The new adaptation of ‘Narnia’, specifically ‘The Magician’s Nephew’, directed by Greta Gerwig, continues to reveal production details after finishing filming at the end of January. The latest information suggests that the filmmaker has opted for staging with a considerable amount of practical effects created on set, in combination with digital tools. The addition of creature supervisor Neal Scanlan, Oscar winner for Babe, at the helm of the Creature FX department, had already been announced in the fall. He has been joined by more than a dozen specialized technicians, including puppeteers and creature performers with previous experience in franchises such as Jurassic Park and the recent Star Wars saga.
Team members include Derek Arnold, Antony Antunes, Ashley Cheadle, Thomas Gilbey, Rosi Hardiman, Bertie Harris, Nick Kellington, Arina Ii, Mohsen Nouri, Mike Taibi, and Edmund Wood, all of whom have previously been involved in creature work, animatronics, or physical performance that has fascinated entire generations of children who grow up unaware of their work, enriching the worlds on screen.
In addition to working with puppets and specialized performers, trainers participated in the filming and real animals were used in various sequences. Performers trained in dance, expressive movement, and motion capture were also involved, pointing to a combination of techniques used to bring the inhabitants of Narnia to life. The production is being carried out on photochemical media, using the 35 mm VistaVision format and shooting certain scenes in 70 mm IMAX, reinforcing the intention to capture as many elements as possible directly on camera. At the same time, digital effects will continue to play an important role in the final result. Studios such as Framestore, Weta FX, and Eyeline Studios are participating in the development of the visual effects.
Ghost formats
VistaVision is a format that increases the (horizontal) image area and improves resolution. It became popular in the 1950s but fell out of use due to its high costs. Some classics were shot in this format, such as To Catch a Thief, The Searchers, and Vertigo. In contemporary cinema, there are very few examples of films that use VistaVision, such as The Master, The Hateful Eight, and The Brutalist.
On the other hand, the IMAX format does the same on the vertical axis, expanding the possibilities and resolution of the image to provide one of the most mammoth formats in cinema, one that is becoming popular in recent films such as ‘F1: The Movie’ and ‘The Sinners’. ‘Narnia’ will hit IMAX theaters on November 26 and will be available on Netflix on Christmas Day 2026.
Source: Narniaweb
