Sony Pictures Entertainment Films of India, SPE is readying for one of the biggest releases and promos for a Disney film in India. The studio is set to release The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, based on a book by C.S. Lewis, across theatres countrywide with an overall spend of around Rs 1 crore. At the same time, a 100-plus prints of the film will be distributed across the country.

The Disney movie, a Buena Vista International product, is being distributed by SPE, which markets BVI titles in India. The movies is definitely one of the strongest campaigns around a BVI product in India launched by SPE. The other similarly big campaigns centering on Disney-BVI movies include titles like Pearl Harbor, The Incredibles and Bug’s Life

For the movie, direct brand tie-ups with SPE involve entities like Star TV, Tourism New Zealand and the Crosswords chain of bookstores. They will hold contests, which will have prizes like a trip to Disneyland in Hong Kong or New Zealand where the film has been shot.

The Chronicles of Narnia saw the biggest opening in 2005 at $65 million. This also happens to be the third-best opening for Disney as a studio after titles like The Incredibles, which opened at $70.5 million and Finding Nemo, which churned out around $70.3 million in the opening week. Till date, Narnia has grossed about $533 million globally, with the US grossings pegged at $250 million.

For the India release, SPE is also working on recreating Narnia’s magic world at the multiplex venues where the movie will open. Together with the English version, the 100-plus prints will also cover a Hindi, Tamil and Telegu dubbed rollout.