Chronicles of Narnia producer Douglas Gresham has hopes Netflix's planned adaptations of C.S. Lewis' novels will be episodic, though he hasn't heard anything from the streaming giant in a while. While there had been smaller adaptations of Lewis' novels on television and radio, Disney was the first studio to bring the books to life on the big screen with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in 2005 and Prince Caspian in 2008. The first film made over $745 million worldwide, but Prince Caspian faltered with only $419 million. Fox took over for the third Narnia film, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but that too failed to reach the heights of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
There were plans to reboot the franchise with an adaptation of The Silver Chair, with Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger) set to direct. However, that project fell through, leaving the future of Narnia's big screen adventures unknown for some time. Then, in 2018, Netflix announced they had acquired the rights to Lewis' books and intended to develop new television shows and films based on them. Fans were excited at the prospect of new content, but since then, things have been quiet. Last year, Netflix tapped Matthew Aldrich (Coco) to serve as creative architect, but that has been the only news for some time.
A small update has arrived from producer Gresham, who is also Lewis' stepson. While speaking to William O'Flaherty for 90 Seconds to Knowing C.S. Lewis, Gresham shared his hopes for Netflix's Narnia projects, saying first he would "love it to be an episodic thing. Because with a movie, you have an hour, maybe two hour maximum if you really stretch it, to put an entire book - an adventure storybook - into the film. And you just can't do it." Gresham clearly wants these adaptations to be as faithful as they can be, hence the desire of an episodic format that would allow for "the entire book, every single nuance of it, on the screen."
Gresham's comments likely sound promising for fans, but his next reveal comes with some disappointment. Gresham explained that, since making the deal with Netflix, "I have not heard a word from them." He also admitted, "I'm kind of getting worried myself as to whether anything's ever going to happen," though he still expressed hope that things will get moving again soon, perhaps with a large budget that would allow them to include every single detail from the books.
Netflix found great success in adapting a beloved fantasy series into a television show with The Witcher, and they must be eager to replicate the success. If Netflix can create a show, or even a movie, with the level of detail Gresham was describing, it can win over both fans of the books and those just looking for a new world to immerse themselves in. With something as expansive as The Chronicles of Narnia, it most likely requires a lot of planning to ensure it gets the proper adaptation it deserves, which could explain why it is taking so long. Here's hoping things get moving quickly, or that Netflix at least gives a sign that they haven't abandoned the project fans are so looking forward to.
Source: 90 Seconds to Knowing C.S. Lewis