Greta Gerwig’sThe Chronicles of Narniaremake could actually deliver a brand-new never seen before story from the world of Narnia. The novels, which were written by the incredibly prolific C. S. Lewis and published between 1950 and 1956, have proven popular with multiple generations of audiences. And, in the years since their publication, they have been adapted into film, TV, radio and stage plays. But with seven distinct novels in the series, some stories have been adapted more than others.

The most popular story to adapt has beenThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first published novel in the series, but the books are not set in chronological order. Instead, later novels go back in theworld of Narnia’s timelineto when this world first began. And according to Jason Isaacs, who is potentially attached to the upcoming Gerwig-directed series, thislatest adaptation could finally explore the origins of Narniaon screen for the first time.

Anna-Popplewell-(Reign)-and-Georgie-Henley-(The-Diplomat)- (1)

Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Remake May Be The First Adaptation Set Before The Pevensies

Narnia As Its Never Been Seen Before

In a recent interview, Jason Isaacs made a statement relating to the upcomingNarniaseries for Netflix where he seemingly confirmed it wouldadapt the lesser known novel,The Magician’s Nephew. While the Pevensies children are certainly the most popular characters, and the protagonists from the majority of the Narnia novels, they were not present when the world of Narnia first came into being. to tell this story, Lewis opted to go back in time,1000 years before the events ofThe Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and create a narrative about Narnia’s origins.

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While the novel is an important part of the series, and it further defines the world of Narnia, the story fromThe Magician’s Nephewhas never been brought to the big or small screen. Even in the popular film series from the 2000s, it only got as far as the third novel before the series was retired. Meanwhile,The Magician’s Nephewsits as the second to last published novel, which may be part of the reason why thestory has never received an adaptation.

Aslan stands in front of an army in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

A Narnia Prequel Could Be Exactly What’s Needed To Revive The Franchise

The Best Place To Start Is The Beginning

As mentioned above, the 2000s film series did manage to cover the events of the first three novels, and it did so with a reasonable degree of success. So, despite two decades having passed from that time, there will be many people who remember those films fondly. In order to make Greta Gerwig’s new adaptation stand out, and feel like something that adds to the stories rather than simply rehashing what has already been done, itmakes sense to focus on the prequel storyrather than follow the established series in order.

While Lewis himself leftThe Magician’s Nephewuntil the sixth book, this expansion does a lot to enhance the quality and depth of the original novels. And for fans who would prefer tomove chronologically through the world of Narnia, it makes sense to start with this novel. So, of course, it also makes sense for the latest adaptation to offer up the context and preview for the stories beforeshifting focus to the Pevensies childrenand their adventures in Narnia.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) Movie Poster

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Narnia Needs To Adapt The Magician’s Apprentice to Move Forward

WhileThe Magician’s Nephewcomes later in theNarniaseries of books, it also benefits from additional years of experience and thought from the author. C. S. Lewis is an incredibly talented storyteller, and his gift for this only increased over the years he actively wrote.Narniawas also potentially the most popular series he created, and with seven books in the series, the story is so much larger than can be explored in a single movie. The result is that thisbeautiful story has gone under the radarfor those who have only watched the adaptations.

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The last set of Narnia film adaptations never had to figure out how to adapt the series’ final book, but now it’s Netflix and Greta Gerwig’s turn.

The story is creative, expressive, and unique from the rest of the series. Aslan remains as an anchor who connects this film to the others, and seeing how the world of Narnia came to be is a rich and worthy story that is crying out to be told. As beautiful and magical as the world of Narnia is, it is made even better with the knowledge of how this world came to be, andThe Magician’s Nephewis the perfect story to bring this story out of obscurity. If it’sGreta Gerwig’s intention to kick offThe Chronicles of Narniaseries with this story, it’s the perfect starting point.

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.