Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles Of Narnia Movies Are More Exciting After Netflix Update

Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia reboot for Netflix was exciting to begin with, but a recent update has increased the anticipation for the fantasy films. TheChronicles of Narnia novels by C. S. Lewis are some of the most beloved fantasy novels of all time, and they were made into a film series in the 2000s, making it through adapting three of the novels before concluding with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. With the uptick in fantasy productions on various streaming services, Netflix has enlisted Barbie director Greta Gerwig to reboot the saga.

So far, Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia is still in early production, with the director still on her victory tour for Barbie. Speaking with Time, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos gave some exciting notes about the early vision of the film, declaring Gerwig as an “incredibly visionary.” He praised Gerwig’s vision, saying, “It won’t be counter to how the audience may have imagined those worlds, but it will be bigger and bolder than they thought.” From everything they described, the Chronicles of Narnia reboot looks to be innovative and fresh while remaining faithful to the original stories.

Netflix’s Update Proves Greta Gerwig Has The Right Approach To The Chronicles Of Narnia

There are many reasons why fantasy is still so hard to adapt, with shows like The Wheel of Time and The Witcher receiving divisive receptions from book lovers. A key reason is a lack of understanding of the source material, with developers attempting changes that often don’t work out. Greta Gerwig is an auteur filmmaker who will likely embellish Chronicles of Narnia with her personal style, though her comments about the source material demonstrate a profound understanding of what makes C. S. Lewis’s novels so timeless.

In the interview, Sarandos describes the novels as “rooted in faith,” which is true to Lewis’s interpretation. Key quotes from Gerwig about the adaptation describe her interest in “embracing the paradox of the worlds that Lewis created” and exploring the “euphorically dreamlike” spirit of the books. Her adaptation seems bold, mature, and constructed around a modern audience’s enjoyment while maintaining the childlike wonder of the books in tone. That’s not too dissimilar to what she accomplished with Barbie.

Greta Gerwig Already Proved She’s Perfect For The Chronicles Of Narnia

Greta Gerwig’s movies have proven her to be the perfect filmmaker to take on Narnia. At first glance, she hasn’t embraced a story of such magnitude, which will require hefty CGI and significant action sequences, but with Barbie, she proved her ability to command massive, beautiful set pieces. She’s also excelled at adapting period literature with Little Women, which will be essential for The Chronicles of Narnia. In Barbie, she also balanced fantasy and reality in a fun, meaningful way, which she’ll have to do again with Narnia.

However, Gerwig’s ability to tell captivating coming-of-age stories is the most crucial skill for adapting C. S. Lewis’s novels. In just three films, Greta Gerwig is already considered by some to be one of the best directors of all time, capturing a deeply resonant sensitivity in her writing. Lady Bird was an outstanding directorial debut, proving her profound ability to connect with modern film audiences, particularly younger viewers. Greta Gerwig is a phenomenal writer and director, and her Chronicles of Narnia adaptation sounds very compelling.

Greta Gerwig Could Make The Definitive Chronicles Of Narnia Movies

Since the novels were written in the 1950s, The Chronicles of Narnia have been adapted multiple times. The Disney film series is the most notable, and although they’re beloved nostalgia movies for audiences who grew up with them, they weren’t as culturally monumental as other fantasy book adaptations, such as the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings film series. Prior to the movies, the books were adapted into TV shows multiple times, including a series of BBC specials in the late 1980s that used puppets to portray characters like Aslan.

The previous adaptations were fun for their time, but such a groundbreaking fantasy series deserves a more definitive adaptation. The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter adaptations are held in such high esteem that there’s genuine uproar when reboot discussions happen. C. S. Lewis’s novels deserve the same treatment, and Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia adaptations for Netflix could fulfill it, becoming the standout visual adaptations of the iconic novel series by mixing visionary direction with classical fantasy magic.

Sources: Time