Narnia on screen late next year

By ALAN PERROTT

Disney Pictures has announced a release date for Andrew Adamson's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, even though the film's full cast has yet to be announced.

The first instalment of what could become a seven-part Chronicles of Narnia series will be released on December 9, 2005.

A spokesman for the $170 million production could not confirm whether the movie will be screened worldwide on the same day, or if the date refers to its release in the United States only.

New movies are normally released in New Zealand on a Thursday, so it is likely C. S. Lewis fans will have to wait until December 15 to see the Pevensies do battle with the evil White Witch.

Casting decisions have yet to be made on six major roles: Aslan the lion, Maugrim, the wolf who heads the White Witch's police, and the four children - Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter - as adults.

Aslan and Maugrim will be voice-over roles as the characters will be computer-generated by Hollywood special effects companies Sony Imageworks and Rhythm & Hues. New Zealand's Weta Workshop, which worked on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, will create the makeup prosthetics for all of the Narnian creatures.

The latest actor to be announced is Ray Winstone (King Arthur, Cold Mountain, Sexy Beast), who will provide the voice of Mr Beaver.

Other major adult roles will be played by Tilda Swinton (the White Witch), James McAvoy (Mr Tumnus the faun), Dawn French (Mrs Beaver), Jim Broadbent (Professor Kirke), James Cosmo (Father Christmas) and Rupert Everett (the Fox).

Filming began at a studio on the former Hobsonville air base on June 28.