Royals attend Narnia premiere
2005-12-08 13:11
London - Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla headed a star-studded guest list at the world premiere on Wednesday of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, one of the most eagerly anticipated films since Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings.
The grandiose surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall in west London were transformed for the occasion into a giant ice palace to reflect Narnia, author CS Lewis's imagined snow-covered world of good and evil.
"The film was very enjoyable, visually very well done, quite faithful to the book," said singer Annie Lennox, who read the book as an adolescent. "It takes you away from the mundane world and it's a gateway to another realm."
The film recounts the classic tale of four siblings evacuated from London during World War 2 who discover the secret world through a wardrobe while playing hide-and-seek in a rambling country house.
Jack Livingstone, eight, who came with his parents and a group of children to the event where men wore black ties and women evening gowns, said: "I like it, it was quite scary."
'Jumpy'
Echoing his sentiments was Harry Gregson-Williams, 10, who accompanied his father who wrote the film's music score. "A very good film. It was quite scary, it made me jump sometimes," said Gregson-Williams, who wore a tuxedo.
Wednesday's performance was being shown in front of guests of honour Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, and Camilla to raise money for trade charity the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund.
Britain's royals choose only one premiere each year for their Royal Film Performance. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is Camilla's first since her marriage to Charles in April last year.
The couple - Charles in a tuxedo and Camilla in a classic, discreet black dress - shook hands with fans while the heir-to-the-throne chatted with Lewis's stepson, Doug Gresham.
Photographers were on hand to capture their arrival - and those of young actors William Moseley, 18, Skandar Keynes, 14, Anna Popplewell, 16, and 10-year-old Georgie Henley - at the domed 19th-century concert hall.
More movies on the cards
And with six other books in Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series, further adaptations on the big screen are expected to prove a lucrative film franchise.
All of which means the glitz and the hype of the premiere - nearby Kensington Gardens has been transformed into an ice rink with artificial snow to represent Narnia's perpetual winter.
Other actors featured in the film include Schindler's List star Liam Neeson, who voices Aslan the lion.
The talking creature's nemesis, the evil White Witch Jadis, is played by Tilda Swinton.
The dialectic has been interpreted as a Christian allegory and won the backing of US evangelical groups.
Despite the controversy, The Chronicles of Narnia has lost none of their appeal: more than 85 million copies have been sold worldwide since they began.