Walt Disney: ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ Sales Disappoint
A highly competitive film season is weighing on the returns of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert Iger said at an analyst conference Wednesday.
Speaking at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference, Iger said the second installment in the Narnia series is not doing as well as the first, nor as well as Disney officials had hoped.
Iger pointed out that the movie business is a crowded field, and the marketplace can’t always accommodate all the releases that a studio puts out.
“I think there are too many movies being released in the marketplace,” Iger said, later adding, “It’s a very delicate, very fragile marketplace.”
Prince Caspian was released May 16 and has made an estimated $146 million in worldwide receipts thus far. But the movie’s production costs are estimated at $200 million. In order to turn a profit in theaters alone, Prince Caspian would have to make roughly $500 million worldwide when marketing costs are included. The film is expected to have a home video life, however. Continue Reading…
Ben Barnes: From Prince Caspian to Dorian Gray
Right on the heels of starring in the No. 1 movie at the box office, Ben Barnes has landed another gig – and it’s a doozy. The adorable Prince Caspian will play the title character in a film adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Oliver Parker is “planning to make a visceral, dark horror story and says the themes of stardom are as relevant as ever.”
That was my immediate thought as well, that the book’s themes of vanity and the desire for everlasting youth and beauty seem to be incredibly relevant to today’s world (especially in American society, though Dorian Gray does not take place in America).
Dorian Gray is a young man of impossible physical beauty whose portrait – painted by the artist Basil Hallward – becomes connected on an occult level with the workings of his soul. Drawn into a corrupt and sensual life by the dissolute Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian remains young and beautiful, while the painting ages in his stead, ultimately becoming a monstrosity.
Have you read this work by Oscar Wilde? What do you think of this movie news?
Keira Knightley is set for a busy year
Did you like ‘The Other Boleyn Girl‘? Well, look forward to more!
The BBC’s film unit is to make a sequel to ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’, based on ‘The Boleyn Inheritance‘, another book by Philippa Gregory. The story is told through the eyes of two of Henry VIII’s wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard.
Keira Knightley is to star in a new film adaptation of Shakespearean tragedy ‘King Lear.’
She will play Cordelia, the youngest daughter of the King, who will be portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. Gwyneth Paltrow is tipped to take the role of Regan, Lear’s treacherous middle daughter. His eldest daughter, Goneril, is yet to be cast.
The $35 million film was announced at the Cannes Film Festival and will feature epic battle sequences, according to its makers.
Next month sees the release of ‘The Edge of Love‘, with Sienna Miller, in which she plays a lover of the poet Dylan Thomas.
She also stars in ‘The Duchess‘, a lavish costume drama based on the life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.
Several other projects were announced at the Cannes film festival yesterday, including an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray‘ starring Ben Barnes, currently thrilling cinema audiences as ‘Prince Caspian in the Narnia sequel.’
‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ Set For Box Office Crown
Two weeks after “Iron Man” opened to $99 million at the North American box office, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” will likely earn almost as much this weekend.
Industry observers expect the fantasy sequel will gross $85 million or more during the three-day period beginning Friday. Its 2005 predecessor, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” opened to $65.6 million, and finished with $292 million.
The Disney release has been scoring high in prerelease surveys for must-see sentiment among all demographics and has drawn solid early reviews from critics.
The second book in a 1950s children’s literature series written by the theologically rooted C.S. Lewis, the sequel features a more adult central character via the title role, played by Ben Barnes (”Stardust“). Both films were directed by Andrew Adamson.
Disney distribution president Chuck Viane said:
“This is the quintessential general-audience film — moms and dads, families, date-pic couples, teens by themselves — this plays to everybody”.
Walden Media, a family-friendly production company owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, is a co-financer and equity partner on the film, which totes production costs of nearly $200 million.
After two weekends at No. 1, “Iron Man” will pass the $200 million mark. As of Wednesday, the Paramount and Marvel superhero saga had earned $188 million.
But the Warner Bros. dud “Speed Racer” will likely crash again, a week after the costly adventure opened at No. 3 with just $18.6 million.
‘Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ to premiere at O2 arena
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian will debut at a record-breaking premiere in London, the BBC reports.
The film will get its first showing at the O2 arena in front of an audience of 10,000.
A giant cinema screen will be installed at the venue, making the Disney film’s premiere the “biggest single screen, shared audience experience ever”.
Based on the book by C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian is the second entry in Disney’s Narnia franchise following 2005’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Liam Neeson and Tilda Swinton reprise their roles from the first film while newcomer Ben Barnes plays the titular Prince.
Tickets for the premiere go on sale from tomorrow (May 9) with a portion of the money raised being donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.
New ‘Prince Caspian’ Photos
Disney has released new interesting promotion photos from the upcoming “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian“.
The second installment of “The Chronicles of Narnia” is set a year after the introduction to the four brave Prevensie siblings. They re-enter the magical land, only to learn that a long time has passed and the evil King Miraz, who is the leader of Telmarines, now rules Narnia. Prince Caspian is the rightful heir to the throne but has been forced into hiding by the cruel king, his uncle. With a little help from the now-experienced Prevensies and some new friends, Caspian sets out to take what is rightfully his.
The film is scheduled to hit theaters on May 16th.
‘The Chronicles of Narnia 2: Prince Caspian’ Banners
BadTaste has released three new posters from the upcoming “The Chronicles of Narnia 2: Prince Caspian“.
The second installment of “The Chronicles of Narnia” is set a year after the introduction to the four brave Prevensie siblings. They re-enter the magical land, only to learn that a long time has passed and the evil King Miraz, who is the leader of Telmarines, now rules Narnia. Prince Caspian is the rightful heir to the throne but has been forced into hiding by the cruel king, his uncle. With a little help from the now-experienced Prevensies and some new friends, Caspian sets out to take what is rightfully his.
Recently, director Andrew Adamson revealed that “Prince Caspian” will be much bigger in scale than the original, and will also be more complicated. The film is scheduled to hit theaters on May 16th.
New “Prince Caspian” Poster
Here we have brand new poster for the upcoming “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” featuring King Miraz.
This is probably not a finished poster, since there are non of the usual studio markings or even a title.
Brand New Trailer For ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’
Walt Disney Pictures has released a brand new trailer for the upcoming “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” featuring lots of new scenes of the amazing action that will take place in the movie.
The film is scheduled to hit theaters on May 16th.
‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ Franchise Ending After Third Film?
The Chronicles of Narnia franchise will reportedly end after the third film, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is released.Based on a series of seven novels by C. S. Lewis, the first film adaptation, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was released in 2005. Its follow-up, Prince Caspian, is scheduled for release this summer, with Dawn Treader expected in 2010.
First Showing reports that producer Mark Johnson told an audience at the New York Comic Con that there are “no plans” to adapt the remaining four novels following Dawn Treader.
Disney and Pixar are reportedly planning to replace the Narnia franchise with a trilogy of films based on the John Carter of Mars books by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
