- Content: Animation Studio to Adapt C.S. Lewis’ Childhood Stories
By Movieguide® Contributor
Chalkdust Animation Studios has announced their first project: an animated adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ short stories titled BOXEN: THE CHILDHOOD CHRONICLES OF C.S. LEWIS.
“It’s an absolute honor to be adapting the first stories ever written by one of the greatest authors of all time, C.S. Lewis,” veteran producer and Chalkdust founder Jared Mass told Animation Magazine. “We have a tremendous responsibility to make sure the content lives up to Lewis’s pedigree and his inspirational worldviews.”
He continued, “Our goal is to make a show parents will trust and kids will be entertained and inspired. I’m so thankful to The C.S. Lewis Company and Noble Road Media for entrusting Chalkdust Animation with bringing to life this phenomenal piece of intellectual property.”
BOXEN will be a serialized adaptation of the famed author’s first-ever short stories, which he wrote with his brother when he was still a child.
“We’re all very big C.S. Lewis fans, so we want to do right by this project. I believe we have a big responsibility to make a show for 4-7-year-olds that stands for something, is entertaining, and that meets the high standards of C.S. Lewis’s work,” Mass told Variety.
BOXEN is being financed by Noble Road Media, founded by writer, director and producer Michael Carney.
“Noble Road Media is excited to announce our collaboration with Chalkdust Animation Studios,” Carney said in a statement about the partnership. “We are passionate about the transformative power of storytelling. Our collaboration with Chalkdust embodies our dedication to crafting engaging and inspiring narratives that resonate across all ages. Financing this project also underlines our belief in the incredible ability of Jared and the team he is building.”
Carney continued, “Through this partnership, we aim to captivate audiences worldwide and introduce them to the whimsical and imaginative world of young C.S. Lewis. Bringing BOXEN to life is a rare opportunity by which we aim to ensure that the values and legacy of C.S. Lewis continues to inspire people for generations to come.”
This isn’t the only C.S. Lewis-inspired project in the works. Movieguide® previously reported:
Angel Studios has unveiled their plans for upcoming projects, from a movie exploring the friendship between writers J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis to a biopic of an NBA star.
“We’ve got some remarkable new projects,” Angel co-founder Jordan Harmon shared, adding that the studio is “shaping the future of storytelling and film and shaping the future of our culture.”
Harmon revealed three new projects — FELLOWSHIP, A WEEK AWAY: THE SERIES and SWEETWATER.
FELLOWSHIP tells the story of Tolkien and Lewis’ relationship as they write the novels that would go on to become their legacy. Paul Syrstad is set to direct.
LITTLE WOMEN director Greta Gerwig is also set to adapt Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia.” Movieguide® reported:
While little is known about Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia,” Netflix’s head of film recently revealed that production will likely begin within the next year.
“Well, I think people know that we’re aspirationally trying to get Greta Gerwig’s [THE CHRONICLES OF] NARNIA together and get that movie, which will be next year,” Scott Stuber, Head of Netflix Film, told Collider.
Netflix acquired the right to Lewis’ classic story in 2018 but only recently decided what they plan to do with the content. Earlier this year, the streaming giant announced Greta Gerwig would helm at least two movies that will bring audiences to Narnia.
“I haven’t even really started wrapping my arms around it,” Gerwig said about Narnia in July. “I’m properly scared of it, which is a good place to start. I think when I’m scared, it’s always a good sign. Maybe when I stop being scared, it’ll be like, ‘Okay. Maybe I shouldn’t do that one.’ No, I’m terrified of it. It’s extraordinary. And so we’ll see, I don’t know.”
