Captain America: The First Avenger’s Joe Johnston will direct Narnia: The Silver Chair
Joe Johnston is headed to Narnia as Variety brings word that the director behind films like The Rocketeer and Captain America: The First Avenger, is set to take the director’s chair on the upcoming C.S. Lewis adaptation from TriStar Pictures, the literary-focused label of Sony Pictures. As revealed last year, TriStar has teamed with The Mark Gordon Company, The C.S. Lewis Company, and Entertainment One (eOne) to continue the Narnia story.
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The script for The Silver Chair, Lewis’ fourth book in the Chronicles of Narnia, has been adapted by David Magee, the two-time Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of Life of Pi and Finding Neverland. Mark Gordon, C.S. Lewis’ stepson Douglas Gresham, Vincent Sieber, and Melvin Adams serve as producers.
The seven original novels have sold over 100 million copies worldwide, and have been published in more than 50 languages. The Chronicles of Narnia began with the publication of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in 1950. Six more novels (including the prequel, The Magician’s Nephew, and the sequels, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair and The Last Battle) followed over the next six years. The final title in the series, The Last Battle, was awarded the highest mark of excellence in children’s literature, the prestigious Carnegie Award.
At the box office, the Narnia franchise has taken in nearly $1.6 billion worldwide with three feature films: 2005’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, 2008’s Prince Caspian and 2010’s The Voyager of the Dawn Treader. The latter introduced Will Poulter as Eustace Scrubb, who is the central protagonist of The Silver Chair. It is believed that the role will be recast, however, and that The Silver Chair will serve as a complete reboot of the franchise.
What do you think of Joe Johnston taking on The Silver Chair? Is there anyone you would like to see star? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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