The Chronicles

of Narnia

(2005 - )

Directed by:

Andrew Adamson

& Michael Apted

Based on The Chronicles of Narnia

By C.S. Lewis 

The Chronicles of Narnia:

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

(2005)

Director:

Andrew Adamson

 

Produced by:

Mark Johnson & Philip Steuer

 

Screenplay by:

Ann Peacock,

Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely

The Chronicles of Narnia:

Prince Caspian

(2007)

Director:

Andrew Adamson

 

Produced by:

Mark Johnson,

Andrew Adamson & Philip Steuer

 

Screenplay by:

Andrew Adamson,

Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely

The Chronicles of Narnia:

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

(2010)

Director:

Michael Apted

 

Produced by:

Mark Johnson,

Andrew Adamson & Phillip Steuer

 

Screenplay by:

Christopher Markus,

Stephen McFeely & Michael Petroni

The Film Series’ Successes,

Contribution to Cinema & Legacy

The Chronicles of Narnia (2005 - )

  • The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was a commercial and critical success on release in 2005, grossing more than $745 million at the box office worldwide, making it the third most successful film of the year, while it also won numerous major awards.

  • The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe on release in 2005 was critically praised with Roger Ebert giving the film 3 out of 4 stars, Ebert and Roeper giving the film “Two Thumbs Up”, Leonard Maltin calling it “an impressive and worthwhile family film”, Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle listing it as the second best film of the year and Elizabeth Weitzman of New York Daily News giving it 4 out of 4 stars and calling it “a generation-spanning journey that feels both comfortingly familiar and excitingly original”.

  • The second film in this series, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian was released in 2008 and was mostly positively reviewed with praise for its performances and visual effects, however the film’s darker tone and mature themes also drew more polarizing opinions. In addition, while it did mark the 10th highest grossing film worldwide in 2008 it still was somewhat a more moderate commercial success when compared to the first film in this series.

  • This change in critical and commercial success once more came with the third film released in this series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader which on release in 2010 received both mixed reviews and the lowest box office result compared to its predecessors. In total, the film series is a commercial success which collectively grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide.

  • Today, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is the most strongly rated film in this film series on Rotten Tomatoes at 76% with its critical consensus stating that “With first-rate special effects and compelling storytelling, this adaptation stays faithful to its source material and will please moviegoers of all ages”.