There is much reason to be excited for the upcoming Greta Gerwig-led reboot of The Chronicles of Narnia, but the previous movie adaptations have their moments, and some will be hard to beat when the new iteration returns to certain plot points. Recent updates about Gerwig and Netflix’s Narnia reboot confirm that the first movie will be here for the holiday season of 2026, with a lingering possibility of Gerwig starting with The Magician’s Nephew.

Adapting the first Narnia book chronologically would mean producing some monumental scenes that have never been seen on screen before. However, the story will sooner or later eventually reach re-adapting the storylines concerning the four Pevensie siblings, which will mean re-shooting scenes that have already been produced to perfection before. Gerwig’s Narnia faces many challenges, but one little discussed is living up to the underrated previous movies which already did so well by particular parts of Narnia.

10

Aslan’s Introduction

In The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

Liam Neeson certainly should come back to Narnia, when no one better could have voiced Aslan. His performance also benefited from the beautiful effects surrounding his characters in the movies, which capture a grandeur and otherworldliness in the form of a lion. However, the staging of Aslan’s first appearance also helps pull everything together for a weighty moment, with him slowly stepping out of one of the war tents to the dramatic score, disrupting the silence from a moment before.

Aslan has an amazing, commanding, but still generous presence whenever he is on-screen. He meets Peter (William Moseley), Lucy (Georgie Henley), and Susan (Anna Popplewell) for the first time with a little bit of intimidation, but it is clear they are in awe of him. If Neeson doesn’t return, finding the right person to voice Aslan will be key to remaking the mythos of his character, but even then, it might come across as a lesser introduction if they are not just recreating this scene sH๏τ for sH๏τ.

9

Edmund Prevents The White Witch’s Return

In Prince Caspian

Preventing the return of the White Witch is more of a group effort in the Prince Caspian book. The movie made a very effective change by having Caspian (Ben Barnes) and then even Peter be tempted by the possibility of her power aiding them in a war they are losing. Brilliantly, it is then Edmund (Skandar Keynes) who stabs her image in the back and ends it without discussion — a very fitting move for his character, as he knows more than anyone how the White Witch can manipulate people and will not make that mistake again.

Edmund has many moments in the Prince Caspian movie that show him acting swiftly, intelligently, and with complete confidence. Much of the movie’s screen time is taken up by the “character development” of Peter and Caspian instead, so the only place Edmund can have in the story is being the steadfast right-hand man. However, moments like his defeat of the White Witch show how it is actually a subtle and very powerful evolution of his character from the previous movie.

8

Aslan Summons River God

In Prince Caspian

The final battle is loosely adapted from what is essentially the main plot of Prince Caspian, wherein Aslan awakens and calls upon the various gods and magical beings of Narnia that have long remained dormant. The Telmarines are eventually trapped by the river inhabited by a River God and surrender to the Narnian forces. In the movie, this is turned into another showstopping moment which essentially plays out the same plot point.

Aslan calls upon a River God which destroys the Telmarines’ bridge, in a visual that is very cathartic, purging the power of the vengeful advisors and cruel regime. Prince Caspian, as a movie, unfortunately does fall a bit short in terms of the many elements of different mythologies that exist in Narnia which it could have depicted on screen. However, the River God arriving to wash away the last of the Telmarine’s rule shows again what a magical place Narnia is, with strong rendering on-screen.

7

Reepicheep Duels/Teaches Eustace

In Voyage Of The Dawn Treader

Reepicheep (Eddie Izzard/Simon Pegg) was an on-screen gift to the Narnia movies, bringing bouts of witty comedy to the darker installment of Prince Caspian. He continued playing this role in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, now accompanied by an off-beat friendship with Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter), the Pevensies’ cousin who is unwillingly and miserably pulled into Narnia as well. Reepicheep mocks and challenges Eustace, like almost everyone else, which comes to a head when Eustace tries to steal extra rations.

However, this quickly escalates into a spirited fencing match with Reepicheep continuing to tease Eustace but also giving him genuine tips, trying to help him live up to his family’s legacy in Narnia. Reepicheep can magically make a scene boisterous, action-packed, and oddly inspirational, which perfectly pairs with Eustace’s fading cynicism. Both actors will also be hard to replace in the new Narnia movies, trying to get at one of the best parts of the third and last movie.

6

The Pevensies Rediscover Cair Paravel

In Prince Caspian

Maybe the siblings should have gotten to the answer quicker — but they did discover the throne room just moments after Edmund found a piece from his old chess set. However, the sequence of them exploring the ruins of their own castle has a quiet, magical mystery about it. They are once again out of their element in Narnia before the movie plays with a small bit of drama by having them ᴀssume their old positions on their “thrones” with the familiar theme coming in. It’s simple but effective.

The entire scene is a bit morbid but still hopeful, setting the stage for the sequel darker than the first movie. After making this discovery, the siblings have better bearings on their surroundings and start planning their next move. The visual also proved to be an effective way to draw the first two movies so far together.

5

Gryphons Carrying Narnians Into Battle

In Prince Caspian

Prince Caspian is admittedly flawed as a movie and has a complicated relationship with the source material, which did not provide the most cinematic narrative, lacking the straightforward hero’s journey plot of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Consequently, the filmmakers expanded upon the action wherever they could. Despite everything else, the group innovating to use the real-world technology of Edmund’s flashlight to signal the troops and the gryphons flying them in is pretty cool.

Susan gets to use her bow a lot more in the sequel (and far more than she ever does in the book), which includes getting to fire sH๏τs while still in the air. Elsewhere, Edmund pulls off a needlessly dramatic last-minute rescue that also says something about his character. To be clear, he did look backward off the tower to see that the gryphon was there to catch him — he just looked back at the Telmarine soldiers before falling backward to be dramatic.

4

Susan Writing To Lucy & Edmund

In Voyage Of The Dawn Treader

It is a quick moment in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader when Susan writes to Edmund and Lucy from America, which seems to be part of the studio’s plan to include William Moseley and Anna Popplewell in the movie. However, it reveals a lot about Susan’s character. She talks about enjoying America and a young man she thinks is interested in her; it’s clear that she is enjoying life as a young adult yet still references their “times in Narnia.“

In short, it’s the closest anyone has ever come to trying to reconcile Susan’s real-world life with who she was as a queen, especially important to the story when she is the only one who never returns to the magical world. The new Narnia could cast an adult Susan and do more with her character through this avenue, but Voyage of the Dawn Treader still pulled off a simple yet hopeful moment with Susan, implying a lot about who she has become, that is perhaps more effective than fully expositing her life post-Narnia.

3

Reepicheep Goes To Aslan’s Country

In Voyage Of The Dawn Treader

Reepicheep is a joy throughout the two Narnia movies he is in, whose character is almost wholly defined by concepts of service, honor, and loyalty, be it to Aslan or the ruling kings and queens. He is the perfect heroic knight, ironically embodied as a mouse, proving what Narnia has to say about heroism coming from anywhere. Reepicheep also rarely asks for anything for himself — save for a tail and to see Aslan’s Country.

His last scene in the movies is uplifting, bittersweet, and satisfying. Voyage of the Dawn Treader delves into themes of exploration but concludes that many of these characters can’t go to Aslan’s Country yet when they are still needed by their worlds and families. However, it is utterly peaceful and the perfect way to cap off the narrative that Reepicheep is the one to go, simply because he wants to, and finally lays down his sword. Not to mention the beautiful production design of this scene.

2

Peter Riding Into Battle

In The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

William Moseley gives a strong performance in the first movie with hints of Peter wanting to be a hero — in the context of World War II — but also being terrified when he is suddenly called upon to lead the Narnian army, facing this as bravely as he can. The power of Henry Gregson-Williams’ score really can’t be understated, especially in The Lion, the Witch, and Wardrobe. The scene where Peter and the Narnians charge the White Witch’s forces is classically epic, showing off the magical variety of the soldiers and punctuated with moments of Peter’s vulnerability.

For instance, the score cutting out for a few seconds before the armies clash with only Peter’s heartbeat audible grounds the larger-than-life scene flawlessly, when the story is about young people thrust into a conflict because others desperately need them. The initial battle sequence makes great use of some different filmmaking techniques when it comes to drama, action, and close-ups, capturing all that is going on in this moment.

1

Lucy Discovers Narnia

In The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

The cornerstone of the entire story is Lucy discovering Narnia, which sets everything in motion — and the movie absolutely nailed it. Again partially thanks to the movies’ excellent scoring, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe conveys the absolute wonder and ethereal nature of this scene, which is merely the cusp of so much that is to come. Narnia will be a setting of tragedy, but this introduction is based in the part of it that is entirely fantastical and childlike.

Georgie Henley, of course, gave a beautiful performance of Lucy’s initial confusion but ultimately delight at discovering something wonderful, even if she cannot understand it. Reportedly, it is her real reaction as she was carried blindfolded onto set (via Cineatomy). Setting up this “real” acting and the overall direction made it arguably the best moment in the Chronicles of Narnia movies, which will be difficult to do again.

Source: Cineatomy (via Instagram)