The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (film)

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will be a fantasy film based on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third (also considered fifth) novel in C. S. Lewis' children's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. The third film in Walt Disney Pictures' and Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia (film series). On December 24, 2008, it was announced Disney would not go through with the film due to budget problems.

The sequel to the Disney and Walden media films of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is due to be released to theaters December 10, 2010, filming started in May 2009. Michael Apted will be directing, and Andrew Adamson has returned as one of the producers.

The film will be released theatrically in Australia on December 9, 2010 and in the United States and United Kingdom on December 10, 2010.

Plot
Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb, find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship headed for the very edges of the world. Joining forces once again with their royal friend Caspian X and the warrior mouse Reepicheep, they are whisked away on a mysterious mission to the Lone Islands and beyond. On this bewitching voyage that will test their hearts and spirits, the trio will face magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan's Country - a voyage of destiny and transformation for each of those aboard the Dawn Treader - can save Narnia, and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate.

Returning Cast

 * Ben Barnes - Caspian X
 * Georgie Henley - Lucy Pevensie
 * Skandar Keynes - Edmund Pevensie
 * Liam Neeson - Voice of Aslan
 * Shane Rangi - Tavros the Minotaur

New Cast

 * Will Poulter - Eustace Scrubb
 * Bill Nighy - Reepicheep
 * Ryan Ettridge - Caprius the Satyr
 * Steven Rooke - Nausus the Faun
 * Morgan Evens - "Randy" the faun
 * Chris Cruickshanks - "Cruickshanks" the Dwarf
 * Gary Sweet - Lord Drinian
 * Bruce Spence - Lord Rhoop
 * Terry Norris - Lord Bern
 * Tony Nixon - Rynelf
 * Arthur Angel - Rhince
 * David Vallon - Governor Gumpas
 * Colin Moody - Pug
 * Arabella Morton - Gael
 * Roy Billings - Chief Dufflepud
 * Billie Brown - Corikin
 * Laura Brent - Ramandu's Daughter

Production
Michael Apted was announced as director on April 17, 2007; Andrew Adamson, director of the series' first two films, and Mark Johnson are slated as co-producers. Apted grew up reading the Narnia novels. Bob Beltz of Walden Media said the production company deliberately set up a fast-paced, staggered shooting schedule for the Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair films "in a way that it won't have to be two and a half years between them. We'll be able to bring them out sequentially a year apart". Michael Apted described taking over direction of the series as easy, "What’s fascinating about this particular franchise is how different all the stories are... there’s no element of Narnia in it at all. This is a journey that Caspian the Tenth is making into the islands, outside to the east of Narnia. So it’s interesting, it’s a whole different tone to the other things".

Production designer Roger Ford was replaced by Jan Roelfs. The owners of an AUD 2.1 million 40 metre by 30 metre by 5 metre water tank at Warner Roadshow Studios in Queensland are negotiating with the production company, in the hope that The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will be filmed there. Filming began in May 2009.

Due to Prince Caspian (Disney movie) grossing less than expected, Disney wanted a $100 million budget. However, Walden Media wanted a $140 million budget. On December 24, 2008, Disney chose not to go through with the much anticipated movie. On January 28, 2009, Fox 2000 decided to pick up the franchise, joining Walden Media for the production.

Filming 

In a February 2010 interview, Bill Nighy revealed that he would be the new voice of Reepicheep.

Marketing
In early December 2009, three stills from the film were released on the social networking site, Facebook. In February 2010, Narnia.com, the official domain, returned after a nine-month period of being down.