Michael Apted to take the helm of Dawn Treader.

Michael Apted will direct The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third installment in the franchise based on the books by C.S. Lewis, according to AICN.

Apted’s credits include Coal Miner’s Daughter, Gorillas In The Mist, and Amazing Grace, as well as the James Bond film The World is Not Enough.

Apted takes the helm from Andrew Adamson, who directed the first two movies — 2005’s The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, which opens May 16, 2008. Adamson had to back out of directing the next sequel because of Dawn‘s accelerated production schedule. He will still be attached as a producer.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is currently in pre-production, takes place mainly at sea and on tropical islands. The Australian coast, the Bahamas, and Malta have been suggested as potential shooting locations for the third film, scheduled for release in theaters in 2009/1010.