Narnia Christian links played down by cast

The cast and crew of CS Lewis adaptation The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe have been at pains to downplay any Christian symbolism in the new film.

The series of books about the mythical land of Narnia are viewed by many as religious allegories, placing Aslan the lion as a Christ-like figure. Cast member Tilda Swinton called the original book "more spiritual than religious," telling the BBC News website that it was possible to "make a religious allegory out of anything if that's what you're interested in."

Director Andrew Adamson agreed, saying the film was "open to the audience to interpret." Swinton added that "it feels like an ancient myth...it's about finding self-sufficiency in difficult circumstances and finding the capacity to dig deep, survive and prevail."

Alleged comparisons include the Christ-like sacrifice of lion Aslan, who is later resurrected, leading his side to victory against the evil White Witch. CS Lewis was extremely religious, and producer Mark Johnson says that this "imbued everything he did" but that "he himself denied any religious implications."

The film looks set to be successful in the US due to the alleged symbolism, with US evangelists already planning to support the film. Lon Allison, director of the Billy Graham Centre in Illinois, said last month that he believes "God will speak the gospel of Jesus Christ through this film."

This is not a universal opinion though, as popular author Philip Pullman has called the books "racist and misogynistic."

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will open in the UK on the 8th December.