from Disney Chronicles of Narnia adaptations ended after just three films, and there are a few reasons why. Written by C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia The books are an iconic seven-volume series, considered one of the greatest children’s fantasies of all time. They have been adapted several times, with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe being developed as a TV series in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The 80s version, which came to life for the BBC, managed to cover the first four novels.
In the 2000s, Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures obtained the rights to develop film adaptationswhich became the definitive versions for many young audiences in the 2000s. The 2005 adaptation of Lewis’s first novel featured Liam Neeson as Aslan, Tilda Swinton as the White Witch, and an excellent cast of young actors to play the Pevensie children. Disney versions of the best Narnia adaptations available, but they only made it through three of the books before they were discontinued. Now Netflix is ​​attacking the iconic fantasy franchise with Greta Gerwig Narnia films.
Conflicts between Disney and Walden contributed to the Narnia films ending early
Disney abandoned the franchise after Prince Caspian
Disney and Walden’s Narnia franchise got off to a fantastic start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005, which raised US$745 million. At the moment, Narnia seemed like a title that could grow to rival the likes of Harry Potter and The Lord of the Ringsbut companies almost immediately began to face problems. The release date of the next film, Prince Caspianwas delayed until the summer of 2008, finding its release only between Iron Man and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Prince Caspian performed far below expectations, and Disney immediately withdrew his involvement in the series. This left Walden scrambling to find a collaborative distribution company for the third film, eventually teaming up with 20th Century Fox to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Without Disney, the Narnia the franchise struggled to live up to its once-possible potential.
The box office returns of The Chronicles Of Narnia films played a role in the decision
Every Narnia Film Declined Box Office and Critical Praise
It’s incredibly difficult to keep up with a film franchise. In some cases, such as Dune or The Dark Knight trilogy, a sequel could surpass the acclaim of the original and result in a boost in box office and cultural acclaim. As for Disney Narnia series, Prince Caspian was a much less popular sequel to the first filmand the second and third installments fell short The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe box office by a significant margin. See the chart below for box office information and review scores for each installment:
|
The Chronicles of Narnia Films |
Box office # |
Rotten Tomatoes score |
|---|---|---|
|
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe |
US$745 million |
75% |
|
Prince Caspian |
US$419 million |
66% |
|
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader |
US$415 million |
49% |
Not only did Prince Caspian it had a lower box office return, but it also had an increased budget of $225 million, meaning that in theory it would have had to earn around $600 to hit ideal profit numbers. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader had a much smaller budget of $145 million, and the resulting effect was a significantly worse filmwith a score of 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. While there were certainly a large number of audiences hoping for a fourth film, three declining films in a five-year period didn’t mean a worthy investment for another.
Netflix’s Narnia remake is an opportunity to adapt the entire C.S. Lewis series
Greta Gerwig Could Succeed Where Disney and Walden Failed
With Barbie director Greta Gerwig on board to develop Netflix’s first two Chronicles of Narnia films, the modern remakes may be the first films to adapt the entire series. Gerwig is without a doubt the most talented director involved with the title, and she could provide the C.S. Lewis adaptations with a definitive film version, on par with what Peter Jackson did for The Lord of the Rings. If she brings together the right cast and lays the groundwork for a full series, the public could eventually see The last battle play on screen.
Directing a series of seven films is an immense challenge, as they will need to maintain popularity over at least fifteen years.
It’s important to point out that Greta Gerwig is only on board to direct the first two films, and the state of the franchise after those two is far from determined. Directing a series of seven films is an immense challenge, as they will need to maintain popularity over at least fifteen years and succeed with the different visions of various filmmakers. Not to mention that Chronicles of Narnia The books don’t maintain a consistent cast of characters, so the films wouldn’t be as direct and fluid as the films. Harry Potter films. It will be a huge challenge, but it will be worth it for Netflix.