Fourth “Chronicles of Narnia” film in development

PanARMENIAN.Net - Hollywood will again enter the magical world of Narnia, as the C.S. Lewis Company announced that it has forged a deal with The Mark Gordon Company to develop and produce The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, a film version of the fourth book in the classic fantasy series, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Mark Gordon and Douglas Gresham, stepson of series author C.S. Lewis, will serve as producers along with Vincent Sieber, director of the Los Angeles-based C.S. Lewis Company. The three will work together to develop the script, which has not yet been written.

"As we prepare to bring the next book to life, we are humbled and excited to contribute to the outstanding legacy of Narnia," says Gordon in a statement. Adds Gresham, "I have a great deal of respect for Mark Gordon's work and am confident that together we can bring the beauty and magical delight that Narnia engenders in the hearts of those who read the books to the screen in The Silver Chair."

The first three Narnia films have grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide. The first, the Disney-produced The Chronicles of Narnia (2005), performed strongest, earning $745 million internationally. Its two sequels, Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) -- which saw Fox take over as distributor of the franchise -- grossed $419 million and $415 million, respectively.

Set 50 years after the action of Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair is the first Narnia book without any of the Pevensie children -- only their cousin Eustace carries over -- allowing the franchise to continue with an entirely new cast.

The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven high fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages. Written by Lewis between 1949 and 1954, illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published in London between October 1950 and March 1956, The Chronicles of Narnia has been adapted several times, complete or in part, for radio, television, the stage, and film.

Inspiration for the series is taken from multiple sources; in addition to adapting numerous traditional Christian themes, the books freely borrow characters and ideas from Persian, Greek, Anatolian and Roman mythology as well as from traditional British and Irish fairy tales. The books have profoundly influenced adult and children's fantasy literature since World War II. Lewis's exploration of themes not usually present in children's literature, such as religion, as well as the books' perceived treatment of issues including race and gender, has caused some controversy.