Just what is going on in that wardrobe? The financial shenanigans surrounding the continuing progress of the Narnia franchise are more fantastic than anything CS Lewis could have dreamt up. Last week, it was announced that 20th Century Fox would replace Disney in co-producing Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third film in the cycle.
Fox has been trying to drum up its own fantasy franchise since Lord of the Ringspointed the way to a cornucopia of riches. But why did Disney bow out?
It's true that Prince Caspiantook in somewhat less than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But it was still the 10th most lucrative film of 2008 – and was, after Wall-E, Disney's second most successful flick of the year.
A recent article by Patrick Goldstein in the Los Angeles Timesoffers some answers. Goldstein mentions the huge marketing costs of Prince Caspian, but places more stress on deteriorating relations between co-producers Disney and Walden Media.
It is alleged that, following the huge success of Lion, Walden, the plaything of conservative Christian squillionaire Phil Anschutz, threatened to distribute Prince Caspianitself if Disney didn't fork out more of the profits. When the film underperformed, Disney was happy to wave Mr Anschutz goodbye.
Whatever the truth of this gossip, Narnia fans will get to see Michael Apted's Voyage of the Dawn Treaderin 2010.
