Film

New Zealand director making Narnia sequel

Having showcased New Zealand to the world in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,' New Zealand director Andrew Adamson is now adapting the next C.S Lewis novel 'Prince Caspian' for the big screen.

Prince Caspian's release is scheduled for Christmas 2007, and the principal cast from the first film are all reported to feature in the sequel.

With the first film receiving three Oscar nominations and grossing more than US $637.8 million ($941 million) at the box office worldwide, Auckland born Adamson can be thrilled with his achievements. Adamson still has strong bonds with his homeland and his wife is also a 'Kiwi.' Although their base is in Los Angeles, they try to return home often with their young child.

Adamson still has special memories of summer holidays in New Zealand - vacations that he and his family still try to take today. As a child, his family would go to Thames, on the Coromandel Peninsula, an iconic New Zealand summer spot east of Auckland. Adamson remembers his first holiday in Thames with a smile, when his parents took him out of school - not during a usual holiday break. The Adamson family now own a holiday home there.

Growing up in the west Auckland suburb of Blockhouse Bay, Adamson spent hours creating his own cartoons. At high school, he was good at both art subjects and maths. Adamson broke into the world of animation literally by accident. He was set to study architecture, once his family returned to New Zealand after living in Papua New Guinea. However, the day before the return flight, Adamson broke his leg in a car crash, missed the university enrolment, and ended up enrolling in an animation school after his mother saw an ad in the paper.

'I've always been someone who's liked a lot of things but never particularly excelled at any one thing because I've always got the hang of it and then moved onto other things. Film making kind of allows for that. I get to deal with music, imagery, people, storytelling and writing,' Adamson told The New Zealand Herald.

He started out in computer animation in 1985, working for an Auckland company called The Mouse That Roared. He designed 'flying logos' for television show introductions and commercials. Six years later, he was recruited by Pacific Data Images to work in its new Los Angeles office, where the company was becoming involved in feature film effects.

Adamson made more television ads before branching out into a new, big-screen world, as a technical director on movies such as 'Toys' (1992) and 'Angels in the Outfield' (1994). He was visual effects supervisor on two 'Batman' movies - his work was twice shortlisted for Oscar nominations before ending up back in animation.

While on holiday back home in New Zealand, Adamson popped into Wellington and offered a helping hand to fellow Kiwi director Jackson on his film 'The Frighteners'. He stayed for three months helping get the visual effects crew up and running, and met producer John Garbett on set.

Five years later, Garbett ended up being one of the producers on 'Shrek', and 'dragged' Adamson on board the fairytale epic. Adamson stresses the word 'dragged' because he had planned to become a writer. 'I realised I wanted to be a storyteller. I was planning to go and spend a year working on the writing when 'Shrek' came up. I sort of went into it kicking and screaming and agreed to give it a three-month trial, and then ended up just doing it for the next three and a half years,' Adamson told The New Zealand Herald.

It's obvious Adamson has no regrets making his directorial debut - after 'Shrek' picked up the 2001 Oscar for best animated feature film, and in 2004 'Shrek 2' broke a number of box office records - becoming the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, taking in more than $US380 million in its first month in theatres. Work on the third 'Shrek' film is already underway, with Adamson working as the producer this time around.

The Kiwi director relished the chance to work with 'live' actors again in 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe', rather than lumbering, green, computer generated ogres.

As a child, Adamson loved reading the Narnia Chronicles, and 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe', in particular, was a book that was 'very important to me as a child'.

Adamson credits the opportunity to recreate these novels to Peter Jackson. Through The Rings Trilogy, Jackson illustrated faithful adaptations of English fantasy were achievable.

Adamson says he would be perfectly happy if he could adapt all seven novels into movies.

Andrew Adamson filmography
Director:
Shrek (2001)
Shrek 2 (2004)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (to be competed Christmas 2007)

Visual Effects:
Toys (Technical Director) (1992)
Angels in the Outfield (technical director) (1994)
Batman Forever (Visual Effects Supervisor) (1995)
A Time to Kill (Visual Effects Supervisor) (1996)
Batman and Robin (Visual Effects Supervisor) (1997)

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