The way Greta Gerwig’s adaptation ofThe Chronicles of Narniais developing shows that it could avoid a problem with the Pevensies. TheNarniafranchise began as a series of children’s books written by C. S. Lewis. The seven fantasy stories, which are also biblical allegories, were published between 1950 and 1956 and largely focus on the magical land of Narnia and its inhabitants, as well as various children from Earth who are transported there. Some of the most important recurring characters are the Pevensie siblings, Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, who discover Narnia via a portal in a wardrobe.
TheNarniabooks have been adapted to the screen multiple times, most notably in a trio of BBC serials in the late 1980s and a trilogy of Hollywood movies in the mid to late 2000s. The next major adaptation of the property will beGreta Gerwig’sChronicles of Narniamovies, which are being developed for Netflix.TheBarbiedirector is set to helm at least two installments, beginning with an adaptation of 1955’sThe Magician’s Nephew. This information reveals how the franchise could avoid an issue with the Pevensies that has plagued other productions, most notably the Hollywood film franchise.
The Magician’s Nephew Means Delaying The Pevensie Kids' Introduction
They Don’t Appear In The Novel
The fact that Greta Gerwig’s adaptations will be beginning withThe Magician’s Nephewmeans thatChronicles of Narnia’s Pevensie siblingswill not take center stage until later in the franchise. In fact, assuming that the movie is a faithful adaptation,they will not appear at all. AlthoughThe Magician’s Nephewwas the sixth novel in the original run of the series,none of the four siblings appear at any point during the story, which is a prequel that takes place a considerable time before 1950’sThe Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, which is their first appearance in the series.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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The Horse and His Boy
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The Last Battle
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While the Pevensies are major recurring characters who appear throughout the series,The Magician’s Nephewis not the only installment not to feature them.They are likewise not present inThe Silver Chair,which features different protagonists, namely the Pevensies' cousin Eustace Scrubb and his classmate Jill Pole.
Additionally,not every novel in which they appear features all four of the Pevensies, who eventually age to adulthood and grow to be the kings and queens of Narnia. Peter is not present inThe Horse and His Boy, neither Peter nor Susan appear inThe Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Susan is absent fromThe Last Battle.
The Pevensies Coming Later Can Benefit The Other Chronicles Of Narnia Movies
It Will Decentralize Them As The Main Characters
The fact that the Pevensies may not appear in Gerwig’sThe Magician’s Nephewcould ultimately serve the franchise well, becauseit will not set the expectation that the Pevensies will appear in every installment. Instead, it will prime audiences to expect that the true throughline of the franchise will be the story of Narnia itself and the lion Aslan, who is the Creator and Lord of the fantasy kingdom. This could ultimately prevent disappointment when the Pevensies don’t appear in later installments, which is likely one of the issues that prevented the 2000sNarniamovies from adapting the entire series.
In theNarniamovies, the Pevensies were portrayed by William Moseley (Peter), Anna Popplewell (Susan), Georgie Henley (Lucy), and Skandar Keynes (Edmund).
Starting the movie franchise at the beginning of theChronicles of Narniatimelinealso has a strong precedent. The books were not officially numbered during their original publication, andthe 1994 HarperCollins publication featured them in chronological order, puttingThe Magician’s Nephewfirst and movingThe Horse and His BoybetweenThe Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeandPrince Caspian.
This establishes a clear narrative path that the movies can follow, becauseit has been proven that the Pevensies' absence from the first story in the franchise has been feasiblein the past, though the proper reading order of the novels is hotly contested.
The Magician’s Nephew Is An Exciting Choice For Narnia’s Reboot
The Movie Adaptation Is Unprecedented
While the chronology of theChronicles of Narniabooksdoes not support starting with novels other thanThe Magician’s NepheworThe Lion, the Witch,and the Wardrobe, the fact that Gerwig is kicking off her iteration of the franchise withThe Magician’s Nephewis nevertheless an exciting choice. One reason that this is the case is the fact thatthe novel introduces a number of unique settings and sequences, including the dreamlike “Wood between the Worlds” and the moment when Aslan creates Narnia, which includes the origin of the lamppost seen inThe Lion, the Witch,and the Wardrobe.
However, what is perhaps most exciting about this choice is the fact thatThe Magician’s Nephewhas never been adapted into a movie. Though it was once announced as the follow-up to 2010’sThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, it never came to fruition. Additionally, while it has been adapted into a theatrical production, a radio play, and a British Sign Language presentation, it has never been adapted for television. This leaves plenty of room for Gerwig to establish her own vision of the property, as there is very little to which it can be compared.
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe Is Still A Challenge For Netflix’s Plan
Having It Come Second Could Still Be Damaging
In spite of kicking off without the Pevensies, theChronicles of Narniamoviescould still run into a major issue. If they are being presented in chronological order, this means thatThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobewould come second, which could still frontload the new franchise in an unfortunate way. Because it is the first of the novels that was published, it is both the most frequently adapted and the most iconic, which means that, if it gets any follow-ups,it may be difficult for those sequel movies to live up to it.
In addition to being the first installment of the movie franchise,The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobehas had three different television adaptations.
Not only isThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobethe definitive Narnia story, it is also perhaps the best-regarded. For instance,its 4.24 rating on Goodreads is the best of the entire series, beating the 4.09 rating for the second-place title,The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by .15 points. It is also substantially ahead of the worst-reviewed installment, which isThe Horse and His Boywith 3.91.
Considering the fact thatThe Horse and His Boywould immediately succeedThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobein a chronologicalChronicles of Narniafranchise, this could also potentially be damaging, asthe zenith would immediately be followed by the nadir.
