Well, I'll say this to start with: I'm not believing we are getting another Narnia film from Walden until we get news, and I'm not believing that Walden has dropped their Narnia franchise until there is news either.

But I'll give my opinion regardless of the current state of the franchise.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe had several things that made it a success. First, the time of release. Not only was LWW released around the winter holidays, it was the only major family film during Christmas that I have been able to find. Second, it had an excellent marketing scheme to all ages. Third, LWW is the most popular( and I honestly think is now the only known to non- major Narnia fans) book in the series.

Prince Caspian was released in Summer 2008. This time, it had much competition from other family films, like Kung Fu Panda and WALL E, not to mention several blockbusters it was released between. Prince Caspian was marketed to a somewhat older audience, and children were not as appealed to the marketing as they would be to a panda voiced by Jack Black. Prince Caspian is also one of the lesser popular books in the Narnia series. Let's not forget there were quite a number of fans complaining, " It's not like the book! It's not like the book!" (I would recommend reading Prince Caspian again; you might be surprised at how the film was closer to the book than you think. )

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was the film with the unfortunate box office and reception and everything. First, I thought releasing it at Christmas time was great... but unfortunately Yogi Bear and Tangled took away the kids that could have watched the film (So I guess a bear with stomach problems is much funnier than Eustace Clarence Scrubb's humorous character arriving in Narnia? ) Second, the marketing of the film was an abomination. I think they should have spread the marketing out a bit more to all ages, with action figures and T-shirts and stuff like that. I understand the marketing was a bit tighter than PC's, but I really think they could have done that. Third, the fans who watched PC were likely still in shock and didn't want to see it. Plus the fans who were brave enough to go to VDT(or at least some of them) ended up hating it a lot and decided that we should no longer support this franchise.

I honestly think the best explanation as to why VDT did better overseas than Prince Caspian did was inflation with higher ticket price and 3D.

Well, this are just my current thoughts, and I may have more to come, but I have not seen proof that the Narnia series is continuing, or discontinuing. Yet.

Honestly, I agree with Lou about PC. The fans have to be a little understanding with the difficult plot, and, if you read closely, you notice similarities.
I'm definitely hoping for another movie, preferably the Silver Chair.

Yes, I second, third and fourth what has been said about PC, given that fully a third of PC the book is Trumpkin's exposition at a Cair Paravel apple and fish picnic brunch.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was the film with the unfortunate box office and reception and everything. First, I thought releasing it at Christmas time was great... but unfortunately Yogi Bear and Tangled took away the kids that could have watched the film (So I guess a bear with stomach problems is much funnier than Eustace Clarence Scrubb's humorous character arriving in Narnia? )

I don't think that Yogi Bear was much of a competitor to Narnia, not even in America, since Yogi Bear earned approx $100 mill at the domestic box office, and another $101 million internationally. VDT did marginally better at the domestic box office and three times better than Yogi's foreign box office.

That said, Yogi Bear, with a production budget of $80 million, was made for just over half of VDT's production cost, and therefore is considered more successful than is VDT which earned double Yogi's overall box office. Yogi was a run-of-the mill movie made for pre-schoolers and Infant's school, and so a delight for parents to buy, hire or borrow to keep their children entertained on weekends etc. Most parents would be happy to have it around, even if it didn't appeal to NarniaWebbers. What is good about Yogi Bear is that it gets children in, even if they are half-price attendees, and yes a bear's never quite filled tummy troubles are definitely more amusing to little kids than Eustace's shock at finding himself in Narnia.

VDT might fall into the same age frame as Yogi, or for a slightly older audience, but there is a bit of controversy about it as well. There is an anti C.S.Lewis lobby among the literari, especially those who feel negatively about any Christian messages. Since any Narnia film cannot fail to have Christian overtones, those literari may find Narnia outdated, overly moralistic and grating, however those overtones were reduced in impact. Other ways in which VDT failed to please was due to some Christians, themselves, being less than happy with the VDT presentation of some core beliefs, even though other just as important core beliefs were treated well.

I think that however popular Tangled was, it, too, like VDT, failed to make up its production cost of $260 million in its domestic box office. Don't forget it was released a full fortnight ahead of VDT. If income earned from domestic box office is measured against production costs, and that is also a measure of a movie's financial success then VDT was about $10 mill better off than Tangled, having failed to make up $50 million in domestic box office earnings. Like VDT, that Tangled fell short by $60 million doesn't mean it didn't do exceptionally well overseas. But then Tangled would always do well, with a terrific Walt Disney marketing campaign behind it, which slots neatly into its princess brands, marketing bath towels, tissues and much else which now feature Rapunzel as well as Snow White, Beauty and Cinderella.

Since neither Tangled or Yogi Bear were released in Australia until after both Tron: legacy and VDT had finished their run, I can't see either movie having affected VDT attendances much. Tron: legacy, with a total box office a good $16 million less that of VDT, and released at the same time, was far better marketed than was VDT. People raved about Tron: legacy, which had a budget of $170 million, and said it was a good movie. As it earned $172 million domestically it was seen as a critical success, in contrast to VDT.

I am crunching these numbers because there were things about VDT which were also first rate. The ship, itself, couldn't have been better made. The scenery, the cinematography and the CGI was superb. You could see a bit of money had been spent on that movie. Among other parts of the movie, the beginning and ending, Eustace's entry into Narnia, and their return back to Cambridge, as well as meeting Aslan at the end was really good.

Unfortunately in VDT's case, 'the ship was spoiled for a ha'porth of tar', it would seem. Especially as already less than thrilled fans were disenchanted with the green mist, in particular. The Narrowhaven sequence and the probably expensive green mist didn't really do the job they were meant to do, which was to transform and unify what amounted to a VDT travelogue of a series of adventures, into an ongoing coherent cinematic story. It didn't help that when VDT was released, that there was a succession of adverse weather conditions, such as snowstorms in USA, floods in Brisbane, mid Queensland and Victoria, cyclones in North Queensland, bushfires in Perth, and culminating in Japan's earthquake and tsunami disaster. Even though a storm hitting a cinema in Bathurst might not seem much, and the damage would be covered by insurance, anyway, the attending VDT patrons would want their money refunded, and would not be too delighted with the extra added storm special effects.

Negativity over PC and other controversies, plus poor marketing did for VDT I'm afraid. If the franchise is revived at any point in the future, I think new film makers would be well advised to give both PC and VDT a miss.

I honestly think the best explanation as to why VDT did better overseas than Prince Caspian did was inflation with higher ticket price and 3D.

Given the attendance info that Rilian relayed here:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3675&start=48

I think you're exactly right about inflation/3D being the critical factor in VDT's overseas performance.

But given those figures are correct, why then did VDT do so much better overseas than Tron:legacy, apparently a super-good movie, as well as Yogi Bear, Megamind, Little Fockers and Gulliver's Travels? Could it be possibly that overseas film-goers thought that VDT was actually a better movie than at least some of these Christmas offerings?

Now I'm going to have to agree with waggawerewolf27. Obviously, overseas it was more popular. Meaning that they have good taste.
And, though irrelevant, Tron: Legacy, was awesome.

However, it had greater box office than PC even in countries where it had lower attendance than PC. Also, in America, while the drop in box office was significant, the drop in attendance was down right massive. Little over half as many people went to see VDT as PC. 3D/inflation was definitely a major factor.

That being said, lack of stiff competition likely helped VDT overseas as well. Of the movies wagga mentioned Yogi, Fockers, and Gulliver were thoroughly panned by critics and audiences alike, contrasted with VDT, which had mixed reviews.

I'd like to know on what level Tron:Legacy was a super-good movie. It dragged on and on, it had bumper-sticker pretensions to philosophical depth, and worst of all, the leading actor was an uncharismatic, one-man-cure-for-insomnia. Jeff Bridges was no great shakes either. The only good thing about that movie was Quora, and she was in a coma or locked up for most of it. Given a choice between the two, I'd definitely watch VDT over Tron.

I won't pretend I know anything about Megamind.

I'd like to know on what level Tron:Legacy was a super-good movie. It dragged on and on, it had bumper-sticker pretensions to philosophical depth, and worst of all, the leading actor was an uncharismatic, one-man-cure-for-insomnia. Jeff Bridges was no great shakes either. The only good thing about that movie was Quora, and she was in a coma or locked up for most of it. Given a choice between the two, I'd definitely watch VDT over Tron.

Well that is largely based on opinion. I personally am a sucker for sci-fi, especially when it has nothing to do with space, and if given the choice would have chosen the opposite as you. Also I really connected with Sam, Quorra, and Kevin (Flynn)...

However this is a topic about Narnia...

I think where they primarily went wrong is 1) they weren't connecting with the same audience in each movie 2) They were trying to earn viewers as opposed to trying to tell a good story 3) They didn't optimize on the material they had

LWW I have little to complain about, some of the CGI needed work, but otherwise great movie

PC my major complaint is the handeling of Peter's character... I could even deal with Suspian if they fixed that (If they fixed both I'd be estatic) Also they should have made the changes with Aslan more Subtle... Secondly the marketed it for Teens, where as Wardrobe was marketed for families... big no no.

I know they made mistakes with PC and some people complained, but they still had a chance to fix them and learn from them for VDT the problem is that they failed... they made the same major mistake in marketing except instead they aimed at kids instead of families. Also they rushed the plot too much, so the audience never had a chance to connect with the characters... All CGI gains made in PC seemed to be ignored... Lightning on the serpent anyone? And they once again made major changes to Aslan... The Green Mist... dare I start on that one? If they cut out the sacrifice part I'd at least be happier, I'd even take the leaked script version if given the choice, though I thought that it was entirely unnecessary.

As for what they did right:

LWW- they connected with the story, the character's and the audience... no wonder it made 800 K

PC- excellent Special Effects and Soundtrack, the story was great with the exception of two elements.

VDT- Great Sets and Costume... The name sake ship of course was one of the highlights of the movie and Eustace was especially wonderful.

Tron: Legacy wasn't critically acclaimed. It was met with so-so reception, just like VDT. Most critics called it visually fantastic but lacking in heart.

Fantasy films always do great business overseas. Even bad to so-so movies, like Eragon and The Golden Compass. Tron was more sci-fi, which don't do as well, except if the film is a pop culture icon like Avatar or Inception. Not to mention that the foreign movie market is expanding, especially over in Asia. They love 3D there, but 3D seems to be rejected in NA, except in rare cases, like The Lion King's re-release.

Why didn't Prince Caspian do well? In my opinion, because it was a lesser known story. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is iconic. Prince Caspian is basically the sequel to LWW in most people's eyes. The movie didn't open very well, so bad word-of-mouth isn't the main reason it failed. Summer opening weekends are expected to be larger than Christmas opening weekends; summer films are also more frontloaded. So I think that PC suffered due to lesser known source material.

Why didn't VDT do well? The marketing was downright awful. TV spots were few and far between; strategies made the film look like it was made for preschoolers. If Walden makes another, they have to market it better. VDT actually had a good multiplier. Maybe it was because of the holiday season; maybe it was because no one knew about the film. But the opening weekend was lower than anyone had dared to expect. VDT should have opened around $40M, but it opened to $24M.

However, it had greater box office than PC even in countries where it had lower attendance than PC. Also, in America, while the drop in box office was significant, the drop in attendance was down right massive. Little over half as many people went to see VDT as PC. 3D/inflation was definitely a major factor.

That being said, lack of stiff competition likely helped VDT overseas as well. Of the movies wagga mentioned Yogi, Fockers, and Gulliver were thoroughly panned by critics and audiences alike, contrasted with VDT, which had mixed reviews.

I'd like to know on what level Tron:Legacy was a super-good movie. It dragged on and on, it had bumper-sticker pretensions to philosophical depth, and worst of all, the leading actor was an uncharismatic, one-man-cure-for-insomnia. Jeff Bridges was no great shakes either. The only good thing about that movie was Quora, and she was in a coma or locked up for most of it. Given a choice between the two, I'd definitely watch VDT over Tron.

I won't pretend I know anything about Megamind.

Anhun: If you really want to know my opinion, I'd be happy to answer to you; only, maybe you should pm me, instead of us having an argument on a completely different thread. Megamind was good too.
Seriously, feel free to pm me about it if you want. Just let's leave this thread to it's original topic.

Actually, my comments after the 1st paragraph were more of a detailed response to wagga's post than to yours. She said that inflation might not have been the main factor in the overseas improvement between VDT and PC since VDT did better than a number of other movies that came out about the same time.

I was clarifying the situation by pointing out that three of the movies she mentioned were almost universally despised, and one of them was not the great cinematic work that she had been lead to believe it was. This suggests that VDT was not necessarily better loved than PC, but that it might have benefited from having weak competition. PC was swamped with powerful competitors.

LWW had everything going for it. PC had everything going against it.
LWW was the right thing at the right time in the right place. PC was mostly the right thing, but at the wrong time and place.

LWW came out on the heels of LotR. It was a popular book, and very well marketed. It just clicked. It just had so many things going for it from the beginning.

PC took a darker tone, which alienated a lot of audiences who liked LWW. It also had a bad release date (sandwiched between Iron Man and Indy), and much less popular source material. It had a lot going against it from the beginning.

PC broke LWW's momentum, and that really affected VDT.

Anhun: Sorry, I'm a very confused person.
glumPuddle: I think you're right about PC. I personally liked it, but the darker tones did break the momentum. Of course, Iron Man did NOT help.

Why didn't Prince Caspian do well? In my opinion, because it was a lesser known story. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is iconic. Prince Caspian is basically the sequel to LWW in most people's eyes. The movie didn't open very well, so bad word-of-mouth isn't the main reason it failed. Summer opening weekends are expected to be larger than Christmas opening weekends; summer films are also more frontloaded. So I think that PC suffered due to lesser known source material.

Actually, PC had a strong opening compared to the majority of movies. Wasn't even that far below LWW, if I recall. The problem is that sequels to megahits typically have much stronger openings than that, even if they have no basis in literature whatsoever. So, it was a disappointment compared to expectations. I think the reason why it didn't have the $90 mill opening that some pundits predicted, was twofold: in the intervening 2.5 years between LWW and PC the series had lost a bit of steam. Plenty of other things had been going on in the world of film and literature to distract casual Narnia fans from their interest in Narnia. Combine that with the fact that the marketing was, well . . . honest. Caspian came across as a very different sort of film from LWW. The marketing did little to remind people why they had been so fascinated with Narnia 2.5 years before.

Now I agree that, if Caspian had been a popular book in it's own right, there would have been no need to remind people of LWW. All the same, I think that PC would have fared dramatically better if they had released it for Christmas 2007, and if they had made it, and marketed it as, a family-oriented fantasy, rather than an action movie.