Netflix is in talks to bring the Narnia realm to its content library with a couple of upcoming films already set to be written and directed by Greta Gerwig. She recently debuted her latest film, Barbie, and is changing course to open the doors of the wardrobe yet again.
The two films will be based on The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis in yet another reimagining of his classic seven-book series. The streaming platform acquired the rights a few years ago and is “thrilled to be their home for years to come,” said Ted Srandos, Netflix.
Back in 2019, Netflix began working on a Narnia series that has yet to get off the ground. At the time, Matthew Aldrich was brought on to oversee the project. Netflix hasn’t released any new Narnia series or films since buying the rights, so Greta Gerwig’s will be the story’s big premiere through Netflix studios.
There’s not much known about the upcoming films yet. Specifics like plotlines, potential cast members, or even which books will be included in the films have not been released. All we know so far is Greta Gerwig will be writing and possibly co-writing the script with Matthew Aldrich. They could very easily decide to reimagine the world or take the characters on new adventures heavily inspired by the original series. The world of Narnia is their oyster at this point.
As to when the films will begin production, that’s up to the ongoing WGA writers’ strike and the possible Screen Actors Guild strike. The Screen Actors Guild avoided a strike mere days ago as negotiation time frames were extended. The WGA writers’ strike has yet to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Seeing as production has practically halted throughout multiple studios, Netflix’s The Chronicles of Narnia could have to wait a while to start filming. It’s an almost certainty the films won’t begin production this year, so it may be a year or more before the Wardrobe opens on Netflix.