Old Stories Made New: “Narnia” and “Gulliver’s Travels” Evolve In 3D

By Addie Strong
December 10, 2010

Gulliver’s Travels; The Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader

"Gulliver’s Travels" and "The Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader" (images provided by 20th Century Fox)

As far as Hollywood coincidences go, a couple of new and upcoming movies this December's are chock full of them. Both are family adventures involving travel, exotic islands and their unique (and sometimes strange) inhabitants. Both are re-tellings of classic tales. And not only are the two upcoming movies being released within two weeks of each other, but both “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” and “Gulliver’s Travels” movies are also making their debuts in 3D form. Although both new films were shot in 2D, 20th Century Fox—the studio behind both flicks—opted to retrofit the movies after filming was completed. The tapes were converted to 3D in post-production in the hopes of attracting 3D fans during the holiday season.

However, not everyone is a fan of the 3D movie trend. Take 11-year-old famed film reviewer Jackson Murphy, a.k.a. Lights Camera Jackson, who also serves as contributing critic to CBS’s “The Early Show.” “I am not a fan of live-action 3D films,” he said. “3D is great for animated films, some sci-fi and documentary films, but did we need ‘Step Up 3D’? I don’t think so.” Jackson Murphy added that increased ticket prices for 3D films may also be a deterrent to theater audiences.

Still, 20th Century Fox is banking on “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” reeling in more viewers than “Prince Caspian”—the second film in the Chronicles of Narnia series—brought Disney back in 2008. “Caspian” earned only $141 million in box office sales compared to the first movie’s $291.7 in 2005, leading Disney to ditch the popular franchise.

Narnia’s new studio picked up where Disney left off with 3D “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” which hits movie theaters today. In this third Narnia tale, the two younger Pevensies (Edmund and Lucy) and their bratty cousin Eustace once again travel into the world of Narnia, landing on the Dawn Treader, the ship of King Caspian X (who was Prince Caspian in the previous movie). King Caspian has set sail to find the seven lost lords of Narnia by searching far-off lands like Burnt Island, Deathwater Island and the Island Where Dreams Come True. When the crew reaches the Island of the Star, they find three lost lords who have fallen into a deep, enchanted sleep. Their only hope of waking the dreamers? To sail to the edge of the world and leave someone behind.

Actor Liam Neeson reprises his role as the voice of the loyal and protective lion Aslan in “Dawn Treader,” and you’ll notice Oscar-nominee Tilda Swinton playing Jadis, the White Witch. Keep an eye on the actress who plays Lucy—her name is Georgie Henley, and she’s being hailed as the next Emma Watson. Jackson Murphy is hoping for “an exciting, surprising adventure” – like the one he saw in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”—and “new characters the audience can care about.”

The Chronicles Of Narnia - Voyage Of The Dawn Treader Movie Trailer (provided by YouTube)

Then there’s “Gulliver’s Travels.” Although this is also an iconic story being retold through a new 3D lens, it of course takes a more comedic path thanks to goofy lead actor, Jack Black.

Jack Black plays Lemuel Gulliver, an adventurous but only mildly successful travel writer who sets off for the Bermuda Triangle, but instead washes ashore on the island of Lilliput, where everyone is just a fraction of his size. Though at first his relationship with the pint-size inhabitants of the island is tense, Gulliver and the Lilliputians—including Queen (actress Catherine Tate) and Princess Lilliput (actress Emily Blunt) and Horatio (actor Jason Segel)—ultimately learn to put their size differences aside. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that in this modern-day version of Jonathan Swift’s book, Gulliver introduces them to new technology like PDAs and video games. Which makes us think Jackson Murphy may be in for a treat, since he’s looking for “a lot of laughs and a good message” when he goes to see the “Gulliver’s Travels” movie.

Jackson Murphy believes diehard fans and those familiar with the books are likeliest to hit the theaters. And if the increased interest in "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Gulliver’s Travels" collectibles on eBay is any indication, they'll be coming in droves. Total sales for collectible items tagged with the terms “Chronicles of Narnia” are up 60% in the past two weeks compared to the same time period six months ago. And total sales for Gulliver’s Travels collectibles have more than quadrupled in the past 14 days versus the same time frame a year ago.

Gulliver's Travels Movie Trailer (provided by YouTube)

Take a look at some of the best "Gulliver’s Travels" and "Chronicles of Narnia" collectibles we found to get you ready for your upcoming 3D adventures: