Summary
The Chronicles of Narnia, written by the famed author C.S. Lewis, has seen multiple adaptations over the years, including a radio series, a BBC television series and, of course, the Disney movies. However, the recent announcement of Netflix acquiring the rights to the novels to create multiple movies and shows finally presents an opportunity to adapt all seven books (which previous license owners have never managed to do). The fact that Greta Gerwig (best known forthe box office smash hitBarbie) is set to direct at least two of the films makes the project even more promising.
Although Netflix has a poor track record when it comes to faithful adaptations of prestigious IPs (The Witcherbeing an obvious and painful reminder), there is a huge potential for success in this saga. Other fantasy franchises and their various spin-offs have proven that adaptations do not necessarily have to be second fiddle to their source material, andThe Chronicles of Narniacan also learn to cash in on the high fantasy revival.
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Game of Thrones: Meaningful Stakes
Mark Gordon, the co-producer of Netflix’s upcoming series, isreported to have pitched the rebootby stating that “anything that smells or looks likeGame of Thronesis something that people are excited about”. While the stories differ greatly in terms of tones and themes, they both involve a sprawling number of characters and overarching plots. With over 50 main characters, theGame of Thronesadaptation still managed to create emotional engagement with each without weakening the story’s structural integrity or artificially diluting the stakes involved. The slow-burn power struggles and ruthless carnage would have been devoid of meaning if high, personal stakes had not been cultivated across all seasons (ignoring the final two, of course). Instead of designing them for shock value or plot propulsion, there was narrative justification for all the deaths, suffering and destruction depicted on the show.
Furthermore, there was no black-and-white portrayal of morals (that is typical of the fantasy genre) as even the gratuitous violence seemed to have come from the most well-intentioned places.Game of Thronesgrounded the fantasy elements in believable and deeply human fears and struggles — andThe Chronicles of Narniahas the potential to do the same.
Harry Potter: Casting and Characterization
When Warner Bros. announced a newHarry Potterreboot TV series, the newswas met with a lot of backlashfrom fans. One of the main reasons why they believed that this will damage the Potter brand is because of the replacement of the iconic cast of the films. Considering that it is a beloved franchise with a fandom who were eager to see the characters being brought to life on screen exactly how they envisioned, the original cast had to meet almost unrealistically high expectations — which they successfully managed. The young actors and actresses essentially grew up on the set, alongside a global audience.They became synonymous with the characters they played, and it is difficult to imagine that the success of these childhood idols can be recreated.
Moreover, the emotionally resonant character arcs further added to the popularity of the franchise. While the films may haveomitted several key moments from the books, they never lost sight of the characters that the audiences cared about. FromRon Weasley’s personal growthto Draco Malfoy’s redemption attempts, the series recognized the importance of each character’s development and how it could drive the plot forward.
Similarly, Netflix’sThe Chronicles of Narniashould take great care in avoiding a caricature-like portrayal of its characters, to help the viewers identify with them on an individual level. As five books in the series (with the exclusion ofThe Horse and His BoyandThe Magician’s Nephew) involve an ongoing plot and character continuity, maintaining the integrity of the characters with a stellar cast is all the more necessary (especially since all the main characters appear at the end ofThe Last Battle).
LOTR: Production Design and Scope
Since its release, there have been few productions that are comparable toThe Lord of the Rings; being massive in scale, it was able to stay true to the grandeur of its source material, and build a complete and coherent world. From the arboreal details of the Shire tothe soaring towers of Orthanc and Minas Morgul, the film trilogy boasted exemplary production design, and director Peter Jackson even replicated a few shots from J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous illustrations. Ashe explained to Variety, “I had to create the most believable world I could. The decision was to make it feel very historical, with the levels of detail creating the illusion that the viewers were immersing themselves in a real world.”
The elaborate narrative design and world-building was a result of groundbreaking technology, extensive sets, and detailed costumes and make-up. The core idea was to depict the diverse races of Middle-earth against a backdrop of their respective habitats and cultures. It was an ambitious project: all three movies were filmed entirely in Jackson’s native New Zealand at the same time. Armor, prosthetics, creatures and miniatures were all built based on Jackson’s vision of realism. For instance, even though Gollum was not the first CG character to be mixed with live action, the muscle movements and other special effects made him more realistic than any other digital character.
WithThe Lord of the Ringsproving the success of expensive tent-pole productions, Netflix should also employ a similar strategy forThe Chronicles of Narniato effectively capture the splendor of its imaginative construct. Composed of multiple realms that are linked by the Wood between the Worlds, it features a myriad of characters, including centaurs, witches, dwarfs, gods, Dufflepuds, gnomes, beasts, Marsh-wiggles, and even Father Christmas. This presents an opportunity to the streaming giant to build a dynamic and immersive universe that also maintains its sense of verisimilitude.
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