The film marks the first live-action directorial effort for New Zealander Andrew Adamson (the Oscar(r)-winning "Shrek," "Shrek 2"), who also co-wrote the screenplay adaptation with Emmy Award-winner Anne Peacock (HBO's "A Lesson Before Dying") and scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (HBO's "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers"). The film is produced by Academy Award(r)-winning filmmaker Mark Johnson ("Rain Man," "Bugsy," "A Little Princess," "The Notebook") and is slated for a global release in December, 2005, through the Walt Disney Studios distribution division of Buena Vista Releasing.
Already in the planning and preproduction stages for two years, the project's towering production schedule of eighteen months encompasses a six-month live-action shoot followed by a yearlong post-production schedule leading to its December, 2005, worldwide release. To bring his dazzling vision to the screen, Adamson has secured the talents of Oscar-nominated cinematographer Donald McAlpine, A.S.C., A.C.S ("Moulin Rouge," "Peter Pan"), Oscar(r)-nominated production designer Roger Ford ("Babe," "Peter Pan"), seasoned costume designer Isis Mussenden ("Shrek," "Shrek 2," "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights"), film editors Sim Evan-Jones ("Shrek") and Jim May ("Van Helsing") and composer Harry Gregson-Williams ("Shrek," "Shrek 2," "Antz"). Industry veteran Philip Steuer ("The Alamo," "The Rookie") joins director Adamson as the film's executive producer.
Inspired by Lewis' imaginative creations, the story's human cast will be complemented by a gallery of original and wondrous characters and creatures portrayed onscreen in the combined efforts of live-action and CGI animation under the supervision of visual effects supervisor Dean Wright ("The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King") and VFX producer Randy Starr. They will collaborate with the movie magicians at two of Hollywood's VFX giants: Sony Imageworks ("Spider-Man 2") and Rhythm & Hues (the Academy Award(r)-winning "Babe"), whose dazzling array of computer-generated effects will breed such creatures as the mighty lion king, Aslan; Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, the kindly mammals who accompany the children on their journey; Maugrim, the savage gray wolf who serves as the White Witch's henchman; and a host of other beasts including minotaurs, centaurs, cyclops, and broods of others not before seen on the motion picture screen.
The film's creative team also includes four-time Academy Award(r)-winning visualist Richard Taylor ("Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Heavenly Creatures") and the wizards from his Weta Workshop, a collective group of artists based in New Zealand who designed and created the visual and makeup effects for all three chapters of Jackson's landmark movie trilogy. Taylor's team (who designed the film's armour and weaponry, with early creature concepts) will team up with veteran movie makeup magicians Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero, partners in the award-winning company of KNB EFX Group, who will manufacture and apply hundreds of special makeup prosthetics for all of the unique and unusual characters in the story.
"The Chronicles of Narnia" Cast News[/link]
