From theonelion.net...

DAVID KEHR writes: As the residents of Narnia like to whisper, "Aslan is on the move." And so he is. But for the moment, Walt Disney Pictures has him on a very short leash.

Aslan, a talking lion with mystical powers, is the central figure in "The Chronicles of Narnia," the much-beloved seven-volume series of fantasy novels written by the British academic C. S. Lewis in the 1950's. By the year's end, if Disney marketers have their way, he will have joined Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio and Buzz Lightyear in a long line of characters that have periodically provided the Burbank giant with entertainment's most valuable asset, a new fantasy to trade on...

But this time, the pros at Disney are wrestling with a special challenge: how to sell a screen hero who was conceived as a forthright symbol of Jesus Christ, a redeemer who is tortured and killed in place of a young human sinner and who returns in a glorious resurrection that transforms the snowy landscape of Narnia into a verdant paradise.

That spirituality sets Aslan apart from most of the Disney pantheon and presents the company with a significant dilemma: whether to acknowledge the Christian symbolism and risk alienating a large part of the potential audience, or to play it down and possibly offend the many Christians who count among the books' fan base.

Can't you just see it... Mickey, Pumba, and Aslan all dancing together in the next Disneyland parade? It makes me want to puke. Here's some comments I made last May on the subject:

"If you read my Troy movie review (if you haven't it's here- Movie Review: Troy), then you saw my comments regarding the revision of literature. Specifically, if they can take the gods out of Homer, they can take God out of the Chronicles of Narnia. My fear has been, since Disney bought the film, that they will attempt to di-Christianize it as much as possible. Aslan will be a nice cuddly lion who prances around singing about the circle of life and telling the children to follow their hearts." (full post) 

This latest report doesn't help my anxiety over this. Yes, Douglas Gresham is a Co-Producer and will have some impact on the content of the film. The problem is he will have no impact on the marketing or franchising Disney does. At least this way we may get some nifty Aslan antenna balls.