Shot on location - Films and TV-series: April 2020

11 April 2020

Elephant Rocks, New Zealand

Between 1950 and 1956, British author C.S. Lewis published The Chronicles of Narnia, a children's book series in seven parts. The stories involve four children who discover Narnia, a magical land where animals can speak. After various adaptations for radio, television and theater, a movie was made based on the first book and released as THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion,
the Witch and the Wardrobe, 0:39:38

During World War II, the four children of the Pevensie family are sent to the country home of a professor for their own safety. They discover a magical wardrobe that gives access to the world of Narnia. The childen are soon involved in a battle between the good lion Aslan and the evil White Witch Jadis.
The movie was largely shot in New Zealand. Additional scenes were filmed in Great Britain, Poland and the Czech Republic, where snow was guaranteed. Studio production started on 28 June 2004 in Auckland on the North Island.

In October filming continued on location on the South Island and would last until 18 December 2004. Among the shooting locations is Elephant Rocks, a collection of large rocks.

Elephant Rocks, 14 January 2020

Elephant Rocks is located on a farmland three miles (five kilometers) south of the village of Duntroon. The rocks were created at the bottom of the sea some 25 million years ago from buried fossil remains that were turned into limestone by pressure. After the area became dry land, wind and water sculpted the boulders with irregular shapes. The rocks do not resemble elephants, besides the round corners and gray colour. Visitors are welcome and admission is free, but note the sheep and their droppings.

In the movie, Elephant Rocks is the army camp of Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson). Peter Pevensie (William Moseley), the oldest of the four children, meets the noble lion.