At the heart of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE is the many spellbinding characters and creatures that came to life in C.S. Lewis' beloved tale. From the four young children who are transported from war torn London into Narnia; to the incredible mythical menagerie of fauns, centaurs, giants, satyrs, dwarves, minotaurs, minoboars and talking animals they meet on their life-changing journey.
The filmmakers first and most vital task was to start with the cornerstone of humanity in the film, the four Pevensie children, who take the audience along with them as they discover that a mysterious old wardrobe door is a portal into a land like no other. As casting began, the filmmakers knew one thing: it was essential that the children be as utterly, viscerally real as Narnia is fantastical.
The filmmakers sought the services of veteran casting director Pippa Hall and thus began a two-year hunt throughout England, during which Hall visited endless grade schools, youth clubs and drama groups, interviewing over 2,000 children for the four roles. "I took a video camera everywhere, sitting kids down to get them to talk about themselves, what their favorite books were, what films they liked," Hall recalls. "I would then send Andrew loads of tapes and he'd watch them all and that's how we cast the Pevensies."