The Chronicles of Narnia : the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Wikipedia The Chronicles of Narnia : the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe For the novel by C.S. Lewis, see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. For other uses, see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ( disambiguation ). The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Theatrical release poster Directed by Andrew Adamson Produced by Mark Johnson Phillip Steuer Screenplay by Ann Peacock Andrew Adamson Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely Based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis Starring Georgie Henley Skandar Keynes William Moseley Anna Popplewell Tilda Swinton James McAvoy Jim Broadbent Liam Neeson Music by Harry Gregson - Williams Cinematography Donald McAlpine Edited by Sim Evan - Jones Production company Walden Media Walt Disney Pictures Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Release date December 7, 2005 ( 2005 - 12 - 07 ) ( Royal Film Performance ) December 8, 2005 ( 2005 - 12 - 08 ) ( United Kingdom ) December 9, 2005 ( 2005 - 12 - 09 ) ( United States ) Running time 145 minutes Country United Kingdom United States Language English Budget $180 million Box office $745 million The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 British - American high fantasy film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in C.S. Lewis 's children 's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It was co-produced by Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures. William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley play Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, four British children evacuated during the Blitz to the countryside, who find a wardrobe that leads to the fantasy world of Narnia. There they ally with the Lion Aslan ( voiced by Liam Neeson ) against the forces of Jadis, the White Witch ( Tilda Swinton ). The film was released on December 9, 2005, in both Europe and North America to positive reviews and was highly successful at the box office grossing more than $745 million worldwide, making it 2005 's third most successful film. It won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Makeup and various other awards. An Extended Edition was released on December 12, 2006, and was only made available on DVD until January 31, 2007, when it was discontinued. It was the best selling DVD in North America in 2006 taking in $332.7 million that year. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first of three adaptations of C.S. Lewis ' series thus far released, and was followed by Prince Caspian in 2008 and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010. The three films have grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide among them. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Pre-production 3.2 Filming 3.3 Music 4 Reception 4.1 Release 4.2 Box office 4.3 United States and Canada 4.4 Critical reception 4.5 Accolades 5 DVD and Blu - ray release 6 References 7 External links Plot In the London suburb of Finchley, the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, are endangered by a Second World War attack of German bombers by Nazi Germany 's Luftwaffe. They are then evacuated to the country home of Professor Digory Kirke, who is not accustomed to having children in his house, as Mrs Macready, the strict housekeeper, explains. While the Pevensies are playing hide - and - seek, Lucy discovers a wardrobe and enters a wintry fantasy world called Narnia. Seeing a lamppost, Lucy encounters the faun Mr. Tumnus, who explains the land she has entered and invites her to his home. He puts Lucy to sleep by playing a lullaby on his flute. When Lucy wakes up, she finds Tumnus grieving, and he explains that Jadis, the White Witch, has cursed Narnia and it has been winter for 100 years. If a human is encountered they are to be brought to her. Tumnus can not bring himself to kidnap Lucy, so he sends her home. When she returns to Professor Kirke 's house, hardly any time has passed in the normal world ; her siblings do not believe her story, and when they look in the wardrobe to see only a normal back. One night, Edmund follows Lucy into the wardrobe. He enters Narnia as well, and after searching for Lucy he meets the White Witch, who claims to be Queen of Narnia. She offers him Turkish Delight as well as the prospect of becoming king and having power over his siblings if he brings them to her castle. After she departs, Edmund and Lucy meet again and return ; Lucy tells Peter and Susan what happened, but unfortunately, Edmund lies. Professor Kirke talks with Peter and Susan and suggests she is telling the truth, though they are unconvinced. While running away from Mrs. Macready after accidentally breaking a window, the four siblings retreat to the wardrobe and enter Narnia. They discover Mr. Tumnus has been taken by the Witch, and meet Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, who tell them about Aslan. According to the beavers, Aslan intends to take control of Narnia from the Witch. The four must help Aslan ; it has been prophesied that if two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve sit in the four thrones, the White Witch 's reign will end. Edmund sneaks off to visit the Witch. When he arrives at her castle, she is angry that he did not deliver his siblings. The Witch sends wolves to hunt down the children and the beavers, who barely escape. Edmund is chained in the Witch 's dungeon, where he meets Tumnus. The Witch demands that Edmund reveal where his siblings are. After Tumnus claims that Edmund does not know anything, The Witch tells Mr. Tumnus that Edmund betrayed him, then turns Tumnus to stone. While Peter, Lucy, Susan and the beavers travel, they hide from what they believe to be the White Witch. It is really Father Christmas, a sign that the Witch 's reign is ending. Father Christmas gives Lucy a healing cordial, a drop of which will bring back to life anyone injured, and a dagger to defend herself. Susan receives a bow and arrows and a magical horn that will summon help when blown, and Peter a sword and shield. After evading wolves led by Maugrim, the group reaches Aslan 's camp. Aslan is revealed as a huge and noble lion who promises to help Edmund. Later, two wolves ambush Lucy and Susan. When Peter intervenes, Maugrim attacks him, and Peter kills him. Some of Aslan 's troops follow the other wolf to the witch 's camp and rescue Edmund. Peter is knighted by Aslan. The White Witch journeys to Aslan 's camp and claims Edmund, but Aslan secretly offers to sacrifice himself instead. That night, as Lucy and Susan covertly watch, Aslan is killed by the White Witch. In the morning he is resurrected because `` there is a magic deeper still the Witch does not know ''. Aslan takes Susan and Lucy to the Witch 's castle, where he frees the prisoners that the White Witch turned to stone. Edmund persuades Peter to lead Aslan 's army to fight the White Witch 's forces. To stop the Witch from attacking and killing Peter, Edmund attacks the White Witch and destroys her wand, but is gravely wounded by her. As the Witch fights Peter, Aslan arrives with reinforcements and kills her. After Edmund is revived by Lucy 's cordial, the Pevensies become Kings and Queens. Fifteen years later, the Pevensie children have grown into young men and women. While chasing a white stag through the forest, they encounter the lamppost that Lucy saw on her first trip to Narnia. They make their way through trees, suddenly tumbling out of the wardrobe at the same time and day they left, becoming children again. Lucy later attempts to return to Narnia via the wardrobe, but Professor Kirke tells her he has tried for many years, and they will probably return to Narnia when they least expect it. Cast Further information : List of Chronicles of Narnia cast members William Moseley as Peter Pevensie, the eldest of the four Pevensie children. Noah Huntley as the adult Peter Pevensie, who has grown up as a king in Narnia. Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie, the second eldest child of the four Pevensie children. Sophie Winkleman as the adult Susan Pevensie, who has grown up as a queen in Narnia. Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie, the third of the four Pevensie children. Mark Wells as the adult Edmund Pevensie, who has grown up as a king in Narnia. Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie, the youngest of the four Pevensie children. Rachael Henley as the adult Lucy Pevensie, who has grown up as a queen in Narnia. Liam Neeson voices Aslan, the great lion who was responsible for creating Narnia. Tilda Swinton as Jadis, the White Witch, who holds Narnia under an eternal winter without Christmas or Spring or Summer. James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus, a faun who at first works for the White Witch, but befriends Lucy Pevensie and joins Aslan 's forces. Ray Winstone voices Mr. Beaver, a beaver who helps lead the children to Aslan. Dawn French voices Mrs. Beaver, a beaver who helps lead the children to Aslan. Kiran Shah as Ginarrbrik, the White Witch 's servant dwarf. Jim Broadbent as Professor Digory Kirke, an old professor. He lets the children stay at his country estate during the war. Elizabeth Hawthorne as Mrs. Macready, Kirke 's strict housekeeper. James Cosmo as Father Christmas. He gives Peter, Susan, and Lucy their Christmas gifts. Michael Madsen as the voice of Maugrim, a wolf who is captain of the White Witch 's secret police. Patrick Kake as Oreius, a centaur who is second - in - command of Aslan 's army. Shane Rangi as General Otmin, a minotaur who is second - in - command of the White Witch 's army. Morris Cupton as Train Guard, the guard of the train Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy ride. Judy McIntosh as Helen Pevensie, the mother of the four Pevensie children. Rupert Everett as the voice of Mr. Fox, a fox who helps the children along their way to Aslan. Cameron Rhodes as the voice of a Gryphon who helps Peter in the war. Producer Philip Steuer voices Phillip, Edmund 's talking horse. The radio - announcer that Peter listens to on the rainy day near the beginning of the film is played by Douglas Gresham, co-producer of the movie and C.S. Lewis 's stepson. Keynes ' voice broke during filming, so some of his voice track had to be re-looped by his sister Soumaya. Mr. Pevensie is only glimpsed in a photo which Edmund tries to retrieve during the bombing, which is of Sim - Evan Jones ' father. With the exception of Tilda Swinton, who was the first choice to play Jadis, the White Witch, casting was a long process. Beginning in 2002, Adamson went through 2500 audition tapes, met 1800 children and workshopped 400 before coming down to the final four actors for the Pevensies. Moseley and Popplewell came from the very start of casting, whilst Henley and Keynes were cast relatively late. Moseley was cast because casting director Pippa Hall remembered she cast him as an extra in a 1998 dramatization of Cider with Rosie. He quit school to learn all his lines and beat 3000 boys to the role of Peter. Aslan 's voice was a contention point. Brian Cox was originally cast in the role on December 9, 2004, but Adamson changed his mind. Liam Neeson sought out the role, and was announced as the voice on July 17, 2005. Production Pre-production During the early 1990s, producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy were planning a film version. They could not find a space in Britain to shoot the film during 1996, and their plans to set the film in modern times made Douglas Gresham oppose the film, in addition to his feeling that technology had yet to catch up. Perry Moore began negotiations with the C.S. Lewis Estate in 2000. On December 7, 2001, Walden Media announced that they had acquired the rights to The Chronicles of Narnia. The success of Harry Potter and the Philosopher 's Stone prompted the producers to feel they could make a faithful adaptation of the novel set in Britain. `` Harry Potter came along, and all those cultural or geographical lines were broken, '' Mark Johnson explained. `` When The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was being developed at Paramount, the imperative was to set it in the U.S., and it just does n't hold. (... ) It 's not the book. '' Guillermo del Toro turned down the offer to direct due to his commitment on Pan 's Labyrinth. Following an Academy Award win for Shrek, director Andrew Adamson began adapting the source material with a 20 - page treatment based on his memories of the book. As such the film begins with the Luftwaffe bombing and concludes with an enormous battle, although they do not take up as much time in the novel. In the novel, the battle is not seen until Aslan, Susan, Lucy and their reinforcements arrive. This was changed in the movie because Adamson said he could vividly remember a huge battle, an example of how Lewis left a lot to the readers ' imagination. Other small changes include the reason all four children come to Narnia, in that an accident breaks a window and forces them to hide. Tumnus also never meets Edmund until the end in the novel. Minor details were added to the Pevensies, such as their mother 's name, Helen, being the actual first name of Georgie Henley 's mother. Finchley as the home of the Pevensies was inspired by Anna Popplewell, who actually is from Finchley. Adamson also changed the circumstances in which Lucy first comes into Narnia. He felt it was more natural that she first see the wardrobe while looking for a hide - and - seek hiding place, rather than just chance upon it exploring the house. The film also hints at Professor Kirke 's role in The Magician 's Nephew, such as the engravings on the wardrobe, when it is a simple one in the novel, and the Professor 's surprise and intrigue when Peter and Susan mention Lucy 's discovery in the wardrobe. When Lewis wrote the novel, it was the first of the series and the back - story later outlined by the subsequent books in the series did not exist. Additionally in the novel, the father of the Pevensie children is in London with their mother, but in the film, their father is fighting in the war as Lucy states to Mr. Tumnus when they first meet in Narnia. Weta Workshop head Richard Taylor cited Hieronymus Bosch 's The Garden of Earthly Delights as an inspiration on the film. He felt Narnia had to be less dark and gritty than their depiction of Middle - earth in The Lord of the Rings because it is a new world. Many of Weta 's creature designs were designed for digital creation, so when Howard Berger and KNB FX inherited the practical effects work, they had to spend three months retooling approved designs for animatronics. Berger 's children would comment and advise upon his designs ; they suggested the White Witch 's hair be changed from black to blonde, which Berger concurred with as he realized Swinton 's wig looked too Gothic. Filming Principal photography began in New Zealand on June 28, 2004, shooting in primarily chronological order. Adamson did this in order to naturally create a sense of mature development from his young actors, which mirrored their real life development. Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes were never shown the set before filming scenes of their characters entering Narnia, nor had Henley seen James McAvoy in his Mr. Tumnus costume before shooting their scenes together. The first scene shot was at the disused Hobsonville Air Base for the railway scene. Afterwards, they shot the Blitz scene, which Adamson called their first formal day of shooting. The filmmakers asked permission to bring in twelve reindeer to New Zealand to pull the Ice Queen 's sled. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry denied, citing the potentially deadly Q fever from which the North American reindeer population suffers as the reason. However, ten wolves and wolf hybrids were allowed in for filming in Auckland. To replace the denied live reindeer Mark Rappaport 's Creature Effects, Inc. created four animatronic reindeer that were used in shots where the deer were standing in place. The reindeer were designed with replaceable skins to get the most usage ; brown for Father Christmas 's and white for those of the White Witch. The cast and crew spent their time in New Zealand in Auckland before moving in November to the South Island. Shooting locations on the South Island included the area known as Elephant Rocks near Duntroon in North Otago, which was transformed into Aslan 's camp. The castle scene was filmed in Purakaunui Bay, in The Catlins district, not far from the most southern point in New Zealand. They filmed in the Czech Republic ( Prague and National Park České Švýcarsko ), Slovenia and Poland after the Christmas break, before wrapping in February. Music Main articles : The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ( soundtrack ) and Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe The soundtrack was composed by Harry Gregson - Williams. Gregson - Williams had previously worked with Adamson on Shrek ( 2001 ) and Shrek 2 ( 2004 ). In addition there are three original songs in the film ; Ca n't Take It In by Imogen Heap, Wunderkind by Alanis Morissette and Winter Light by Tim Finn. Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee also wrote a song for the film, but it was not included in the soundtrack. The soundtrack was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, England, and in Los Angeles, CA. Gregson - Williams employed the 75 - piece Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra, along with a 140 - member choir ( mostly members of The Bach Choir ) and numerous other solo musicians such as electric violinist Hugh Marsh and vocalist Lisbeth Scott ( at his Wavecrest Studio ). He composed the original score and then spent late September through early November 2005 conducting the Hollywood Orchestra and overseeing the recording of the English choir. For `` colour '', he employed instruments used in ancient folk music, and to underscore critical dramatic moments, he added choral textures and, occasionally, a solo voice. The score includes instances of electronic music. The soundtrack received two Golden Globe Award nominations : `` Best Original Score '' and `` Best Original Song '' ( for `` Wunderkind '' ). EMI also released a compilation soundtrack entitled Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was released on September 2005. The album features songs by Contemporary Christian music artists, such as Bethany Dillon, Kutless, and Nichole Nordeman. It released Waiting For The World To Fall by Jars of Clay as a single. The album went on to win the Special Event Album of the Year at the GMA Music Awards. Reception Release On December 7, 2005, the film premiered in London, going on general release the following day. The film was released December 8, 2005, in the United Kingdom and December 9, 2005, in North America and the rest of Europe. Box Office Worldwide, Narnia earned $745,013,115 marking it the 55th highest - grossing film of all - time worldwide. It had a worldwide opening of $107.1 million, marking Disney 's fifth largest opening worldwide ( at the time it was the largest ). It is the third - largest movie worldwide among those released in 2005 and it currently still remains the highest - grossing movie of the Narnia franchise worldwide, and separately in North America and overseas. Finally, it is also the most successful film of Walden Media worldwide. United states and canada First Lady of the United States Laura Bush hosts a screening of the film at the White House The film opened with $23,006,856 in 3,616 theatres on its opening day ( Friday, December 9, 2005 ), averaging $6,363 per location. The film took in a total of $65,556,312 on its opening weekend ( December 9 -- 11, 2005 ), the 24th best opening weekend at the time ( now 54th ). It was also Disney 's third largest opening weekend at the time ( now the 8th largest ) as well as the second biggest December opening, behind The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King. It is now fourth following the 2012 opening of The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey, the 2007 release of I Am Legend, and the 2009 release of Avatar as well. Additionally, it made the third largest opening weekend of 2005. It grossed $291,710,957 in total becoming the second highest - grossing film of 2005 behind Star Wars : Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith. It surpassed the gross of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by only $1.7 million, although the latter grossed $895.9 million worldwide, ahead of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It is the highest - grossing film of the 2005 holiday period, the second highest grossing Christian film, the 6th largest family -- children 's book adaptation, the 9th highest - grossing fantasy -- live action film and the 10th highest - grossing film overall in Disney company history. Finally, it is the largest film of Walden Media worldwide. Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold over 45 million tickets in North America. Critical reception Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 76 % ( 209 reviews ) 75 ( 39 reviews ) The film received positive reviews from critics, with a 76 % `` certified fresh '' on Rotten Tomatoes and 159 of the listed 209 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9 / 10. Metacritic gives the movie a 75 out of 100, based on 39 reviews. Critic Roger Ebert also gave the film 3 out of 4 stars. Ebert and Roeper gave the movie `` Two Thumbs Up ''. Movie critic Leonard Maltin gave the film 3 out of four stars, calling it, `` an impressive and worthwhile family film, '' though he also said, `` it does go on a bit and the special effects are extremely variable. '' Duane Dudak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel gave the movie 3 out of 4 stars. Stuart Klawans of The Nation said, `` All ticket buyers will get their money 's worth. '' Elizabeth Weitzman of New York Daily News gave it 4 out of 4 stars and said : `` A generation - spanning journey that feels both comfortingly familiar and excitingly original. '' Critic Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle listed it as the second best film of the year. Kit Bowen ( Hollywood.com ) gives this film 3 out of 4 stars. CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film a rare `` A + '' grade. However, John Anderson from Newsday, reacted negatively to the film, stating, ``... there 's a deliberateness, a fastidiousness and a lack of daring and vision that marks the entire operation. '' Accolades The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe won several awards including the Academy Award for Makeup ; the BeliefNet Film Award for Best Spiritual film ; the Movieguide Faith & Values Awards : Most Inspiring Movie of 2005 and Best Family Movie of 2005 ; and the CAMIE ( Character and Morality In Entertainment ) Award. Others include the British Academy Film Awards for Makeup and Hair and Orange Rising Star ( James McAvoy ) ; Outstanding Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media ; the Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role ( Georgie Henley, Female ) ; the Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Fantasy Film ( Isis Mussenden ) ; and the Saturn Award for Costumes ( Isis Mussenden ) and Make - up ( Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero, and Nikki Gooley ). Georgie Henley, in her performance as Lucy Pevensie earned critical acclaim for her performance. She won several awards, including the Phoenix Film Critics Society award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Performance by a Youth. She also won another awards either for Best Young Performance or Best Actress in a Leading Role. Year Award Category / Recipient Result Reference 2005 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role -- Female ( Georgie Henley ) Won Satellite Awards Outstanding Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media Won 2006 Best DVD Extras Nominated 78th Academy Awards Best Makeup ( Howard Berger ) ( Tami Lane ) Won Best Sound Mixing Terry Porter ( Dean A. Zupancic ) ( Tony Johnson ) Nominated Best Visual Effects Nominated Annie Awards Best Character Animation Matt Shumway Nominated Australian Film Institute Excellence in Filmmaking ( Roger Ford ) ( Production design ) Nominated Excellence in Filmmaking ( Donald McAlpine ) ( Cinematography ) Nominated 59th BAFTA Awards Best Makeup and Hair Howard Berger Greg Nicotero Nikki Gooley Won Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects Dean Wright Bill Westenhofer Jim Berney Scott Farrar Nominated Best Costume Design Isis Mussenden Nominated Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Best Family Film ( Live Action ) Won Best Young Actress Georgie Henley Nominated CAMIE Awards ( no name for this award was given ) Charlie Nelson ( Walt Disney Pictures ) Brigham Taylor ( Disney vice-president productions ) Mark Johnson ( producer ) Philip Steuer ( producer ) Douglas Gresham ( co-producer ) Andrew Adamson ( director ) Ann Peacock ( screenwriter ) Christopher Markus ( screenwriter ) Stephen McFeely ( screenwriter ) Georgie Henley ( actor ) William Moseley ( actor ) Skandar Keynes ( actor ) Anna Popplewell ( actor ) ( Walden Media ) Won CFCA Awards Most Promising Performer Georgie Henley Nominated Costume Designers Guild Awards Fantasy Film Isis Mussenden Won 11th Empire Awards Best Newcomer Georgie Henley Nominated Best Newcomer James McAvoy Nominated Best Sci - Fi / Fantasy Nominated 63rd Golden Globe Awards Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score Harry Gregson - Williams Nominated Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song Alanis Morissette `` Wunderkind '' Nominated Hugo Awards Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation Nominated Humanitas Prize Feature Film Category Ann Peacock Andrew Adamson Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely Nominated London Film Critics Circle Awards 2005 British Supporting Actor of the Year ( James McAvoy ) Nominated British Supporting Actress of the Year ( Tilda Swinton ) Nominated MTV Movie Awards MTV Movie Award for Best Villain ( Tilda Swinton ) Nominated Motion Picture Sound Editors Best Sound Editing in Feature Film -- Dialogue and Automated Dialogue Replacement George Watters II ( supervising sound editor ) Kimberly Harris ( supervising adr editor ) Richard Beggs ( sound designer ) David Bach ( supervising dialogue editor ) David V. Butler ( dialogue editor ) Laura Graham ( adr editor ) Michele Perrone ( adr editor ) Nominated Best Sound Editing in Feature Film -- Sound Effects & Foley Richard Beggs ( supervising sound editor ) George Watters II ( supervising sound editor ) Victoria Martin ( supervising foley editor ) F. Hudson Miller ( sound editor ) R.J. Palmer ( sound editor ) John Morris ( sound editor ) Suhail Kafity ( sound editor ) Chuck Michael ( sound editor ) Todd Toon ( sound editor ) Gary Wright ( sound editor ) Heather Gross ( sound editor ) Matthew Harrison ( foley editor ) James Likowski ( foley editor ) Dan O'Connell ( foley artist ) John T. Cucci ( foley artist ) Nominated MovieGuide Awards Best Film for Families Won Epiphany Prize Won Online Film Critics Society Awards Best Breakthrough Performance ( Georgie Henley ) Nominated Visual Effects Society Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture Richard Baneham Erik - Jan de Boer Matt Logue Joe Ksander For `` Aslan '' Nominated Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture Dean Wright Randy Starr Bill Westenhofer Jim Berney Nominated World Soundtrack Awards Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film Harry Gregson - Williams ( music ) Imogen Heap ( music / lyrics / performer ) For the song `` Ca n't Take It In '' Nominated 27th Young Artist Awards Best Family Feature Film -- Drama Won Best Performance in a Feature Film -- Young Actress Age Ten or Younger Georgie Henley Won Best Performance in a Feature Film ( Comedy or Drama ) -- Leading Young Actor William Moseley Nominated 2007 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA Best DVD Special Edition Release For the `` Extended Edition '' Nominated 49th Grammy Awards Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media ( Harry Gregson - Williams ) Nominated Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media ( Imogen Heap ) For the song `` Ca n't Take It In '' Nominated DVD and Blu - ray release The DVD for The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was released on April 4, 2006. It is available in a standard one - disc set ( with separate fullscreen and widescreen editions ), and a deluxe widescreen two - disc boxed set with additional artwork and other materials from Disney and Walden Media. The DVD sold four million copies on its first day of release and overtook Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to become the top selling DVD in North America for 2006. As of December 2008 it has grossed $353.5 million in DVD sales, equivalent to 12,458,637 units sold. Disney later issued a four - disc extended cut of the film on DVD. It was released on December 12, 2006, and was available commercially until January 31, 2007, after which Disney put the DVD on moratorium. The extended cut of the film runs approximately 150 minutes. The set includes all of the features previously released on the two - disc special edition. The two additional discs include a segment called `` The Dreamer of Narnia '', a previously unreleased feature - length film about C.S. Lewis, and additional production featurettes. Most of the extended footage, besides the extended battle sequence, is longer establishing shots of Narnia and footage of the Pevensies walking in Narnia. The high - definition Blu - ray Disc version was released on May 13, 2008, in the United States, and on June 16, 2008, in the United Kingdom. References ^ Jump up to : `` The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ''. American Film Institute. Retrieved November 14, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ( 2005 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Narnia dvd sales ''. the-numbers.com. December 20, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Andrew Adamson, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley ( 2006 ). The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Cast Commentary ( DVD ). ^ Jump up to : Richard Taylor, Howard Berger, Isis Mussendun, Roger Ford, Donald McAlpine, Sim - Evan Jones, Harry Gregson - Williams, Mark Johnson ( 2006 ). Cinematic Storytellers ( DVD ). Buena Vista. ^ Jump up to : Chronicles of a Director ( DVD ). Buena Vista. 2006. ^ Jump up to : Visualizing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe : The Complete Production Experience ( DVD ). Buena Vista. 2006. ^ Jump up to : Andrew Adamson, Mark Johnson, Roger Ford ( 2006 ). Commentary ( DVD ). Buena Vista. Jump up ^ Roya Nikkhah ( July 3, 2008 ). `` William Moseley on Prince Caspian ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved July 4, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Brian Cox Cast as the Voice of Aslan ''. NarniaWeb. December 9, 2004. Retrieved January 13, 2007. Jump up ^ Wloszczyna, Susan ( May 2, 2005 ). `` The wonderful world of ' Narnia ' SIDEBAR : ' Narnia ' nearly ready ''. USA Today. Retrieved January 13, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Liam Neeson Will Voice Aslan ''. NarniaWeb. July 15, 2005. Retrieved January 13, 2007. Jump up ^ Soren Anderson ( July 16, 1995 ). `` Wholesome fare film proves Hollywood 's moral ' cupboard ' is n't bare ''. The News Tribune. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Marilyn Beck ; Stacy Jenel Smith ( October 18, 1996 ). `` Soundstage space crunch alters filmmaker Marshall 's plans ''. Los Angeles Daily News. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : Potts, Kimberly. `` 20 Secrets about Narnia ( Page 2 ) ''. Movies.com. Retrieved January 13, 2007. ^ Jump up to : Fisher, Paul ( November 21, 2005 ). `` Interview : Andrew Adamson `` Chronicles of Narnia -- Lion, Witch & Wardrobe '' ``. Dark Horizons. Retrieved January 7, 2007. ^ Jump up to : Faraci, Devin ( August 11, 2005 ). `` The Coverage of Narnia -- Part 1 ''. CHUD. Retrieved January 7, 2007. Jump up ^ Davidson, Paul ( December 7, 2001 ). `` Move Over, Harry -- A Real Fantasy Classic Is Coming to Town ''. IGN. Retrieved January 7, 2007. Jump up ^ Sam Adams ( December 10, 2007 ). `` Fantasy films ? There 's truth in there too ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 10, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Del Toro crafts a harrowing fairy tale ''. Star Beacon. December 29, 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2007. Jump up ^ Simon Thompson ( July 6, 2006 ). `` Popplewell Gives Narnia Sequel Update ''. Comingsoon.net. Retrieved February 24, 2007. Jump up ^ Joanna Cohen ( December 2, 2008 ). `` Richard Taylor on the Weta Workshop and Prince Caspian ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 2, 2008. Jump up ^ George Rousch ( December 2, 2008 ). `` Prince Caspian DVD Interview : Creature Effects Wizard Howard Berger ''. Latino Review. Retrieved December 2, 2008. Jump up ^ Mike Szymanski ( December 3, 2008 ). `` More Caspian Clips, Creatures ''. SCI FI Wire. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2008. Jump up ^ Perry Moore ; Anna Popplewell ; Georgie Henley ; Andrew Adamson ; Roger Ford ; Ben Wooten ; Richard Taylor ; Howard Berger ; Dean Wright ; Douglas Gresham ( 2005 ). The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe -- The Official Illustrated Movie Companion. Harpercollins. pp. 104 -- 113. ISBN 0 - 00 - 720817 - 0. Jump up ^ `` Narnia Filming Underway ! ''. NarniaWeb. June 28, 2004. Retrieved January 7, 2007. Jump up ^ Alan, Perrott ( August 26, 2004 ). `` Animatronic reindeer replace living variety in Narnia film ''. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved November 22, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Filming at Elephant Rocks ''. Te Ara : The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved March 4, 2014. Jump up ^ The Children 's Magical Journey ( DVD ). Buena Vista. 2006. Jump up ^ `` Narnia Shooting Ends ''. IGN. February 16, 2005. Retrieved January 6, 2007. Jump up ^ Mouth, Blabber ( November 26, 2004 ). `` BLABBERMOUTH.NET -- Film Producers : EVANESCENCE - Penned Score Is Figment Of AMY LEE 'S Imagination ''. roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net. ^ Jump up to : Brennan, Mike. `` Exclusive - The Chronicles of Narnia - First Listen ''. SoundtrackNet. November 14, 2005. Jump up ^ Burlingame, Jon. `` Harry Gregson - Williams : A 21st Century Man ''. Music World via BMI. October 5, 2006. Jump up ^ `` WORLDWIDE OPENINGS ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 2005 WORLDWIDE GROSSES ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` ' Narnia ' Vs. ' Narnia ' ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Walden Media ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` OPENING WEEKENDS ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` TOP OPENING WEEKENDS BY MONTH ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 21, 2013. Jump up ^ `` 2005 OPENING GROSSES ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 2005 DOMESTIC GROSSES ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Holiday 2005 : ' Kong ' vs. ' Narnia ' vs. ' Goblet ' ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Christian ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Family -- Children 's Book Adaptation ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Fantasy -- Live Action ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` BUENA VISTA ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ( 2005 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 13, 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 18, 2012. Jump up ^ `` The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ( 2005 ) : Reviews ''. Metacritic. Retrieved August 18, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Metacritic reviews ''. Retrieved October 5, 2014. Jump up ^ Leonard Maltin 's 2009 movie and video guide page 245 Jump up ^ Stuart Klawans. Imitation of Art. Jump up ^ `` Metacritic : 2005 Film Critic Top Ten Lists ''. Jump up ^ Kit Bowen ( December 9, 2005 ). `` Hollywood.com review ''. Hollywood.com. Retrieved October 5, 2014. Jump up ^ Pamela McClintock ( August 19, 2011 ). `` Why CinemaScore Matters for Box Office ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 14, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Newsday -- Long Island 's & NYC 's News Source ''. Jump up ^ `` The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ''. IMDb. Retrieved October 5, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The 78th Academy Awards ( 2006 ) Nominees and Winners ''. oscars.org. Retrieved November 20, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Narnia DVD Sales Dominate First Week -- ComingSoon.net ''. April 13, 2006. Jump up ^ `` The Chronicles of Narnia is the Top Selling DVD for 2006 ''. MovieWeb.com. May 17, 2006. Retrieved October 24, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Narnia total dvd numbers ''. the-numbers.com. December 20, 2008. Jump up ^ `` The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe -- DVD Sales ''. the-numbers.com. Jump up ^ McCutcheon, David ( September 29, 2006 ). `` Disney Closes the Vault : Four films locked away by Disney after December ''. IGN. Retrieved January 3, 2007. Jump up ^ `` DVD Press Release ''. Retrieved October 5, 2014. Jump up ^ The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Four - Disc Extended Edition DVD Review Ultimate Disney, dated December 12, 2006, accessed January 3, 2007 Jump up ^ `` Disney Sets ' Chronicles of Narnia ' Blu - ray for May ''. High - Def Digest. External links Narnia portal Wikiquote has quotations related to : The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Wikinews has related news : 2006 Oscars handed out at Kodak Theatre Official website The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on IMDb The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at AllMovie The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Box Office Mojo The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Rotten Tomatoes The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Metacritic The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Prince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Horse and His Boy The Magician 's Nephew The Last Battle Film Soundtrack Game Film Soundtrack Game Film Soundtrack Game Film Characters and creatures Aravis Aslan Mr. and Mrs. Beaver Bree Caspian Centaurs Coriakin Digory Drinian Edmund Emeth Eustace The Cabby and Nellie Hwin Jill Lady of the Green Kirtle Lucy Maugrim Miraz Peter Polly Puddleglum Rabadash Ramandu Ramandu 's daughter Reepicheep Rilian Seven Great Lords of Narnia Shasta / Cor Shift Susan Tash Telmarines Tirian Trumpkin Mr. Tumnus White Witch Universe Narnia ( world ) Anvard Archenland Aslan 's Country Aslan 's How Cair Paravel Calormen Charn Lantern Waste Miraz 's Castle Narnia ( country ) Underland Wood between the Worlds Adaptations ITV TV serial Animated TV film BBC TV serial ( Season 1 3 ) Film series Cast list Music Accolades List of actors General Battles First Battle of Beruna Second Battle of Beruna Dawn Treader Deplorable Word Hundred - Year Winter Religion Tisroc Outline Portal Films directed by Andrew Adamson Shrek ( 2001 ) Shrek 2 ( 2004 ) The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ( 2005 ) The Chronicles of Narnia : Prince Caspian ( 2008 ) Mr. Pip ( 2012 ) Cirque du Soleil : Worlds Away ( 2012 ) Screenplays by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely The Life and Death of Peter Sellers ( 2004 ) The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ( 2005 ) You Kill Me ( 2007 ) The Chronicles of Narnia : Prince Caspian ( 2008 ) The Chronicles of Narnia : The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ( 2010 ) Captain America : The First Avenger ( 2011 ) Pain & Gain ( 2013 ) Thor : The Dark World ( 2013 ) Captain America : The Winter Soldier ( 2014 ) Captain America : Civil War ( 2016 ) Avengers : Infinity War ( 2018 ) Untitled Avengers film ( 2019 ) Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Family Film Anastasia ( 1997 ) A Bug 's Life ( 1998 ) October Sky ( 1999 ) My Dog Skip ( 2000 ) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer 's Stone ( 2001 ) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ( 2002 ) Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl ( 2003 ) Finding Neverland ( 2004 ) The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ( 2005 ) Charlotte 's Web ( 2006 ) Enchanted ( 2007 ) Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame ( 1996 ) Men in Black ( 1997 ) A Bug 's Life ( 1998 ) Toy Story 2 ( 1999 ) Chicken Run ( 2000 ) The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring ( 2001 ) Spirited Away ( 2002 ) The Triplets of Belleville ( 2003 ) The Incredibles ( 2004 ) The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ( 2005 ) Pan 's Labyrinth ( 2006 ) Ratatouille ( 2007 ) WALL - E ( 2008 ) Fantastic Mr. Fox ( 2009 ) Toy Story 3 ( 2010 ) The Adventures of Tintin ( 2011 ) Rise of the Guardians ( 2012 ) The Wind Rises ( 2013 ) Song of the Sea ( 2014 ) Inside Out ( 2015 ) My Life as a Zucchini ( 2016 ) VIAF : 178884278 LCCN : no2005105392 GND : 7500580 - 3 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Chronicles_of_Narnia:_The_Lion,_the_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe&oldid=800806270 '' Categories : 2005 films English - language films 2000s fantasy films American films American epic films American fantasy films British films British epic films British fantasy films The Chronicles of Narnia ( film series ) Films about Christianity Films about siblings Films directed by Andrew Adamson Films featuring anthropomorphic characters Films set in 1940 Films set in London Films shot in New Zealand Films shot in the Czech Republic Films shot in Poland Films that won the Academy Award for Best Makeup High fantasy films Santa Claus in film Screenplays by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely Walden Media films Walt Disney Pictures films Witchcraft in film World War II films Film scores by Harry Gregson - Williams Hidden categories : Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Use mdy dates from September 2017 Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Български Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto فارسی Fiji Hindi Français Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Polski Português Română Русский Саха тыла Simple English کوردی Suomi Svenska Татарча / tatarça ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 15 September 2017, at 19 : 51. 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Question: when was the lion the witch and the wardrobe movie released
Answer: December 9, 2005