According to Coming Soon!, and following Disney Consumer Products chairman Andy Mooney’s hint in February that the studio might be distributing The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Walt Disney Pictures has made an official announcement. The studio has entered into an agreement with Walden Media (whom they partnered on last summer’s sleeper hit Holes and the upcoming Around The World In 80 Days remake) to co-finance and distribute the live-action film, which is being directed by Andrew Adamson (Shrek, Shrek 2) and is set to be released Christmas 2005 by Walt Disney Pictures. The agreement also allows for the continuation of the partnership for future films in the series. Disney is hoping for a Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter-style franchise that runs for the entire length of C.S. Lewis’ original seven books, of which The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is the second and most well known.