2 New 'Chronicles of Narnia' Movies Finally Get the Green Light
The director behind Warner Brothers' upcoming Barbie movie will soon co-write and direct two new films from "The Chronicles of Narnia" series for Netflix.
Greta Gerwig has secured a deal with the streaming platform to write and direct at least two movies based on C. S. Lewis' beloved seven-part book series, according to The Hollywood Reporter and The New Yorker.
Fans have been waiting more than a decade to see if more of the books would finally be turned into movies. In 2005, Walden Media and Disney scored a box office blockbuster with a film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and then Prince Caspian in 2008. Fox later released The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010.
There were plans for a fourth movie, The Silver Chair, which was going to be directed by Joe Johnson, but Walden Media let its rights to the Chronicles of Narnia lapse in 2018, IGN reports.
Netflix then took the opportunity to acquire the rights to the series.
"C.S. Lewis' beloved Chronicles of Narnia stories have resonated with generations of readers around the world," Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a press release at that time. "Families have fallen in love with characters like Aslan and the entire world of Narnia, and we're thrilled to be their home for years to come."
According to the deal between Netflix and The C.S. Lewis Company, the streaming service will develop stories from the Narnia universe into series and films that the producers hope will cross mediums, similar to what the Star Trek and Marvel franchises have done with their successful properties.
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As CBN News has reported, the deal marks the first time one company officially holds the right to the entire seven books of the Narnia universe.
However, since its acquisition, Netflix has not officially announced any projects based on the series.
Greta Gerwig has said very little about spearheading the adaptations but she's recognized as a highly successful filmmaker. She had her directorial break-out with Lady Bird in 2017. That film earned five Oscar nominations including best director and best screenplay. In 2019, she tackled Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and directed Barbie which is set to release in theaters later this month and score big in the box office.
The Chronicles of Narnia is expected to have similar success. The prior three Narnia films have collectively grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide.
More than 100 million copies of Lewis' Narnia books have been sold. They have also been translated into more than 47 languages worldwide.
