It was generally thought that if The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was a big enough hit at the box office, Disney would go ahead and produce the other six Narnia books as movies.

According to Narniaweb.com, a Disney source has said that the current movie has exceeded expectations, and that Prince Caspian is slated for a December 2007 theatrical release.

Don’t expect an official announcement until later in the week or possibly as late as January. Adamson hasn’t decided whether he will direct the new film, but most think he will be back. The script is very nearly finished, and the general feeling is that with a lot of the tech in place for the picture (e.g. Aslan) they could start the shoot on New Zealand’s South Island as early as this summer.

This news definitely ought to please a lot of people! It’s nice to have quality, family-friendly movies to look forward to every year around Christmas time. The Narnia movies should really pick up the slack where Peter Jackson left off with his Lord of the Rings movies.