Disney ditches Narnia
2008-12-25 17:32
Los Angeles - Disney confirmed Wednesday that it would not be involved in the third film of "The Chronicles of Narnia" fantasy series, dealing a blow to the franchise based on CS Lewis's classic books.
A spokesperson for Disney confirmed in an e-mail that the company had chosen not to exercise an option to co-produce and co-finance the next Narnia film with producers Walden Media.
The Hollywood Reporter cited "budgetary and logistical reasons" for Disney's decision, which leaves the third film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader facing an uncertain future.
The film was due to start filming early next year with a release date tentatively set for 2010.
The two previous films in the series The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian have grossed more than 1.1bn worldwide since the first film was released in 2005.
The Hollywood Reporter said the decision reflected a cooling of interest by movie studios in adapting children's fantasy novels, following the success of the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings films.