The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 high fantasy film directed by Andrew Adamson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ann Peacock and the writing team of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, based on the 1950 novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in the children's book series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. The film is the first installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film series. It was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley play Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie, four British children evacuated during the Blitz to the countryside, who find a wardrobe that leads to the fantasy world of Narnia, where they ally with the lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) against the forces of Jadis, the White Witch (Tilda Swinton).
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe premiered on 7 December 2005, selected for the Royal Film Performance, before it was theatrically released on 8 December in the United Kingdom and 9 December in the United States. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $745 million worldwide against a $180 million budget and becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 2005. An extended edition was released on 12 December 2006, on DVD. Combining both releases of the film, in regular and extended edition, it was the third-best-selling and first-highest-grossing DVD in North America in 2006, taking in $332.7 million that year. At the 78th Academy Awards, the film won for Best Makeup and was nominated for Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects, while at the 59th BAFTA Awards, it won for Best Makeup and Hair and was nominated for Best Costume Design and Best Special Visual Effects. The score was nominated for Best Original Score and the song "Wunderkind" by Alanis Morissette was nominated for Best Original Song at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards. The score was also nominated for Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and the song "Can't Take It In" by Imogen Heap was nominated for Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the 49th Grammy Awards.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was followed by Prince Caspian in 2008 and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010 to diminishing critical and financial reception. Nevertheless, the three films grossed a total of $1.5 billion worldwide.
Plot
In September 1940, after surviving the Blitz during World War II, the Pevensie children – Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy – are evacuated from London, England to the country home of Professor Kirke.
During a game of hide-and-seek, Lucy discovers a wardrobe and hides inside, only to find that she has entered a magical winter world. She encounters a faun named Mr. Tumnus, who tells her she is in Narnia. Tumnus lulls Lucy to sleep by playing a flute lullaby. When she wakes up, he explains that he had intended to betray her to the White Witch, Jadis, who has cursed Narnia to an eternal winter with no Christmas; any humans encountered are to be brought to her. Instead, Tumnus sends Lucy back home through the wardrobe, where she finds that hardly any time has passed in the real world.
Lucy later goes back through the wardrobe. Edmund follows her but encounters Jadis, who claims to be the Queen of Narnia, and her servant, Ginarrbrik, and tells her about Tumnus. Jadis offers him Turkish delight and kingship if he brings his siblings to her. In the real world, Lucy shares with Peter and Susan about Narnia, but Edmund spitefully betrays her by pretending Lucy only imagined it. Professor Kirke, however, suggests Lucy is telling the truth.
After accidentally breaking a window, the siblings flee the housekeeper through the wardrobe and enter Narnia. Peter chastises Edmund for lying about Lucy and forces him to apologize to her. They discover that Jadis has captured Tumnus as Edmund unintentionally turned him in to her. They meet a pair of talking beavers, who say Aslan, the true King of Narnia, plans to return and regain control of Narnia, and that there is a prophecy that when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve sit on the thrones of Cair Paravel, Jadis' reign will end.
Edmund sneaks off to visit Jadis, but she is furious that he came without his siblings. She sends wolves led by Maugrim to find the children, and Edmund is imprisoned, where he meets Tumnus. The children and beavers escape, and Jadis turns Tumnus to stone.
Peter, Susan, Lucy, and the beavers encounter Father Christmas, a sign that Jadis's power is weakening. He gives them tools to defend themselves — Lucy receives a dagger and a cordial that can heal any injury; Susan a magical horn and a bow with a quiver of arrows; and Peter a sword and shield. After evading Jadis' wolves, the group reaches Aslan's camp, where he is revealed to be a lion. Maugrim and a wolf ambush Lucy and Susan, but Peter kills Maugrim. Aslan's troops chase the fleeing wolf scout and rescue Edmund.
Jadis journeys to Aslan's camp to claim Edmund as a traitor due to a blood contract law, but Aslan secretly offers himself instead. That night, Lucy and Susan witness Jadis killing Aslan at the Stone Table and deploy an army to prepare for war. Unbeknownst to all except for Susan and Lucy, Aslan is resurrected, citing magic beyond Jadis' understanding, and takes the sisters to Jadis' castle to free the numerous petrified Narnians there.
Upon learning of Aslan's death, Edmund urges Peter to lead. Both armies clash, with Jadis' army nearly overwhelming Peter and Edmund's. Edmund is mortally wounded after breaking Jadis' wand while saving Peter. Aslan arrives with the army of restored Narnians from Jadis' castle, and personally kills Jadis. Susan shoots Ginarrbrik as the latter attempts to finish off Edmund, and Lucy heals Edmund with her cordial. The Pevensies are crowned King Peter the Magnificent, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, and Queen Lucy the Valiant.
Fifteen years later, the siblings, now adults, pursue a white stag. They find the lamppost Lucy first encountered in Narnia. They cross back through the wardrobe, becoming children again since little time has passed. Professor Kirke asks why they were in the wardrobe. Peter says he wouldn't believe them, and he responds, "Try me."
In a mid-credit scene, Lucy attempts to use the wardrobe again, but Professor Kirke tells her he has also tried, and they will probably return to Narnia when they least expect it.
Cast
Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie, the youngest of the four Pevensie children. Rachael Henley (Henley's real-life sister) as Adult Lucy Pevensie, who has grown up as a queen in Narnia. Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie, the third-eldest of the four Pevensie children. Mark Wells as Adult Edmund Pevensie, who has grown up as a king in Narnia. William Moseley as Peter Pevensie, the eldest of the four Pevensie children. Noah Huntley as Adult Peter Pevensie, who has grown up as a king in Narnia. Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie, the second-eldest child of the four Pevensie children. Sophie Winkleman as Adult Susan Pevensie, who has grown up as a queen in Narnia. Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan, the great lion who was responsible for creating Narnia. Tilda Swinton as Jadis, the White Witch, an evil, power-hungry sorceress who holds Narnia under an eternal winter without Christmas or other seasons. James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus, a faun who at first works for Jadis, but befriends Lucy Pevensie and joins Aslan's forces. Jim Broadbent as Professor Digory Kirke, an old professor. He lets the children stay at his country estate during the war. Ray Winstone as the voice of Mr. Beaver, a beaver who helps lead the children to Aslan. Dawn French as the voice of Mrs. Beaver, a beaver who helps lead the children to Aslan. Kiran Shah as Ginarrbrik, Jadis' servant dwarf. Elizabeth Hawthorne as Mrs. Macready, Kirke's strict housekeeper. James Cosmo as Father Christmas. He gives Peter, Susan, and Lucy their Christmas gifts. Michael Madsen as the voice of Maugrim, a wolf who is captain of Jadis' secret police. (uncredited) Patrick Kake as General Oreius, a centaur who is second-in-command of Aslan's army. Shane Rangi as General Otmin, a minotaur who is second-in-command of Jadis' army Morris Cupton as Train Guard, the guard of the train Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy ride. Judy McIntosh as Helen Pevensie, the mother of the four Pevensie children. Rupert Everett as the voice of Mr. Fox, a fox who helps the children along their way to Aslan. Producer Philip Steuer voices Phillip, Edmund's talking horse.
The radio-announcer that Peter listens to on the rainy day near the beginning of the film is played by Douglas Gresham, co-producer of the movie and C. S. Lewis's stepson. Keynes' voice broke during filming, so some of his voice track had to be re-looped by his sister Soumaya. Christopher Pevensie, the father of the four Pevensie children, is only glimpsed in a photo which Edmund tries to retrieve during the bombing, which is of Sim-Evan Jones's father.
With the exception of Tilda Swinton, who was the first choice to play Jadis, the White Witch, casting was a long process. Beginning in 2002, Adamson went through 2,500 audition tapes, met 1,800 children and workshopped 400 before coming down to the final four actors for the Pevensies. Moseley and Popplewell came from the very start of casting, whilst Henley and Keynes were cast relatively late. Moseley was cast because casting director Pippa Hall remembered she cast him as an extra in Cider with Rosie (1998). He beat 3,000 boys to the role of Peter and quit school to learn all his lines.
Aslan's voice was a contention point. Brian Cox was originally cast in the role on 9 December 2004, but Adamson changed his mind. Liam Neeson sought out the role, and was announced as the voice on 17 July 2005.
Production Pre-production During the early 1990s, producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy were planning a film version. They could not find a space in Britain to shoot the film during 1996, and their plans to set the film in modern times made Douglas Gresham oppose the film, in addition to his feeling that technology had yet to catch up. Perry Moore began negotiations with the C. S. Lewis estate in 2000. On 7 December 2001, Walden Media announced that they had acquired the rights to The Chronicles of Narnia. Walden Media discussed with many directors to helm the Narnia films, including Rob Minkoff, John Boorman, and David Fincher. On 1 March 2004, The Walt Disney Studios entered into a deal with Walden Media to co-produce and finance the film and all future Narnia films under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.
The success of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone prompted the producers to feel they could make a faithful adaptation of the novel set in Britain. "Harry Potter came along, and all those cultural or geographical lines were broken," Mark Johnson explained. "When The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was being developed at Paramount, the imperative was to set it in the U.S., and it just doesn't hold. [...] It's not the book." Guillermo del Toro turned down the offer to direct due to his commitment on Pan's Labyrinth. Following an Academy Award win for Shrek, director Andrew Adamson began adapting the source material with a 20-page treatment based on his memories of the book. As such the film begins with the Luftwaffe bombing and concludes with an enormous battle, although they do not take up as much time in the novel.