14 Years of Trying to Get Another Narnia Movie Made | Talking Beasts
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Note: This episode was recorded before the recent comments from Producer Amy Pascal.
We have not seen a Chronicles of Narnia movie adaptation since 2010… but not for lack of trying! This episode is a reflection the movie news ups and downs–from the Joe Johnston’s Silver Chair production all the way to Greta Gerwig taking the helm at Netflix. The podcasters pick their most controversial, puzzling, exciting, deflating, and surprising headlines from the best 14 years.
Related links:
- NarniaWeb Interviews The Silver Chair Screenwriter David Magee
- The Silver Chair Director Joe Johnston Answers Questions
Watch the post-show chatter.
Really cool flashback memories! Thanks for the reminders of things that happened a while ago
I’d love to get my hands on that David Magee ‘Silver Chair’ script one day…. David if you’re listening!
I assume that David Magee doesn’t own the rights to that Silver Chair script, since he was hired by Sony to write it. Sadly. He seemed like a nice guy who really appreciated Narnia.
I kinda recall Douglas Gresham saying he thought it was the best Narnia movie script he’d ever read.
Glad to know I’m not alone in missing David Magee.
I can’t believe Mark Gordon’s interview wasn’t talked about. The one where he talked about how it was going to be “a brand new franchise. All original. All original characters, different directors, and an entire new team that this is coming from.” That caused quite a controversy back in the day.
Glumpuddle’s pick for most controversial is probably my pick for most puzzling. I mean, I was puzzled by the choice of Greta Gerwig as director/screenwriter too, but I could and can still kind of follow the logic. I mean, she’s a writer and a director. It’s not like they hired a plumber. LOL. But has there even been another example of a studio polling fans as to what they should name a character? That was so odd and now we’ll probably never know what it was all about.
I wonder if the reason Joe Johnston called his projected series of Narnia movies a trilogy is that three movies is as many as most film series have nowadays, so he just called it that automatically.
My guess regarding the comments from Markus and McFeely is that they were unhappy with their work on the Narnia movies-the sequels anyway-or maybe they felt like their work was fine and the directors or the casts or the crews let them down, but they couldn’t say so before because of nondisclosure agreements and now those agreements expired. BTW, I thought the other Narnia book they wanted to adapt was The Last Battle because it had an evil monkey or something. LOL.
I echo the comments about wanting to read Magee’s Silver Chair script. It’s so interesting how Douglas Gresham really liked the first draft and really didn’t like the last one. What happened during the editing process? Magee isn’t my favorite screenwriter or anything, so I don’t expect I’d absolutely love his Silver Chair script or anything but I’m still curious. If it were good, it’s possible that reading it would just make me mad, but I’d also have the pleasure of imagining it in my head. (What I imagined might be better than what Johnston would have filmed anyway. Sorry if that sounds arrogant.) And if it were a bad script, then I would feel good about it being cancelled. I’m going to feel the same way about Gerwig’s Narnia movie if it doesn’t happen. Honestly, I’m not sure I’d go so far as to say I need new Narnia adaptations but after all the Narniaweb headlines this lookback has discussed, I kind of am reaching the point where I want a new Narnia movie even if it’s bad! At least then I wouldn’t wonder forever whether it would have been good or not. Sad to say, I sometimes wonder if following Narniaweb and knowing about all this behind-the-scenes stuff and what-might-have-been is having a bad impact on my mental health. But I enjoy the community so much that I can’t bring myself to quit.
Sorry to end on such a down note there! This has been a great season of Talking Beasts. I’m impressed the podcasters were able to do six episodes with all the stuff going on in their families.
P.S.
Glumpuddle, if you’re reading this, don’t feel bad about forgetting that Joe Johnston mentioned Till We Have Faces and Out of the Silent Planet. I totally forgot too.
Please discuss Logos Theater releasing Lion Witch and Wardrobe premiering at Museum of the Bible. Maybe they could do David Magee’s Silver Chair script next?
I have enjoyed being a part of Narniaweb, more so for the past 7 years. Although I checked the news articles from 2003 or 2004.
I recall a few people saying they voted for the LotGK ‘s name to be Miranda. Hahaha. Was there going to be a prize? Royalties of the box office takings?
I feel we’re so close to getting Gerwig’s first Narnia film. Here’s hoping that the July 2025 production date goes ahead (and that there’s no pandemic-like interruption!).
On that note, I wonder if we would’ve gotten the Netflix adaptation by now if the pandemic hadn’t happened.
David Magee sounded like he was giving the Silver Chair a thoughtful and well intentioned treatment.
I for one am very optimistic about Gerwig being the writer and director because she has obvious talent and work ethic, and a respect for Narnia.
I recall the headlines where the producers said these puzzling or disappointing things. They seem to be aiming to get investors and the media excited but not thinking about the fans or the source material in an artistic way.
Fun discussion going down memory lane – and only days before Amy Pascal’s “rock and roll” comments! I’m happy there are others here who remember David Magee fondly. I’m sure that’s not the last we hear about it.