The New Chronicles of Narnia Movie
The trailer for next year's adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew was released last week, and I've been thinking about it a lot.
C.S. Lewis' Narnia series has a special place in my heart, as it was the first book series I read as a kid and my introduction to fantasy. When I got really into The Lord of the Rings as an adult, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were good friends and in the same writer's group where they critiqued each other's works at a local pub.
In a way, I see Narnia as a great introduction to fantasy for children, who can later move on to The Hobbit and then The Lord of the Rings as they grow older. Heck, it was a great introduction to mythology as well, as the Narnia books were the first time I learned about naiads, dryads, and gods like Bacchus, who make appearances in the books.
The Magician's Nephew is being used as a jumping-off point for a reboot of a new Narnia adaptation series, which is an idea I am for. While it's the sixth book in the seven-novel series, its story is about the origins of the series' most famous antagonist, the White Witch, and the creation of Narnia. Since the much more famous first book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has been adapted three times—the 2000s movie, the '80s BBC adaptation, and the '70s animated movie, all three of which I'm fond of—I'm excited to see a new Narnia story that has never been adapted.
At first glance, the trailer looks like your regular kids' fantasy film: exciting shots, fast music, too much CGI during a few parts, etc. But what really struck me was that I recognized every scene from the book that I read as a child. Even if some scenes weren't how I always imagined them or weren't true to the original book's artwork, I felt something seeing those mental images from decades past come to life. They were memories and mental images I haven't thought about in so long, memories from when I was a different person.
Some fans are skeptical about the new movie, while others are excited. I've rewatched the trailer many times, disliking some parts, like Digory and Polly falling down a CGI mess of a scene, and loving others, like the tease of Aslan creating Narnia at the trailer's end, complete with all the awe from the book included.
On top of that, the film is directed by Greta Gerwig, who as an actress and filmmaker, was a big part of my 20s and one of my favorite artists from my generation. I was a huge fan of the mumblecore film movement, which she was a big part of, with her roles in films like Hannah Takes the Stairs (2007), and later movies like Frances Ha (2012) and Mistress America (2015).
She's mostly a director now, and I've enjoyed her big hits Lady Bird (2017) and Barbie (2023). Really, I've liked everything I've ever seen her act in or direct. I assume she also grew up reading the Narnia books, and I'm pretty optimistic with her at the helm.
This is C.S. Lewis' famous dedication to his goddaughter in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:
My Dear Lucy,
I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realised that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand, a word you say, but I shall still be
your affectionate Godfather,
C.S. Lewis
The new movie trailer made me realize I may also be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. I think when my reading queue clears up, I'd really love to revisit Narnia, both in film and book.