'Harry Potter' to 'Narnia - fantasy rules US box office

Los Angeles, Nov 23 (DPA) Harry Potter has once again worked his box-office magic in the US and there is plenty more fantasy to come this season for moviegoers.

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", the fourth movie in the hugely popular series about a boy who struggles with his life as a wizard, earned $102 million on its opening weekend in the US - a record for a movie debuting outside the top summer movie months.

The huge haul came despite fears that the book's original fans may have outgrown the series, or that its increased level of violence may have scared off family audiences with younger kids.

But it seems that since the first movie came out in 2001, the movie has become as much a part of the American autumn as pumpkins, falling leaves and hanksgiving.

"We took our kids when they were small to the first movie, and we just keep going to the rest," said Walter Malpass, who went to see the movie Sunday with his wife and two children in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas.

This autumn, "Harry Potter" doesn't have the fantasy genre all to itself as cinemagoers are set to welcome another rich and familiar tale to keep them warm.

On Dec 9, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", hits cinemas.

Based on the book by C.S. Lewis, the movie reportedly cost an incredible $180 million to produce and is Disney's attempt, together with the story's co-owner Walden Media, to found a fantasy film franchise that will bring in viewers year after year for new instalments of the series.

The movie takes the place in the cinematic line-up of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which dominated the last three holiday seasons with its epic tales of battle between the forces of good and evil.

"Narnia" hopes to inherit that mantle, though it has toned down the violence and increased the magical settings in the hope of appealing to audiences of all ages.

Both the "Narnia" and "Potter" tales revolve around highly symbolic struggles between right and wrong and use the dramatic landscapes of New Zealand as their backdrops.

"Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling has credited Lewis as one of her main influences, and both movies share a stock fantasy theme that sees child protagonists transported to a surreal world where they act as saviours.

However, the "Potter" books have been attacked by some Christian critics, who claim that the stories could fan enthusiasm for the occult.

For those who have studiously avoided Potter-mania for the last five years, the books and films tell the story of the scion of a famous wizard clan who attends a magic school called Hogwarts, and whose destiny leads to a showdown with the evil sorcerer who killed his parents.

"The Narnia Chronicles: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" tells the story of four children who are evacuated to the countryside during the World War II bombing of London, only to find a magical wardrobe that leads to an eternal world that they must save.

The fable is woven through with themes of good versus evil, betrayal and forgiveness, while the central character of Aslan, the lion, has widely been interpreted as a Christ-like figure tortured in place of a young, human sinner.

Disney is latching on to this aspect of the myth to push the movie, with a church-based marketing campaign designed to tap into the same market that made "The Passion of the Christ" such a huge hit in 2004.

The move has sparked controversy among some Lewis fans who fear that religious themes will overly dominate the beloved classic, which has sold almost 100 million copies since first published in 1950.

Producers at Disney insist that they will remain faithful to the book, and will allow viewers to choose their own interpretations.

"This isn't supposed to be a Christian film, any more than (Lewis) set out to write a Christian book," says Douglas Gresham, Lewis' stepson, a co-producer of the upcoming film.

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire