LOS ANGELES - Moviegoers will see all sorts of miracles in "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," including a painting that springs to life, a star that becomes incarnate, and a book that conjures up spells. The companies behind the latest big-screen adaptation from C.S. Lewis' classic book series hope the film will perform a different kind of miracle: revive a stalled franchise.
Producers Walden Media and 20th Century Fox believe that the third "Narnia" picture, which opens tomorrow, can reclaim the fans who embraced 2005's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" but who were turned off by the darker 2008 sequel "Prince Caspian," whose comparatively poor performance raised serious doubts about the series' future.
"We strayed from our core audience," said Mark Johnson, who has produced all three "Narnia" movies. In trying - and largely failing - to attract more teens, he said, the "Prince Caspian" movie might have alienated families.
The producers hope the 3-D "Dawn Trader" will win them back.
Hollywood studios always are looking for a repeatable movie series such as "Harry Potter" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" that can sell millions of tickets and DVDs while also spawning theme park attractions and merchandise sales. At first, "Narnia" appeared to be the next such breakout, with the first film grossing $745 million worldwide. But the second installment, which cost much more than its predecessor, generated 43 percent less at the box office.
Then, in a highly unusual move, Walt Disney Studios, which co-financed and released the first two "Narnia" movies, walked away from the series, citing financial and creative concerns.
Billionaire investor Philip Anschutz, whose film company Walden Media is committed to producing traditional family entertainment and controls the movie rights to all seven "Narnia" novels, wasn't about to abandon the allegorical Christian books that appeal to faith-based and general audiences alike. Walden joined forces with Fox, and together they substantially downsized the "Dawn Treader" production budget and revised its story to emphasize the fantasy and adventure elements and lighter tone that distinguished the first blockbuster.
"This franchise is obviously very important to us," said David Weil, chief executive of Walden parent Anschutz Film Group.
The story for "Dawn Treader," which is the name of Caspian's sailing ship, centers on the adventures of siblings Edmund and Lucy Pevensie and their ill-tempered cousin, Eustace. The trio are transported back to the mythical land of Narnia, where they join Caspian on a voyage to mysterious islands.
Unlike "Prince Caspian," which was a more serious and warlike drama, "Dawn Treader," directed by Michael Apted, is intended to be accessible to a wider swath of ticket buyers. Caspian, played by British heartthrob Ben Barnes, has mysteriously lost his exotic accent, and the talking mouse Reepicheep is now more of a comic foil.
"We really wanted to make it light and fantastical," said Elizabeth Gabler, whose Fox 2000 division oversaw the film with Walden and who had initially tried to acquire the "Narnia" rights for Fox from the Lewis estate but lost out to Anschutz, who subsequently partnered with Disney.
" 'Caspian' wasn't for me as fun and magical," Gabler added. To invoke the first film, the "Dawn Treader" poster features a large close-up shot of Aslan, the Christ-like lion who actually plays a more prominent role in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" than in "Dawn Treader."
At the same time, Fox and Walden rewrote the new film's economics to improve its chances for profitability.
"Prince Caspian" was shot in New Zealand, England, the Czech Republic and Poland over 140 days and cost $240 million. "Dawn Treader," on the other hand, cost about $155 million and was almost exclusively filmed in Australia over 90 days, mostly on sound stages rather than costlier far-flung locations.
And rather than shooting on the ocean, which can be costly, the crew built a 140-foot, 125-ton vessel costing $2.7 million that was suspended over the Coral Sea on a motion-controlled device to simulate high-seas sailing. Visual effects for "Prince Caspian" cost $100 million, while the effects budget for "Dawn Treader" was less than half that.