Tehanu's Exclusive Narnia Set Report
weetanya @ 12:35 am EST

By TORn Staffer Tehanu

About a month ago something rather strange started to take shape on the edge of West Auckland, where The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is being filmed. A number of shipping containers were stacked into a large U-shape with gaps that formed monumental openings like gateways in each side.

I'd seen shipping containers used to form sets before at the Stone St. lot in Wellington, so I was not surprised when workmen started to add plywood facings to the containers.

The structure quickly became more complex, with stairways and a kind of gallery or balcony along one side.

The stairs form an elaborate approach to a large stage or dais in front of the central archway.

This is clearly one of the sets for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Hard to tell what until they render the plywood with whatever finish they plan to use - then we'll see whether it's meant to look like dank, evil , ice-covered stone, in which case we could assume it's the courtyard of the Witch's House, where Edmund finds the petrified Narnians. Later in the story, once the spell of Winter is removed, the Witch's House would probably be recognisable by some kind of threatening architecture.

Because this place looks more open and straightforward in design, I'm thinking it could be the courtyard at Cair Paravel. Perhaps we'll see the four Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve crowned here.