Greta Gerwig is set to helm a new adaptation of C.S. Lewis' belovedTheChronicles of Narniafor Netflix.Updates on Greta Gerwig’sChronicles of Narnianot only increase anticipation but draw inevitable comparisons to Disney’s series beginning in 2005. While the Disney films brought the magical world to life with theNarniafranchise’s stunning visuals, they were criticized for injecting unnecessary romance subplots that detracted from the core story and the rich character dynamics found in the original books.
This new iteration presents a unique opportunity to rectify these past missteps when dealing withLewis’ hard-to-adaptThe Chronicles of Narniabooks. Gerwig is a promising creative for doing this, with her key positive decisions when dealing with a media franchise as massive as Barbie. She clearly does not shy away from reducing the importance of romance, and she could take the same approach to Lewis’ work.
Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Remake Should Avoid Adding Romance Like The Disney Movies
Disney’s Romance Injection Distracted From An Otherwise Admirable Franchise
An essential preface to any criticism is that Disney’sNarniafranchise did a phenomenal job adapting C.S. Lewis’Narniabooks. Their positives cannot be minimized. The attention to detail was a product of the cinematic landscape – Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsseries was scrupulous in its reading of Tolkien’s original text and its appendices, making thoughtful changes that balance the source material with structural needs. Disney wanting to create its own fantasy series with the same gravitas resulted in major strengths – including its locations in New Zealand, along with using Wētā Workshop, who also worked onLotR.
Arguably, its addition is to add more layers to Susan’s character – however, a romance subplot should not be necessary to do this…
With this being said, one of theNarniaseries’ harsh realitiesafter the first movie was its Hollywoodizing, including injecting a romance subplot that was not in the original books. Some viewers consider this distracting –the romance between Susan and Caspian and the rivalry between Peter and Caspian is not in the source material. Arguably, its addition is to add more layers to Susan’s character – however, a romance subplot should not be necessary to do this. Greta Gerwig’s remake could find ways to build on the existing elements of the book without forcing romance.
The Pevensies Don’t Need Romance Subplots For Netflix’s Narnia Remake To Succeed
The Pevensie Characters Have Plenty Of Interesting Material To Explore
Netflix’sNarniaremake can benefit from exploring aspects of the Pevensies that are already on the page. Gerwig is an excellent screenwriter to do just that – she rejected the assumed romance between Barbie and Ken inBarbie,as well as challenging a false dichotomy between the worlds of Los Angeles and Barbieland. This makes her the perfect candidate to explore the whimsical and wondrous themes ofNarniadespite it not releasing in theaters.A major strength of the books is their focus on faith in the Narnia dimension being real, and Gerwig has already shown interest in that theme.
Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Remake Can Avoid A Mistake The Disney Movies Couldn’t Come Back From
Disney’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe set the bar high, but Greta Gerwig’s upcoming movie series can bypass this issue with a fresh start.
This is not to say Gerwig’s remake should not take advantage of the interpersonal aspects of the Pevensies. For example, in the books,Peter and Edmund’s brotherly relationship is portrayed as flawedand develops throughout the series. The sibling dynamics being given more screentime would translate really well to adaptation. It could pay more attention to the differences between the children in how they relate to fantasy and faith, with Lucy being the youngest and the first to enter Narnia, and initially not being believed by her siblings. No romance is necessary to make the central characters compelling.
Lewis’ Books Stand The Test Of Time Without Romance
Other than romance, another way Gerwig could improve on the flaws of Disney’s series is to focus less on the action-adventure aspect. The battle elements of the movies, while extremely well-done, are overplayed to compete with other products of its time. There is actually less interest in battle in the books. Instead, there should be more focus on whimsy and fantasy.
A positive aspect of the movies was including a blitz scene, which is a great piece of context that should be included in the remake. While the Narnia dimension is the main draw of the series, its juxtaposition with World War II – the confinement and boredom of evacuation, the limitations of rations – make the vast landscape and culinary delights of Narnia all the more impactful.The way food is written in Lewis’ books is also a great traditional fairytale elementassociated with both historical periods of famine and danger and timeless themes like temptation. This would translate well to screen.
In addition, Gerwig could draw on missing elements C.S. Lewis’ iconic series. For example, Lewis leaves Susan’s fate uncertain. In a letter to a reader, Lewis wrote:
“She is left alive in this world at the end, having been turned into a rather silly, conceited young woman. But there is plenty of time for her to mend, and perhaps she will get to Aslan’s country in the end – in her own way.”
viaNarniaWeb
This leaves a lot of creative potential to further develop Susan’s character andwhat happens to Susan Pevensie in theNarniaseries’ last battle. Gerwig could follow a compelling and under-explored story about Susan’s coming-of-age cynicism and perhaps her ultimate return to Narnia. This would be a powerful message that would distinguishChronicles of Narniafrom other adaptations.
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narniais a fantasy franchise based on the seven-book series written by C.S. Lewis between 1950 and 1956. The series is set in the magical world of Narnia, where children from our world are transported to fulfill prophecies, battle evil forces, and restore peace under the guidance of Aslan, a mystical lion. The franchise has seen multiple adaptations, including a BBC television series in the late 1980s, three major Hollywood films between 2005 and 2010, and an upcoming reboot by Netflix, which has generated significant anticipation. The franchise is beloved for its rich allegorical storytelling, blending Christian themes with epic fantasy elements.
