Return to the hope and wonder of C.S. Lewis’ beloved world – via the fantastic Narnian ship, The Dawn Treader, in 3D, in THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER. In this holiday motion picture event, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their cousin Eustace, are swallowed into a painting and transported back to Narnia and the magnificent ship The Dawn Treader. They join King Caspian and a warrior mouse named Reepicheep for a mission which holds the fate of Narnia itself. The courageous voyagers overcome their own greatest temptations, as they travel to mysterious islands; have fateful confrontations with magical creatures and sinister enemies; and reunite with their friend and protector, the “Great Lion” Aslan.
The new film is based on the third of Lewis’ seven-book “The Chronicles of Narnia” series. Published between 1950 and 1956 and long regarded as one of literature’s most enduring and imaginative works, Lewis’ books have sold over 100,000,000 copies in over 50 different languages. The movie based on Lewis’ first “Narnia” book, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” became one of 2005’s biggest earners. In 2008 came the second film, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” one of that year’s biggest hits.
Now, for THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, Fox 2000 Pictures and Walden Media have joined forces to bring the film series back to its illustrious roots – with everything that delighted the books’ and films’ legions of fans. Distinguished filmmaker Michael Apted, whose many credits include the James Bond film “The World Is Not Enough,” as well as the award-winning hits “Gorillas in the Mist” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” is at the helm of the new film. Returning cast members from the first two films are Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie and Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie, and Tilda Swinton makes a memorable re-appearance as The White Witch. From the second film, Ben Barnes reprises the role of Caspian. London-based teenager Will Poulter portrays Lucy and Edmund’s annoying cousin Eustace. British comic actor Simon Pegg is the voice of Reepicheep, the valiant, swashbuckling mouse, and Liam Neeson returns as the voice of the all-powerful ruler of Narnia, Aslan the Lion.
While relinquishing the director’s chair this time out, filmmaker Andrew Adamson (“Shrek,” “Shrek 2”) returns as one of the film’s three producers, reteaming with his colleagues from the first two “Narnia” epics –Academy Award winner Mark Johnson (“Rain Man”) and industry veteran Philip Steuer (“The Rookie,” “The Alamo”). Also back for their third Narnian adventure are executive producers Perry Moore and C.S. Lewis’ stepson, Douglas Gresham. The screenplay was written by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”) and Michael Petroni.
The story’s human cast is once again complemented by a gallery of original creatures brought to life through the combined efforts of live-action work and CGI animation, the latter guided by visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton (“The Da Vinci Code,” “Angels and Demons”). Oscar® winners Howard Berger and Tami Lane, also back for their third “Narnia” film, oversee the prosthetic makeup effects for many of the new characters, including otherworldly creatures called Dufflepuds.
Principal photography on THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER began on location in Queensland, Australia, on July 27, 2009, where the entire 90-day production was mounted. Studio work encompassed several sound stages at the Warner Roadshow facility in Gold Coast (the country’s sixth largest city), which houses the Southern Hemisphere’s largest exterior water tank – a crucial element of the production.
In addition to the studio work, key locations included a seaside peninsula northeast of the studio called Cleveland Point, where the film’s title character, the majestic Dawn Treader, was erected for over three weeks of outdoor filming. The 140-foot, 125-ton design was then disassembled in over fifty sections and trucked back to the studio for several weeks of interior stage work. Principal photography wrapped in November 2009, with a yearlong post-production schedule leading to the film’s global release on December 10, 2010.
GEORGIE HENLEY (Lucy) returns for her third adventure in C.S. Lewis’ wondrous fantasy world, after making her professional acting debut in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” and reprising her role of Lucy in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.” The 15-year-old from Ilkley, W. Yorkshire, in the north of England, was a member of a local drama club called Upstagers, where she was discovered by casting director Pippa Hall in a countrywide casting call for the film. Georgie won the role over 2,000 other hopefuls.
For her work in the first “Narnia” film, Georgie collected numerous awards and nominations from organizations around the world, including the Phoenix Film Critics Award (Best Performance by a Youth in a Support or Lead Role, Female), the Michael Eliot Trust Award (Child Star of the Year), the Total Film Award (the Dakota Fanning prize for Best Child Actor) and the Young Artists Award (Best Performance/Feature Film — ages ten and under).
Additionally, Georgie earned nominations as Best Young Actress from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, as Most Promising Newcomer for the United Kingdom’s Empire Awards, as Best Breakthrough Performance from the Online Film Critics Society, and as Best Newcomer from the Chicago Film Critics circle.
Following the release of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” Georgie won the UK Nickelodean Kids Choice Award 2008 for Favourite Female Film Star.
Georgie also played the young Jane Eyre in last year’s BBC production of “Jane Eyre.”
