It’s looking as if Greta Gerwig’sThe Chronicles of Narniamovie is all set up to avoid a problem that doomed the DisneyNarniaseries. C.S. Lewis' beloved fantasy book series has been adapted to the screen several times, but never in its entirety. Typically,The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobeis what comes to general audiences' minds when they consider theNarniafranchise, and that’s because it’s often the first to be adapted. However, Disney proved this is not the best way to go since the Pevensies' first adventure in Narnia is challenging to follow up.
Disney releasedThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobein 2005, and the film was a fair success. It brought in $745 million at the global box office, so it was no surprise that Disney jumped into further sequels. Unfortunately,The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianandThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treadermade significantly less at the global box office—$420 million and $416 million, respectively. Given the high cost of making such fantasy projects,Disney couldn’t justify anotherNarniamovie. However, Gerwig may be able to avoid a similar problem.
Disney’s Narnia Movies Made A Mistake Starting With The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
The Sequels Just Couldn’t Hold Up
Though beloved in their own right,Disney’sNarniamovieswent wrong in several ways. The studio didn’t work fast enough while producing sequels, so the young cast quickly outgrew their roles. Still, even if the House of Mouse had kicked out more movies,it would always be difficult for sequels to hold up againstThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This is the novel that general audiences are the most familiar with, and the story itself is the most self-contained. AdaptingThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobeis a sure way to get audiences to the theater, but there isn’t much reason for them to return for the sequels.
Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Remake Can Avoid Disney’s Mistake By Starting With The Magician’s Nephew
A Magician’s Nephew Adaptation Is Likely (But Not Confirmed)
Gerwig has a couple of options for kicking off herNarniamovies. She can start withThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, essentially rebooting Disney’s story with the hope that audiences will be willing to go on the same ride all over again. Or,theBarbiedirector can take a fresh route and adaptThe Magician’s Nephew, Lewis’Narniaprequel. It has yet to be adapted into a full-feature movie, which means Gerwig would have the benefit of a fresh start. Moreover,Gerwig starting withThe Magician’s Nephewwould be the perfect launching point toward further movie sequels—unlikeThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Updates for Gerwig’sNarniamovies hint thatMagician’s Nephewwill be her first film, but this has yet to be officially confirmed.
The Magician’s Nephewtells the origin story of the land of Narnia and many of its characters. It’s a story that general audiences tend not to know, but it provides interesting context to tales with which people are more familiar.If Gerwig starts with this prequel story,it could provide renewed interest in not onlyThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobebut also its other five sequels. This would allow the newNarniamovies to bypass the problems faced by Disney’s film franchise. Perhaps Gerwig establishing such a strong foundation could even allow her to adapt each of Lewis’Narniabooks.
There Are Other Great Reasons To Start The Remake With The Magician’s Nephew
Beginning From The Beginning Just Makes Sense
Avoiding Disney’sNarniaproblems is more than enough reason for Gerwig to take a different route with her upcoming Netflix movies. Still, it’s not the only motivator for producingMagician’s Nephewfirst. When it comes down to it,this is the first story inLewis’Narniachronology. The author released it as the sixth installment in his series, but it is set long before the Pevensies ever traveled to the land of Narnia. It provides answers thatThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobenever bothered with. Characters like Aslan and the White Witch get origin stories, allowing their later deeds to make far more sense.
With the beginning of Lewis' book series having been adapted so many times, Gerwig must go about things differently if she hopes to create a franchise with longevity.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobeis most certainly an excellent story and works well all on its own. It may not come with answers regarding where the fantasy world and its character come from, but the theme of childlike wonder inspires audiences to simply accept this. However, with the beginning of Lewis' book series having been adapted so many times, Gerwig must go about things differently if she hopes to create a franchise with longevity.A strong foundation is critical, and to achieve this,The Magician’s Nephewis a must.
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narniais a fantasy franchise based on the seven-book series written by C.S. Lewis between 1950 and 1956. The series is set in the magical world of Narnia, where children from our world are transported to fulfill prophecies, battle evil forces, and restore peace under the guidance of Aslan, a mystical lion. The franchise has seen multiple adaptations, including a BBC television series in the late 1980s, three major Hollywood films between 2005 and 2010, and an upcoming reboot by Netflix, which has generated significant anticipation. The franchise is beloved for its rich allegorical storytelling, blending Christian themes with epic fantasy elements.
