C. S. Lewis 'opposed live Narnia film'

A newly-revealed letter by author CS Lewis has shown he opposed the idea of a screen version of his Narnia books, now adapted for a major film.Lewis said TV versions of the animals in his books would result in either "buffoonery or nightmare" and criticised Walt Disney for "vulgarity".The letter, written in 1959, has been published on a literary website.A BBC TV series was shown in 1988 while the Disney film is out on 8 December. Lewis' estate approved both projects.Lewis made the comments in a letter to BBC producer Lance Sieveking, who had made a radio adaptation of The Magician's Nephew - the prequel to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - which met the author's approval.

Earlier this year, I read part of CS Lewis's autobiography, in which he describes his passion for drawing imaginative animals-in-action, when he was a small boy. This is what he carried into his writing of the Narnia Chronicles, I believe.Two days ago, on BBC radio fivelive at the end of the midday news (I can't find a clip.) Lewis's stepson, who has co-produced the film about to be released, was interviewed. In a very short space, he explained how much has changed since 1959 when Lewis's original comments against film, were made. He also clarified that the Naria Chronicles were never written as an allegory to Christianity or with Christology in mind - they were about a fictional world into which 'evil' had 'crept', which needed a god to save them.Much to my joy, he managed to squeeze in 'just as God had to come and save ours' which got me laughing and shouting praises round my kitchen!As he said this in the middle of sentence and it was a live interview, this 1.3s of it will be there for posterity, I seriously trust. :-) Amen. Of the film, Disney is distributing it only. It has been drawn and manufactured by a different company, using the very latest animation techniques, thus meeting CS Lewis's imagined high standard of excellence.