Confirmed: Walden is Talking With Fox About Making The Magician’s Nephew

Dekkie attended NRB’s Sunday Super Session in Nashville today and has posted the following report which confirms that Walden is leaning toward making The Magician’s Nephew next.

Michael Flaherty just confirmed that Walden was talking with Fox about the Magician’s Nephew.

I just got back from attending NRB’s Sunday Super Session in Nashville, TN, where Flaherty and Simon Swart from Fox spoke about “Connecting with Audiences in an Age of Distraction.” And Narnia, of course. A few noteworthy tidbits:

When asked by Phil Cooke of Cooke Pictures and host of this session if Walden would make any more Narnia movies, Flaherty responded, without hesitation: “Yes. We are talking to Fox about making the Magician’s Nephew next.” The audience clapped. He then mentioned that there was some debate about whether SC or MN should be next, and asked the audience to clap for their favorite. A few (including myself, loudly) clapped for SC, but the majority cheered for MN.

Flaherty also referred to Gresham as “the CS Lewis Cop,” and talked about when the production team would wonder what Lewis thought of something, Gresham would say something like about how once he was having dinner with Jack and he said that if there ever was a movie made it would have to include such and such. Flaherty, laughingly, added that he wondered how many of those stories actually happened.

Phil Cooke talked about the time he was at the first screening of the VDT trailer, 20 minutes after the trailer was shown, he received a notification on his phone from Google about all these Narnia sites having detailed reports about the trailer. “These people are crazy.” I laughed – because we are.

Flaherty gave a “huge, heartfelt thank  you” to the audience for their support of the film, saying that many thought the franchise was “dead” after PC. He seemed pleased and not worried that VDT made “only” $100 million domestically.

Swart also talked about how excited Fox was to be able to pick up the franchise: “We get a shot at Narnia?” and saying that they “jumped in with both feet in.”

Thanks to Dekkie for the report!

381 Responses

  1. de says:

    you must be joking??!!!!

  2. de says:

    your right

  3. BladeKing says:

    In reply to Mayor Wilkins:
    I understand from what direction you're coming from, but I still think that Silver Chair should be made next. I already stated my reasons, minus one:
    If you are going to mention Jill Poll, when she shouldn't be mentioned, and you're going to do "Magician's Nephew" next, then you shouldn't have just mentioned her at all.
    I just wish they could just listen to the fans sometimes. =/ All in all, it doesn't really matter. It's just a movie.

  4. BladeKing says:

    I guess I can be optimistic about this, if I allow it. =) To NOT mess up the movie for me, they pretty much need to follow the book word for word. I'd love to see them open the movie up with Charn, so that at first you won't quite know what's going on but later it explains it when Digory and Polly go there.

  5. rachel says:

    I really don't care in what order they do the books, as long as they make them ABOUT THE BOOKS! I hated hated hated VDT because of how they ruined it. That director seems like a pompous loser who thought he would be clever and add to the story to make it 'better' and throw in the pirates of the caribbean soundtrack with just enough change to keep from copyright infringement (Anyone else notice how they did not stick with the same musical theme as in LWW and PC?? And it sounded like pirates!! SOO LAME). Oh boy I'd like to get a word with that director…he'd fear ever doing an adaptation film again. I cried at the end of VDT because there was so much I was looking forward to (like, for example, the scene where they signal from the dawn treader to their 'fleet', march into the city, drinian and bern pull gumpas out of his seat and caspian sits in his place with his sword on his knee? And where the dufflepuds learn to swim and swim in circles 'round the dawn treader?) Just two of many scenes I was so looking forward to, which were not made. How could John Gresham let this happen?? Am I blind, or was he even mentioned in the credits as being a part of VDT? I don't even remember seeing "based on the book by C.S. Lewis" anywhere (and if it was, it was VAGUELY based. They pretty much just stole the name of the book, the characters names, and pirates soundtrack).
    I don't care if they make slight changes because they just must in order for it to appear on screen; but changing the entire plot and keeping out great scenes and adding nonsense that is not even remotely a part of the original story??
    I'd really like to get a word in with that director….teach him a thing or two about ruining my favorite story….

  6. I think this is great news. To be sure, I agree that The Silver Chair should be next, but at least it appears that there will be another movie! That's the most important thing.

    Hopefully, they will stick closer to the book this time. I don't really see why they would need to change The Magician's Nephew too much. I suspect they will put in some sort of prologue and epilogue with the kids (and maybe the Professor) and then present the main story as some sort of tale or flashback. That would probably work just to put this story in more context since it's out of order, but I hope they don't go further than this in changing the actual story itself.

    The Magician's Nephew is a great story and should be a very good movie if they figure out how to do it right. I'm especially looking foward to seeing Charn, as well as the creation of the Narnia.

  7. Lila says:

    I am really happy that they're talking about doing MN next! I liked the book better than SC and I think audiences would be interested in seeing the beginning of narnia and the white witch again rather than yet 'another narnia movie'

  8. Jess says:

    I don't care which book they do next. I'm just happy they are going to keep making the movies. I always look forward to watching the movies no matter the order. However, I do agree that they should follow the books when they make the movies.

  9. Scout says:

    I think doing MN next is an EXCELLENT move! Pitching the trailer as "See how it all began. Discover the birth of the Wardrobe" etc. it will bring in that original LWW audience. Excellent way to revitalize the franchise. Can't wait!

  10. reepicheeps archer says:

    and when I say non-massive guys I mean the fans that like the movies but dont even know the books exist I know some poeple like that

  11. ERIKA says:

    "stephen says: March 3rd, 2011 on 5:27 PM Another reason why I want to see SC be made before MN that I forgot mention before is because I believe that all the narnia movies should be in chroniclogical order, because that’s what makes the most sense. They are called "The Chronicles of Narnia" after all."

    ARE you talking about when they were writen or the narnia hisory?
    if your talking about narnia history it shuld have been first but if about when writen yes shuld have been after SC and who sayes that thy want to do it latter to keep LB open and i do not think HAB shuld be done (due to not relly having anny thing to do with the story)

  12. lucylittleone says:

    I agree that DBH would be an awesome LOTGK. TS is a bit to thin and wan…also I picture the early Jadis as rather Amazonian…strong and muscular…she might have to put on some weight! What about Christopher Lloyd as Puddleglum? Or even better, Rhys Ifans?

  13. fbfnarniagirl99 says:

    ya but SC would make a great movie i think make a better movie then the MN but i think they should of done THHB boy cause suesan was in that one and so was edmend so i think they should have done that befor VODT

  14. j says:

    I'm just glad Harry potter is over, I think that the first thru third films were okay, but it went downhill after that. Chronicles is much better theres just this awesome spirit to it, it's fresh and heroic and the actors are great. We do need a good director and a great team like in Prince Caspian they need to stick to the story and yes be passionate about it like Peter Jackson was about Lords and give it a good budget with good CGI, but most of all the story, great camera angles, cinematography, acting, music score, action sequences and colors, lighting, architechture and costumes definetely are needed to make it a success which I know they can pull off. I dare all you talented folks to make this next set of films a bigger success than harry potter, i dare you! And i will be watching and cheering if you do!

  15. j says:

    p.s. yes they should follow the same order of the books, sticks to the books, seek diligently the spirit in them for it was the authors intent that they be this way, especially if VDT leads to SC, but whatever you do take your time, dont rush it, make a work of love, excellent and something that will outlast it's time and break the mold just like the books did.

  16. Leila says:

    They really should go in order! SC is my favorite! They shouldn't skip to MN right away! but well, what can i do?
    I really hope that Asians could act as one of the characters in Narnia too, you know, sometimes we should give other nations a CHANCE. Anyways, I love Narnia, i love it's mesmerizing parts in the movie, and i love the way it goes, you know, the story.
    Just giving you some suggestions! add asians in some parts!

  17. narniafan1 says:

    Martin short??!! nooooo!! i would say Jim Carry but they should pick someone. unique like someone noone has ever heard of

  18. narniafan1 says:

    The only thing I am worried about is if they make The Last Battle they will ditch that!!!! i mean really that book is hard to understand and if the book is hard to understand then the movie will be a disater. Even BBC was smart enough not to make that a movie.!! I also really think it would be nice for either Andrew Adamson to come and direct of Douglas Gresham should direct it. I mean after all he was C.S Lewis's stepson

  19. High Queene Shelly Belly says:

    no, it's what "they" think we want. that, and them thinking they have to make "cutting edge" movies, to show how cool they are. meanwhile, the highest grossing movies are now pixar type stuff.

  20. High Queene Shelly Belly says:

    i think the negativity stems from them trying to update a classic and taking unbelieveably strange turns to do it ( a soul eating CAVE for VDT, instead of the real storyline- finding your heart's desire fufilled by findng heaven- Aslan's country?????). If they just made a better version of the faithful BBC series, it would have been golden.

  21. Allison says:

    I would also like to point out that Silver Chair is not the only book that comes before Magicians Nephew but also Horse and His Boy!!! And I for one am very frustrated by the fact that Magicians Nephew is coming out before both of them. It just isn't right. I mean that's part of what makes Magicians Nephew so great! the fact that it reveals so much and gives you this amazing sense of aw when you find out. I think if you reveal all that too early you will lose some of the… wonder.