"Voyage of the Dawn Treader" in Production in Australia

20th Century Fox
Reproduced, Courtesy of Christian Cinema.Com

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third epic of the Chronicles of Narnia series based on the bestselling books by C.S. Lews, began principal photography on location in Queensland, Australia, on Monday, July 27. The production is scheduled to run through November 2009, with post-production taking another year. The projected global theatrical release is set for December 2010.

This time around, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie (the two younger children), 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 Prince Caspian 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.

Cast and Crew

Veteran filmmaker Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough, Gorillas in the Mist, Coal Miner's Daughter) is at the helm of the new Narnia venture. Returning as the Pevensie children are Georgie Henley as Lucy and Skandar Keynes as Edmund. Ben Barnes (Easy Virtue, Dorian Gray) reprises the role of Caspian. Cousin Eustace will be played by UK native Will Poulter (Son of Rambow).

The supporting cast includes several veterans of the Australian film world, including Gary Sweet (Stingers), Bruce Spence (Road Warrior), Arthur Angel (Ghost Rider) and Kiwi native Shane Rangi, back for his third go-round in Lewis' fantastical world (donning the guise of a Minotaur, as he did in the two previous films). And, lending his vocal talents again to the project is Academy Award® nominee Liam Neeson (Kinsey, Schindler's List) as the all-powerful ruler of Narnia, Aslan the Lion.

While relinquishing the director's chair this time out, filmmaker Andrew Adamson (the Oscar®-winning Shrek, Shrek 2) will return as one of the film's three producers, reteaming with his colleagues from the first two "Narnia" films — Academy Award®-winner Mark Johnson (Rain Man, Bugsy, The Notebook) and Philip Steuer (The Rookie, The Alamo).

Also back for another Narnian adventure are Executive Producers Perry Moore and Lewis' stepson, Douglas Gresham. The screenplay was written by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian) and Richard LaGravenese (The Fisher King) and Michael Petroni (The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys).

Original Visual Effects

Inspired by Lewis' imaginative creations, the story's human cast will once again be complemented by a gallery of original creatures portrayed onscreen in the combined efforts of live-action and CGI animation under the supervision of visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton (The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons). Oscar® winners Howard Berger and Tami Lane, back for their third "Narnia" project, will reprise their efforts on the film's prosthetic makeup effects for many of the unique characters in the story.

"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is the third of Lewis’ seven-book Chronicles of Narnia series. Published between 1950-56 and long regarded as one of literature's most enduring and imaginative classics, Lewis' books have sold over 100,000,000 copies in over 50 different languages, making it the second biggest book series the world over.

Production on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will take place entirely in Queensland, Australia, primarily at the Warner Roadshow Studio facility in Gold Coast, which houses the Southern Hemisphere's largest water tank facility, crucial to the production's needs. Filming will conclude in November 2009, with a year-long post-production schedule leading to the film's global release in December 2010.