Narnia Personality Test

NarniaWeb has posted one of those online personality tests like the "What Country Are You?" one that's been circulating lately. This one pins you down to particular Narnia characters. Anyone want to take a chance on getting pegged as Jadis?

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NarniaWeb, 31.03.05

More Bootleg Concept Art?

Cinema Confidential has posted some further concept art sketches. At least one of them appears to be proprietary stuff from Disney that has been illegally posted, so we won't reproduce any of them here. But if Disney wants them off the net, they'll be off the net soon enough. Check them out while they're still online at the link below.

(Ed. Note: As of the 31st, the artwork is still online, which indeed suggests that these are official releases. The webmaster at Narnia Fans has independently confirmed that this is the case.)

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Cinema Confidential, 26.03.05

Understanding Christian Motivation

The online news-and-speculation site Slate has run an extended article about Walden Media backer (and Christian) Philip Anschutz. With regard to the Narnia movies, Slate's Jack Shafer opines, "Nobody dumps hundreds of millions of dollars into the movie and exhibition business—or newspapers—to uplift the masses. There's got to be an angle." They'd say the same about what Christ did on the cross, too, I imagine.

Now, it's entirely possible, of course, that Slate's cynicism is well-founded. But why does such cynicism always have to be the first option, especially when it comes to Christians? The history of the faith is filled with examples of selfless behavior. Apparently, such motives are just harder to accept when it comes to millionaires than when dealing with nuns in Calcutta. But Jesus didn't say it was impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven: he just said it was really difficult (as if it were easy for the rest of us, eh?).

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Slate, 24.03.05

Pricey Narnia Statues

The collectibles are already upon us! Weta Collectibles and Darkhorse Comics are distributing some "limited edition" sculptures for those with some significant spare cash to part with. Pictures from the box artwork, released by Weta, can be found at the link below.

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Narnia Fans, 24.03.05

Disney and Christian Publicists

Mark I. Pinsky at the Orlando Sentinel has put together a very thorough and balanced article regarding Disney's marketing of the Narnia movies. Unlike the Daily Telegraph article we referenced a few days ago, Pinsky's piece avoids catch-phrases in favor of real journalism. A sample:

"For its part, Disney is trying to play down the Christian marketing approach, noting that it will reach out to the science-fiction and fantasy communities, as well. 'We don't want to cater to one fan base over the other, or at the expense of another,' says Dennis Rice, Disney's senior vice president for public relations."

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Orlando Sentinel, 16.03.05

Narnia Publishing Blitz Begins

As with the Lord of the Rings movies, the upcoming Disney/Walden release of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is spawning a vast effort in the publishing industry to get a share of the marketing pie. Naturally, there's bound to be a huge spike in Narnia-related purchases by fans of C.S. Lewis' fantasy series, and publishers are no dummies.

The major push will come from Harper Collins, the UK-based publishing company that is the primary license-holder for the Narnia properties. In June, movie tie-in versions the Narnia series will be available in formats designed for both children and adults. At a recent bookseller's event, Harper Collins made a big splash for their new editions by showing the first limited screenings of footage from the upcoming movie.

Other authors and publishers are jumping on the bandwagon, too. Check your favorite bookstore, online or otherwise, for upcoming releases. Most will be available in late summer, but may be pre-ordered soon.

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Book Standard, 15.03.05

Set Visit: Centaurs and Satyrs

Erica Challis, AKA Tehanu over at theonering.net, contributes her third report from the New Zealand Narnia films studios... Sorry for the delay in posting this link!

"It's unusual to find a crowd of people at the studio who aren't doing anything, but today I find such a crowd. They are standing and admiring. The reason for this is that Richard Taylor and his team from Weta are visiting, and there is a kind of show-and-tell in progress in one of the studio sheds. The Weta people - already famous for their work on The Lord of the Rings, and currently busy on King Kong - are also making some of the prosthetics for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Today they have brought up the rigs and costumes for some of the C. S. Lewis's most magical characters..."

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TheOneRing.net, 09.03.05

Monthly Feature at Hollywood Jesus

"For five years, Hollywood Jesus provided the most thorough coverage of The Lord of the Rings of any spiritually-oriented website. For the next several years, we expect to do the same for The Chronicles of Narnia—and the serious coverage starts today!

"We begin not with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as did C.S. Lewis and his original audience, but with that book’s ‘prequel.’ Actually written as the sixth volume of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician’s Nephew documents the origins of Narnia, the magical land which the Pevensy children discover through the back of Professor Kirke’s fantastical titular Wardrobe."

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Hollywood Jesus, 03.08.05

Narnia Misrepresented

The Telegraph is running a very slanted and misrepresentative article regarding Disney's marketing strategy for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Basically, the article's authors are taking facts about a recent Disney marketing event (see our comments HERE) and twisting them to suit their own ends. The facts: yes, Disney (among other studios) has indeed learned some lessons from Mel Gibson's marketing strategy for The Passion of the Christ; and yes, Disney (and other studios, most notably New Line Cinema) does indeed employ publicists to promote their films to Christian publications and audiences; and yes, it would be silly of them not to.

The Telegraph's conclusion? That Disney is marketing Narnia as "The Passion for kids." Bogus. Totally bogus and silly. Naturally, Disney and Motive Marketing declined to comment when contacted.

Our contacts who were at the Disney event put together by Motive Marketing in no way characterized Disney's (or Motive's) angle as "The Passion for kids."

The storm is already brewing...

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The Telegraph, 06.03.05

New Interview with Adamson

NarniaWeb has a real scoop—a transcript of a New Zealand radio interview with director Andrew Adamson, who is in postproduction on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, due this coming Christmas from Disney and Walden Media. The interview was conducted March 4th on Radio Rhema, a Christian radio network.

MORE HERE
NarniaWeb, 04.03.05