what I have read so far, but I still have one more book to go. When it comes to the book I think the last one susan and peter are in, they should be able to decide to stay....if the talmarienes were able to get in and make a life there, why shouldn't the two oldest have the choice to stay lol (thats my own idea) Anyway, I certainly think that it would be a huge shame if they did not make all 7 movies.
joseph McGlynn

i think the columnist emans to say pirates of the carribean sounds alot like voyage of the dawn treader as it was writer decades before.
joseph McGlynn

also i believe the reasonc aspian bombed is because it was fileld with all that typical warm disney nonsense. like caspian and susan having a romantic moment. that part was not even in the book nor was the invasion of the castle. the battles were not very convincing and barnes as caspian was a poor way to caspian. i think i enjoyed the original bbc version better to be honest
lascie

Disney should jump straight to "The Magicians Nephew" which goes back and explains the beginning of Narnia...i believe it would be really good and i dont understand how people do not love the suspense of the stories and the graphics and the biblical aspects my gosh it is beautiful!
sam

I'm watching Prince Caspian right now and got so excited to find out when the next movie would come out, so I hopped on line and was sad to find this out. If people are dissing these movies because they are kids movies then maybe they just shouldn't watch them. Prince Caspian wasn't a rip off of Lord of the Rings, the books were written and published about the same time. Anyways, I hope somebody makes all 7 books into movies, even if they do go straight to video. My dad read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to me when I was little and I've always held on to a little of that magic. I've read all of the books many times and Disney did a great job depicting them (though of course the books are still better). You guys will really be missing out on Voyage of the Dawn Treader, in my opinion it's the best book in the series. It's nice to have a movie every once in a while where you don't have to worry about your kids being subjected to sex, drugs and bad language. C.S Lewis was a remarkable man and author. You should check out some of his other books, such as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters.
bekka

Im so PO! Narnia movies are the best it sucks there will be no end... all for people that have bad taste in movies. i really hope they decide to end with the trilogy for those of us who love the movies so we can be satisfied.
Arial

Yes they should make it!They cant start making movies out of the series and then not finish it I really want to see it!
Tessa

ok, this is f'in annoying! The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was the best book in the series!!! I mean come on! It has dragons!!!!!!!! stupid disney! GRRRR That was the movie I wanted to see updated the most!!!
Callie

OK you know what was wrong with Caspian? You didn't capture the true magic of the book as the 1st movie did. It made you want to go there and you mind leave earth and into Narnia. Voyage of the Dawn Treader should be made, but it needs to be made right! Caspian kind of was the same as Wardrobe only in different criminal. Not only that most people don't understand about Narnia in the first place. They should have done the movies in chronological order!!! That way the audience always wants to know what will happen next! It keeps interest like harry potter did. If they do any more there should be a public announcement telling what real order there in and an explanation and start by making THE MAGICIANS NEPHEW!
bryan

I personally liked the movies and felt they did ok sticking to the story line...i agree that if disney truely felt it was a waste of time that is good business, however i would still like to see someone continue the series with the same cast for the reocurring characters... and for the people who leave a load of negative bullshit on this post, shut up!! Seeing as all you have are negative comments to make about how much you hate childrens movies, you shouldnt go to the theaters and see them, and on that note why the fuck are you commenting on this post?!?! if you hate it that much then why in the hell are you reading into a post about it!!!!!!!!! Your wasting your time and ours by whining about how much you hate these movies...how about you take all of that miserable pesimism and refocus it into praising something you do enjoy and leave everyone else the hell alone...and if you cant seem to find something you enjoy then you need to take a serious step back and rethink your lives!!!!!! Your pesimism only brings others down!!!
naia fan

thanks you bryan.. though not to subtle in your pointing out that those people are nit wits and whiners.. The chanicles of Narnia is a wonderful series. the Lion and the witch was thrilling and hreart warming. Prince Caspian was good but keep to the Lion and Friendfs and you will do well.. The animation of Aslan and the animals/characters of narnia is fantasatic, you really get caught up in the story, the emotion and the tenderness and ferocity of their personalities. Keep them coming.
Cali

Um yes this movie should still be made KIds all OVER THE WORLD LOVE THESE MOVIES! you can't take the movies away from them by not making them. The Characters are Amazing and they should be able to make more of these movie's. you can't just not make the movies after the author Writing 8 BOOKS!. It's not fair. As a 15 year old girl in Delaware i would hate to see all the fans of Narnia be sad for you guys taking away a good book that could be turned into a GREAT MOVIE!. and i stand for all the kids when i say We love these books/ the first two movies made of this. You need to make this MOVIE. we Love it. i watch this movie all the time and i know a lot of other people who do too. so make the movie. and yeah for all you people who are commenting on here that don't like these movies/ kids movies don't go see them their for kids. So stop complaining a lot of us love these movie's. PLease Make the Movie .
Emily

when i read this, i was crushed. how can you just drop the third movie when the end of the second one clearly leaves the door wide open, almost screaming for the next movie. its just not fair. i say disney should suck it up and make the damn third movie, im sure a lot of Chronicles of Narnia fans, including me, would be very happy.
Elena

I am sad to finally hear the news. Also, I didn't even want the movie to be of that movie.. Watching the Prince Caspian movie made me bawl my eyes out because Peter & Susan were not going to return. To my knowledge, atleast Peter returns to Narnia in the Final Battle, and I think most people would enjoy the movie more if all of the Pevensies were in the movie. :] I really hope they make another Narnia movie.
Elena

I meant book.*
Kristina

I personaly thought the movies were Incredable. They did a great job making the both of them. The story line was spectacular. I would Love for them to drop the whole "Dumping" of the third movie. More or less make it a MUST SEE! Im the kind of person who is into the series movies and books alike. I would greatly appreciate a third one. If need be, I'll go see the movie in theatres 20 times and then buy 20 dvd's to make up for a small, but some portion of the fan base. It saddens me when they (movie corps) decide to drop films and their fans along with it. Stephanie Mayer did it with her Discontinued, and unfinished 5th twilight saga book. That was also incredably upsetting to me. Its almost like a tease... no, it is a tease. You get the fan base that you do have keeping you (the motion picture) alive, excited and exstatic for the continuation of the movie series, and then you take it all away. I feel that if the movie doesnt make much, but you already have all you need done for the continued movie, just do it. you never know what will happen. People could find the movie to be better than all the others if you do a good enough job on it, and you may make more in the box office. I know nothing really about film making and money managment with films. But I do know that I would personaly love to see this movie be revived and used once more to relive the potential i believe the series has/had.
Diana

I thought the movies were very good. I mean its really stupid how they just dumped it like that. Its a wonderful adventure pacted film. My family loved it and we couldnt wait for the next one. I have read the books and when I found out they were making the movies I was thrilled!I grew up with disney my whole life(i know sad right) and the Chronicles of Narnia was one of my favorites. For anyone who whorks for disney and reads this, the only thing I have to say to you is that I am really let down by all of you!!!!!!! I really hope you people know what your doing!!!! Just know that you're prbably making alot of people mad!!!!!!!!!!!!
blop

THE MOVIES WERE AWSOME, THEIR RIDICULUS TO STOP THE SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jules Wilson

I agree with the persons who posted in posts: 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 92 and 93. Cali's comments at #88 really touched me and inspired me to add my own comments. As an adult who has not read C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, I enjowed both movies. As a result of veiwing the latter, I am planning to read all 7 books. I must admit that the LWW was my personal favorite out the two. Obviously, based on their comments many of the posters hate "children" movies so like Cali my recommendation is that you not go to see them. However, it is unbeliveably selfish of you to applaude the end, you hope, of a type of movie that many others enjoy. I love fantasy movies like the Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Lord of the Ring and Pirates. I enjoy escaping the stresses and responsibilities of the "real world" and immersing myself in a world of fantasy and fun for a couple of hours. In fact, I personally hate reality shows b/c the world around is reality enough. When I seek entertainment, I am seeking an escape inot a fantasy. THAT BEING SAID, I am saddened by the news that the Narnia series may not be completed. I agree with a few other posters in that Fox is not a good choice. Warner Brothers would be much better. Even better if Walden can sign on a Director with a vision and talent for story telling like Peter Jackson. Finally, I know that I will catch crap for admitting this, but I even enjoyed aspects of Eragon, the Spiderwick Chronicles, Aurthur and the Invisibles and The Deep Rising to name a few. And as very final note, I would remind that this is America, and for now at least, ONE STILL HAS A RIGHT TO LIKE WHATEVER MOVIES ONE CHOOSES. OF COURSE, WITH THE WAY THE FEDERAL GOV IS GETTING BIGGER AND MORE INTRUSIVE INTO OUR PERSONAL LIVES EVEN THIS LUXURY MAY END!! BUT THAT'S A CONVERSATION FOR AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BLOG!
mopcambm

How can Disney claim to want to turn a profit when they are still cranking out those tired "space buddies" movies.

Bellebrie

no kidding right!!!

RoseBlossom

As someone who has read all of the books multiple times I am glad that Disney has dropped the series. They destroyed the stories adding in extra action scenes that never happened in the books and grossly misinterpreted many of the details and events created by C.S. Lewis. To make a comparison (inspired by a recent trip to the grocery store) think of the books as ham and the movies as Spam. Although the movies vaguely resemble the books they are at most a cheap conglomeration that can at best only mimic the real thing. I hope whoever picks the series up does a better job and I'll personally stick the the BBC versions, which truly represent the Narnia C.S. Lewis intended to create.
Dean Mitchel

what a shame, what a shame just because the movies didn't make as much as they expected seriously, i think Disney has been going downhill, but with the money they are still producing, concluding what they started wouldn't kill them now would it i'm disappointed and i actually loved these movies since they were based on a series that i grew up with my dad grew up reading these books, so he gave me his old books that were still in great condition when i was in 2nd grade so i started my movie collection as well, but apparently i can only collect 2 of them b/c Disney pulled the plug on my goal ): oh well, at least i still have the books and the two DVDs so i can one day share those with my own kids
sam

I thought that visually Disney did an amazing job bringing The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian to life, what I found disappointing was how far they strayed from the book during Prince Caspian. They took so much away from the story it's no wonder it didn't do as well.
Josh

In my opinion, C. S. Lewis was a brilliant and admirable man, and I believe it would simply not do him credit if his most famous collection of books, The Chronicles of Narnia, were not made into film and brought to the public eye, which seems to be overly focused on TLWW and ignorant of Lewis's other equally eloquent and enjoyable books of Narnia.
Mike Francis

@ #100 - precisely - they need to start with Magician's Nephew next time and allow TLTWATW to be the sequel... If they really went for MN they could make it a huge film in its own right without the expectations of LWW... then go heavy on THAHB with a big focus on the last two... PC and VOTDT would be the trickiest to do well frankly...
Josh

You might be right, although Disney may have been wise to start with TLWW; The Magician's Nephew may not have drawn as much attention to the new series, as the better known TLWW did. However, I think the most effective order would simply be the order that the books are already in.
Galadrial

Okay, as a fan of both books and movies I am very glad Disney dropped Narnia. First off, Disney always tries to play it to safe, it would ruin the action. Second off, they always want some lame romance even though there hardly isn't any romance in Narnia except like Caspian and his star wife. Third off, they had obviously messed up horribly on Prince Caspian and I don't want to see that happen to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Fourth off, 20th Century Fox is taking over which is good because they do a pretty good job with books/movies. I mean look at what they did you Princess Diaries and what they are doing to Avalon High. The only good job I have seen them do on books/movies was The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Bridge to Terabithia. From what I've seen in the commercials this movie looks like it's turning out well and I am so very glad Disney is not making it.
Ore

Hey guys, THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER HAPPENED ANYWAY.
Terri

I have to say that this 3rd movie, VoDT was by far the best of the series. My kids cried at the end (and my oldest is in jr. high and has read all 7 books and we saw the other two. I just hope they make the 4th!!
Kylie

The third one was amazing-just to let you all know.
Livvy

The third film was amazing and I don't think they should just dump it because they're not earning billions of pounds they don't need. They will still make a profit and I think they should finnish what they started.
wam!

just because you dont like the movies doesn't mean you have to be so DAME mad and trash it!
Katbethl

Ok, I have now seen all three of the narnia movies made and loved every one of them. I cannot understand why Disney decided not to finish the trilogy. I strongly believe that out of all the movies with sequels made, that this set is one of the ones on top. Whoever decides to continue with the stories better do so with the same characters as they can before they get to old to play their parts. I am not into the Harry potter or the twilight series, they just did not entice me. This story keeps me intrigued and leaves me wanting more. Someone please take the time to finish the series.