Lions and Witches in Kiwiland

18 December 2003 – Pre-production on The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is officially underway in NZ, with Weta Workshop on board for the visual effects and Kiwi Andrew Adamson (Shrek) at the helm. The £62 million project is the first in a series of 5 films based on C.S Lewis’ best-selling Narnia series. Minister for Industry Development, Jim Anderton, calls it “a vote of confidence in our country as a location for film and screen production … it means more opportunities for New Zealanders to learn new skills and find employment in an exciting and creative industry.” Says Adamson in USA Today, “I always thought Narnia was real. I don’t want to make the book as much as my memory of the book. Aslan has to be a talking, emoting character.”