The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a 2008 high fantasy film co-written and directed by Andrew Adamson, based on Prince Caspian, the second published, fourth chronological novel in C. S. Lewis‘s epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It is the second in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media, following The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Liam Neeson, and Tilda Swinton reprise their roles from the first film, while new cast includes Ben Barnes, Sergio Castellitto, Peter Dinklage, Eddie Izzard, Warwick Davis, Ken Stott, and Vincent Grass. In the film, the four Pevensie children return to Narnia to aid Prince Caspian in his struggle with the “secret” help of Aslan for the throne against his corrupt uncle, King Miraz.

Prince Caspian, a British-American production, is the last Narnia film to be co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, as 20th Century Fox became the distributor for the next film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader due to budgetary disputes between Disney and Walden Media, but as a result of Disney eventually purchasing Fox on March 20, 2019, Disney now owns the rights to all three Narnia movies. Work on the script began before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was released, so filming could begin before the actors grew too old for their parts. Director Andrew Adamson wanted to make the film more spectacular than the first, and created an action sequence not in the novel. The Narnians were designed to look wilder as they have been hiding from persecution, stressing the darker tone of the sequel. The filmmakers also took a Spanish influence for the antagonistic race of the Telmarines. Filming began in February 2007 in New Zealand, but unlike the previous film, the majority of shooting took place in Central Europe, because of the larger sets available in those countries. To keep costs down, Adamson chose to base post-production in the UK, because of recent tax credits there.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian premiered on May 7, 2008 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, before it was theatrically released on May 16 in the United States and on June 26 in the United Kingdom. The film received mostly positive reviews from film critics; many praised the performances and visual effects, however, the film’s darker tone and mature themes drew polarizing opinions. It was a moderate success at the box office, grossing $55 million during its opening weekend. By the end of its theatrical run, it had grossed over $419.7 million worldwide. The film became the 10th highest-grossing film worldwide in 2008.