It may surprise some prospective audiences to find out that The Chronicles of Narnia reboot is starting with The Magician’s Nephew, the sixth Narnia book to be released, but this is actually a strategic move on the studio’s part. Netflix’s Narnia reboot was announced to be beginning with at least two movies written and directed by Greta Gerwig in 2023, shortly after Gerwig took the world by storm with Barbie. As of the last few months, we have gradually been hearing casting rumors and official announcements for her first Narnia movie.

Most recently, it was reported that Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan will be playing Digory’s mother in Narnia, confirming once and for all that Gerwig and Netflix are adapting The Magician’s Nephew first, as this is the only book in which this character appears. It had seemed increasingly likely that this was the case, especially after it was rumored that Daniel Craig would be playing Uncle Andrew, one of the book’s villains. Yet many remember The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as the original Narnia installment, which is technically true, but this starting point will ultimately be better for the budding movie series.

Magician’s Nephew Is The First Book In Narnia Chronologically, Even Though It Was The 6th Released

The Magician’s Nephew Is The Prequel To The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

The Magician’s Nephew is a prequel to the Pevensies’ story, which C. S. Lewis went back and wrote after several of the other books, making it the sixth Narnia book to be published. Lewis did introduce the world to his magical country through the wardrobe with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, recounting the story of the Pevensie siblings who are sent to live with the mysterious Professor Digory Kirke and discover Narnia through a portal in his house. The Magician’s Nephew revealed that Digory had been to Narnia himself as a child, with his friend Polly Plummer.

The Magician’s Nephew includes some other origin story-type plot points, as it depicts the creation of Narnia, how Jadis the White Witch came to live there, and how Digory came to own the magical wardrobe. Starting with this installment does work chronologically, and may avoid confusing people later if Netflix were to go back and do a prequel then. After writing four books about the Pevensies and their cousin Eustace, Lewis published The Horse and His Boy and The Magician’s Nephew, before returning to his main timeline to write The Last Battle, the final book.

Greta Gerwig Remaking The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe Could Be Controversial

The Director Would Have An Impossible Time Living Up To 2005’s Narnia Movie

Rebooting Narnia was always going to be difficult, but remaking The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe right off the bat could have come across as redundant. While the Narnia movies of the 2000s saw decreasing box office returns, critical approval, and audience enthusiasm with each new installment, the first movie was a huge hit. It features one of the best fantasy movie villain performances of all time with Tilda Swinton as the White Witch, while Liam Neeson is equally mystically enchanting as Aslan. The young cast was well-chosen, the design is gorgeous, and it overall captures the epic nature of the story.

When a lot of people still agree that this is a great movie, and remaking it risked the new franchise being badly received. It’s the same problem that some live-action remakes are criticized for: that they are too similar to the source material and aren’t really offering anything new. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe wouldn’t even see a change in medium, going from one live-action movie to another. When the 2005 movie still holds up so well, with essentially nothing that needs to be “fixed,” Gerwig’s version of it might have just failed by comparison if it were her starting point.

Magician’s Nephew Gives Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Reboot A Fresh Place To Start

New Story, New Actors, New Narnia

On the other hand, The Magician’s Nephew gives Gerwig and Netflix a stronger place to start. Many people aren’t so familiar with this story from Narnia, having only experienced the movies, so this will be a new introduction to the series. She is essentially telling an entirely new story on the big screen, not drawing upon what other big-budget filmmakers have done before her. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe again might also have come across as a waste of everyone’s time when that movie was good, and other Narnia stories haven’t gotten the same attention yet.

In some ways, The Magician’s Nephew is a much more mysterious narrative than its sequel, giving Gerwig a different tone to play with. The story kicks off because Uncle Andrew tricks Polly into picking up a magic ring, which transports her to another world (not Narnia), and Digory has to go after her. They land in a kind of in-between dimension first and then explore yet another world, from which Jadis originates before they ever get to Narnia. However, Narnia doesn’t even exist yet — they are there when Aslan creates it.

There are also some allusions to unseen, terrifying powers that imbue this story with something more foreboding than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Andrew references being taught magic by an older woman who might be Morgan le Fay in Narnia, whereas Jadis proudly tells the children how she destroyed an entire world using “the Deplorable Word.” There are also the biblical implications of Aslan creating Narnia and Digory taking an apple from the Tree of Youth. All of this gives Gerwig very poignant, original material to work with so she can make her mark on Narnia right away.

How Magician’s Nephew Can Set Up The Rest Of Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Franchise

The Magician’s Nephew Can Segue Gerwig & Netflix Into Making All 7 Narnia Books

However, Gerwig could plausibly then adapt The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as her second Narnia movie. Gerwig will certainly put her own spin on Narnia, which so far has included rumors of Meryl Streep playing a gender-swapped Aslan. After Gerwig establishes what her take on Narnia looks like, people may be more interested in seeing how it carries over to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, while still maintaining what made the first cinematic version of this story so great. Starting with The Magician’s Nephew sets up long-term franchise plans in several ways.

The Pevensies have always been the faces of Narnia, and their introduction will always be the best book, so starting there again would just set up the series to go downhill after. Additionally, people will generally agree that 2008’s Prince Caspian and 2010’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader are wanting in a lot of areas. While Gerwig might need the goodwill of a successful The Magician’s Nephew adaptation to make The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, once she gets past that point, people might actually be eager to see how she makes better versions of these other installments.

Finally, Digory comes back not only in the next book, but in the final installment (along with Polly), and even makes a comment that he saw Narnia’s creation and never imagined he would see its end. Therefore, telling his story first could result in a powerful bookend effect years down the line, if they make it to The Last Battle. With Netflix’s ambitions of adapting The Chronicles of Narnia in full, starting with The Magician’s Nephew is the smartest choice they could have made.

The Chronicles of Narnia

Created by

C.S. Lewis

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

First TV Show

The Chronicles of Narnia

First Episode Air Date

November 13, 1988

Summary

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.

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