The Chronicles of Narnia 4 was unceremoniously canceled, but there’s been some hopeful news about the franchise, and Greta Gerwig is a part of it. The seven novels in C. S. Lewis’ seminal series, The Chronicles of Narnia, are considered some of the most beloved books in literature. From their fairy-tale setting to their relatable and heartwarming characters to the epic themes and stakes at the center, The Chronicles of Narnia is on the same level of fantasy story-telling as The Lord of the Rings, just pitched for a slightly younger audience.

There have been plenty of The Chronicles of Naria adaptations, with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe from 2005 being perhaps the most notable and the most successful. The Walt Disney/Walden Media co-production ended up adapting two more novels, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but The Silver Chair, the fourth novel, has only been adapted once, for TV by the BBC in 1990. Set decades after The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair sees two English children off to search for King Caspian X’s missing son and only heir.

What We Knew About A Potential Chronicles Of Narnia 4

Netflix Has Bought The Rights For All Seven Chronicles Of Narnia Books

Though the original The Chronicles of Narnia 4 was canceled, there is good news. In October 2018, the C.S. Lewis Company announced that Netflix had acquired the rights to the Narnia books (via TheWrap). In 2020, it was announced that Greta Gerwig would be directing at least two Narnia adaptations (via TotalFilm). About directing the films, Gerwig said (via Variety),

“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, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t do that one.’ No, I’m terrified of it. It’s extraordinary. And it’s exciting.”

There have been some updates about Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia movie, including a tentative release date scheduled for sometime around Thanksgiving 2026 (via ᴅᴇᴀᴅline). More unusually, the Netflix movie is set to have a two-week IMAX global run before coming to the streamer. So far only one actor has been announced, Louis Partridge of Enola Holmes fame, though it’s unclear in what capacity. As for the story, despite being the fourth Chronicles of Narnia movie, it’s likely Netflix is restarting the series and Gerwig will be adapting The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe​​​​​​.

Narnia 4 Was Canceled For Several Reasons Including Diminishing Box Office Returns

Walden Media’s Rights To The Chronicles Of Narnia Expired

The Walt Disney Company and Walden Media made the first three Chronicles of Narnia movies, but then, the supposedly beloved Chronicles of Narnia adaptations ended. There were a few reasons for the series being canceled, but the major one was diminishing box office returns on the movies. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe earned $745 million at the box office, but Prince Caspian earned $419 million. It was such a steep drop-off that Disney pulled out of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which earned $415 million.

Each successive Chronicles of Narnia film also had declining Rotten Tomato scores, but that would not have mattered had the films continued to have high returns. Prince Caspian‘s budget was $225 million, cutting deeply into that box office number. As the cherry on top, Walden’s contract with the C.S. Lewis estate expired (via NarniaWeb). Lewis’ step-son and co-producer said,

“Walden’s contract with the company has expired.”

Things were mostly quiet with the rights until a tentative reboot was announced in 2016 (via Collider). This was quickly dropped, however, and that’s when Netflix swooped in.

Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles Of Narnia Netflix Deal Explained

Gerwig Is Adapting At Least Two Chronicles Of Narnia Books

Greta Gerwig is signed on to direct at least two of the Netflix The Chronicles of Narnia movies. The first is set to be released around Thanksgiving 2026, though it’s still unclear which film it will be. Gerwig is guaranteed a theatrical run as well. If the series is a total reboot, Chronicles of Narnia 4 likely won’t be The Silver Chair, and fans will still have to wait for that feature-length adaptation.