Feature Film
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe & Prince Caspian
2005–2008
Filmed In
Coromandel · Canterbury · Otago · Auckland
Towns & Areas
Cathedral Cove, Coromandel Peninsula · Flock Hill, Canterbury · Elephant Rocks and Purakaunui Bay, Otago · Hobsonville and Woodhill Forest, Auckland
The Story
Step through the wardrobe into a world of eternal winter, talking beasts, and epic battles. Based on C.S. Lewis's beloved classic novels, these films follow the Pevensie siblings as they fight alongside the great lion Aslan to liberate Narnia.
The Stars
Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Tilda Swinton, and Ben Barnes.
Behind the Lens
Kiwi director Andrew Adamson (Shrek). Adamson moved directly from animated blockbusters into live-action fantasy with this franchise.
Why NZ?
Adamson wanted a landscape that felt ancient and untouched by humans. Movie buffs flock to Cathedral Cove on the Coromandel Peninsula — the unforgettable location where the children discover the ruins of Cair Paravel — and the dramatic, rocky landscape of Flock Hill in Canterbury. Both locations remain two of the most visited film-tourism sites in the country today, for very different reasons.
On Set
Georgie Henley, as Lucy, was reportedly blindfolded and led onto the wardrobe set so her first reaction to Narnia on camera would be genuine. Skandar Keynes later left acting altogether to study at Cambridge. Tilda Swinton made a deliberate choice to play the White Witch cold and controlled rather than theatrically villainous. It was director Andrew Adamson's first live-action film after Shrek.
Legacy
Based on C.S. Lewis's 1950 novel, the first film won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, and remains one of the best-reviewed entries in the wider Narnia franchise.
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