Disney Leaves Before Dawn

Disney Studios won’t be a partner in the third Narnia movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, industry sources revealed this week.

Getting a new partner to take on half the risk could prove a challenge for Walden given that “Prince Caspian” fell below expectations when it was released in May. The film generated $419 million in worldwide ticket sales, far less than the first “Narnia” movie, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” which grossed $745 million in 2005.

As in the case of many films, “Prince Caspian” did not earn its money back from ticket sales. But Disney and Walden hope it will become profitable as the result of DVD sales.

Count me in as someone else who hopes they sell a bazillion copies of Prince Caspian. Why? Last July, Diana appeared on-camera at the request of film-makers who are preparing extra feature material for an educational edition of the Prince Caspian DVD, aimed at teachers who want to use the movie in the classroom. The higher profile the commercial release has, the likelier people will be to think of it as a classroom resource.

During the July filming they interviewed her Diana for two hours. They found things going so well that at times the crew forgot the script and became totally caught up in what they were talking about. The camera man and make-up artist told Diana they wanted to go back to school, it was all so interesting.