Narnia 'Silver Chair' film moves forward 鈥� why now?
Sony has stepped in to produce 'The Silver Chair,' the fourth film based on C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series.
Sony has stepped in to produce 'The Silver Chair,' the fourth film based on C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series.
The Narnia book series by C.S. Lewis will return to the big screen with a film version of 鈥淭he Silver Chair,鈥� a project that will follow the recent previous Narnia films and which shows the continuing popularity of Mr. Lewis鈥檚 books.聽
Sony Pictures Entertainment will be releasing the movie and David Magee, who has previously worked on such films as the 2004 movie 鈥淔inding Neverland鈥� and 2012鈥檚 鈥淟ife of Pi,鈥� will be adapting Lewis鈥檚 book.聽
Unlike the previous three films in the series 鈥� 2005鈥檚 鈥淭he Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,鈥� the 2008 movie 鈥淭he Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,鈥� and 2010鈥檚 鈥淭he Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" 鈥� 鈥淪ilver Chair鈥� will presumably not feature the Pevensie siblings, which were portrayed by actors including William Moseley and Anna Popplewell.
The fourth film in the series centers on Pevensie cousin Eustace Scrubb, who was portrayed in the film version of 鈥淭reader鈥� by actor Will Poulter.聽
Producer Mark Gordon had been on board the 鈥淪ilver Chair鈥� project for some time, but the film lacked a studio.聽
There will obviously be a several-year gap between 2010鈥檚 鈥淭reader鈥� and this film, and the delay could be attributed to the declining box office of the 鈥淣arnia鈥� series. 鈥淭reader鈥� made less than half of what 鈥淭he Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe鈥� grossed domestically in 2005.聽
The movies have swapped studios as well, with 鈥淭reader鈥� being released by Fox rather than Disney, the studio behind the first two movies. Now Sony is stepping in.
Deadline writer Mike Fleming Jr. attributes the development of this new movie to an ambition on the part of Sony and the Sony company TriStar Pictures to make films based on books with international appeal.聽
鈥淸鈥楽ilver Chair鈥橾 fits TriStar head Hannah Minghella鈥檚 mandate to generate literary properties that will travel, something that fits [Sony chairman] Tom Rothman鈥檚 mandate at Sony,鈥� Mr. Fleming writes.聽
And Haleigh Foutch of Collider thinks those behind the new film see it as a fresh opportunity, given its paucity of returning characters.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 not surprising that the production companies would want to build something new instead of relying on the foundation of a franchise that was ultimately always a bit of an underperformer,鈥� Ms. Foutch writes.聽
The 鈥淣arnia鈥� books remain acclaimed, with Paste Magazine staff naming the series earlier this year as one of the best fantasy book series ever.