The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Disney has declined to exercise its option on the next installment of the Chronicles of Narnia, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” The movie, which was slated to hit theaters in May 2010, is now in limbo:
While declining to elaborate, Disney and Walden Media confirmed Tuesday that for budgetary and logistical reasons the Burbank-based studio is not exercising its option to co-produce and co-finance the next “Narnia” movie with Walden.
The third entry in the series, based on the classic books by C.S. Lewis, was in preproduction and set for a spring shoot for a planned May 2010 release. The development puts the participation of the talent attached in doubt. Michael Apted was on board to direct a script by Steven Knight. The key players of the second installment, “Prince Caspian” — Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell — were to return for the third film.
Walden has a strong relationship with the Lewis estate and will shop “Treader” in hopes of finding a new partner. The most likely candidate at this stage is Fox, which markets and distributes Walden fare under the Fox Walden banner.
Hopefully, a new distributor will be found, and one that will fully support the films without compromising the stories. While news like this is disturbing, we must remind ourselves that we do have the books themselves, which are treasures whether they are made into movies or not.
HT: Tim Challies
Rockstanding 
What have you thought about the previous two movies, Tony?
I was excited about the first one and thought it was fine, but I have to admit that the second installment didn’t thrill me. Plus, I was not happy that that there was a de-emphasis (in my mind) of Aslan so that it was more about the resolve of the Pevinsy children it seemed. I also didn’t like the hint of Disney teen romance between Prince Caspian and Susan. That was unnecessary and a distraction.
That said, my kids got the Narnia movies for Christmas. They are entertaining and, as far as movies for the whole family, you could do a lot worse. I will always be glad that I spent the time to read the whole series through to my children when they were younger. I hope everybody experiences these stories that way. Movies are great, but there is just so much more you can experience through the written word that resonates in a way movies can’t.
My wife and I’ve read the books to our kids, too, which made at least one of them pretty disappointed in the movies. He’s an avid reader, and never likes movies based on books he’s read.
I enjoyed the first movie (despite it’s deviations from the book), but I read so many reviews with the same concerns that you just expressed about the second movie that I decided not to bother watching it. My wife did, though, and enjoyed it.
hmmm………I would have to agree w u TB. I saw the 2nd movie and didn’t like it too much. It did not hold true to the book. I pray that they do make the third though. Thats my favorite book out of all of them….well to be truthful its the last one I read.
[…] work had been eagerly waiting to see how these literary treasures would be made into movies. When Disney bailed on the series in Decenber 2008 after The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian (which already […]