The Chronicles of Narnia books are childhood classics for many, but some of them are more deserving of adaptations than others. Following the confirmation that Greta Gerwig’s Narnia reboot is officially in the works, it’s worth considering which of the novels need translations to the silver screen. The Chronicles of Narnia book series is by author C. S. Lewis and consists of seven titles, all of which add and develop the titular fantasy world and its characters.
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Of course, there are several problems with the Chronicles of Narnia that the upcoming movies need to fix. The novels are all products of their time, but at their core, they are all heartwarming stories set in a fantastical universe that readers consistently fall in love with time and time again. While Disney’s movies, which start with 2005’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, are still popular, some Narnia books still don’t have a film adaptation. In 2024 and beyond, with Netflix’s massive budgets and industry connections, there are all manner of exciting opportunities for Lewis’ Narnia.
7 Prince Caspian: The Return To Narnia (1951)
Reader’s First Encounter With The Future King Of Narnia
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Prince Caspian, which is often subtitled The Return to Narnia, is the second book in Lewis’ series. After the titular character blows Susan’s horn in search of help, the Pevensie children embark on their second trip to Narnia, a year after their first visit to the mystical world. However, Narnia has propelled 1300 years into the future, and the setting that the Pevensies remember is far from what they remember.
Prince Caspian has been adapted before, once as part of the BBC’s 1989 TV series and again as a movie in 2008, the second in Disney’s Chronicles of Narnia movies. Prince Caspian isn’t the most deserving to be revisited on the silver screen.
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Andrew Garfield was almost cast as Prince Caspian in the Chronicles of Narnia franchise, but Ben Barnes beat him to the role for one shocking reason.
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Certain elements are beautifully compelling and would be an interesting challenge for Netflix, such as how they would address Peter and Susan losing their magic at the end of their adventure, but Prince Caspian isn’t the most intriguing book of the bunch. It does introduce Caspian, who is a prominent figure in further installments of the novel collection, but offers little else. If it’s adapted, Netflix needs to address the gender stereotypes issues, which is sadly one of the harsh realities of the Chronicles of Narnia books.
6 The Last Battle (1956)
A Baffling Ending To The Narnia Series
The last installment of Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle, is quite a dark title to end the franchise on. The last visit to Narnia and the characters’ attempts to save it from Shift are strange, especially because of its religious themes, which are likely to put viewers off watching.
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The Last Battle’s depiction of the Calormen people, who resemble those from the Middle East, puts readers on edge over a possible adaptation. 1956’s The Last Battle is a product of its time, but there is no excuse for the use of racial stereotypes in 2024. How Susan’s story wraps up in The Last Battle is often argued about by readers, mainly because it ruins her character overall.
DID YOU KNOW:
Greta Gerwig has four Oscar nominations, including one for the
Barbie
movie.
The train journey that kills everyone except for Susan is ludicrous, especially because she then decides that Narnia is nothing more than make-believe from her childhood. Netflix has a chance to rectify this and change Susan’s ending to something more fitting, but that would involve completely gutting and altering Lewis’ story altogether. Hopefully, Greta Gerwig’s Narnia will bring justice to Susan in another way.
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5 The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader (1952)
The Third Novel And Eustace’s First Adventure
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader isn’t a bad book, but it feels more like a spin-off or a title adjacent to the Chronicles of Narnia than anything else. The third novel in the series does include Edmund and Lucy, but not Susan and Peter. Caspian takes center stage on a voyage in search of the seven lords banished after Miraz’s ascending of the throne, but it’s not the same without the Pevensies in the spotlight.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
isn’t a bad book, but it feels more like a spin-off or a title adjacent to the
Chronicles of Narnia
than anything else.
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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is lacking in Narnia lore compared to the others, too, which is a frustration for a fantasy franchise. Eustace is a well-rounded character, but his abrupt arrival takes some getting used to. It also paints Caspian in a less-than-flattering light, although his poor decision-making as the King of Narnia could perhaps result in some brilliant moments in a Chronicles of Narnia movie.
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Some scenes will definitely allow Netflix to show off its special effects budget, too, like when Eustace hides from a storm in the dragon’s cave or the crew’s dramatic escape from the sea serpent. While The Voyage of the Dawn Treader deserves an adaptation, it’s not exactly top of the priority list for Narnia readers.
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4 The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (1950)
The First Tale To Bring Narnia To Life
There are more adaptations of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe than any of the other books, but regardless of this, it’s still the title that started it all and makes the most sense to get a modern-day reboot. Other than the 2005 film, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has also been adapted into several shows, an animated TV movie, and many theater productions, too.
|
The Chronicles of Narnia Movies |
||
|
Title |
RT Critics Score |
RT Audience Score |
|
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) |
75% |
61% |
|
Prince Caspian (2008) |
66% |
73% |
|
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) |
50% |
58% |
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The audience’s introduction to the Pevensie siblings and the magical world of Narnia is good, and it sets up the overall heartwarming tone of the series, but it’s overdone. A remake of this legendary entry is overdue, but because it has been attempted multiple times, the appeal for it simply isn’t as prominent.
Aslan and Tumnus are amazing creatures that offer just as much personality as they do in appearance, but other Narnia characters deserve screen time. Greta Gerwig’s Narnia reboot needs to fix the world-building problem, which needs to be at the forefront of her creative decisions, as this is something that Lewis’ book misses the mark on. Even though The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the first installment, it fails to establish the world properly.
3 The Silver Chair (1953)
The Introduction To One Of Narnia’s Most Underrated And Petrifying Villains
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The Silver Chair is the fourth Chronicles of Narnia book and one that is criminally underrated. Despite previous plans for an adaptation of The Silver Chair, the novel is a blank slate in the world of movies. The Silver Chair is one of Lewis’ lesser-known Narnia installments, but it surprisingly doesn’t feature the Pevensies, and its use of time jumps is often confusing.
Despite this, the book’s antagonist is what keeps readers interested. Lady Kirtle is an underutilized Narnia villain, and she is honestly more terrifying and jarring than the White Witch. The Silver Chair is refreshing because of its characters, many of whom are relatively unknown to those who haven’t read the books.
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Eustace’s search for Caspian’s son with his classmate Jill, another intriguing personality, makes for an adventurous plotline. Kirtle kidnapping Caspian’s child and poisoning his wife makes her an astonishing threat. It often seems as though she’s unbeatable, especially as she can turn herself into a deadly, vicious snake and go on a killing spree whenever she feels like it. In theory, the Green Lady qualities’ can make her one of the most evil fantasy movie villains ever.
2 The Horse And His Boy (1954)
An Intriguing Step Away From Narnia
Even though The Horse and His Boy is the furthest from Narnia, both geographically and in terms of story, the book has significant possibilities. The Horse and His Boy is often considered one of the weakest titles of the series, but this is exactly why it deserves the film treatment, even though many argue it should be skipped. The fifth novel takes place in Calormen, and although this is also during the Pevensies’ reign of Narnia, they are barely featured.
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Related The One Chronicles Of Narnia Book That Greta Gerwig’s Reboot Should Skip Over
Making entertaining movies and remaining entirely truthful to the Narnia books may be conflicting goals, particularly in regard to one book.
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However, despite this, Shasta and Bree are unique and new characters that highlight a different side to Lewis’ fictional universe. Tthe way Bree tells Shasta about Narnia is a really fascinating outlook on the magical world. The further time spent on Carlormen adds layers to Shasta’s backstory that make him a character worth investing in.
Shasta and Bree’s journey to salvation in Narnia is a compelling plot, but strangely, The Horse and His Boy has only been adapted for radio and the stage. It’s a fantastic story about hope and freedom, and while it expands readers’ knowledge of the lands surrounding Narnia, its only issue is that it doesn’t spend enough time on the titular location.
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1 The Magician’s Nephew (1955)
A Prequel That Explains Narnia’s Origins
The Magician’s Nephew is the penultimate novel in the Narnia series, but it’s also the first chronologically. The title is a prequel and is Narnia’s origin story, which focuses on the events of Aslan creating the titular world and its eventual corruption. The Magician’s Nephew has never received a movie adaptation, but it is an essential entry when introducing audiences old and new to Narnia.
The book’s biggest strength is how it establishes lore, most notably how the connection between the fantasy world and Earth works, a detail that Netflix’s Narnia reboot should explore.
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The book’s biggest strength is how it establishes lore, most notably how the connection between the fantasy world and Earth works, a detail that Netflix’s Narnia reboot should explore. Not every question about the Chronicles of Narnia’s lore is answered, but this allows for a movie adaptation to fill in the gaps. There are some unusually comical moments in The Magician’s Nephew, too.
For example, Jadis, who eventually becomes the White Witch, breaks off a part of the lamp-post and uses it to fight the police. The Magician’s Nephew unveils crucial details about the backstories of the White Witch, Diggory, and the first rulers of Narnia. Whether the new series starts with The Magician’s Nephew or not, it’s definitely the most important title for Netflix’s adaptation to tackle.
The Chronicles of Narnia
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The Chronicles of Narnia is 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.
Created by C.S. Lewis Cast Georgie Henley , William Moseley , Skandar Keynes , Anna Popplewell , Ben Barnes , Liam Neeson , Tilda Swinton , James McAvoy , Will Poulter , Simon Pegg First Film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Latest Film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader TV Show(s) The Chronicles of Narnia
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