Narnia Flies Again Without Disney

Released at midnight, the two-minute trailer for “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” beckons Narnia fans to “Return to Hope,” “Return to Magic,” and “Return to Narnia” five years after the first film hit theaters to positive reviews and box office success.

Not on board for the third installment, however, is Walt Disney Pictures, which announced in 2008 – just days before Christmas – that it would not be co-producing and co-financing “Dawn Treader,” citing “budgetary considerations and other logistics” as reasons behind the decision.

Many critics had blamed Disney for the second film’s less impressive success, claiming that Disney refused to hold any pre-screenings and would not pursue any special marketing of the film. For the first film an extensive and highly effective marketing campaign directed by Motive Entertainment produced an enormous response.

With Disney out and Fox in, Narnia fans on facebook are hoping “Dawn Treader” will see success similar to “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” which raked in $745 million in ticket sales worldwide on a $180 million production budget.

“Dawn Treader” is set to release on Dec. 10, 2010, in both traditional 2D and Digital 3D.