Netflix to develop films and series based on The Chronicles of Narnia

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Fantasy fans take heed, for Netlfix has announced that they're in the midst of developing new series and film projects based on C.S. Lewis' classic The Chronicles of Narnia series. This exciting reveal comes as part of a multi-year deal struck between Netflix productions and the C.S. Lewis' Company. Working hand-in-hand with both parties to bring beloved stories from across the world of Narnia to the premiere streaming platform are Mark Gordon of Entertainment One (eOne) alongside Douglas Gresham and Vincent Sieber, who will serve as executive producers for series and as producers for planned films.

In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, four siblings, while playing a game of hide-and-seek, escape into the magical world of Narnia. Once there, the children learn that they are a part of an age-old prophecy that has them defending an unimaginable kingdom agaisnt the White Witch, who froze the land of Narnia as part of a Hundred-Year Winter curse. Throughout the series of novels, ths stories shared in the world of Narnia have the children growing up in a land of ceaseless wonders with adventures to be had around every dark corner.

In a statement, Ten Sarandos, Chief Content Officer of Netflix said, “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.”

In echoing Sarandos' excitement for the chance to bring the world of Narnia to the streaming giant's worldwide audience, Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis said, “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,” He then added, “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.”

Mark Gordon, eOne's President and Chief Content Officer of Film & Television also offered a comment by saying, “Narnia is one of those rare properties that spans multiple generations and geographies.” He then followed up his statement by adding, “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 the past, The Chronicles of Narnia lore has been adapted for both film and television on several occasions, with perhaps the most notable being director Andrew Adamson's 2005 film THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. Adamson's adaptation fared well enough to spawn two sequels, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN (2008) and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (2010). While the film series was met with tepid reactions from fans and critics alike, that's never stopped the timeless series from remaining a favorite among fans of the fantasy genre. With any luck, and a lot of hard work, The Chronicles of Narnia series will be given a new life on Netflix, as the streamer obviously has plans to go all-in on developing the property in a very big way.