Netflix Hints at Narnia Theatrical Release
Is Narnia bound for the big-screen once again?
In a new interview with Scott Stuber, Head of Global Film at Netflix, he talked about Netflix’s overall theatrical film strategy and upcoming releases.
Bloomberg: You and I have spoken in the past about developing a slate of 8-12 movies for theatrical. Is that still the plan?
Stuber: That really was aspirational. We had to build an infrastructure of executive talent who could speak film. It was recruiting that talent. Getting Marty Scorsese, getting Alfonso Cuaron, Susanne Bier, Paul Greengrass. […]
We’re talking to Guillermo Del Toro, Greta Gerwig, David Fincher. We’ve gone out and made aquisitions with the C.S. Lewis books and the Dahl catalog.”
Not only is this the first time Netflix has linked The Chronicles of Narnia to a possible theatrical release, but it’s also the first time since January 2021 that an executive has referenced Narnia in any sort of official capacity.
It is also notable that Stuber mentions Greta Gerwig just weeks after it was rumored Netflix was eyeing her to direct two Narnia movies.
How do you feel about the possibility of Narnia returning to theatres? Leave your initial reaction below and continue to discuss the implications in the NarniaWeb Forum!
Hopefully him mentioning R-rated films and “C.S. Lewis books” together doesn’t mean anything lol…
This is GREAT news. The world of Narnia should be explored on the big screen.
Narnia better not go R rated. No sex nudity etc
Narnia going PG-13 is one thing; going R-rated is another. Not only I wouldn’t want sex or nudity in Narnia (I cringe at the thought), but also no graphic violence. The Walden movies did the battle scenes quite well: while intense, it wasn’t super graphic.
I don’t think rated R and Narnia was all-inclusive. Although even if it was, rated R doesn’t necessarily mean sexually explicit content, although it probably means graphical content. I would be ok with this if it stayed reasonably close to the books. Narnia was made for children but has a lot of depth. Netflix movies lack prestige, and part of that has to do with them not having theatrical releases. Being the steaming home to a big budget theatrical release hits differently than a straight to streaming film.
I think that the R rated movies part in the quote was a reference to them trying to acquire David Fincher as part of their team. It only took a short Google search, most of his work (or at least most of the work he’s know for) seems to be R-rated. I think Narnia will be just fine.
Eagerly Waiting to see Our Chronicles ofNARNIA in Theater from TamilNadu India
The Narnia books themselves were not adult books. Rather, they were children’s books that adults could enjoy. Turning them into “adult films” would be a serious mistake, because they would become something that C.S. Lewis never intended for them to be.
FWIW, he just said Netflix has done a lot of R-rated films and that they’re going to do Narnia films at some point. He didn’t say any of them would be R-rated. Of course, he didn’t say they weren’t either.
Would love to see any upcoming Narnia projects in theatres. I think it’s a good sign that a theatrical release is being considered; shows a good amount of confidence in the material!
A theatrical Narnia release would make me happy. I’m a big defender of the theatrical experience and one of the thigs that made me apprehensive of Netflix making Narnia movies is that I wouldn’t have the experience of going out to see a new Narnia movie.
I for one agree with Reepicheep775. When LWW came out in 2005, I was thrilled beyond words. I’ve been a Narnia fan since before I could read. To see a new LWW – on the big screen – was an experience like no other. I’m a big fan (maybe not _defender_, but certainly a fan) of the traditional movie experience. No home setup, no matter how awesome, is quite like going to the movies. Sure the snacks are infinitely cheaper, the seats are much better, and you don’t have to sit next to random strangers… but the screen is smaller, the sound is not as good, and you’re not necessarily surrounded by other fans. And the popcorn is obviously better too. 😀
However, I am a bit concerned about _which_ Narnia book they decide to adapt for the big screen. If they go MN, they’ll get plenty of action – especially if they do a Charn flashback – but the resolution of that story doesn’t fit with the wanna-be LotR that was the Walden series. There is no big battle at the end. Which is fine by me (IMO the ending is way better than just another big battle) but I doubt Netflix will agree. If they go LWW… people will react with “oh, another reboot… nah” and the project will end before it starts. Reboots are so super-common these days that only us die-hard mega-fans would care.
As to the maturity level… I’d be okay with a Narnia that is not kid-friendlied to the point of goofy. That was the 1979 cartoon, the BBC version, and even (to a certain extent) the Walden version. Narnia gets into things that are not just for kids – the scene with Bacchus, for example. Even the joyful moments are not necessarily “kid stuff”. But then again what do I know? Apparently super-graphic Marvel movies are now kid stuff (which IMO is nuts)…
So many thoughts, so little time. I gotta get back on the forum. 😀
I just want to see another movie. At the theatre or at home… just make it happen already!
Netflix knows their IP. Narnia will never be R, or even M15+ here in Australia.
Wednesday had very little blood, but had blood and a bit of violence and horror, but that fits the Addams Family as IP.
Heartstoppers is a good example of very tame content, when it handles difficult topics. It was about LGBT+ people in High School, but it was not explicit at all and was a straight forward story for YA. It was handled delicately and superbly. That show is also an example of how a studio can treat YA with respect and respect their intelligence.
The Barbie trailer looks wholesome, but pretty indie and radical in its own right.
Gerwig might be able to handle Narnia in a new and interesting way.
The big question is,
Will they adapt all seven books? And not just a couple of them like with the original BBC series and the Film franchise.
I want to see the Horse and his Boy, the Magician’s Nephew and the Last Battle adapted to screen as well.
I would be interested in seeing an adaptation of either The Magician’s Nephew or The Horse and His Boy. The latter happens to be my favorite Narnia book, next to Wardrobe.
If I may say, Dallas Jenkins and his crew could be the ones for the job. The way they are working on Aslan’s story in our world makes me thinks that they could do quite good things with him beyond a wardrobe.
Its good we are seeing even a trickle of info come out.. it makes me more hopeful. And i’m not sure if its just because its being brought up more, but now i’m seeing people saying that Amazon is trying to buy Narnia rights…? but since i didnt see any news about that on here it seems really far fetched to me, especially since Netflix seems to be trying to actually make some sort of headway possibly.
As for the actual movies i think they should definitely keep it for kids, but it should be a very well done kids series. It can still make you think and feel without things like nudity or extreme violence. I would also kind of rather they keep all 7 in one type, like keep it all movies. And then maybe the show version could be a spinoff not directly covered by the books? But i’m not specifically sold on it being movies, myself.
Today’s “New Netflix Movies and Shows Releasing in 2023” e-mail, distributed straight from Netflix, says this if you scroll down or search for the keyword “Narnia”:
New Netflix Movies Coming to Netflix in 2023 and Beyond
Your comprehensive guide to the new movies coming in 2023 and beyond!
by Kasey Moore
https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/coming-soon/new-netflix-movies-coming-to-netflix-in-2023-and-beyond-12-2022/
The Chronicles of Narnia – At least one movie is part of Netflix’s huge upcoming Narnia universe. Greta Gerwig in talks to direct.
This (long & rambling) post is in response to a few interesting ideas focusing on new Narnia movies and their possible ratings: My post is concerned with the books as written & the fickle MPAA ratings for motion pictures:
The Last Battle (which is almost shockingly dark by today’s kid-standards) is the only Narnia story where I can see it being faithfully adapted to film – while at the same time securing an earned PG-13 rating. The tone alone makes it suitable for older kids.
But, only AS LONG as the filmmakers kept it PG for the most part (only using the rating to show kids that “the dream has ended”) and did not use the higher rating to explore non-Lewis elements.
Kind of like how Revenge of the Sith (which was meant to be a final-movie-in-a-series) was dark & violent but still very much a Star Wars film. Just openly tragic this time.
On the other hand, I can see all of the Narnia stories being adapted faithfully to the big screen & receiving PG-13 ratings – except maybe one: The Magician’s Nephew, which has violence, but very toned down PG violence. Dawn Treader is another possible PG-only story. However, Aslan tearing off the dragon’s skin as described may be too much for the over-sensitive MPAA.
Wardrobe, Caspian, Silver Chair & Horse & His Boy all have moments of strong “fairytale” violence that, if adapted without toning down the book’s descriptions, could definitely secure a PG-13 rating, or maybe higher – even if the rest of each respective film had not ‘earned’ that rating.
Personally I think The Last Battle & The Horse and His Boy are the only two stories where the main characters are implied to be teens & adults (not younger kids) so maybe a higher PG-13 rating, instead of PG could be (somewhat) justified by their stories’ violent moments.
But in conclusion, I wish for all new Narnia film adaptations to be as close to the tone of Lewis as possible. If that means toning down violence or being unapologetic about certain gruesome moments, so be it. If it’s a great film, then a PG or a PG-13 rating makes no difference to me.
Also I grew up with the Harry Potter films, and transitioning from PG kids films to PG-13 films was exciting, I will admit.
Then again, I am no longer a child with strict parents keeping me from watching PG-13 films until age 13. So, in this one instance, I’ll think of the children, and recommend keeping Narnia PG – as much as possible.