Thumbing through a copy of The Bookseller, in a news item about HarperCollins push to promote reprints of the Narnia books ahead of the films, there was this interesting mention: "Filming of a second Narnia title, The Horse and His Boy, is believed to be underway, although it has not been confirmed by Disney." (C. Horn - "HC starts Narnia push early" - The Bookseller, Aug 5 2005, p. 8). As I've just reread this book, I think they're jumping the gun in going on to this one (rather than say, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), but the talking horse thing may have proved an irresistable attraction to the producers. I personally feel that it brings the series near to its end thematically, though the current chronological ordering of the series (where it's number 3) would disagree. An interesting rumour though!

Another diverting rumour is this one, Walden Media Acquire 'The Dark is Rising' Sequence". I'm not sure how a film of any of Susan Cooper's five book series would go: the first book, Over Sea Under Stone reads like a much more traditional children's mystery tale of the time and the series doesn't hit its stride until the title book. It will be essential for the makers of these films to preserve the British feel of the characters, mythology and landscape. For more information on Susan Cooper and her work, please see The Lost Land.

Labels: The Dark is Rising film