There's only one plausible way a Narnia prequel could work (and Netflix should commit to it)

Greta Gerwig has been confirmed to direct the first two films of Netflix's upcoming reboot of The Chronicles of Narnia franchise. However, not much is known about what the director and the studio intend to do with the different paths and opportunities that the project can take advantage of. There were rumors that the films would take place in chronological order rather than release order, which would be a significant divergence from the format of Disney's original films. However, a big change like this could be the element Netflix needs for the project to stand out.

Although nothing is confirmed, Jason Isaacs has hinted that Gerwig's relationship Narnia the film could be a prequel. This would mean that the first installment in the next Narnia franchise would have to adapt The magician's nephew. The penultimate book in the series, The magician's nephewit gives insight into the creation of Narnia and does not follow the Pevensies, who are the protagonists of many of the novels. It's possible that explaining the story of Narnia first could open the door to exciting narrative choices in later episodes, but it also poses some challenges for Gerwig and Netflix.

There's only one plausible way Netflix could make a movie about the magician's nephew

There are many more stories that Netflix should adapt after The Magician's Nephew

When it comes to fantasy movies and TV shows, Worldbuilding is a vital part of stories and is often poorly handled by writers and filmmakers. It's difficult to insert the context and necessary rules of the magic system into the narrative without it feeling like heavy exposition. On the one hand, adapt The magician's nephew it would first solve that problem and give Gerwig, or subsequent directors, the freedom to dedicate themselves to faithfully bringing the story to life. However, this would only work if The magician's nephew The prequel film is the first in a full adaptation of the entire series.

It would be interesting and unique to start the series a thousand years before the Pevensies arrived in Narnia, but it can't be the only film Netflix makes. All Chronicles of Narnia The book presents the public with a new facet of Narnia. While The magician's nephew It's rarely ranked as the best in the series, it's far from the weakest episode. However, there is something compelling about each story, and Netflix shouldn't ignore any of the installments. Using The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe how an independent film can work, but The magician's nephew I wouldn't do it.

A Chronicles of Narnia prequel makes no sense if Netflix doesn't adapt the rest

Each book in the CS Lewis series must come to life

It was a shame when the Disney adaptations of C.S. Lewis' seminal children's fantasy books that readers still love were discontinued after The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Seeing the Netflix project fall victim to the same fate would be a shame, especially considering the success and popularity other long-running book-to-screen franchises have found. It's hard to say whether Gerwig and Netflix are committed to the idea of ​​starting with prequels, but if they do, then the streamer must be equally committed to bringing the rest to life. Otherwise, the previous film will not make sense and will prevent Narniais success.

There are also questions as to whether the first film will adapt a book or be the start of a two-part adaptation that the second film concludes. Dividing stories into multiple parts has become more popular and common than ever, and it's true that The magician's nephew has a lot of ground to cover to establish the tradition of Narnia. No matter what book or format Gerwig and Netflix agree on, it will set a precedent for the remaining films and will be a deciding factor in how many novels come to life on screen.

Netflix must commit to bringing the entire Narnia series to life on screen

If Netflix agrees to this upfront, each installment will be better

It's frustrating that Netflix has only confirmed the first two films in the series, and audiences are well aware of how quickly Netflix will cancel TV shows that deserve more seasons. While the streamer has proven it will funnel money into fantasy universes like The wizard and Stranger Thingsthese performed strongly in service. It's likely that Netflix is ​​waiting to see how the first films fare with critics and audiences before signing on for more episodes. However, just doing prequels and never getting to the heart of the franchise would be disappointing.

Furthermore, the pressure to succeed and attract enough interest to justify the rest of the series is too much for any filmmaker, even Gerwig. The quality of the first two films in the franchise could be affected by this uncertainty. If the first film in The Chronicles of Narnia film series is The magician's nephew and Netflix hasn't yet committed to making all the installments, more time would need to be spent to turn the prequel into a story that makes sense on its own. This could prevent the series from getting off the ground before it even starts.