Tears will be shed with the end of the Harry Potter franchise by fans and studio execs alike, but there’s one fantasy franchise at a major crossroads and it involves a lion.
Fans of Narnia breathed a sigh of relief last year when last years “Dawn Treader” performed well at the box office. The third film in the Narnia series earned $400 mil worldwide despite lukewarm reviews due to it’s bland script and slashed budget. It was considered vital in saving a franchise recovering from the box office disappointment of “Prince Caspian” which also earned over $400 million, but cost roughly $255 mil to make. After “Dawn Treader”‘s respectable showing, fans were left wondering “What’s next?” and fans may have just gotten their answer.
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Walden Media top exec Michael Flaherty told the Christian Post when we might see the regal Aslan again. “We are starting to talk to Fox and talk to the C. S. Lewis estate now about the “Magician’s Nephew” being our next film” said Flaherty. If we can all agree to move forward, then what we would do is find someone to write the script. So, it could still be a couple of years.”
Although “The Silver Chair” would be expected to be the next film, “The Magician’s Nephew” is a prequel about the creation of Narnia and would allow filmmakers to attempt to recapture the magic behind “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”. It would also increase the pressure to match “The Lion”s $745 mil worldwide grosses. Flaherty contends any decision is still a couple years away at best, but with a loyal legion of fans of the books of C.S Lewis and with the demise of the Potter franchise, the timing may be right for a trip back to Narnia.
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