The creator of the Narnia books has been enlisted to help wean a new generation off paramilitary activities in Northern Ireland. As Disney prepares to bring CS Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to the big screen this Christmas, culture campaigners in East Belfast are reclaiming the author as an alternative role model for children in the Ulster loyalist stronghold. A mural dedicated to Lewis's legacy and Ulster roots has replaced another that once celebrated the exploits of armed loyalist paramilitaries. The move to 'de-militarise' the walls of Protestant East Belfast has also seen murals praising the UVF erased and replaced with ones highlighting the local roots of Northern Irish soccer stars such as George Best, Derek Dougan and Sammy McIlroy. Other 'de-militarised' walls in the area include one now with a mural recalling Alamo hero Davy Crockett's Ulster origins. [More]

Movie star Liam Neeson won the chance to give a voice to The Chronicles Of Narnia lion Aslan after British actor Brian Cox lost the role because his voice wasn't appropriate. Cox was producers' first choice for the part, but his voice didn't fit the live-action lion. Sir Ian McKellen and Ralph Fiennes were also both considered for the role, but film-makers knew they'd found their man when soft-spoken Irishman Neeson auditioned. Producer Mark Johnson says, "We knew instantly we had found our mane man." [More]

Bruce writes: Just a quick note that Richard Taylors talk from Friday Preview Night at Supanova is now out. [More]

Coxhm writes: Sydney's Supanova Pop Culture Convention was on the 15-17th October. Richard Taylor and John Rhys Davies were there to represent Lord of the Rings and WETA. Richard was his normal chatty, friendly informative self. He indulges the Ringers present but also talked about King Kong and Narnia. [More]

Young people from Belfast and beyond are being urged to share in the fantasy world created by CS Lewis by helping to design costumes for a Narnia-themed parade. Due to take place in east Belfast in December, street performers, characters from the magical world of Narnia and people carrying lanterns will be taking part in the event. This year's theme is based on the influence of author CS Lewis, who was born in the Dundela area of the city. [More]

From MovieFone.com: In this week's Coming Attractions -- the exclusive trailer premiere for "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe". The big-screen adaptation of C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" doesn't arrive in theaters until December 9, but Moviefone.com has the exclusive trailer premiere starting tomorrow. In the meantime, get a lay of the land with this interactive map of Narnia. [Map] [Trailer (live only October 21st, 2005)]

The awesome folks at Ubisoft are about to launch a contest to get your knees shaking, your heart a-pumping and your mouth drooling! Pick up 'Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie' and you could win an all expense paid trip to Wellington to visit WETA WORKSHOP!! That's right! You heard it here first folks! Swing on over to kingkonggame.com for full contest rules and details.

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HOLLYWOOD - Author Philip Pullman has criticized Disney for bringing The Chronicles of Narnia to the big screen, because he believes CS Lewis' books are "racist" and "misogynistic.” The British writer is disgusted by the way Disney is marketing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first film in the series which is due to be released later this year, as a Christian allegory. Pullman describes the seven book series--which was written in the 1950s---"a peevish blend of racist, misogynistic and reactionary prejudice" with "not a trace" of Christian morality. He continues, "If the Disney Corporation wants to market this film as a great Christian story, they'll just have to tell lies about it. "It's not the presence of Christian doctrine I object to so much as the absence of Christian virtue. [More]

The movie version of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe won't be out until Dec. 9, but dozens of books already are spilling out of the cupboard. "Sales since the Wardrobe movie trailer was released in May are three to four times more than last year at this time," says Beth Bingham of Borders bookstores. She expects the movie's release date to drive holiday sales even more. Borders and other stores nationwide are prominently displaying the books. Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com have set up special Narnia stores on their sites. [More]

There's nothing elementary, my dear Watson, about British actor Rupert Everett's portrayal of film and literature's most famous detective in "Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking," a 2004 BBC-WGBH-Boston co-production making its U.S. premiere on PBS' "Masterpiece Theatre" next Sunday. The production is not an adaptation of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story but an original script by "Prime Suspect 2" writer Allan Cubitt, who adapted the Holmes tale "The Hound of the Baskervilles" in 2002. It's Sherlock as a sort of "House" meets "CSI." [More]

A budding Yorkshire actress has been announced as a star of the new Narnia film due to hit cinema screens this Christmas. Ten-year-old Georgie Henley, of Ilkley, will make her professional acting debut in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which is set to rival Harry Potter at the box office. Adapted from the classic tale by CS Lewis, the big-budget movie features Tilda Swinton as the White Witch and Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan the lion. Georgie will play Lucy, one of the Pevensie children who discover a wardrobe which is a gateway to the snow-bound land of Narnia. She was discovered by a casting director in her home town and was chosen from 2,000 hopefuls. Posing for her first photocall in London's Leicester Square, she said: "This is my first movie so it's quite overwhelming for me, but it's amazing. [More]