Though the initial report-- that came soon after Disney greenlit the sequel --claimed Adamson was not going to direct the sequel, the latest update has got the director back on the roster.
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Updates
According to Variety, Andrew Adamson has signed to direct Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the sequel to the Walt Disney Pictures/Walden Media holiday hit The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The report claims that the sequel didn't become 'official' up until yesterday even though the original announcement came a little under a month ago. However, with box office ticket sales now up to $637 million worldwide there was no doubt that Disney was anxious to move forward with the sequel.
The new deal with Adamson will give him an eight-figure salary up front for Prince Caspian plus royalties on gross ticket sales. This latest deal with the director is levels above the one he signed with Disney for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; a contract he signed even before the release of Shrek 2.
Adamson, who will also produce, will write the sequel script for Prince Caspian with Christopher Markus and Steve McFeeley, two of the original's writers. The studio and Walden hope to begin production late this year for a Christmas 2007 release.
Similar to the issues Warner Bros is having with their actors on the Harry Potter franchise, there is extra pressure to speed up sequels for The Chronicles of Narnia before the young stars get too old for the parts.
"The next story involves the same children and their return to Narnia," Adamson said. "It's 400 years later in Narnia, but for our children a little over a year has passed. It is a very emotional story, because by the end the two oldest have to acknowledge that they are too old to come back. They are saying farewell to their childhood."
Though writing and early sketches have already begun for Prince Caspian, Adamson assures audiences that he is going to go back and make sure to do the next CS Lewis book justice.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
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