Everything we know so far about Netflix’s The Chronicles of Narnia from Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwig has been tapped to lead at least two The Chronicles of Narnia movies for Netflix. In November 2023, we learned more about the timeline for Gerwig’s The Chronicles of Narnia movies.

According to a report from Collider, Netflix’s Head of Film, Scott Stuber, told Collider that Gerwig’s movies will get started in 2024. Here’s what Stuber told Collider:

"“Well, I think people know that we’re aspirationally trying to get Greta Gerwig’s [The Chronicles of] Narnia together and get that movie, which will be next year.”"

That’s good news that Gerwig and co. are getting to work on the movies so soon. The Chronicles of Narnia projects have been in the works at Netflix since 2019 when Netflix picked up the rights to make new movies and shows based on the book series by C.S. Lewis.

Thanks to reports from The Hollywood Reporter and The New Yorker, we know who will be developing these movies and shows set in Narnia for the streaming network.

The New Yorker first reported that Gerwig,  who is best known for Lady Bird, Little Women, and Barbie, which is the highest-grossing worldwide movie of 2023, is writing and directing at least two of The Chronicles of Narnia movies for Netflix.

With such a big, beloved franchise, it’s no surprise that Gerwig might be feeling the pressure to adapt the Narnia books. It’s already been done once, but we think her series will be even better! There’s no doubt Gerwig is incredibly talented, having been nominated for three Academy Awards, and Barbie proves she knows how to handle a huge budget.

During an interview with Total Film (as reported by Indie Wire), Gerwig got real on her feelings about being attached to the movies:

"“I haven’t even really started wrapping my arms around it. But I’m properly scared of it, which feels like a good place to start. I think when I’m scared, it’s always a good sign. Maybe when I stop being scared, it’ll be like, ‘OK. Maybe I shouldn’t do that one.’ No, I’m terrified of it. It’s extraordinary. And so we’ll see, I don’t know.”"

According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Matthew Aldrich has been tapped to be the creative architect on Netflix’s The Chronicles of Narnia projects, of which there are many in the works. Aldrich is best known for his work on Disney Pixar’s Coco, which is also available to stream on Netflix. He co-wrote the screenplay for the Oscar-winning film. Mark Gordan, Douglas Gresham, and Vincent Sieber are also serving as executive producers, according to IGN.

Is there a release date for Greta Gerwig’s The Chronicles of Narnia movies?

Netflix has not announced the release dates for any of The Chronicles of Narnia projects. With this announcement of Aldrich taking over the projects and Gewig signing on for at least two movies, there’s a good chance we’ll start learning more soon. Stuber confirmed that The Chronicles of Narnia movies would get started in 2024, but even if that happens, we’re still years, likely, away from seeing the movies on Netflix.

It’s also a good sign to know that these projects are being developed behind the scenes, even if we haven’t heard much about them. It’s still very early in this process, but we have to assume Netflix will move quickly to release this new franchise soon.

Obviously, the writers had been on strike for most of 2023, and the actors are still on strike as of November 2023. Even if production were ready to start, they couldn’t without the actors. With the ball getting rolling in 2024 on Gerwig’s The Chronicles of Narnia, we’re looking to 2026 and beyond to see the first movie.

Again, it’s still early in this process, which is always subject to change. Nothing’s made that more clear than the global pandemic and two major Hollywood union strikes in 2023.

The cast has not been announced either. We’ll share more updates about the movies as we find out more information.

How many of The Chronicles of Narnia books are there?

It’s unclear at this time how many shows and movies based on Lewis’s book series are in the works, however, we know there are seven Narnia books:

• The Magician’s Nephew
• The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
• Prince Caspian 
• The Horse and His Boy
• The Voyage of The Dawn Treader 
• The Silver Chair  
• The Last Battle

One would think that Netflix would make at least one movie for each of the main stories, of which there are five. The Horse and His Boy and The Magician’s Nephew could be thrown out if they wanted to, although they could also be kept in or explored deeper. That’d make for a good five-to-seven movie series at Netflix.

We also know there is at least one TV series based on these books coming to Netflix. I think the stories would actually be better told as TV shows, rather than movies.

All the stories connect through different characters and places within the world of Narnia, but there are other worlds outside of it. I could see Aldrich, Gerwig, and Netflix exploring the untraveled paths within Narnia.

To me, it’s interesting that there are so many directions Netflix could go with these projects. I’m sure there are a few projects that will deal with the most famous story of the series, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. That’s probably the project most people will be excited to see.

Stay tuned for more news about Netflix’s The Chronicles of Narnia! We can’t wait to hear more about what will be great movies and shows.

FanSided Entertainment Staff contributed to this report.