Greta Gerwigshould be one of the most confident filmmakers in Hollywood following the unstoppable success ofBarbie, which was mostly snubbed at the Golden Globesthis past weekend. However, when it comes to her take onThe Chronicles of Narnia, Gerwig is filled with “terror” at the idea of making a mistake with the Netflix adaptation. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 (viaDeadline), Gerwig explained why the project is such an intimidating prospect.
“I’m slightly in the place of terror because I really do have such reverence for Narnia. I loved Narnia so much as a child. As an adult, C.S. Lewis is a thinker and a writer. I’m intimidated by doing this. It’s something that feels like a worthy thing to be intimidated by. As a non-British person, I feel a particular sense of wanting to do it correctly… it’s like when Americans do Shakespeare, there’s a slight feeling of reverence and as if maybe we should treat it with extra care. It is not our countryman.”
The first installment ofThe Chronicles of Narnianovels,The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was published in 1950. Author C.S. Lewis went on to pen a total of seven books in the series, which were all illustrated by Pauline Baynes. Gerwig proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that she can handle any brand when she successfully adapted the famous Mattel doll for the Silver Screen. And now her attention is focused on Netflix’sNarnia.
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Here are ten reasons why Greta Gerwig is indeed the perfect candidate to direct the new Narnia adaptations.
Greta Gerwig Develops Netflix’s Narnia
In addition toBarbie, Gerwig also successfully adapted both volumes (1868, 1869) of author Louisa May Alcott’s novelLittle Womenfor the big screen. The 2019 adaptation was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Gerwig, andLittle Womenwon the Oscar for Best Achievement in Costume Design. Clearly, Gerwig has what it takes to makeThe Chronicles of Narniamovies a massive success forNetflix. And the Chairman of Netflix Film, Scott Stuber, talked about why Gerwig is such a perfect fit for the project. Stuber revealed:
“[Gerwig] grew up in a Christian background. The C.S. Lewis books are very much based in Christianity. And so we just started talking about it. And like I said earlier, we don’t have IP, so when we had the opportunity [to license] those books or the [Roald Dahl Co.] we jumped at it, to have stories that people recognize and the ability to tell those stories. So, it was just a great opportunity, and I’m so thrilled that she’s working on it with us. And I’m just thrilled to be in business with her. And she’s just an incredible talent.”
WhileThe Chronicles of Narniahas been adapted for television, film, radio and the stage, most modern-day audiences are keenly aware of Disney’sThe Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe(2005), which dropped in theaters nearly 20 years ago. Two sequels would follow:Prince Caspian(2008) andThe Voyage of the Dawn Treader(2010).
At the time of this writing, Netflix hasn’t set an expected release date for the first of theirNarniamovies. However, the resolution of the WGA strike, plusthe recent end to the SAG-AFTRA dispute, allows Gerwig and Netflix to move full speed ahead with pre-production.
