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Fox Takes Control of Walden's Chronicles of Narnia

by Brandon Lee Tenney
January 28, 2009

So, remember about a month ago when it was made official that Disney was dumping their Chronicles of Narnia franchise when the "budgetary and logistical" aspects of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader became more trouble than they were worth? Well, now a month later, everyone's favorite studio has come to the rescue - Fox is set to co-finance Narnia's third installment with Walden. And a hush descended over the land as a single tear dropped from Aslan's mighty eye. Anyone remember Eragon? Well, the entity behind Eragon, know as Fox 2000, will be behind the development of the next Narnia.

Fox 2000 has apparently been looking for a family-friendly, lit-based franchise for some time, and since Eragon flopped, Narnia looks to be a perfect fit. And I guess anything is possible, right? Narnia has a strong following, despite the poor-in-comparison box office numbers of the second film versus the first. The third film is supposed to return to the magic-filled, family fare of the first film that the second severely lacked. Right? Well - and let this sink in - it's Fox we're talkin' about, here. That alone is enough for even Narnia-faithful to lose faith. Will Fox resurrect the magic? Or has Narnia already run its course?

Explore tags: Movie News, Opinions

m4st4

Great...Now, it's gonna be, like, proper movie. Right... Gimme my AVATAR.
SmartGuy

I think it really depends on the director here, because the story is there, and so will be the fans... If it wasn't for the fans of the original books the other two movies would have done horribly due to the cheesy style of directing. I think there is hope.
http://Firstshowing.net The_Phantom

This is funny. This franchise of these books were only good with the "Lion, Witch, Wardrobe" My question is how is FOX able to keep making movies when everything they produce fails in the box office? They must be seriously loaded.
Gale

Once again people who obviously didn't see #2 must be speaking above (#2 & #3) Prince Caspian was great - I'm actually kinda dissapointed that they are looking to return to the style of the first movie, which was a pocket full of shit. Plus Fox? Well, now there's no hope for this franchise.
Susana

i know we're often relating Fox to some sort of bad news.. but I really hope this works out. I would hate to see the Narnia movies finish early or poorly. I don't really pay attention to specifics relating to Fox, but I think as long as the director (like #2 says) and and etc do well, I think that there is hope for the quality of the future movie(s)!!
Aravena

They must have used that money they won from WB. BASTARDS!!!
Janet

I would absolutely love for Fox to get one over Disney and I'd like to be optimistic but I doubt they can pull this off. It's unfortunate Disney decided to drop it.
Raul

WOW. I loved the books they are a better story than HArry potter.. The 1st movie was horrible. in fact there was too much happy family BS. too bright and colorful.. I havent seen prince caspian but it was supposed to be made darker.. I think this franchise can succeed if they DONT go back to the MAGIC and family BS. They should balance it out SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS. bright yet dark..LOTR's cgi and costumes where better anyways!!!. good news regardless. I just hope they dont screw it up. which they will.:(
http://www.galaxykid.blogspot.com Johnny Neat

FOX's suits have some good logic?! WOW, guess the end is near.
Itri

Hey, at least they're making it. That's all I have to say.
Timothy

The team that's making the film has already been assembled, Fox will only be FUNDING and RELEASING it and this will have no bearing on the quality of the film.
?????

Um I'm nervous as all hell. Fox better not mess this up the way they butchered Eragon. That was a complete disaster!
Levi

My wife is a huge fan of the books and she loved the first movie but hated the second. I read the books when I was in grade school but I liked the second movie better. I really don't care if they make a 3rd movie or not, I'll probably see it but I wouldn't have high hopes.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

PRINCE CASPIAN has stellar DVD sales so there is still a big following. However, it is alleged that Fox is cutting the $200M budget it cost to make CASPIAN down to a more managable $140M. That is still a lot of money, but I wonder how it will effect the F/X since it is a CGI-heavy franchise.
Logan

Yeah, Eragon was not only horrible, but the story was screwed so much as to make a filmable sequel impossible. The idiot screenwriters (or director, whoever was responsible) took out Jeod, who plays a vital role in the second. But yeah, I think Eragon was more the result of a terrible director. I hope that man never gets another project in his hands again.
Alfredo

As long as Fox only supplies the $$ and keep their dirty paws off everything else I'll be happy to at least see Narnia come back.
Brian

The 'Voyage of the Dawn Treader' book is the best of the Narnia series by far. It's very similar to the Odyssey, since it is about a group of people a boat traveling to different lands and encountering the weird people and things that inhabit them. If a movie gets made, it has the potential to be very good based on the course material.
Kail

@#11 - Thats actually how every studio works pretty much, they just give money and handle the releasing, they send production teams to make each movie and they give them tips (demands) on what should and should not be in the movie. Fox just chooses the wrong teams to make the wrong movies. TRIVIA QUESTION! What was the last good Fox movie? ANSWER I can't honestly say
Josh

they have the same director and script (in some form) and actors disney just financially backed narnia so that walden could make it. fox is just doing the same thing. i dont see any difference in the actual movie or story...just a different source of income anyway, i am excited. Treader is my favorite of all the books. it deserves to be made.
alan

im keeping my fingers crossed for this one it really does depend on the director as long as fox doesnt mess with the series im ok but keeping my fingers crossed
Name

Does this mean there will be blood?
Colca

It has Michael Apted directing. Amazing Grace, Gorillas in the Mist and Coal Miner's Daughter prove he knows how to make a quality film, and The World Is Not Enough proves he can handle a big budget action movie. I don't think the studio matters since the movie is already so far into pre-production. With Apted directing this will blow away both of the original movies.
Tim "Cloverfield"

#21 Good job! Apted is a monster and can handle this. #18.....I am still thinking! ( hard question)
Redilicious Buttons

Fox makes terrible movies (that still see a return) which they use for whatever reason. They realized that if they make stuff with 1: a name 2. A fanbase 3. pg13 action they will get butts in the bucket seats. So fox knows they aren't going to make a great Chronicles movie, but they don't care, cause they know they will make their money back. So to them, its very win win.
Redilicious Buttons

Although i have hopes that maybe fox won't mess around with the content, which they are known to do. Cough Cough fox news. cough cough.
Chris C.

Okay....the FOX hate is just getting immature now.....
Damian

I think that both films were great. I watched them both for the second time about a week ago and must say that for whatever reason they are more appealing to me than Harry Potter (sorry HP fans) This films are fantasy filled, with a strong story behind it. I on a personal level like the 2nd film much more than the first one despite the fact that it made less money. Looking forward to a third.
Farris

I'm really not too worried about Fox screwing anything up as long as they at least try to remain faithful. I'm a huge fan of C.S. Lewis and the Narnia books, but I just don't see good movies being made from any of the other books except The Magician's Nephew.
Zandhu

When things can look bad, comes FOX to fuck up things... I already think that FOX is the garbage boy, like the ones in WallE
lanie

I fail to see how anyone could mess up such a delicious story line. The original Production of the Chronicles was sadly low budget and even then managed to be as moving and glowing as the books themselves. Disney "dumped" it because they were unable to turn a Christian based, family film into some worldy garbage due to contractual agreements...awww....too bad
Movie Fanatic

Ok as i have posted a few comments here and there let me point out fox HAS mad some really good films. for example The Abyss, Die Hard, True Lies, Hitman just to name a few, but I also must admit that not all fox movies have been the greatest. Just remember that just because you don't like a certain movie doesn't mean it was a bad movie it just means that that's not your style of movie.(sometimes it is just a bad movie.)
bigdavidcannon

I'm just happy to hear ther is going to be another film in Narnia. I hope this one does well in the Boxoffice so we can have another. this isn't a trilogy, It's 7 ....
http://www.dreamlinks.com/ Dating in Toronto

Never saw Eragon, but I have multible reasons to loathe Fox. Firefly's cancelation being the biggest grivance.
sam

anything that has FOX in it suks except for the simpsons and family guy thats all they have. fox made marvel movies and all of them were horrible they destroyed them i hate fox. ill never pay to watch fox
Jae' Gethers

So, I have been a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia since I was a child, and I think that the problem is that they are focusing on the wrong stories. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was a good one to come out with because I believe it's the most popular one, but I really think they need to go back to the beginning with The Magician's Nephew. That story has a very good mix of going back and forth between reality of the "real world" and the fantasy of Narnia, a good mix of action versus mushiness; and it also tells how it all began. That way, people who aren't CS Lewis or Narnia fans, can get a better fix on the story. I think it's more exciting than The Dawn Treader anyway.
Lesley

i hope they make all the movies. i adore the books. i never read them as a child, but did as an adult and bought full sets for each of my children. the books that are considered the "lesser" books, are my favorites. can't wait to see dawn treader, but did hear that the 3d was awful. already anxiously awaiting magician's nephew.