The "Chronicles of Narnia" is being adapted into a new movie! More than 13 years have passed since the last film, so those responsible thought it was time for a reboot. In this article you can find out all the information about the project and what the chances are that we can expect a worthy reboot.

The Production

Around 20 years ago, the first movie of "The Chronicles of Narnia" was released. Although the three-part film series is considered a huge hit, each movie proved less and less successful. After "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", Disney therefore decided not to film the fourth book "The Silver Chair" - marking a provisional end to the series.

But then came Netflix: the streaming giant acquired the film rights to all seven books by C.S. Lewis in 2018. A first sign that sooner or later we will be traveling to Narnia again. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the project to go on hiatus for a long time. Until the summer of 2023: Following her huge success "Barbie", it was announced that Greta Gerwig is to direct the first two Narnia movies for Netflix. Filming is set to begin in August 2024 and run until spring 2025. We can therefore assume that the first movie won't be released on Netflix before late 2025.

It is already clear that this will not be a sequel to the Disney movies, but a new interpretation of the books - a traditional reboot. The screenplay was written by both Greta Gerwig and Matthew Aldrich, who worked on the Disney movies "Coco" and "Lightyear", for example. At the moment, nothing is known about the cast. However, we should be able to report on a few names by the time filming begins.

The Plot

Based on the original book and the previous movies, there are actually no big surprises to be expected when it comes to the plot. However, it is quite possible that Netflix will not even start with the film adaptation of the first book, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". With the sixth volume, "The Magician's Nephew", C.S Lewis wrote a prequel that could also be used as the entry point for the new film series.

In this one, too, the evil queen already plays a role. However, this time the protagonists are Digory and Polly, who are sent to Narnia by their uncle with the help of magic rings. The story is mainly about the origins of the White Witch and the great Lion Aslan.

Do We Need a Narnia Reboot?

Even if we are looking forward to seeing as yet unfilmed stories from Narnia: It does raise the question of whether a Netflix reboot is the right approach. With box office takings of more than 1.5 billion dollars, the first three movies were extremely successful and the first part in particular is still regarded as a true classic by many viewers, with which they have fond memories. A reboot therefore has the major problem of having to compete with its popular predecessor.

Netflix's history with live-action fantasy is quite patchy. The reactions to "Damsel" were mixed, "The Witcher" had a strong start, yet fell off just as much. As with "Shadow and Bone", there was also increasing criticism of the quality of the CGI - an essential factor for authentic fantasy worlds.

Another challenge: fans of the genre are very meticulous about staying true to the original. Any deviation is viewed critically as fans want the original to be taken seriously. Here, too, Netflix has not always done well in the past.

And the world of Narnia is complex: it is a multiverse that jumps wildly between different places and times. Especially for new viewers, it might take a while to get to grips with all the details. Unfortunately, Netflix is known for mercilessly ending series prematurely if the viewing figures aren't up to scratch. It is thus reasonable to be a little skeptical as to whether the audience will get invested in a project that may not even be brought to a conclusion. Has the streaming giant perhaps gone over the top by committing to seven books?

And last but not least: Although Greta Gerwig is considered a talented director and writer, she is best known for movies with a strong focus on characters and dialogue such as "Lady Bird" and "Little Women" - so pretty much the opposite of grandiose fantasy epics. Her approach to "The Chronicles of Narnia" will no doubt be somewhat different to what we are used to.