Netflix Chronicles of Narnia news continues to pour in as the streaming giant is finally making its own movies based on C.S. Lewis' popular fantasy series. After Disney's big-budget film adaptations of Narnia slowly lost steam, Netflix bought the rights to the franchise wholesale in 2018. The Netflix Chronicles of Narnia series promises to be a new take on the books and is not likely to be related to the earlier films. C.S. Lewis wrote and published The Chronicles of Narnia books in the early to mid-1950s, and they quickly became some of the most popular children's books of all time, drawing comparisons to The Lord of the Rings.
Netflix's purchase of the rights to the series in 2018 for their own Chronicles of Narnia reboot is the first time that any single company has held the rights to all the books at once. Netflix won't have any restrictions on how they choose to adapt The Chronicles of Narnia. Though the adaptation was announced in 2018, there was little Netflix Chronicles of Narnia news until the streaming giant hired Greta Gerwig to write and direct the first two movies. This finally answered a lot of questions, mainly revealing the adaptation was new movies and not the mix of movies and streaming series that the original producers planned on.
The Latest Netflix Chronicles of Narnia News
The biggest Netflix Chronicles of Narnia news revealed that Greta Gerwig (Barbie) has signed on to direct the first two movies in the new franchise. This is not the first time the stories have been adapted. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe arrived in 2005 to great acclaim, followed by The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian in 2008 and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010. However, there are seven novels in the series, and there is no word on how many movies Netflix intends to make, or if it will wait to see how Gerwig's movie fares when it hits the streaming service.
Gerwig is best known for making smaller, nuanced movies. She earned great acclaim for directing Lady Bird and Little Women, and she learned a lot about character-driven storytelling from Noah Baumbach. Even the latest movie from the duo, Barbie, is based on a major property but still appears to keep Gerwig's quirky sensibilities and ability to reign in the spectacle for the story. That makes her a unique choice for the Netflix Chronicles of Narnia director's chair, so it will be interesting to see what she does with the property.
Netflix Chronicles of Narnia is Confirmed
Netflix revealed its Chronicles of Narnia reboot was still moving forward. Mark Gordon is the primary producer of the project and originally stated that there is potential to adapt the books into both a television series and potentially multiple feature films for the streaming service. While he hired Coco's co-writer Matthew Aldrich in 2019 to be the creative architect of the Netflix adaptation, that has changed with Greta Gerwig coming on board in 2023. It also seems that the TV shows have been put on the back burner, or canceled completely, in favor of a series of movies based on the works of C.S. Lewis.
Netflix Chronicles of Narnia Release Date
The new movies have not entered active production yet, so there is no way to guess when the Netflix Chronicles of Narnia release date will be. The news that Gerwig signed on to write and direct the first two movies came on July 2, so she still has to write the scripts, get them cleared, and cast the movie before she can ever start shooting. With all the effects work likely needed, don't expect the Netflix Chronicles of Narnia release date to be any earlier than 2025.
Netflix Chronicles of Narnia Cast
Since Greta Gerwig was just hired to write and direct the first two movies, there is no telling who will be in the Netflix Chronicles of Narnia cast. Assuming the new movies will start at the beginning, the cast will have to feature four children and teenagers to play the Pevensie siblings (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy). Also needed would be actors to portray the voice of Aslan, the great lion, the White Witch, and Mr. Tumnus. The original movie cast these three adult characters with Liam Neeson, Tilda Swinton, and James McAvoy.
Netflix Chronicles of Narnia Story Details
The Netflix Chronicles of Narnia story is going to reboot the series, and will not continue from where the earlier Narnia films had left off. However, the biggest question is in what order Netflix will release the books — by the order published or by the actual chronology of the story. Most likely, Netflix will go in the order of the books, starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This likely means the first movie will start off with the story of the four Pevensie children being evacuated during the Blitz to the countryside where they find the magical wardrobe, leading them to the fantasy world of Narnia. It is here that they join Aslan to battle with White Witch.