SUBMITTED BY pimpjoe_esb

December 11, 2005 —

The AP reports that the PG-rated Disney adaptation of C.S. Lewis' classic fable of four British kids, their magic closet and the coolest talking lion this side of Simba unspooled in 3,616 theaters, averaging a whopping $18,546 per site. The epic tale took the lion's share--57 percent--of ticket sales, according to estimates from Exhibitor Relations.

The first of a planned seven-part series, mixes of live action and CGI under the direction of Shrek mastermind Andrew Adamson. Among its sprawling cast of humans and critters, Narnia features the mellifluous tones of Liam Neeson as the computer-generated lion, rightful ruler of the kingdom of Narnia, who must face off against the usurping, ice-happy White Witch (Tilda Swinton) and her minions of scary beaties.

The only film with a bigger haul during the pre-Christmas season is another fantasy you might have heard of--a little film called The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. That J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation rang up $72.6 million on its first weekend in 2003.

While another fantasy adventure looms--Universal's remake of the classic ape tale King Kong, directed by Lord of the Rings' Peter Jackson--on Wednesday, Disney is optimistic that Narnia's magic will stick.

"I think there's more than enough room for two major hits in a season, and because of the length of the holidays, both films are going to be here for a long, long time," Chuck Vane, Disney's head of distribution, tells the Associated Press.

Narnia also earned $42 million more in overseas markets.

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