New FX companies for "PC?"

According to this article, the three special effects companies that were used on "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" might be replaced by English counterparts, for no other reason than to be closer to the filming locations. Industrial Light & Magic, Sony Imageworks, and Rhythm & Hues appear to be replaced by Moving Picture Company and Framestore, who have worked on Harry Potter films, X-Men films, and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.

August 31, 2006 - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian promises to be an even bigger visual spectacle than The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was — if that's possible. However, in spite of the top-notch CG work done on LWW by companies like ILM, Rhythm + Hues, and Sony Imageworks, the producers of Caspian are apparently hiring different companies for the sequel, notably two British effects houses. Industry sources tell IGN Filmforce that Moving Picture Company and Framestore, both based in London, will be responsible for the bulk of the film's digital effects.

The information, if accurate, could hint at where director and producer Andrew Adamson's has chosen to shoot his film. While LWW was made in New Zealand, locales for the second Narnia adventure have been up in the air, with New Zealand and Ireland rumoredly competing for the honor. London is a lot closer to Ireland than New Zealand, and keeping your effects teams close to your production crew doesn't hurt. Nevertheless, New Zealand can't be counted out quite yet. The producers could also be moving effects work to England to take advantage of tax breaks instituted earlier this year. The British government has been trying to make the country competitive again, wooing back a once-vibrant filmmaking industry that has lately fled to less expensive nations like the Czech Republic.

Casting Call for "PC!"

(Ireland or New Zealand) -
Title: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
CAST, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Liam Neeson

EXEC PROD, Cary Granat

PROD, Mark Johnson, Andrew Adamson, Philip Steuer, Perry Moore

DIR, Andrew Adamson

SCR, Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

Shoot Dates: Fall, 2006 (in Ireland or New Zealand)
STORY: The film is about Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund, the Pevensie siblings are pulled back into the land of Narnia, where a thousand years have passed since they left. The children are once again enlisted to join the colorful creatures of Narnia in combating King Miraz, an evil villain who prevents the rightful Prince from ruling the land.
Breakdown-- Male Actors: Must be under 4’6". Any ethnicity.

We don’t know what specific roles are being cast here, but perhaps some of the dwarf or half-dwarf characters? It costs a relatively small amount to subscribe to MyEntertainmentWorld for one month, but you will be able to gain contact details about where to send your picture and resume for consideration. Good luck!

Thanks to NarniaWeb for the heads' up!

Initial Updates on "PC"

According to JoBlo.com, Risky Biz, and Infuzemag.com, there are some initial tidbits of information on the filming of "Prince Caspian:"

• Filming will begin in January 2007 for a Summer 2008 release.
• Ireland and the forests of Europe will most likely be the locations of shooting sites.
• The same actors--including the 4 Pevensie children--will be returning.
• Mark Johnson will continue producing and Andrew Adamson is directing.
• They only wanted to do a sequel if it could be bigger than "LWW."
• "PC" is expected to have around 2200 special effects shots ("LWW" had about 1600).
• Howard Berger's company, KNB FX, will be doing special effects again for "PC."

Thanks to NarniaWeb for the updates!