Narnia Leaves Disney with 'Barbie' Director Set to Direct

Narnia will receive a new “wardrobe” as Netflix has chosen a director to helm the franchise after they purchased the film rights back in 2018. Barbie and Lady Bird director, Greta Gerwig, is attached to write and direct the new take on the beloved book series. Co-CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, expressed in a press release that the company intends to create an extended cinematic universe with Narnia, like that of Game of Thrones and Marvel, but with a family-oriented audience in mind.

While reboots of established franchises are nothing new in the Hollywood, Netflix will attempt to galvanize fans as they set to adapt all seven books. A feat that not even Disney was able to accomplish with the C.S. Lewis Company. However, a distinguished Disney alum, Coco co-writer, Matthew Aldrich, will serve as the “creative architect” as he will manage the productions of all film and TV projects for the upcoming “Narnia Universe.”

‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ is a fantasy series created by celebrated author, C.S. Lewis that was first published in 1950. The book series followed the journey of a group of children that were evacuated to the English countryside after the London bombings of World War II. They would soon enter the imaginary kingdom of Narnia where the forces of evil would be in constant conflict with good. This world contained talking animals, flying dragons, nefarious witches, and a Santa Claus who gifted weapons to children. The series was rich with visual imagery that was first illustrated by Pauline Baynes, whose portrayal of Aslan and other famous characters has remained as inspiration for future theatrical adaptations.

C.S. Lewis’ acclaimed books have been adapted several times over the decades, most notably with the 1979 animated mini-series and the 1988 BBC limited series that featured a nightmarish reimagining (Google more at your own peril). Yet, the version that remains imbued with most viewers is the renowned Narnia trilogy from Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures & 20th Century Studios. While Netflix is the newest film industry juggernaut to take on this intellectual property, many fans will remain suspect since their consistency in quality content is hit-and-miss. The hiring of experienced filmmakers like, Aldrich and Gerwig, is promising, but time will tell if viewers can be captivated by the world beyond the wardrobe once more.