The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2005 fantasy film based on C. S. Lewis's novel.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 high fantasy film directed by Andrew Adamson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ann Peacock and the writing team of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Based on the 1950 novel by C. S. Lewis, it is the first installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film series, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $745 million worldwide and earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup.
- release_date
- 7 December 2005 (premiere); 8 December 2005 (UK); 9 December 2005 (US)
- director
- Andrew Adamson
- budget
- $180 million
- box_office
- $745 million worldwide
- based_on
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) by C. S. Lewis
- production_companies
- Walt Disney Pictures, Walden Media
Lore & Background
The film follows the Pevensie children—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy—evacuated from London during the Blitz to the countryside, where Lucy discovers a wardrobe leading to the magical world of Narnia. There, they ally with the lion Aslan against the White Witch Jadis, who has cursed Narnia to eternal winter. The plot includes Edmund's betrayal, Aslan's sacrifice and resurrection, and the children's eventual coronation as kings and queens of Narnia.
Reader's Guide
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe premiered at the Royal Film Performance on 7 December 2005 and was released theatrically in the UK on 8 December and the US on 9 December. It was the third-highest-grossing film of 2005 and its DVD releases (regular and extended) made it the third-best-selling and first-highest-grossing DVD in North America in 2006, earning $332.7 million. At the 78th Academy Awards, it won Best Makeup and was nominated for Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects. It also won Best Makeup and Hair at the 59th BAFTA Awards and received Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Score and Best Original Song. The film was followed by Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), with the trilogy grossing $1.5 billion worldwide.
Did You Know?
- Douglas Gresham, C. S. Lewis's stepson and co-producer, played the radio-announcer near the beginning of the film.
- Skandar Keynes's voice broke during filming, so some of his voice track was re-looped by his sister Soumaya.
- Liam Neeson sought out the role of Aslan and was announced as the voice on 17 July 2005, after Brian Cox was originally cast.
- The film's extended edition was released on DVD on 19 December 2006 in the US.
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