Opinion: Narnia No More?

The Future of Narnia Rests On…
by GlumPuddle

It does not seem like that long ago that Disney departed, and left the Narnia franchise in limbo (December 2008). It was an uncomfortable thirty days for fans as we waited to see if someone would pick up the franchise. Many feared the series would end with Prince Caspian. Finally it was announced that Fox would co-finance and distribute The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Phew! Fans breathed a sigh of relief, and the discussion shifted to the usual speculation and anticipation for the next chapter.

Now, two years later, Narnia once again feels as if it is in limbo. Neither Walden nor Fox has officially backed out, but this nine-week news blackout following the release of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is enough to make many fans more than a little nervous about the future of the series. (Prince Caspian was green-lit less than a week after LWW released.)

I think most NarniaWebbers, regardless of how they felt about the first three films, would be sad to see it end here. Will another Narnia film be made? That’s the question I am going to explore, and I think the best place to start is the very beginning: Lets go back to basics…

Why do studios green-light sequels?

A studio makes a sequel when

1) A film was a box office success
2) They think audiences would like to see “more of it.”
3) There is a large “built-in” audience that will go see the sequel no matter what.

The first Pirates of the Caribbean, for example, did far better than even Disney expected, and this prompted them to green-light two sequels. Both sequels set box office records. Clearly the first Pirates was a box office success (1), Β audiences wanted to see more (2), and there was a built-in fanbase that was excited about sequels before they even saw a trailer (3).

Reason #2 makes the Narnia books a difficult sell as a franchise. The marketing campaign for most sequels is based around the idea that if you liked the first movie, you’ll probably like this one too. But, unlike The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, each Narnia book stands alone as something different from the rest of the series. You may like one book, but that does not mean you will like the rest. The difference in tone between LWW and PC illustrates this marketing problem perfectly.

(I think this shift it tone was in keeping with the books. PC, which is a story about the sadness of the old simple days being lost, should be darker than LWW. But it made it a difficult sequel to sell to a mass audience)

Why was Prince Caspian green-lit?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was also a huge hit, grossing $740m worldwide. Without a doubt, the numbers justified a sequel. Clearly, LWW was a box office success. But did audiences want to see more of it? In my opinion, this is where Disney and Walden misjudged the situation. Although audiences mostly liked LWW, I don’t think people walked out of the theater wondering when the sequel was coming out. I never felt a sense of anticipation from the general public for β€˜Narnia 2.’ People seemed much more excited about β€˜Indiana Jones 4.’

β€œWe got cocky,” Micheal Flaherty (Walden Media president) admitted. β€œWe thought we just needed to let people know the date [Prince Caspian] would be coming out.” This is probably the reason the marketing for PC was not nearly as widespread as LWW. PC would go on to gross $420m worldwide: A respectable number, but below expectations and it probably didn’t pay the bills.

Why was Dawn Treader green-lit?

The general consensus seems to be that PC did disappointing box office for a few reasons:

1) Poor release date: Sandwiched between Iron Man and Indy.
2) Lack of marketing: Shortly after PC’s release, Micheal Flaherty’s pastor said to him, β€œYeah [the movie] was great, I just wish I had known when it came out, I could have said something earlier.”
3) Less popular source material: Whenever we poll NarniaWebbers for their favorite Narnia book, PC is near the bottom.
4) Darker, more realistic tone than LWW (which I think the book dictated to an extent).

I think Fox realized all this. So they decided …

1) Narnia was better suited for a December release.
2) The series was not so popular that it didn’t need a strong marketing campaign.
3) VDT was stronger source material. Whenever we poll NarniaWebbers for their favorite book, VDT is near the top.
4) Many moviegoers who liked LWW were scared away by PC’s darkness.

Fox apparently decided there was still some milk left in Narnia, and that they could learn from LWW’s success and PC’s failure. They saw that LWW was a box office success, and that if they returned to the magic of that film, perhaps audiences would want to see more of it. This is the reason the idea of “returning to magic” dominated VDT’s marketing campaign.

So…will another Narnia film be green-lit?!

Despite a huge marketing campaign, VDT had a disappointing opening weekend. It grossed a mere $24m domestically (far below expectations), but has performed well internationally. (VDT has not yet opened in Japan. LWW grossed $57m there, and PC $27m.)

The box office numbers for PC and VDT seem to indicate that Narnia does not have a large built-in fanbase that will go see the films no matter what (even if ever single NarniaWebber goes to see the movie, that’s less than $1m). At least, not large enough to justify a huge production budget. BUT!

Walden Media is still the driving force behind these films, and we have no reason to believe they are not pushing to keep them going. PC and VDT did not set any records, but neither was a total flop. I think if Walden Media proposes a smaller budget for the next Narnia film, Fox (or perhaps another studio) will look at the films international box office and decide there is still some profit to be made.

Okay, so you think another Narnia film will probably be green-lit. But, which one?!


When Mark Johnson said they were considering making The Magician’s Nephew next instead of The Silver Chair, I didn’t really take him seriously. Fans voted overwhelmingly to make The Silver Chair next. It is the logical sequel, and if they don’t make it soon, Will Poulter’s age could become a big problem. But now that that the VDT box office numbers are in… I’m not so sure.

Consider this: What do you think would be easier to market: A β€œVDT sequel” or a β€œLWW prequel”?

LWW grossed $745m, and VDT grossed approximately $400m. Walden might see more box office potential in The Magician’s Nephew. I can see audiences being excited by a trailer for MN that emphasized the β€œprequel” side of it. People might be interested in seeing the origin of Narnia, the wardrobe, and the White Witch. It would be unexpected; it might grab people’s attention. There would be a close connection to LWW, unlike SC. The Magician’s Nephew is also one of the most popular Narnia books, whereas The Silver Chair has sold the fewest number of copies.

You might be thinking, β€œHow could they make MN next? Obviously SC should come after VDT! And they have to make SC now, or they probably never will!” I agree; I think making SC next makes the most sense in terms of story-telling. But, because of PC and VDT’s box office, I don’t believe Walden has the luxury of thinking long-term. From here on out, the franchise must try to survive one movie at a time.

Don’t panic!


At this point, there is nothing we can do. I don’t think write-in campaigns will affect Fox/Walden’s decision. My advice is to remember one thing: Whatever happens, we will always have the books! I have read each book at least a dozen times, and I am constantly finding more depth. The legacy of Narnia lives on, regardless of what happens with its adaptations.

Either way, further up and further in!

111 Responses

  1. Yes to a sequel, I guess I will take whatever but I think this is a change for Walden or a Director to make this more indie, more creative with new director and feel. I personally love SC so I hope they go there.

  2. NarniaChick says:

    I just read this article about possible funding being secured for Magician's Nephew!
    http://www.narniafans.com/archives/11418

  3. Reepicheep775 says:

    Well written, glumPuddle.

    NarniaWebbers, if the next movie is not green-lit, my heart will be heavy. Not necessarily because there will be no more Narnia films, but because I'll miss all the good times to be had on NarniaWeb.

    Further up and further in

  4. glumPuddle says:

    Saw that just as I was putting the finishing touches on this article, haha. Oh well.

  5. Not Of This World says:

    Thank you, glumPuddle.

    I think they need to do SC next. Poulter will get too old if they do MN.

  6. Not Of This World says:

    To me (By the way, NOBODY TAKE THIS AS AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCMENT!!!) it seems like they have decited to come togeather and do MN.

  7. Kale&Bardon says:

    I think they should make a sequel. But I think SC would do better. I personally think MN loses some of the magic of narnia, SC manages to keep some of it in i find by Eustace having been introduced with two of the Pevensies.
    I would love to see MN with Tilda who was amazing as White Witch/Jadis. But for me I don't like MN cause i don't feel the magic as much.
    My favorite book of the series is LWW because I feel like that was the only really magical book. Don't get me wrong I love the narnia books.
    Ther is also the fact that Will Poulter is only gonna get older. not stay the same. They already messed up the ages for PC and VDT but I think the should go on to SC then if the do more, MN because after SC you don't see Eustace or Jill until LB and in that they are supossed to be older.

    But i think those are some excellent things glumPuddle.

  8. Aslans-mane says:

    I think they should keep it going. Movies like these can't be stopped right in the middle. Especially if there are movies that were skipped.

  9. Windsong says:

    As much as I would like to see SC made first, it is more realistic to believe that MN would have a better chance at the box office. I don't think the general movie going public would be that interested in SC. They might be more interested with a prequel; but we'll see.

  10. I loved The Silver Chair instantly, I've read it the most. I'm dying to see it on screen. If Poulter's age can be handled, I'll wait. But if it becomes a serious problem it has to be made next. The Magician's Nephew is cool and it would really save the franchise. If The Silver Chair's future can be secured then it'd be nice to go back to the past for a change. Tilda will be happy at least. πŸ˜€

  11. Arielle says:

    SC has a good plot and doesn't need all the "additions" that were given to PC and VDT. There are some awesome characters introduced and a good quest to drive the story. I hope for The Silver Chair but in reality would love any movie next. I still have the BBC SC. . .

  12. Shastafan says:

    For the longest of time, I couldn't imagine Fox and Walden doing any other movie after VDT than SC. After they popped the question of doing either SC or MN, I was shocked. Yeah, I do love MN more than SC, but I felt like it was a really bad idea to put SC away for awhile and do something else. Besides, IMO, SC sounds easier to adapt than MN. But now, I feel like they can go either way, just as long as they can make it back to do the one they leave behind for a time. SC is more logical with Will's age and plot-wise, but MN is more logical with a possibility of bringing in more cash and having more freedom. May we see both in the end!

  13. Amelia says:

    Great article, glumPuddle!

    Your reasons for why MN would be good for the franchise makes sense. I was hoping for "The Silver Chair" to be made next, mostly because of Will Poulter's age. However, if they can bring him back *after* MN and make him still look young enough, then I can accept them making "The Magician's Nephew" next. πŸ˜‰

    Oh, and thank you for the reminder that the books will always be here, even if they aren't all adapted. πŸ™‚ It's a comforting thought. πŸ™‚

  14. PuddleCheep says:

    Great article, GlumPuddle! I know see the franchise in a whole new light.

  15. The Inscrutable Rutabaga says:

    Thanks for the article, glumpuddle!
    Though Silver Chair makes logical sense to be made next, (particularly concerning Will Poulter's age) I must say that Magician's Nephew is the movie I'm longing to see. I love the story, the characters, and Aslan's prominence throughout.

  16. High Queene Shelly Belly says:

    thank goodness they are probably making MN first. I dreaded having to wait another 4-6 years to see it done. It has WAY more interest for the general moviegoing audience than SC. Plus, it will give Ben Barnes time to get older. Eustace they can age down, by having way older people around him and elevating the other actors around him to accomodate his growth spurt of 6 inches. since he already had the growth spurt, it is a moot point about when to film SC. Remember, narniawebbers make up only a small percentage of moviegoers. demanding SC n ext just because of eustace's age doesn't cut it across the board of all moviegoers who haven't read the books. This is definitely the best business decision,and will better secure the fate of the series. Well done, Perry!!!

  17. Twinimage says:

    I like that last statement in the article, we'll always have the books. Though I prefer the FOTF Radio Theater renditions.
    Sometimes I get really tired of film adaptions. Film is a great media, but it's not a "required" media format for all pieces of literature. Films like the Narnia series does allow more exposure to these series, allowing us to feel more open with sharing the series with our friends and family, which is a natural feeling when we love something like the Narnia books. However, I greatly enjoy the radio series, because I can enjoy the series so much more. It does the books justice and it's one of the closest thing to a film production, IMO. So I am able to enjoy the experience outside of just reading the books. πŸ™‚

  18. elton says:

    i think ther will be a sequel and it will be the silver chair.

  19. High Queene Shelly Belly says:

    ps glum, the phots look great alongside the article! nice touch! Especially amusing- "Don't panic! " with aslan's comforting visage underneath. : ) it made me feel better. : )

  20. High Queene Shelly Belly says:

    maybe when they get around to SC, we can have a wedding with caspian/LIL. that would be nice.

  21. stateofgreen says:

    This is a sad state that Walden has to do this….

    "From here on out, the franchise must try to survive one movie at a time."

    I really wanted SC next though. I loved Will P. as Eustace!

    Whatever they decide, yes we STILL HAVE THE BOOKS! Hurrah for that!

  22. Louloudi the Centaur says:

    I think Fox is just waiting to see how Japan responds to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. And I do remember reading an article NarniaWeb never posted here that alleged Fox/Walden Media were talking about green-lighting The Silver Chair(this was not official, now that we hear about Magician's Nephew). Plus if anyone knows about some singing chipmunks hanging out at 20th Century Fox, they didn't announce a second sequel until the DVD release. I hope this is the case.

  23. jill pole says:

    you're right! i love Will! MN can wait because nobody needs in casting( only the white witch but you can't see her real face of all the make up) so that's not a big problem!
    i want to see Will again as eustace!

  24. Mark Sommer says:

    I disagree. Will's age is not going to make that much of a difference. After all, they made the older ages of the children and Caspian work pretty well. A couple more years for Eustace is not going to matter very much, I think.

  25. Mark Sommer says:

    Good point. They could be waiting for the DVD release so the announcement will fuel sales.

  26. Mark Sommer says:

    Excellent analysis, Eustace. As I said in my article on Hollywood Jesus: "While most Narnia fans had been hoping The Silver Chair would be next (I even created a Facebook page promoting it.), this comes as welcome news in hope that the series will continue."

  27. Mark Sommer says:

    Oops, I meant GlumPuddle, of course.

  28. Duffleglum says:

    glumPuddle, that was wonderful!

    I may not like your opinions sometimes, but splendid job on this article all the way!!!

  29. Sub says:

    I'm not always in agreement with Mr. Puddle's opinions but I agree wholeheartedly here. What would fans rather? Diehard sticking to SC being next and getting no sequel, or getting MN next and having the best shot of extending the franchise? IMHO a prequel to LWW has more chance than a sequel to an underwhelming performer at the box office. Let's keep in mind that many mainstream audience members will not have read the books nad will use the movies as their litmus test. If LWW was the biggest film, it stands to reason that a prequel to it would garner the most mainstream interest and potential income in order to make SC and perhaps HHB later on down the road. Narnia is in a precarious place, but you'll always have the books, and we still got a trilogy. I feel fortunate.

  30. Tribunal says:

    If a sequel will be made, I expect it to be announced late April/early May. Fox and Walden are likely waiting for the DVD/Blu ray sales to make a final decision just as Disney did in December of 2008.

  31. AJAiken says:

    This is a really good overview of where the films currently stand – thank you! I'd not thought about the positives of a LWW prequel.

  32. Aslan30 says:

    I believe that if they do The Magician's Nephew next it could save the future films to be made, It could make "BIG MONEY" I think it's safer going that route than to make The Silver Chair, The Silver Chair could be made after they make money off of The Magician's Nephew. Not sure what they will do, but I hope they do make future films.

  33. Queen C The Gentle says:

    How about u do this…Show MN 1st then show SC the year after,then do HHB, b/c I really want to see that one next!

  34. Aravis Narnia says:

    It matters not which one is made first! I just want all 7 Narnia movies to be made. And I look so young for my age, I can still play Aravis anyway, regardless of when they film it πŸ˜‰ More Narnia, please!

  35. Yellow Peril says:

    As usual, you have written another wonderful post. I really like how you think very logically about the way the film industry works.

  36. pselpevensie says:

    Please please please make a sequel! I'll be so sad if it ends with VDT πŸ™

  37. Starlily says:

    I think SC should come next for two reasons:

    Will Poulter's age. If SC doesn't come next, it could well be five years or more before it's made, IF it's made at all. I think it would be weird to see a boy in his twenties playing a boy who's supposed to be twelve or thirteen. (Sorry, I didn't feel like looking up the official ages) I know that in movies actors' ages often differ from their characters, but in this case the age gap seems a bit too extreme.

    I think SC is a good story, with good characters, and it comes next in the book series. I would be disappointed if they broke off the continuity of the franchise.

    However, although I firmly believe SC should come next, if the film makers can't be budged from doing MN next, I'll still be happy. I want to see the story made into a movie, and it would be much better than no movie at all.

    That's just my two cents worth. πŸ™‚

  38. I hope they make MN but not like what happned to Dawn Treader in the movie there was no scence of adventure in the book there was a sence of adventure and trying to get to Aslan's Country

  39. AslanIsMyJediMaster says:

    I don't really care what order the movies are made in. I'll just be happy if they're produced. You have to remember that for the books, the publication order and the recomended reading order are not the same.

    I would prefer that SC is made next. I would like to see more out of Will Poulter. The only problem is that SC does not have a movie like storyline so EXPECT major changes.

    JUST BE HAPPY THE FILMS ARE IN PRODUCTION NARNIAWEBBERS!

  40. ajSilver X says:

    In the books, chronicles of Narnia is one of the best-selling books series of all time. Not so fortunate in the film-adaptaions. We see that LWW is one of the top grossing movies of 2005 and won an OSCAR! Prince Capian was not realy good in the movies due to their big mistakes in making the movie (like the raid-it's not really in the book together with the white witch's revival-in the book she doesn't exsist there cause Caspian and his allies had stopped the black magic). But it was a great film! Likewise in VDT, they have mistakes too, but not so big (like the chronology of their voyage). But as we can see that VDT movie is great! It shows our real faith and spirituality to Jesus. VDT is not yet finished in theaters. Now we are longing to see next Narnia film. It will be better if the production will release the next Narnia movie in a great date. But it's up to us fans and others if the next Narnia film will be better. Hoping that Narnia series will all be in movies. But whatever happens, Books are still ther and will never be destroyed! Thanks to C.S. Lewis for writing such a great book-series like this. And Thanks to the production for bringing Narnia to life! FURTHER UP and FURTHER IN! waiting to see Narnia in the big-screen again!

  41. Reepicheep says:

    The Silver Chair would make the most sense to be made next, not only because of Will Poulter's age and the fact that it's next in the series, it's also because the story suits today's market (this market is clearly not the type for kiddy fantasies). In my beliefs, some of the reason Caspian was a flop was because it was critically disappointing and the Dawn Treader was even more so. The marketing of each of each of them were also their downfalls because Caspian neglected the Christian market and the Dawn Treader neglected the non-Christian market. If Fox/Walden kept both these markets in mind like they did with Wardrobe, and have a faithful final product that all audiences are happy with, they could have another hit on their hands.

  42. Michael says:

    Since Silver Chair is like a sequel to VDT, I wanted that one to be made next. After reading this article though, you have to ask, what movie would would keep the Narnia series going? For example, if MN was made first, would people pay a lot of money to see it and encourage Walden Media to keep producing the Narnia films? With either one, would it be one more movie, or would it lead into the rest of the series?
    Just some of my thoughts.
    FURTHER UP AND FURTHER IN!!!

  43. AREM says:

    ……….Well, that was slightly depressing..

  44. I would like SC to be made… πŸ˜€

  45. Galaxy Girl N1A2R3N4I5A says:

    People will just get confused if they do MN next instead of SC. Also I don't think the story-line is good enough for a film whereas SC has a really exciting story-line. Just my opinion.

  46. Kelly says:

    I understand all the points about SC & MN. SC makes sense because of Will's age and the fact that Jill was mentioned at the end of VDT. But MN is closer to LWW, and I think a lot of people would see it. My parents still prefer LWW from any of the films, as do a lot of my friends, so I think more money would be made from MN than SC. I don't really mind which gets made next, so long as the series carries on. πŸ™‚

  47. reepicheeps archer says:

    I for one think that Narnia should go on till the end of the series because you have got to admit there very big selling,amazing,MAGICAL,movies;)

  48. lily says:

    I just really want them all to be made. But i am of course always going to be upset that all four pevensie children wont be in them. i was upset that susan and peter was not coming back for a proper role in the 3rd still they are amazing books and films.

  49. QueenLucytheValient says:

    Yeah, but considering that Will is like 17 right now, he will look pretty old by the time they do make SC.

  50. QueenLucytheValient says:

    Oops that was suppossed to go higher up, oh well. Anyways, I guess we will have to be happy if they atleast make MN next.

  51. just jill says:

    i think that because of will age silver chair would be good to do next but also if they do something that might show how much magicians nephew explains then it could be a big hit and there could be more chance of the series continuing out to silver chair and maybe also last battle and horse and his boy so for ALL of the Narnia books to be made into films it may be a better thing for them to do magicians nephew next instead of silver chair.

  52. Lucia says:

    Whole movie must come!!!

  53. Kevin Gale says:

    When we're talking box office it's important to consider Narnia DOMINATES WALDEN'S TOP SPOTS, the only one that comes close is journey ttcote. It was also Fox's first box office movie, achieavements not to be overlooked. The last 2 films were made during a recession (one of the wrost in history) so as we all get out of this mess from 2008-2010 I think they'll do better.

  54. claireyy says:

    well, i can see mn capturing more attention from people than sc. mn is a prequel of lww and lww was widely known to people who arent really big narnia fans.
    BUT i really want sc next!!!! : P

  55. Dr JC says:

    If they were really smart they would shoot 2 movies at once so there would only be a 1 year delay between them. I know this would cost more, but the entire trouble with VDT was the poorly told story. Get some good writers and you'll have a sure hit with SC. … MN would need to be totally rewritten because it has no real story. Sorry to say that. But from a story, development, suspense point and all … SC far outweights any other story.

  56. Yellow Peril says:

    MN has no real story? Are we reading the same book?! I find that book very exciting, and even envisioned how it would look on film during my most recent reading of it.

  57. Dreamer003 says:

    I just hope they make another one…I like both SC and MN equally so I don't really care

  58. The Lady Arwen UndΓ³miel says:

    I am perfectly fine with MN next. SC was never one of my favorite books anyway, but I always liked MN. There is a lot more epic material in MN, Atlantis, the huge city of Charn, an empty world only just begun….

  59. Narnian Meerkat says:

    Oooooo. . .I sure DO hope they make a fourth one. . .hopefully The Silver Chair! Before Will Poulter gets to old. . .haha

  60. Narnian Meerkat says:

    And I do agree with you GlumPuddle. . .at LEAST we have the books. . .^_^ The books will ALWAYS be best then the movies will be. . .But still. I would really like it if they made a sequel to VDT. The Silver Chair. . .