The White Witch's greatest rival in Narnia is Aslan, the wise and majestic lion who sang Narnia into existence and once served as high king of the land. To create this towering character, so beloved as a hero by so many, Adamson turned both to CGI wizardry and to acclaimed Academy Award nominated actor Liam Neeson, who creates Aslans charismatic personality through his voice. "Aslan is all-powerful and all-knowing, yet still has a very human vulnerability," observes Andrew Adamson. "I think C.S. Lewis used a lion for Aslan because he represents something that's both fearsome and awesome. He's the epitome of strength and power, but he's not just a dream lion. He's flesh and blood and that was very important to our conception."
For the filmmakers the key to creating Aslan was to use the latest digital magic to make him look like he isn't digital at all, but a true beast of the forest, albeit with disarmingly human and intelligent eyes, right down to his thunderous roar. "We hope Aslan will be the most photo-realistic computer-generated animal yet seen in a motion picture," says producer Mark Johnson. "We want audiences to wonder just how we were able to get this dangerous beast to interact so beautifully with children actors."
Meanwhile, to match a voice to the mighty beast, Adamson turned to leading screen-star Liam Neeson because, he says, "Liam has such beautiful depth and resonance to his voice. He can exude such great warmth and compassion while also possessing a ferocious strength. He completely believes in the character and it comes across in a performance that adds the final touch in bringing him to life."
Since debuting in Boormans Excalibur, Neeson has starred in over 30 films, including Roger Donaldson's retelling of the 1935 seafaring epic, The Bounty, opposite Mel Gibson and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Andrei Konchalovskys Duet for One. Peter Yates Suspect. Sam Raimis Darkman. David Lelands Crossing the Line. Carl Franklins Before and After. Richard Curtis Love Actually. Kathryn Bigelows K-19: The Widowmaker. Michael Caton-Jones costume epic Rob Roy. And, most recently, Christopher Nolans Batman Begins. He recently reteamed with Neil Jordan on the comedy-drama Breakfast on Pluto. Other big-screen credits include The Good Mother with Diane Keaton, Gun Shy opposite Sandra Bullock. Bille Augusts Les Miserables (playing Jean Valjean, Hugo's tragic hero), Krull, A Prayer for the Dying, Clint Eastwoods final Dirty Harry thriller The Dead Pool, Michael Apteds Nell and The Haunting.
Neeson has also triumphed on the Broadway stage, earning two Tony nominations for his 1993 New York stage debut in Eugene O'Neills Anna Christie and the 2002 revival of Arthur Millers The Crucible. He also essayed the role of Oscar Wilde in David Hares The Judas Kiss. The Northern Ireland native began his career by joining the prestigious Lyric Players Theatre in Belfast in 1976, making his acting debut in Joseph Plunketts The Risen People. After performing with the Lyric Players for two years, he collaborated with the famed repertory company of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, where he appeared in Translations. He won The Best Actor Award at the Royal Exchange Theater for his appearance in Sean O' Caseys The Plough and the Stars.