Toppling Iron Man from its first place box office status, the second installment movie from C. S. Lewis's famed Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian, grossed $56.6 million for its first weekend outing. The Disney action movie, characterized as both darker, more violent; but also more obviously spiritual, even Christian film, is expected to keep the top spot through the lucrative Memorial Day weekend upcoming. Nevertheless, last weekend's opening was a little lower than that for its predecessor, the adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe, released in December 2005, which grossed $65.6 million in its first weekend.

Disney is in pre-production on the third Narnia installment, Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

According to the family-friendly Christian media reviewer Movieguide, "Right up front it needs to be noted that the book has been re-imagined to make the movie. In most cases, this re-imagining has helped the drama considerably. Better yet, the filmmakers have kept the integrity of and even highlighted the theological points C. S. Lewis was trying to make." The on-line review encouragingly concluded, "Expect to see a wonderful movie that retains the faith of the book."

Prince Caspian brings back the same actors for the Pevensie children, Georgie Henley (Lucy), Skandar Keynes (Edmund), William Moseley (Peter), & Anna Popplewell, but a host of new actors in the flesh & by voice, including the strikingly handsome young Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian.

For the full story: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Tops Box Office.