A new dawn for Narnia: Greta Gerwig to helm Netflix's latest adaptation
10:51 AM EST, November 10, 2023
The adaptation of the "Chronicles of Narnia" is coming together, with director Greta Gerwig at the helm. Gerwig is known for creating this year's hit, "Barbie". Where does the project currently stand?
Greta Gerwig started out as an actress in the film industry and still plays roles on screen. Her breakout role was in "Frances Ha", created by her later collaborator, Noah Baumbach. She also starred in Ivan Reitman's "Sex Story" alongside Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, and later in Pablo Larraín's "Jackie" and "White Noise". However, Gerwig is now primarily known as a highly respected and award-winning director.
Creating a New Version of the Fantasy Saga
Greta Gerwig is now working on "The Chronicles of Narnia" adaptation. The project started making headlines five years ago with Netflix's partnership with C.S. Lewis's estate, announcing plans for a film series based on the iconic seven-part novel series. Given its fantastical settings, the adaptation is expected to resemble the "Harry Potter" series.
In 2019, Oscar-winning "Coco" screenwriter Matthew Aldrich officially joined the team as the mastermind behind the series.
It appears that full-scale work on the film is drawing near. According to Collider, Scott Stuber, Netflix's head of film, aims to start filming next year. If all goes as planned, the audience could expect a premiere as soon as 2025.
A Look at Prior Adaptations
The proposed large-scale Netflix project is adapted from C.S. Lewis's book series "The Chronicles of Narnia," written in the 1950s. By the first decade of the 21st century, viewers have already seen adaptations of the first three parts of the saga: "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", "Prince Caspian", and "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader". The first installment was also produced as a series.
"The Chronicles of Narnia" series follows the adventures of children who find a parallel world where animals talk, magic is everyday, and the fight between good and evil is ongoing. The characters are figures from reality who are mystically transported to another land to assist the powerful, just, and kind Lion Aslan during a crisis.
