CS Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the basis for the first film in The Chronicles of Narnia. Its success may lead to future Narnia tales.

The film follows the Pevensie children's discovery of Narnia, a magical land entered through the back of a wardrobe.

Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy join forces with the lion god of Narnia, Aslan, to defeat the evil White Witch.

It features the mythical animals, such as the gryphon, the people and the landscape of Narnia - as created by CS Lewis, who wrote the seven books in the series.

William Moseley, 18, plays Peter, the eldest of the Pevensie siblings, in his debut film role.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is actually the second book in the Narnia series. A prequel, The Magician's Nephew, was written at a later stage.

The Narnia books are often viewed as a religious allegory, with Aslan the lion representing Jesus Christ, but film-makers have played down the religious significance.

Tilda Swinton, best known for her cross-dressing role in Orlando, plays the evil White Witch Jadis - a role originally offered to Michelle Pfeiffer.

The film, also starring Liam Neeson, Rupert Everett and Dawn French, was principally filmed in New Zealand. It opens across the world from 8 December.