Top 10 Takeaways from Narnia’s First Week of Filming | Analysis
It’s been a whirlwind week for Narnia fans. Within just a few days, we’ve gone from the first reports of filming to a flood of set photos, casting reveals, and new details about Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew. With so much happening at once, it can be hard to keep track of everything that’s been spotted and speculated.
This article collects 10 of the most notable observations and talking points raised by members of the NarniaWeb community so far across the forums, Discord, and social media.
1. The Magnificent Lion
One of the biggest takeaways came in one of the very first photos revealed to us – the image of a magnificent golden-maned Lion adorning a billboard for a fictional construction company.
With the concern over Meryl Streep’s potential casting still lingering at the back of many people’s minds, the fact that the very first image of a Lion we have seen in the movie is of one so gloriously maned, should give fans at least some cause for comfort.
Although this is only a background set detail, it is notable that the ‘Prince Caspian’ movie similarly used real-world Lion iconography in its London scenes to foreshadow Aslan’s arrival later in the story, as did a scene in the original script for Walden Media’s ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’.
2. Our First Look at Digory & Polly
These first set photos also brought with them what is almost certainly our first look at Digory and Polly in costume (though it should be noted that their identities have not yet been officially confirmed).
In one shot, Digory is seen trudging along the road wearing his school uniform, carrying both a satchel and what looks to be a gym bag – could it be that he is on his way to (or from) a swimming lesson?
In another shot, Digory, now in his ordinary clothes, is seen playing with Polly and several other children in the street. This seems to recall elements of the audition scene which was used to select the actors, with Digory claiming to have found something “on the pavement”, and Polly stating that she’s “not like all the others” – details which make more sense when there are other children around, and they are not confined to their backyards as per the book.
3. A Bold New Look for Jadis
Another photo reveals what is almost certainly our first look at Jadis (or at least her stunt double) in full costume, sporting metallic knee-high boots, a mirror panel dress, and some seemingly Sci-Fi-inspired retro-futuristic armor elements.
It is not quite clear whether this is the design of her Charnian outfit or something she has cobbled together upon reaching our world (much like Barbie and Ken do in Greta Gerwig’s previous film), but the former would perhaps seem to be the more likely.
It is also important to note that the Stunt Doubles are only likely to be filmed at a distance; thus the quality of their costumes will inevitably be much lower than the finished product (note also that the design of Digory’s vest here has a completely different pattern to the one seen in the other shots).
Quality issues aside, Jadis’ on-set costume does still hint towards a bold, and perhaps unexpected, new look for one of children’s literature’s most iconic villains.
4. The Absence of Uncle Andrew
Speaking of villains, one character conspicuous by his absence in all of these set photos is Uncle Andrew, a character who accompanies Jadis’ on her horse-based rampage through London in the book, but who has seemingly been replaced by Digory here.
Whilst Daniel Craig has still not been confirmed for the role, there was no sign of anyone even vaguely resembling him or the character on set.
5. A Time Shift to 1955
One unmistakable detail in all the set photos is the 1950s design aesthetic, rather than 1900, as per the book (or indeed the 1940s, as per the other six books). Eagle-eyed viewers may have even noticed that many of the background set details hint towards a very specific year – 1955, the same year that ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ was published.
Whilst the presence of what is likely Digory, Polly and Jadis in this scene makes it almost certain that the entire story has been shifted forward by 55 years (a fact which several Extras from the set seem to have confirmed), the reasons for doing this are not quite so clear.
One explanation for the time jump might be that a 1950s setting is intended to evoke the looming threat of nuclear apocalypse during the Cold War, a theme which would tie in well with the use of the ‘Deplorable Word’ from the book. However, an inspection of the background newspapers and posters does not necessarily suggest a world living in fear of annihilation, but rather seems to be almost entirely focused on the explosion of new musical styles (rock, jive, etc.) and cultural opportunities that defined the 1950s.
Another explanation however might be that Greta Gerwig has simply decided to take the opening line of ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ literally, and has thus transplanted the story to an era in which a modern viewer’s grandfather might actually have been a child.
This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child.
6. A New World Being Reborn
One of the most striking aspects of the overall set design is the Lion-adorned billboard mentioned earlier, which seems to be advertising a new housing development with the slogan – “A New World, A New Home!”. Likewise, the poster for a paint company reads “Bring Your World to Life!”
Much of the rest of the set likewise features an abundance of the characteristically crude wooden fences that one might typically erect around a building site.
Whilst London in the mid 1950s was still scarred by the ravages of World War II a decade prior, it was also a period of substantial economic growth, and cultural regeneration, with the emergence of the so-called “Baby Boomer” generation.
These design elements may therefore have been included to evoke the themes of an old world dying and a new world being created, mirroring the similar demise of Charn and the birth of Narnia as present in the stories.
7. Strawberry The Horse
At least three horses were spotted on set, though all with identical chestnut coats and blonde manes, and who had been purposefully fitted with additional horse feathers around their ankles. All of this suggests the horses had been deliberately dressed as likely stunt doubles for Strawberry the Horse.
With the apparent time jump forward to 1955, many NarniaWebbers were wondering how Strawberry the horse would factor into the plot, since horse-drawn Hansom Cabs were discontinued in 1947. Horses however, remain a common sight in London, even to this day, and are frequently used by the Police, the Military, and the Royal Family, as well as for a wide range of other commercial uses, including stables and bridleways in nearby Hyde Park.
The fact that Strawberry is seen fitted with a harness in these photos, does perhaps indicate that his character was likely being used to pull a cart of some sort, prior to being commandeered by Jadis.
8. Here Comes a Policeman!
A minor character from the book (if he can even be said to be a character) but one that looms large in the imagination thanks to Pauline Baynes’ iconic illustrations, it was nice to see a Police Officer, complete with the traditional Custodian Helmet, strolling onto the set.
Although there is a chance that Strawberry may be a police horse in this iteration, this Policeman at the very least does not appear to be dressed for riding.
9. Themes of Childhood
One of the recurring themes of Greta Gerwig’s three previous films has been the contrast between childhood and adulthood (often specifically girlhood and womanhood) and nostalgic reflections on growing up. Elements of this are also present in the set design, featuring old-fashioned children’s toys and a marionette theatre.
Greta Gerwig has previously spoken about how the Chronicles of Narnia were an important part of her childhood growing up; therefore, it is no surprise to see her leaning into that factor once again with her fourth directorial feature.
10. Chasing a Fox?
Another scene filmed shows Digory and Polly walking down a side street, chatting, when they notice a fox. They run toward it and begin playing with it. At this point, it’s difficult to know how the moment fits into the larger story, but we’re told that a real fox was used with a trainer on hand.
Bonus: Harold & Isadore
A fun Easter Egg, hidden amongst all the background details, is a poster for a fictional music concert, headlined by “Harold & Isadore”, the names of Greta Gerwig’s two young children! A touching tribute from a mother to her sons, in a movie about a son trying to save his mother.
What was your biggest takeaway after one week of filming? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comment section below!
The Jadis outfit definitely seems like something she cobbled together upon reaching our world- seeing the dress and likening it to mail, etc.
I appreciate the eye for detail in this article…but…it gives me more anxiety. It doesn’t look like it’s going to a faithful adaptation. And Jadis’ costume is pretty rough looking (hopefully they are adding CGI or just using the “costume” and the extra as a stand-in for color and lighting purposes. But doing my best to be open minded.
Actor here (although not cast in this film). Re: Jadis’ costume, it looks to me like the kind of thing actors wear when the costume will be CGI or digitally rendered in post-production
There’s no such thing as completely book accurate adaptation. Something will always change, and any following adaptation, be it a movie, a stage play or even book retelling, will always be the new author/director’s version of the story. You can be sure yours would differ from Lewis’ vision too, just as much as mine would differ from yours, and both of ours will differ from Gerwig’s version. At the end of the day it will always be an adaptation: the beautiful thing is, original we all love is not going anywhere and we will always find it on the shelves.
@Taranee, just because something will always be changed from the book doesn’t mean every change is inevitable. There’s no reason I can think of why the book’s time period or the original meeting between Digory and Polly wouldn’t have worked onscreen.
I’d like to share this old quote from Narniawebber sweeetlilgurlie. I hope she doesn’t mind.
“Here’s my mindset regarding the idea that you can make a film anyway, and it’s fine because the books never change:
You love your mom a lot. You know her really well. She’s a great woman.
Someone makes a movie about your mom. In short, they represent her as a jerk and a very mean/bad woman. Wouldn’t you be mad? Would you just say, “But that doesn’t change my mom!”? The last bit is true, but it changes the way people view your mom!
To a lesser extreme, that’s a bit of what happens in unfaithful adaptions. It gives an untrue picture of the original story, and, quite frankly, that bothers me because of the misrepresentation.”
I have a question regarding like the production of the film is does anyone know how much is given to produce it? I just wanted to ask because like given the certain observed changes like the possible setting of 1950s is probably due to conversation back and forth from the production regarding where the money is being spent? To clarify what I mean is that usually the production of a film is like preparing for a wedding venue where you have to factor how the wedding looks based on the certain decorations and elements being factored before seeing the sum of the whole cost of the venue. It possible originally they might have leaned on the Victorian setting but the issues would raise:
1 ) Where or which location give of Victorian vibes? Is the space available as in no other filming company is using it during the planned schedule for the filming? Is it does not exist do we have CGI it and if so how much is CGI and at what cost? Also, if put in Victorian era will there be enough clothes of that time to be made and at what cost or is there extra clothes from old films/ shows that exist that can be reused or are they being rented for other filming companies currently?
This questioning might have factor in leading to the 1950s setting:
1 ) Are there available locations to set it in 1950s when factoring CGI stuff? Are there reasonable budget to make clothes or rent from old clothes from old shows and films that exist that can be cheap for us?
I know I am just focusing on like the parts of Earth in the Magician Nephew and, but this thinking could apply to certain factors say with Charn or the creation of Narnia
Also, I was wondering if we have been given a certain amount of money to produce this film, then what production factor you rank is more important to invest the given money you have which also mean other factors of the film have to adjust to the change. I have this feeling the factor that Rank #1 would be the CGI of the Creation of Narnia and Charn (and a bit of earth) cause if we know the book being filmed is Magician Nephew and reading the book and knowing how the book unfold, would it not be expected that the importance because the CGI factor of the film as that would be a definitive factor in how the films looks and given using Vistavision/35mm the precision of the look of the film must be secured. That why I wanted to know ( if anyone who work with CGI before have insights) could estimate the cost based on the film being Magician Nephew the amount of CGI, props and setting production, makeup and clothes, music, locations area, crew and extras, and other factor would cost just out of curiosity?
Things I like:
That they used a real fox.
The children’s puppet theatre.
The colours of Strawberry.
THE MANE! 🙂
The idea of a nice, abundant life, emerging from despair and darkness, as suggested by the billboard.
Things I don’t like:
Jadis’ costume, but I don’t know how much will be replaced in post-production. And it looks like something I could get used to while watching the movie, once I see what Gerwig is doing with it. Although, it seems odd to use a futuristic aesthetic for an ancient dying world.
Is it possible that the entire story won’t be set in the 1950s, but that they’re time-jumping through the portals and this is just one scene depicting the 1950s?
I feel certain the children will enter Narnia through the housing development—either they live there or are exploring it (instead of the attic passageway).
I wonder how the fox will fit into the story?
It’s very exciting to see the pictures. The children playing Digory and Polly are actual children too, instead of teens! I hope they enjoy playing the roles.
I guess the dress Jadis is wearing is meant to look kind of like bells, since a bell wakes Jadis in Charn or maybe she requests chain mail at the department store and they sell her that! I like that it’s unique, although it is not what I envisioned.
I am very happy that the lion on the billboard looks like Aslan. I feel a lioness would change the feel of the story. It looks like if the Meryl Streep rumor is true, that she will be voicing Aslan as a male lion, so that is good news.
I don’t know what to make of it being in the 1950s. I think if all the themes are correct, that it will still feel like The Magician’s Nephew, but why? Is this related to the Rock and Roll quote from last year?
I really am excited by the news but nervous about raising my hopes too high. Regardless, prayers for and best wishes to the production team.
@Jacoby We’ve got to get over the framing/time jump; the whole film is set in the 50s. Which sucks.
It’s unfortunate that it’s set in 1955 and not 1900. I hope this is one of the very few things they change. I hope they remain true to the books as sincerely and genuinely possible.
Set looks fantastic and I love the animals. I’m surprised though at the casting of the children- isn’t Polly supposed to be blonde and Digory lithe?
@Jadis the Queen, I don’t think the book ever gives any physical descriptions of Digory or Polly.
Hold on, will the police man replace our beloved Cabby? And wasn’t his name also Harold? He’s got to have the cockney too. That’s part of what endears him to the audience- and his simple honesty.
Here’s a thought on the fox scene-
What if the fox leads them into housing development area where some houses are already being built… OR (just got excited with this thought) What if there are old house waiting to be torn down, 1900s row houses, that they decide to explore?
I do hate the time jump and wonder about Uncle Andrew, but I could get behind an idea like this, maybe.
The two people on the horse are most likely not stunt doubles but are instead stands ins for adjusting lighting and other elements before a scene is shot. This is never done with actors. People with the approximate size and build of the actor are used.. The costumes need to be close but not exact. This is a more likely explanation.
RE-placing TMN into UK 1955 as some sort of Narnia “beginning” parallel worries me hugely, because: what was UK in 1955? The rise of post-war socialism. Childhood of Boomers. The end of Churchill’s England and the beginning of (whatever the UK is right now). Also, this is the year Elvis broke and agreed birthdate of “rock and roll” (sic). If Gretwig is reimagining Narnia by sweeping WW2 under the carpet and reframing pre-55 trad UK as “darkness/nothing” and Elvis/Meryl as Day One, I am worried. Color me very, very worried.
@Fireberry:
I have the same fear. Pascal’s “It’s all about rock and roll” comment sticks in my brain. Aslan created Narnia through music. What music will bring this version of Narnia into being? Or what parallels will Gerwig draw with the evolution of music in 50s Britain? Will modern Britain be seen as a kind of Narnia birthed in the 50s by released inhibitions? I note the prominent music posters in the set photos.
Lewis’s estate has to approve this, right? Do we know how picky they are these days?
@Ian
I’m actually concerned that Douglas Gresham/The Lewis estate might have been brushed aside for this one, which worries me. In Ian Nathan’s book “Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle Earth”, he talks about how Peter Jackson went from studio to studio in the mid 90’s making his pitch for making LOTR and when he approached Paramount, they told him that they were far too busy making Narnia. Did Paramount have the rights to Narnia? No, no they did not, but were trying to make it anyway, and their script was set in modern day. Perry Moore, producer of Walden Media’s Narnia films and author of the LWW movie companion book explained that he learned about that unauthorized script that Paramount was trying to make and it got him thinking that someone should to Narnia correctly and with the proper permissions. So he got the blessing of the execs at Walden Media and set off to find Douglas Gresham, from whom he obtained the rights to Narnia and thus the Walden Media Narnia films were made.
I’m kind of concerned about something that I can’t stop thinking about: Paramount tried to make a modern adaptation of Narnia back in the 90’s and were thwarted. Since they passed up on making The Lord of the Rings, they then found themselves with no big fantasy franchise once the early 00’s came around: WB/New Line had LOTR, Disney/Walden had Narnia, ect. I’ve often wondered if Paramount would ever try to get back to something like this. Now, I did a little research out of curiosity and have noted that Paramount does indeed currently have some sort of agreement with Netflix where Paramount makes films that are intended to stream on Netflix. I’m very worried that Netflix found Paramount’s old Narnia script (which had LWW set in modern day) and are using it or parts of it. I don’t think Douglas Gresham is aware of this. I’m wondering where he even is? I cannot find any new info about him or the C.S. Lewis estate anywhere and I’m quite concerned about that.
@Rosenquartz, FWIW, I believe Greta Gerwig is writing the script for this movie herself. (Or possibly with Noah Baumbach.)
@Col Klink
Seeing that she wrote the script for the new Snow White movie, I have every reason to believe that she’ll mess up Narnia worse than she messed up Snow White.
@Rosenquartz “I’m very worried that Netflix found Paramount’s old Narnia script (which had LWW set in modern day) and are using it or parts of it. I don’t think Douglas Gresham is aware of this.”
Your theory is that a three-time Oscar-nominated writer is reusing a decades-old script treatment of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe that neither she or Netflix own, to use for her adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew? Might I suggest you rethink this theory?
“Seeing that she wrote the script for the new Snow White movie”
Now that’s just untrue… she spent less than two weeks writing “some jokes” for the movie. Her involvement (and that of seven other writers) was so minimal that they weren’t allowed to credit her as a screenwriter. So no, Gerwig did not write Snow White.
It’s fine not to like her writing or her directing style, but I’d recommend critiquing movies that she was actually involved in 🙂
@Rosenquartz, out of curiosity, have you actually seen the Snow White movie? I have and I’d call it mediocre but not worse than, say, the 2010 Voyage of the Dawn Treader film or a lot of others. And some of the criticisms of it I’ve heard online and are either untrue or strike me as nitpicky. (I wrote about this on my blog if you’d care to read my full thoughts. You probably wouldn’t but I thought I’d mention it just in case. 😉 )
@Victor Tarva
Firstly, yes, I am suggesting that. They’ve already moved The Magician’s Nephew up to the 1950’s (vomit) and thus The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe will be set in modern day. I’m not saying that it’s true, but it’s certainly a good theory given everything else we know. This whole project is already a huge mistake.
Okay, I’ll critique Greta Gerwig – her adaptation of Little Woman was horrendous. The casting was terrible (none of the sisters looked related at all and they all looked the same age). The fact that they cast a 25-year-old woman to play Amy was only made worse by the icy pond sequence where this very obvious 25-year-old woman runs after Jo yelling for her to wait up – the way a small child would. But it’s very unconvincing from someone who looked older than the woman playing Jo! And that’s just ONE of the problems I have with that whole production.
@Col Klink
I didn’t force myself to sit through that awful movie, but I have seen much of it via the internet and yikes, it’s a disaster.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) is an excellent film and far superior to that awful Snow White film.
@Rosenquartz, well, it’s hard for me to trust the opinion of someone who thinks the VDT movie is excellent, so we’ll just have to agree to disagree. 😉
(I’d describe both it and Snow White (2025) as having a couple of great elements, a couple of really cheesy, lame elements and a lot of stuff that’s just…. meh, whatever.)
@ Rosenquartz
You should be aware that Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’ is an acclaimed adaptation and she’s one of the most respected filmmakers/screen writers working today. Your critique of the film seems to come down to the fact that the actors don’t look like sisters (which is because they aren’t – actors are chosen for their suitability for their roles, which is more important than looks.) The actors in that film are amazing. If that’s all it takes to ruin a film for you, you shouldn’t be critiquing films in the first place.
[MODERATOR REMOVED]
@Mr Wilde, um, I was kind of joking when I said I couldn’t trust Rosenquartz’s opinions on movies because they thought the VDT movie was excellent. I don’t think it’s very polite to actually say something like that in earnest.
@Col Klink
Fair enough, although I wasn’t trying to be polite. I just think it’s absurd to lambast one acclaimed film because of something as superficial as the actors not looking related, then praise a widely disliked film in the same sentence.
Guys, I enjoyed the adaptation of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I don’t think the green mist was a great idea, but I still enjoyed the movie. It’s weird because Prince Caspian is technically a better movie, but I have a harder time watching it because Peter acts so out of character and Aslan’s role is reduced (no criticism of William Mosely here, a criticism of the script). I enjoy PC too, but I made the mistake of thinking it would be as true to the book as LWW was. But I worry Netflix will change too much and I won’t feel their Narnia is Narnia.
This thread is turning into a review of Little Women, which is a shame, but I just want to point out that Rosenquartz’s bigger critique was about Amy’s age—and that’s not a crazy thing to say, because young Amy’s casting was widely critiqued. Because of this issue alone, I spent large portions of the movie trying to shake the feeling that I was watching an SNL spoof. The movie works in spite of missteps like this, but it was a real flaw and made the film less than it could have been.
Will any of this affect Magicians’s Nephew? Probably not directly. But Narnia is in the hands of a woman at the height of her career who loves doing bold, counterintuitive experiments with her films—and who also finds much of Lewis’s real-life religious and philosophical vision to be offensive and regressive. How much confidence should that inspire? These aren’t silly questions.