Greta Gerwig's Narnia movie

Going big:

According to Puck News, Gerwig’s Narnia movie “will hit about 1,000 IMAX screens worldwide on Thanksgiving Day 2026 and will not appear on Netflix until Christmas,” with a two-week IMAX run guaranteed and an option to add a third if there’s enough audience interest. Also, “there’s a chance” Narnia might also play in some non-IMAX theaters ahead of its streaming debut. In addition, “Netflix has committed to market the IMAX release like a typical theatrical tentpole movie and identify Narnia as a ‘Netflix/IMAX’ title from the outset.”

Adam Driver as Puddleglum

I love this model tbh

I just want to know if she's starting with The Magician's Nephew, like she obviously should, or just starting with LW&W like I am dreading.

huh

Re-sequencing the novels 25 years ago in chronological order was a terrible decision.

think we have discussed this at length elsewhere

The small thrill of learning six novels in that the Empress Jadis was the White Witch.

Anyway.

We already had Tilda as the White Witch -- go with Cate I guess?

Alfred otm xp

We already had Tilda as the White Witch -- go with Cate I guess?

― Ned Raggett, Friday, January 17, 2025

Rupert Everett or go home

there's so much in LW&W that lends itself towards the twee, like father Christmas turning up, and once you've set yourself tonally on that path it's hard to go back. also there are already 3-4 adaptations of LW&W, and none of TMN or TLB.

She's batting 1000%, I guess, but I have no idea what even the best version of this looks like.

I never saw the most recent adaptation of Lion, or the other two. They were pretty successful, weren't they? Do people/kids still watch them?

The first was successful in general, the following ones...not so much.

I just want to know if she's starting with The Magician's Nephew, like she obviously should, or just starting with LW&W like I am dreading.

Why on earth would she start with the sixth volume in the series?

Can't wait for the prequel series Charn.

I forgot I am in a minority of one on this! but I'm right, LW&W is a bore and TMN is brilliant and comes first.

TMN is by some distance the better novel, agreed.

He hadn't figured shit out the first time around.

I never saw the most recent adaptation of Lion, or the other two. They were pretty successful, weren't they? Do people/kids still watch them?

― Josh in Chicago,

The first one starring Tilda Swinton is pretty good even if Liam Neeson is closer to Father Christmas than Aslan. The little girl who plays Lucy is remarkable.

These books were read aloud to me by my mother when I was age 6-8, all of them. The effect of having Horse And His Boy’s first half take place in a mysterious land, at an unknown time in history, suddenly snap into focus as happening in King Peter’s reign was beyond-delightful, it was formative. The realization in TMN that Digory is none other than the Uncle Professor (from many volumes previous) was similarly relevatory. Denying children of these narrative delights is not just wrong, it’s blasphemous.

^^^ beautifully put

I was a freak for fantasy books as a child, and even then I got a weird Christian vibe from them and bailed on the first one.

I mean, aren't they pretty overtly Christian? I don't think I've ever read them.

we've discussed over and over again in the other Narnia threads. If reading Milton and Dante and Graham Greene bother you, skip Narnia.

I forgot I am in a minority of one on this! but I'm right, LW&W is a bore and TMN is brilliant and comes first.

If reading Milton and Dante and Graham Greene bother you, skip Narnia.

Yeah but those are cool and Narnia felt more like Jars of Clay :)

(sorry I know people like it, I'm out)

Aslan is Jesus, Peter is Cardinal Spellman, Narnia is Little Italy, and that's the extent of the allegory.

Aslan covers more ground than "Jesus" outside of LW&W. He is also the creator and ghostly and violent intervenor, which is still very christian but perhaps less Jars of Clay christian.

As a kid I didn't really notice how Christian it was because I was raised areligious. Starting with the Magician's Nephew is narratively stupid and treats kids like they're too stupid to understand a non-chronological storyline. None of the awesome big reveals in it land properly if you don't already know about Narnia from reading the previous five books!

And while yes, it being sixth in the series means it's unlikely to ever get made into a film, that also guarantees the mediocre Last Battle won't be either. Of course having Horse and His Boy being filmed third also presents problems with the age of the main actors... they can't go young-old-young, they need young-young-young (break for Silver Chair to age up a bit) and then older

respectowiggle

lol

I can think of a hundred franchises that need a reboot (or just a boot) more than C.S. Lewis, but have at it Greta

I’m waiting for Greta Gerwig’s Blue Adept movies

mumblecore fantasy would be cool, young adults trying to figure shit out while dragons and wizards fight in the background

That's just the fantasy version of Macross.

i'd much prefer greta's version of earthsea.

That would rule! But alas.

I remember reading this in the elementary school library around the same time I was repelled by Narnia, and it ruled: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pit_Dragon_Chronicles#Dragon's_Blood_(1982)

the sequence of the novels is such a key part of the storytelling -- to begin with the Magician's Nephew is to miss the point of the Magician's Nephew in large part. It happens where it happens so that the reader can put the piece into place and understand. I do understand that that's asking a lot of readers 50+ years later but I'm of the opinion that if you're not up for being asked for some extra once in a while, you need to up your game as a reader.

we've discussed over and over again in the other Narnia threads. If reading Milton and Dante and Graham Greene bother you, skip Narnia.

also Alfred wildly otm. Mrs Noothgrush is put off by Xian stuff too, that's any reader's right but it's not a good criticism of a work, it's a personal tic, like "I don't care for hi-hat"

that's a bit like saying that criticizing lovecraft for racism is a "personal tic"

I’m waiting for Greta Gerwig’s Blue Adept movies

omg

xp new rule?

Christian overtones = racism?

lol that's not what i was saying at all.

I thought I had misunderstood you!

I can think of a hundred franchises that need a reboot (or just a boot) more than C.S. Lewis, but have at it Greta

I am still (even more so, now, following the destruction in Altadena) patiently awaiting for Garrett Bradley/A24 to finish their Parable Of The Sower adaptation

I reject this Narnia timeline revisionism, give me old school late reveals every time, fgti and JCLC otm

it's literally one of the best parts of the series! a reward for close readers.

xp what i meant is that xtianity permeats and informs narnia as much (or more) as racism does lovecraft's works, so you can't just treat it as a minor or unrelated detail

---

i'm curious what Greta thinks of The Problem With Susan

the only news I saw reported out of it was that it apparently has an anachronistic rock song score!

Eh, the time frame was bumped up so I'm not THAT surprised.

The news could also be wrong, or the pop/rock songs could be placeholders.

it was all chili peppers

What I got, you got to give it to your Aslan

Will it have as banging a soundtrack as a Knight's Tale did though

It's just going to be the "We Will Rock You" beat for two hours.

Puddleglum of Mudd

we don't want no Scrubbs

lol

Eustace in the Sky with Dragons

I Walk the Lion

The Eye of the Lion

Faun faun faun auf der Autobahn

Mister Tumnus, won't you ride my white horse?
Mister Tumnus, it's symbolic of course

The Low Spark of High-Heeled Sons of Adam

treader than tread

Don't Fear the Reeper

Bring Da Tumnus

jmm at 8:34 2 Jun 26

"We're off to the witch / We may never never never come home

hell yeab

^that's deep magic for hell yeah

Blood Sugar Deep Magic

Sha Na Narnia

Ride a Horse (Save a His Boy)

You know, until this point in time I assumed that Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn was named after a chapter in The Lion, The Witch, And The Etc. But no! It's not. There's no connection at all.

"Lucifer Sam" would work as a theme for Aslan. He is a cat. Can anyone explain him? No.

Piper at the Gates of Dawn is the name of a chapter in Wind and the Willows

The best chapter of Wind in the Willows

i feel certain there is a black metal band or five called Charn

Stone Table Pilots

You know, until this point in time I assumed that Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn was named after a chapter in The Lion, The Witch, And The Etc. But no! It's not. There's no connection at all.

it's named after a (lovely) chapter in The Wind in the Willows. Although it does have Narnian vibes

oh yeah, other people already said that

anyway, the CEO of IMAX said this last year

This is a real blockbuster movie that’s being made for [IMAX and Netflix] and you know, I guess I do have to talk a little about why I’m so excited about it. This is not your mother’s or your grandmother‘s Narnia. The music in it is unbelievably contemporary music, which IMAX fans like. I’m not gonna say specifically, but things like Pink Floyd and The Doors. You know that kind of music which people go to see in IMAX.

unbelievably contemporary!

live at pompeii
in a sleigh
what else do i have to say

Careful With That Axe, Eustace

You know that kind of music which people go to see in IMAX.

lol, so, like, a laser show?

Pink Floyd and the Doors?? That's unbelievably contemporary!

https://whiteriverstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/spinal-tap-2-general-graphic-jpg.webp

Turkish Delight my Fire

the Doors? didn't think Gerwig would fuck it up that badly

What Narnia really needs is a digital Jim Morrison cameo.

Val Kilmer's digital likeness might be OK with that.

I assume once you have a budget that size you lose most of the creative control anyway

The suits will okay anything as long as you promise to play some Floyd over it.

I heard the Narnia movie will sync up with "Dark Side of the Moon," or at least the parts with Pink Floyd in it will.

The Dark Side of Lokum

They should re-release the "Lazy Sunday" clip for a limited IMAX run.

is the setting of the film also supposed to be updated to be more “contemporary”?

The sleeping rulers of Charm are drag queens.

Maybe the contemporary part is how they're gonna remake the Floyd/Doors songs in a slow, minor-key piano style, as is required by Hollywood

We can only hope Muse does the soundtrack.

is the setting of the film also supposed to be updated to be more “contemporary”?

it's apparently set in the 1950s