Years ago — like, several many years ago — we heard that Netflix was planning to make a series of movies and TV shows based on The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. The Chronicles of Narnia is a seven-book strong fantasy series about a fantastical land that lies on the other side of a wardrobe, full of magic, mystery, and thinly veiled allegories for Jesus Christ.
They’re pretty beloved books, so a lot of new Narnia content is a big deal…and then nothing happened. Was the plan dead? As it ends up, no: the other day, The New Yorker revealed that Greta Gerwig will direct two Narnia films.
The New Yorker article isn’t actually about Narnia; it’s about how Mattel is licensing the movie rights to many of its beloved toys, starting with the upcoming Barbie movie, which is getting a lot of buzz. Gerwig is directing the Barbie movie, and the info about Narnia just slipped out.
Barbie director Greta Gerwig will adapt The Chronicles of Narnia for Netflix
And if the Barbie movie isn’t about living in a fantasy world, what is? Beyond that, Gerwig has gained a reputation as a director of sensitive, carefully crafted films like Lady Bird and Little Women. She’s also making Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of Snow White. Gerwig might not be the very first person you’d think of to direct a Narnia film, but I see what Netflix is thinking.
The Narnia books have been adapted to the screen before, most notably in a series of three movies that came out between 2005 and 2010. They didn’t quite take off in the way that, say, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies did, and we never got to see the full story adapted.
There’s no word on when Netflix might release its Narnia movies (or if there will be a TV show or shows as well), but at least there’s some word about what’s happening over there.
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h/t IGN