Netflix Officially Confirms ‘Narnia’ Title and Producers for Gerwig’s Movie
Netflix has officially confirmed several high-level details about Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia — although not any cast or a logline revealing specific story details, as many fans had hoped.
As part of its What Next? showcase highlighting the streamer’s upcoming slate of films and television shows, Netflix released a new press statement confirming the film’s title, release window, and producing team.
Netflix is preparing to transport audiences to Narnia, the enchanted realm created by author C.S. Lewis, with a feature film unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard before.
Written and directed by Academy Award–nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig (Barbie, Little Women), the highly anticipated adaptation will debut this year in IMAX theaters in November, ahead of its release on Netflix in December.
Gerwig, whose films have found fresh, original ways into beloved stories, brings her singular vision to Lewis’s iconic world explored in The Chronicles of Narnia series. Filled with mythic battles and unforgettable creatures and characters, the seven-book collection launched in 1950 and has sold more than 115 million copies and been translated into 57 languages worldwide.
While details of the forthcoming film remain locked behind enchanted doors, it’ll be an adventure that invites in both longtime fans and new magic-seekers.
Produced by Gerwig, Mark Gordon, Amy Pascal, and Vincent Sieber-Smith, with executive producers Douglas Gresham and Melvin Adams for the C.S. Lewis Estate alongside Patty Whitcher, the film will be the first chapter in Netflix’s cinematic journey through Narnia.”
While most of the names attached to the project have been previously reported, the release formally adds Melvin Adams as an executive producer, who has long represented the C.S. Lewis Estate.
Notably, although Gerwig is confirmed to be adapting The Magician’s Nephew as the first film, Netflix continues to present the project simply under the title Narnia, rather than naming the specific book.
The announcement also marks Netflix’s first official press release related to Narnia since 2019, when the streamer revealed that Matthew Aldrich would serve as creative architect on an early iteration of the adaptation. That version of the project ultimately stalled out before Gerwig came on board.
Find out everything we know about Netflix’s Narnia!
Bit disappointed we didn’t get a first look in Netflix’s “Whats Next” or any official confirmation on cast. That said, its just under 11 months till the films IMAX release, so hopefully not too much longer to go…
Can see my constant ”the estate is intimately involved, fans should be at ease” mantra remaining strong
Narnia film is gonna get the Frankenstein treatment, which include main TUDUM panel in May after the 10 weeks of independent director edit mandatory under the DGA, hopefully it doesn’t go to Venice out of competition (the second most pretentious film festival[complimentary] where Frankenstein and Jay Kelly faltered) , better fit fit would be TIFF, or Telluride but the best would be to skip the festivals entirely and do a staggered wide release
Anyone curious about what the Narnia exhibitions will be should check out the Frankenstein exhibits that open now and visible online highlighting the craftsmanship involved in the world building of Frankenstein
JUST CONFIRM THE CAST, PLEASE
At this rate, Netflix will “officially” announce what book they’re adapting and the cast list after the movie releases 😉
@ Alex Anar
Walden’s Dawn Treader proves that just because the Estate is involved, it doesn’t guarantee a faithful adaptation or that fans should inherently be “at ease”. There is still lots that can go wrong under the guidance of the Estate. Though I am happy to see Melvin Adams listed here as a producer… we’ll see how much input he was able to give.
@Impending Doom, my fault. To be fair , I suppose text does erode nuance, I would rather posit that the adaptation is not going to be bastardized in the manner spoken of earlier, undeniably with any adaptation there will be changes that will rub book readers who have been with story for decades , no matter the slightest of change because it was the first entry into the story, but previous versions while varying in success were still in clear dialogue and reverence to text on the big ideas, (not hair or costume color)
Still have zero interest if she’s genderbending Aslan.
It is sad to see the names Douglas Gresham (as “executive” producer) and C.S. Lewis Estate, given his current health status. Interesting how Narnia finally is returning to film when the primary gatekeeper has dementia and Parkinson’s. Almost insulting for his name to be associated with this project. As far as the Estate, once film rights are acquired, it seems executive producer is more of a ceremonial role than anything else, and a way to legitimize and otherwise illegitimate project. If the Aslan gender rumors and the 1950s setting somehow are not what they seam, I would be thrilled. (Still have a sliver of hope). I want nothing more than for Netflix Narnia to be a faithful adaptation and compelling success. May this project be more Narnia than Netflix. But if not, what a shame.
@Farsightings
It did cross my mind earlier today: would C.S Lewis’ own Godson allow Aslan to be a lioness? It seems unlikely, but given the “rock and roll” aspect of the film, I am concerned nothing can stop it. I feel the Streep rumors (whatever the truth is) will have the power to make or break this new adaptation franchise. Again, hopefully not too long until an official cast announcement. (He says)
I am glad that Douglas Gresham is receiving credit because he has worked so hard to keep promoting Narnia over the years. I am grateful to all his work. I am sure he would have created awesome movies of all the books, and other works such as ‘Till We have Faces and the Space Trilogy if he’d had the resources.
I think that the Aslan silence is deliberate. It creates intrigue, debate and publicity for the film (look at how much we’ve all talked about it and how every comment on a Narnia story mentions it). I don’t think we’ll know who is voicing Aslan until the eleventh hour. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that when we finally get a first trailer, we will only see a lion fleetingly and not hear the voice.
Anyone else annoyed at the timehop of the storyline for The Magician’s Nephew from the late 1800s to the 1950s? By the time The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe storyline hits, it’ll be set in the 1990s.
Moley, I would rather them not change the timeframe, but we’ll see if it significantly changes the story or not. One day I would like to see a Magician’s Nephew movie set in the proper time from when C.S. Lewis was a child.
I was a bit shocked at first to think about the time period being different. However, as someone who reads the books at least every other year out loud to my elementary class, I know that right at the beginning it talks about it happening when the readers’ grandparents were children. Now I have to explain to them that it is more like when these students’ great great (great!) grandparents were small. If the timeline of our world is shifted up so that it is not so far away for the children of now, that does not actually bother me as much….it would be a similar historical gap. I know that C.S. Lewis wanted children to engage with the stories and use their imaginations to expand the world of Narnia and to understand the allegory. If shifting the time period forward makes it easier for them to connect with the story, it could be a positive. As far as the voice of Aslan, there are so many things they do with effects now—I suspect whoever does it will have their actual voice changed and manipulated to sound like an animal’s, in which case it doesn’t necessarily matter so much what the original voice is, just that the actor does a great job speaking and that it works with the special effects to sound like Aslan. Of course, it could come out and I will not like it at all (like the Dawn Treader), but I am definitely willing to wait until seeing it before passing judgement. It will end up bringing more people to the books, and that is a good thing! My students this year can hardly wait!
I’m just wishing the asalan gender rumors are wrong also did it say what the title of the movie will be? i thought it would say because of the title of this news letter but i did not see it.
If Meryl Streep is the voice of Aslan the film is already dead.
I love the Narnia chronicles but I won’t be too thrilled to see the new movies if Aslan is female!!
I hope the Meryl Streep rumours are true, she would a fantastic Aslan.
I hope the Meryl Streep rumours are true, she would be a fantastic Aslan.
The fact she’s casting Aslan as female shows she has no clue what the story is about. There is no way this turns out watchable.
Meryl Streep is going to be awesome in NARNIA!
Well well well, I was surprised we finally got something, and glad for it I am! I know everyone wishes for more, but hey, we did get more than we had 2 days ago! Exciting!
What actually becomes of it all in the long run is a different issue. But I say, rejoice the small things;
Official Netflix News has been had!