Nashville-based Christian music company EMI CMG has announced the all-star line up of artists that will be featured on their upcoming soundtrack release Music Inspired By: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Having collectively sold in excess of 23 million albums, the artists currently featured on the album include five-time Grammy Award Winner Steven Curtis Chapman, who leads the pack with the project's debut single and video, "Remembering You," which will release to Christian radio formats nationwide on August 5th, Jars of Clay, Jeremy Camp, TobyMac, Nichole Nordeman, Rebecca St. James, Delirious, Kutless, Bethany Dillon, Chris Tomlin and David Crowder Band.

Regarding his participation in the soundtrack, Steven Curtis Chapman gave the following comment:

"So much has already been brilliantly communicated by C.S. Lewis with this story, so writing for it was kind of an overwhelming task. This story leaves me with wanting to remember what it means to experience Spring or new life. 'Remembering You' is a song from the perspective of a lot of the characters at the end of the story saying, 'whenver I see the first signs of spring, I'll be remembering you, Aslan, the story and what is to come.'"

Promotions for the Inspirational Inspired-by project began recently, when HarperCollins, publisher of the Chronicles of Narnia book series hosted a celebration in New York for the forthcoming movie release in conjunction with the American Booksellers Association. Sparrow Records singer/songwriter Bethany Dillon premiered her song, "Hero," from the project at that celebration.

Promotions will also include soundtrack music being featured as part of the interactive marketing plans with www.narnia.com and its development of NarniaMusic.com, which will feature artist interviews, shots from the studio, song samples, promotions and more.

Further, EMI CMG is integrating their marketing efforts for a joint partnership alongside Disney Film Marketing, creating a domestic and Global focus to raise awareness and sales opportunities in all major territories to include the U.S., Holland, the UK, Australia, Italy, Germany, Canada, and Japan. Part of this marketing effort will include unprecedented merchandising tools available to retailers with a floor display, end cap kits, banners, and the creation of a "wardrobe" full of product featuring CD's, books, and video games.

"EMI CMG's partnership with Disney and Walden Media holds an unprecedented visibility and marketing opportunity for the participating artists, allowing their music to reach a global audience," stated EMI CMG's President and CEO, Bill Hearn. "Disney and Walden Media have shown a tremendous amount of passion for the music and we are excited for them to incorporate this ever-expanding genre that perfectly compliments the theme of the film."

The Inspirational CD will release on September 27th. A second soundtrack of songs inspired by the film will release October 25th and feature mainstream pop and rock artists.

The Lion,The Witch and The Wardrobe, first published in 1950, is the second and best-known novel in the seven-part Chronicles of Narnia series by noted Oxford author C.S. Lewis. The series has sold more than 85 million books globally to date and has been published in 29 different languages.

The film, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, will be released worldwide on December 9. A trailer for the movie can be seen at: http://movies.channel.aol.com/franchise/exclusives/chronicles_of_narnia_movie

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is directed by Andrew Adamson, who also directed the Academy Award winning animated film Shrek and Shrek 2, produced by Academy Award winning Mark Johnson (Rain Man), with a screenplay by Emmy Award winning Ann Peacock (A Kiss Before Dying), and special effects provided by WETA, the winner of four Academy Awards for The Lord of The Rings.

For more information about The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, log on to: www.narnia.com.

Justin Camacho
justin@breathecast.com