Could it be? Disney isn't going to mess with the themes that undergird CS Lewis' immortal classic?
I'll believe it when I see it...
I'm honestly a little frightened by what Disney could have done in Chronicles of Narnia.
***They have also hired a public relations company to market the film directly to Christian groups to ensure that the powerful evangelical movement, which is particularly strong in America, is happy with the content.***
And just to get things started off right they've decided to cast a lesbian in one of the lead roles!!!!
(Hint: Tilda Swinton)
Donate the profits to ministry.
The Chronicles of Narnia speaks for itself with regard to the Christian message. Any attempt on the part of Disney and it's associates to impose their personal agenda upon the message, or to rewrite the story as they adapt it to film and dilute the intent will cost them in ticket sales.
Whether it's Homer's 'The Iliad', or George MacDonalds 'Lilith', people want authenticity and not compromise. Grant it, in order to adapt a story from paper to the big screen compromises must be made, but not at the expense of the story's message. Whether the audience views the movie as Christian or not is irrelevant.
Compare Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter' with Demi Moore to that of Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' with Elijah Wood. There is not comparison.
The Chronicles of Narnia (3 disc set)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000069CFH/103-7177045-4623007?v=glance
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Chronicles of Narnia, a seven-volume, Bible-based children's fantasy series written in the 1950s by British theologian C.S. Lewis, draws young readers into the magical, dangerous land of Narnia and plunges them into the age-old battle of good and evil. Lewis envisioned these stories as pictures before he wrote them, so it seems only proper that the books would eventually make it to the small screen. In the late 1980s and early '90s, three adventures in this series--The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (169 minutes), Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (168 minutes), and The Silver Chair (168 minutes)--were faithfully adapted into a TV series by the BBC and Home Vision Entertainment, then edited to feature-length productions. All three of these discs (nine hours of viewing!) are included in this boxed set of DVDs, along with interactive trivia games and more.
Youngsters expecting special effects like those found in The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone may miss the subtler charms of these sweet but rather homespun productions, with humans dressed as woodland creatures and patched-in animation. And kids expecting fast-paced action adventures may snooze after a few hours of these relatively slow-moving scripts. But those who want a refresher course in all things Narnia will be thrilled to see these well-loved fantasies come to life in gorgeous snowy landscapes--the good lion Aslan (played by a large, talking stuffed animal), the horrible White Witch (performed with deliciously over-the-top zeal by actress Barbara Kellerman), the four siblings, fauns, dwarves, deadly sea monsters, and all. --Karin Snelson
And for more of a shock the BBC actually followed the book!
The special effects are really dated, but for the 70's and limited budget not bad.
"And kids expecting fast-paced action adventures may snooze after a few hours of these relatively slow-moving scripts."
A friend of mine who has two ragrats borrowed my copy. Her kids couldn't get enough of them.
C.S. Lewis is immensely popular among Evangelicals. They desperately need to persuade them to see the film.
If Disney doesn't want to screw this up, they will be wise to get a director and writers who can understand the Christian message and won't mess with it, detract from it, or add to it, but just play it as Lewis wrote it.
That means they have to resist the temptation to do what Disney usually does with most of their films: make it cutesy, and make it politically correct.
Disney is sometimes capable of keeping its hands off movies it sponsors. Among these are some of the Pixar films, and recently some of the films directed by the great Japanese anime director Miyazaki.
"Spirited Away" is warmly recommended for family viewing. I just saw "Porco Rosso" and that was unspoiled by Disney tampering, too. I have just ordered that, "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," and "The Cat Came Back" for my DVD library, all just released, sponsored by Disney but directed by Miyazaki. I have all his earlier movies on DVD. They're all terrific.
BTTT
DINSEY "PASSION" --
Jesus will be black.
Mary will be Oriental.
Joseph will be a homosexual.
The Romans will be the ugly, horrid beasts, slobbering and slathering all over the picture.
I can see it now. Jesus won't be a carpenter; he will be a camel jockey or some such thing.
Satan will be a blue-eyed, blond German (but of course).
Peter will be a whining, feckless moron with no redeeming values.
The rest of the Apostles will be portrayed as worthless men who abused their wives and ran away from them to join the confused man fron Nazareth.
Disney studies are run by pimps who hate Christianity, God and anything resembling Christian spirituality or morality.
They will make it a musical, with heavy metal group punishing our ears with putrid music.
Mary Magdalene will be dressed like a Hollywood hooker, also with no social redeeming values.
And Judas? He will be treated in a very sympathetic way, poor misunderstood fellow that he was.
Michael Moore will LOVE it, as will all of Hollywood, the leftist media, Ebert and what's-his-name, all the critics, the New York Times and the rest of those rags.
The 4000 Screen Actors Guild will vote it as the Best Picture.
Oprah and Halle Berry will cry again when the actor who plays Jesus wins the academy award for best actor. Yet another victory for people of color. Snerf.
RED flag. Ole Walt would turn over in his grave if he saw what his beloved Disney has turned into.
Gee, I wonder if they will throw in 'gay-days in the parks', and whatever tv and film fare that have won them such . . . praise in liberal circles, as well? Let the new Disney just be themselves, and see what kind of "support" they can find.
A Michael Jackson production.
Think Disney will get the same reception from churches that Mel Gibson did? I doubt it.
Isn't this being co-produced by Walden Media - the same group that brought us "Because of Winn-Dixie"? I'm still holding out hope that this will be a good series.
This ought to be a hoot.
I read this account with the same degree of suspicion as reports of Zarqawi's arrest.
Disney screws up everything they touch. They'll be gay characters or worse.
It is also disturbing that they would tackle works by C.S. Lewis. I think I would rather see a Chronicles of Narnia done by Peter Jackson!
Besides, if Disney wants to make a Kids' Passion, they should start by looking at Mel Gibson's work and making it G-rated.
In case you have not read this.