C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia is a classic fantasy series loved by readers of all ages. The most well-known book is The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, which tells the story of four siblings from England who discover the magical world of Narnia and battle the evil White Witch—a role famously portrayed by Tilda Swinton in the 2005 film. Two more books were adapted into movies—Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)—but the film series ended there, leaving many of the books untouched.
| Book Title | Year Published |
| The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe | 1950 |
| Prince Caspian | 1951 |
| The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | 1952 |
| The Silver Chair | 1953 |
| The Horse and His Boy | 1954 |
| The Magician’s Nephew | 1955 |
| The Last Battle | 1956 |
Why is she going out of order? The answer is simple.
‘The Magician’s Nephew’ Is the First Book in the Chronology of the Story
20th Century Studios
Adapting The Chronicles of Narnia into movies is challenging because the stories span a long time and the characters change. The first three books – The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – all feature at least some of the Pevensie siblings, who revisit Narnia and discover that time moves much faster there. However, the fourth book, The Silver Chair, focuses on their cousin Eustace and doesn’t include any of the Pevensies. And The Horse and His Boy is largely a separate adventure about a Narnian and his talking horse.
I love learning the backstory of Narnia! It all begins with The Magician’s Nephew, which shows how Narnia was originally created. It’s amazing because you meet a young Digory Kirke, who’s staying with his uncle – a bit of a dodgy magician, actually. This uncle finds a way to travel to other worlds and, well, sends Digory and his friend Polly on a bit of an adventure! They end up in this ruined place called Charn and meet this really powerful, but evil, woman named Jadis. Then you get to see Aslan create Narnia, and it explains how Jadis becomes the White Witch we know from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It even tells you how that magical wardrobe connects our world to Narnia – it’s all connected! It’s fascinating to see how everything started.
It’s logical that Greta Gerwig would choose to begin her series with The Magician’s Nephew. When telling a story, starting at the very beginning is often the best approach. Netflix plans to adapt all seven books in the series, and if they continue as they’ve started – following the books’ chronological order instead of their original publication order – here’s what the adaptation schedule will likely look like:
| Book Title | Year in Narnia |
| The Magician’s Nephew | |
| The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe | 1000 |
| The Horse and His Boy | 1014 |
| Prince Caspian | 2303 |
| The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | 2306 |
| The Silver Chair | 2356 |
| The Last Battle | 2555 |
However, it’s not certain that Netflix and Greta Gerwig will be able to adapt all of the books. The success of the first movie – and how many viewers it attracts – will likely play a big role, but early signs are positive.
‘The Magician’s Nephew’ Could Be the Start of Something Big
20th Century Studios
Okay, Narnia fans, get ready! I just learned that The Magician’s Nephew is hitting the big screen in IMAX for a short time over Thanksgiving 2026, which is fantastic news. Then, on Christmas Day, it’ll be available to stream on Netflix. And the cast? It’s looking really good. David McKenna will be playing Digory Kirke, with Beatrice Campbell as Polly Plummer. But the biggest news for me? Daniel Craig is taking on the role of Digory’s Uncle Andrew, and Emma Mackey will be playing the villainous Jadis. I’m already excited to see how this all plays out!
Greta Gerwig is a remarkably talented director, known for her attention to detail. She excels at both intimate character studies, like Lady Bird, and big-budget films like Barbie. Her upcoming Narnia movies will likely blend these strengths. Gerwig also has a knack for adapting novels to the screen; many consider Little Women her best work, suggesting she thrives when working with compelling source material.
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I’m really excited about how Greta Gerwig is tackling this story, because it’s clear she’s a huge fan of The Chronicles of Narnia – she grew up loving the books! She actually admitted she was a little scared to take on the project, telling BBC Radio 4 that she has a deep respect for both Narnia and C.S. Lewis himself. She said she feels intimidated, but in a good way – like it’s a story truly worth being careful with.
Everything looks promising for a truly great movie, and now we just need to be patient. While Netflix hasn’t shared any official photos yet, fans can get a sneak peek through pictures taken on the set.
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2026-01-21 15:35