No one could be a better choice to direct Netflix’s upcoming remake of the Narnia movie than Greta Gerwig, who’s perfect for the films. Here’s why!
After Barbie, we have all been waiting to see what Greta Gerwig’s next move would be as a director: Gerwig will direct a new series of Narnia movies for Netflix, which will mark her debut in the fantasy genre. As someone whose first film in the cinema was The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and who has been a fan of Gerwig’s ever since I saw Little Women in 2021, the news couldn’t have made me happier. We don’t know much about the new adaptation but the little that we do know of its pre-production – from the promise of a franchise to the rumoured casting choices – makes it very clear already that Greta Gerwig is the perfect choice to direct these movies.
What will the new Narnia movies be about?
Written by C.S. Lewis, “The Chronicles of Narnia”is a series of seven fantasy novels, set in the fictional and titular realm of Narnia, a world made up of talking animals, magical elements, and evil villains. The protagonists are four siblings: Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, who suddenly find themselves in this magical land where the talking lion Aslan entrusts them to protect the country from evil. However, as the books go on and the children grow up and age out of visiting Narnia, other characters are introduced as the now adult siblings are forced to stay in the real world instead.
This is a second chance for Narnia fans to see the beloved book series on the screen after the three films that came out between 2005 and 2010. But there is still so much of the story that needs to be told, as the original series is made up of seven books that include adventures and characters the audience never got to see in the films. For example, the first book, called “The Magician’s Nephew,” was never actually adapted for the screen: hopefully, this remake of books will be a chance to see everything that we previously missed on the big screen.
Why Is Greta Gerwig the perfect choice for the Narnia Remake?
As proven with her latest film, if there is anyone who can bring Narnia’s magic to life, that is Gerwig. As a beloved childhood classic, the magical atmosphere is key to the film’s series but there is no doubt that Gerwig will nail it. Just by looking at how she brought Barbieland to life with such care and attention to detail, we can imagine what she will do when it comes to creating the extraordinary and fantasy land of Narnia with its vast and different lands and enemies that the main characters are going to have to face.
As people who have read the book series might have already realised, the Narnia series will deal with topics that Gerwig has already touched on and become known for in her filmmaking. Firstly, this series of movies will allow Gerwig to do what she does best: portraying strong female characters through inner struggles and through the painful journey of growing up and leaving childhood behind, which is exactly what the C.S. Lewis book series is about. Given the strong religious undertones of the novels, I know that Gerwig will most likely embrace the complexities of the Christian themes in her adaptation, something that she has also done before in Lady Bird, her solo directorial debut.
Making the Narnia movies is such an important career step for Gerwig as well. This will mark the director’s first collaboration with a big streamer like Netflix but, perhaps more importantly, it is also her entry point into directing a franchise. Although only two films have been confirmed so far, this is an amazing start for the remake of the Narnia franchise. It is also not that unlikely that there will be many other films of this franchise in Gerwig’s future: after all, there are a whole seven books in the series, many of which never made it to the screen even in the original adaptation.
Who is in the cast of Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movies?
Gerwig seems to already be making some really good choices when it comes to the casting for the Narnia movies. Jacob Elordi, who has taken over the film world in the past year with Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn and Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, is rumoured to be one of the first choices to play Peter Pevensie. As such, he will have a key role in the series as one of the main characters in the first few Narnia movies. When it comes to the other main roles, we don’t really know much else, except for the fact that none of the cast members of the original Narnia movies will be coming back for the remake.
Narnia and Gerwig seem to be the perfect match both for the film’s series and for the director’s career going forward. After her incredible success with Barbie, it is truly exciting to see Gerwig embark on a new project, especially one that is this ambitious, fascinating, and truly perfect given the director’s previous filmography so far. I for once will be following any news about this upcoming production very closely as a new franchise that promises to be the next big thing, at least regarding big franchises in the fantasy genre.
Production for Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movies is expected to start later this year. Though October 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’ books and would make for a perfect release date, the film is more likely to be released in 2026. Greta Gerwig is not on Instagram or on any other social media, but you can follow The Chronicles of Narnia’s official Facebook page and Netflix’s newsroom for updates.
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