Netflix’s Chronicles of Narnia Adaptation Could Be Making A Bold Move To Set Itself Apart

The Chronicles of Narnia franchise might have already had a go at a live-action adaptation in the past, but the upcoming reboot from Netflix could be the definitive theatrical take on the iconic book series and a recent comment seems to suggest the filmmaker attached has an idea to distinguish it from the previous trilogy.

Netflix has seen a mixed bag of success when it comes to adaptations, with major flops like Death Note clearing the way for recent successes like One Piece. As such, some fans were cautiously optimistic when Netflix announced plans to reboot The Chronicles of Narnia, a film series adapting the fantasy book series of the same name by the venerable C.S. Lewis. Consisting of seven books, the series tels the story of several children who get transported to and have adventures in the mythical land of Narnia, playing important roles in the history and fate of the realm itself. Presenting a world populated by all sorts of fantastic beasts and talking animals within a plot steeped in allegory, the books have been a hit with children and adults alike since they were published.

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Observers have expected something unique to come from Netflix’s reboot since it was revealed that Greta Gerwig was in line to direct The Chronicles Of Narnia movies for the streamer, and some recent comments from Jason Isaacs seem to highlight one such thing. In an article for The Week that exhaustively went over many of his favorite books, Isaacs makes mention of Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew as one on his list of all-timers, but the really interesting part comes when he delves into why he chose that specific book out of the seven volumes that make up the Chronicles. “I loved all the Narnia books as a kid. When Peter was told he wouldn’t be coming back, I understood something devastating about mortality. I picked this one because Greta Gerwig is about to make a film of it, which I can’t wait to see.”

While it’s not clear how Isaacs, known to many fans for his villainous roles including as the dastardly Lucious Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, might have confirmed this stance, his statement strongly suggests that Gerwig’s upcoming reboot will eskew the path taken by the other film adaptations in the early 2000s by sidelining The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe in favor of The Magician’s Nephew. This is an interesting choice that could have gone either way, as while the events of The Magicians’s Nephew take place a thousand years before the events in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lewis didn’t finish writing the former until five years after the latter. So, while The Magician’s Nephew is the first in chronological order, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was the first to make it to print and has since come to be the face of the franchise for many. The Magician’s Nephew, on the other hand, was the sixth of the seven books to come to print, sandwiching it between the wonderous and adventurous tome The Horse and His Boy and the series climax The Last Battle.

It’s fortunate that in 2024, Netflix’s Chronicles of Narnia reboot can learn from other fantasy franchises, which will be a boon for Gerwig. While she has recently seen a ton of international success as a filmmaker with Barbie, Gerwig’s only brush with fantasy is as a co-writer on Disney’s besieged 2025 adaptation Snow White. Taking her filmmaking talents in hand with some knowledge from other franchises could be the key to bringing the overtly magical world of Narnia to the big screen again. In that vein, The Magician’s Nephew might also serve as the idea starting point thanks to so much of the story taking place in the mundane world of 1900s London. Taking the chance to start off the film series with one that doesn’t call for the full might of the special effects team right off the bat could be an advantageous move for Gerwig and Netflix.

Whichever way things fall, fans can certainly look forward to the upcoming adaptation with some hope. It’s entirely ironic that Greta Gerwig thought Barbie would be a ‘career-ender’ for her, as it’s led her to a plethora of very interesting opportunities since. With a franchise flush with box office potential at her fingertips and no definitive adaptation to battle against, there’s no doubt that Gerwig can deliver a stellar fantasy adaptation for both returning and new fans of Lewis’ work. If successful, the film series will be another notch in Netflix’s comeback tour of serviceable adaptations and one step closer to erasing the memory of projects like Cowboy Bebop from the public consciousness.

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Source: The Week