Chronicles of Narnia TV Series and Movies are Heading to Netflix!

Netflix has announced that they will develop new The Chronicles of Narnia TV series and film projects based on C.S. Lewis’ beloved series. Under the terms of a multi-year deal between Netflix and The C.S. Lewis Company, Netflix will develop classic stories from across the Narnia universe into series and films for its members worldwide.

All series and films produced through the deal will be Netflix productions, with Mark Gordon of Entertainment One (eOne) alongside Douglas Gresham and Vincent Sieber serving as executive producers for series and as producers for features. In total the Narnia books have sold more than 100 million copies and been translated in more than 47 languages worldwide. The deal marks the first time that rights to the entire seven books of the Narnia universe have been held by the same company.

“C.S. Lewis’ beloved ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ stories have resonated with generations of readers around the world,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix. “Families have fallen in love with characters like Aslan and the entire world of Narnia, and we’re thrilled to be their home for years to come.”

“It is wonderful to know that folks from all over are looking forward to seeing more of Narnia, and that the advances in production and distribution technology have made it possible for us to make Narnian adventures come to life all over the world,” said Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis. “Netflix seems to be the very best medium with which to achieve this aim, and I am looking forward to working with them towards this goal.”

“Narnia is one of those rare properties that spans multiple generations and geographies,” said Mark Gordon, eOne’s President and Chief Content Officer, Film & Television. “eOne and I are excited to be collaborating with The C.S. Lewis Company and Netflix who have the capacity to translate the Narnia universe into both stellar feature-length and episodic programming. We cannot wait to get started on the multiple productions we hope to undertake.”

In 2017 it was announced that Joe Johnston (The Rocketeer, Captain America: The First Avenger) was set to take the director’s chair a movie adaptation of The Silver Chair for TriStar Pictures, the literary-focused label of Sony Pictures. It is unknown if this iteration is still in development under this new Netflix deal, or if it has been scrapped to clear the way for a new vision for the franchise. Pre-production was expected to start this past summer, with filming taking place this winter for a 2019 release. It was also said to be Johnston’s planned final film as a director.

The script for The Silver Chair, Lewis’ fourth book in the Chronicles of Narnia, was adapted by David Magee, the two-time Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of Life of Pi and Finding Neverland. Mark Gordon, C.S. Lewis’ stepson Douglas Gresham, Vincent Sieber, and Melvin Adams were announced to serve as producers.

The seven original novels have sold over 100 million copies worldwide, and have been published in more than 50 languages. The Chronicles of Narnia began with the publication of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in 1950. Six more novels (including the prequel, The Magician’s Nephew, and the sequels, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair and The Last Battle) followed over the next six years. The final title in the series, The Last Battle, was awarded the highest mark of excellence in children’s literature, the prestigious Carnegie Award.

At the box office, the Narnia franchise has taken in nearly $1.6 billion worldwide with three feature films: 2005’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, 2008’s Prince Caspian and 2010’s The Voyager of the Dawn Treader. The latter introduced Will Poulter as Eustace Scrubb, who is the central protagonist of The Silver Chair. That role was expected to be recast, however, with The Silver Chair serving as a complete reboot of the franchise.

What do you think of Netflix making a new series of Chronicles of Narnia TV series and films? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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