The Slow Death of The Chronicles of Narnia Franchise

[@captainmidnight]

Do you miss the Narnia movies? Get Nebula and CuriosityStream here: curiositystream.com/captainmidnight Get both for less than $15 a YEAR

[@joshshak]

Love ur vids man

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

Yes

[@Flome810]

Not really but make more avatar videos

[@Letsgochamp-kh4wm]

I do 😔

[@katherinealvarez9216]

Uh... not really. I enjoyed the first one, loved the soundtrack and the actors but no.

[@Thetarget1]

When you look at the original Narnia movie it seems like a fairly recent movie, but when you see the graphics for the game you realise just how long ago it was...

[@nefwaenre]

Na, the prince Caspian game was very well done.

[@Trylena]

@@nefwaenre Not at today´s standars. Gaming has change a lot.

[@apfelkuchen4399]

Is the King of Narnia game worth playing?

[@mladen7641]

@@Trylena Man the standards between 23 and 22 hours changed so much.

[@markmessi9020]

@@Trylena this coming from someone who most likely praises undertale

[@Niinque]

I was about Lucy’s age when I watched the first Narnia movie. The idea that a wardrobe could lead you to a magical world where you could befriend fantasy creatures, fight battles and become a queen was so amazing and magical to me. There is no other movie that makes me feel the same kind of ~longing~. Also, I think the film’s music score is really underrated. It invokes a perfect mixture of wonder, nostalgia and otherworld-ness

[@Shadowangel615]

I was around her age as well, that was my favorite movie of all time tied with Robocop. My favorite scene especially being the start of the final battle, I loved the powerful, epic music that played as the camera panned over the army of brave men, women, and beast men ready to fight with bravery before we get a shot of the White Witch and her army rising over the horizon with shadows cast over their faces as the music quickly changes to something dark.

[@KennethSee]

"If I have a longing that nothing in this world can satisfy, then it stands to reason that I was made for another world." - Clive Staples Lewis

[@crimsonshadowx6]

i saw the first movie on the day it came to theaters it also came out on my bday that was a good day

[@PopOutJC]

same i was 1 year older than lucy, i would check the back of closets, just in case 😂

[@MaskedMan66]

@@KennethSee He wasn't talking about fantasy realms. ;-)

[@Guigley]

Tilda Swinton was such a great piece of casting as the Witch. She is genuinely intimidating.

[@rotemg7330]

unfortunately, Tilda Swinton's awesome performance was the only good thing in this movie. as a devoted fan of the Narnia books, i was so disappointed by the first movie (didn't even see the rest): the writing was awful, most of the text and dialogues from the original book were dropped, replaced by dramatic music and bad acting, so the rationale behind the behavior of the characters is totally flattened. the invented stuff, like the opening scene, was completely redundant. unlike the Lord Of The Ring books, and the harry Potter books, the Narnia books were actually short enough to make a medium-length movie for each one without having to lose anything from the original story. but they chose to do it anyway, adding stuff that contributed nothing to the story, while removing stuff that could have. and why did they replace Jaddis's black hair with blonde rasta? that was also annoying. lucky Tilda saved the character. and lucky they kept the "despair and die" speech from the original book (i cried when i first read this scene as a child). but it was no surprise that the series was so weak. they wrote it neither-here-nor-there.

[@Zero8880]

I like to imagine Tilda Swinton's "Witch" being similar to what Cate Blanchett's "Galadriel", had she taken the ring from Frodo.

[@gsimon123]

The other movies were lacking without her as such a great villain.

[@gv5884]

Exactly. Tilda Swinton isn't the type of woman I would particularly call pretty, but she's so beautiful as the White Witch, in a intimidating and inhuman way.

[@Guigley]

@@Zero8880 That's an interesting thought. I can totally imagine it.

[@rugger347]

I think it worth mentioning that Disney also messed up badly with the Percy Jackson series. Which to me had the ability to be Harry Potter-esque as the source material did center around the same characters, was a more modern fantasy story, etc . Live-action fantasy just doesn’t seem to be what Disney is good at.

[@joeyjerry1586]

What does Disney have to do with the Percy Jackson movies? 20th Century Fox was the studio that made those movies

[@Oturan20]

@@joeyjerry1586 They own the company that published the books.

[@MontySlython]

to be fair percy jackson wasnt that great a book series anyway, but it definitely had far more heart and character than the movies portrayed

[@diegoxavier9107]

@@MontySlython Percy Jackson was charming and funny. Though it was clearly inspired by Harry Potter, it had a very unique sense of humor and taught kids mythology in a cool, easy-to-access way. In terms of story and character, yeah, it wasn't anything special. A lot of repetitive hashes of the same conflicts. As the books progressed (and as entirely new series were published), you could tell Riordan didn't know how to write much beyond cut-and-dry adolescent melodrama

[@MontySlython]

@@diegoxavier9107 yup, the writing still had far more personality and uniqueness than the movies tri3d to show

[@ReeKii]

but no one can take away the fact that Aslan and the white witch were so perfectly played in the movies. they're just so iconic.

[@MegaMesozoic]

Never known Tilda Swinton to give a less-than-perfect performance!

[@arklados3596]

@@MegaMesozoic damn straight. She’s a legend.

[@MaskedMan66]

They were both watered down. The best performances as those characters was Stephen Thorne as Aslan in the animated LWW and the BBC Radio series of the Chronicles, and Rosemary Martin as Jadis in the latter.

[@JohnDarksoul69]

the first movie is fun to watch overall mostly because of their performances imo.

[@davidmaloba8309]

The classic of our era

[@boyesjoe-joe5587]

The irony is that the books are the perfect length for film adaptations, unlike Harry Potter and LoTR

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

Exactly

[@melodyclark1944]

There aren't enough books that are the perfect length for film adaptations.

[@sharpaycutie2]

Yea. Ther a kot enough time for a HP movie. Thats why a series isn't a bad idea. You cans queen all the details and have it long lasting

[@willmungas8964]

It really sucks that The Black Cauldron failed with Disney, because the Prydain series are all literally PERFECT movie-length

[@dustinakadustin]

Most of the key points make it into the Lord of The Rings films. Stuff that gets left out is good but not super important. Like the sacking of the shire doesn't really add anything to the story but it's an interesting event that happened. So it can be cut and the story doesn't change at all.

[@platypusbunneh]

This cgi lion (Aslan) is better than any single shot in the live-action "Lion King" could ever be.

[@justifiable]

not quite as realistic, but still Way better for it

[@ishaanwankhade4834]

At least you know what the lion is feeling. There was literally NO EXPRESSION on the Lion King Remake lions

[@noobmasterruben5167]

yeah everyone said that when Lion King came out

[@har5814]

Aslan is better than any live action animals in Lion King

[@joaomartins9800]

@@justifiable i think that's quite the point. Aslam not being a realistic lion ended up being a advantage because we can see his emotions due to his human like expressions and characteristics. Meanwhile, "the lion king"'s lions look like animals who are just opening and closing their mouths.

[@kurisari1937]

The first Narnia movie was too “complete” for me personally. An amazing stand-alone film, great story and actors and cinematography. I never read the books- don’t stone me- so as a child, I could only ever see the film as one whole tale. Had you told me there are more novels, I wouldn’t have expected it.

[@sackthebastard]

Well that’s what the guy in the video says and part of the reason the series failed. The books all feel like complete stories rather than a continuous series.

[@MankindFails]

It tried, I really did... but I'll have to stone you, sorry.

[@ANIMAL.LOVERS.DONT.EAT.ANIMALS]

@@sackthebastard i actually disagree slightly- the FIRST book felt like an absolutely perfect genius standalone story about not letting suave adults bamboozle you with flattery before fucking you up with sexist narcissistic egotistical bullshit that they'll use to trespass your boundaries. the entire rest of the series felt like some very conflated linked story about kids being really euphoric about killing nonhumans and being "wholesome" kings and queens and honor and war, interwoven with stories that felt like some kind of historical metaphor that was too boring for me to sit through. I feel like they really should have made a movie about the FIRST book and not the second. It gave such an odd air of nonclosure- a story that you dont get to see the beginning of, and dont get to see the ending of, with this unconscious understanding that the full story is locked behind a huge library of tedium. You dont want to start at the first book because then youll be doing it out of order, but you dont want to just continue off from the middle because it feels wrong.

[@beelzemobabbity]

I was kind of surprised when I decided to read the books in school. Because it had so much more when i thought the story ended with the movie lol

[@S.h-comma.to.the.top-Dynasty]

*ignores request. picks up stone

[@ZekeFreek]

It feels like Disney should've actually finished reading the books before making this commitment lol

[@littledrummergirl_19]

YES

[@NotSomeone68]

Yeah, I wanna see A Horse and his Boy. That would be interesting.

[@huey6248]

the film is a pretty faithful adaptation imo

[@NobodyC13]

Wish they did the Magician's Nephew because they had an opportunity to bring back Jadis, but just for the scene in the Garden and the imagery of the silver apple.

[@Сайтамен]

"We had no source material" - Kathleen Kennedy.

[@crimson_sky]

The people aren’t the main characters of Narnia, Narnia is the main Character

[@nassifguiling4922]

Yup but that wouldn't translate well onto screen. Casuals would obviously get attached at the Pevensie children, knew a lot of people that didn't watch the 3rd since Peter and Susan were out of it

[@mat5473]

@@nassifguiling4922 It could have worked on screen if they had approached it from that direction from the start with a visionary director/franchise runner who knew he was telling the story of Narnia. Had they done it right, and emphasized the "Anthology" style nature of Chronicles of Narnia, then it could have worked IMO.

[@Elethyl]

@@nassifguiling4922 Actually, this is wrong. They could make it like Black Mirror, no episodes are connected to one another, yet it gives you the feeling that it is black mirror. This is how it is supposed to be about Narnia, I think.

[@CrossRoadsOfTime]

@@mat5473 I think your right there, plus had they kept the focus on the real main characters instead of trying to keep the same set from last time as the main characters it would of worked a lot better.

[@MaskedMan66]

According to Lewis, children are the heroes of Narnia. Which was why Caspian was so horrendously miscast.

[@thermalreboot]

My favorite line of Dawn Treader is "“There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”

[@niewesoa5299]

It was a good line.

[@kagura7107]

I remember this, thank you for putting into recall what otherwise would've been lost forever into obscurity. :^)

[@naomikriege1955]

"There once was a boy called Eustace, who read books full of facts that were useless" aka one of the best lines from that movie

[@Ryan-nm8pw]

@That Ninja Where do you think he got the inspiration from?

[@Nukestarmaster]

Dawn Treader was my favourite Narnia book because of dragon. The thing I never could figure out is why it was called a 'curse'.

[@justcody4615]

How many Edmunds read Edmund's story, and came away from it never wanting to be an Edmund? One of the best character arcs in children's fiction.

[@JumpdeArt]

Much agreed!

[@AJC508]

There days, vanishing numbers. Nobody reads, nor spells correctly anymore. The number of books I read as a teen is probably 10x what my children have.

[@JumpdeArt]

@@AJC508 I wouldn’t be that discouraged. Books aren’t going anywhere, even if kids digest more media through the internet nowadays

[@timesnewlogan2032]

@@AJC508 "Nobody reads, nor spells correctly anymore." Might wanna check the first word in your comment, buddy.

[@MSgt_0699]

Imagine how the Karens feel.

[@limitlessbianca]

Due to the recent "live action" version of Lion King, I'm surprised Disney made such "lifeless" lions. Aslan felt so real and alive, even by today's CG standard! I absolutely love Narnia and I always waited for the sequels. I think now I can only hope that a studio will pick it up and do it properly, even if it means waiting for many years (then I also hope I'll still be alive hahah).

[@edgolub]

Now that you mention it, Aslan really was a way better lion then the ones in Lion King.

[@TheAkwarium]

Aslan was a stylized lion, he wasn't supposed to act or move like a real life lion whereas the lion's in the Lion King do.

[@limitlessbianca]

​@@TheAkwarium while real lions can't be as 'expressive' as the animation, Lion King is still a movie created by animators. It's a fiction movie, not a real life documentary. I'm not saying The Lion King was bad. However, for a studio with 'unlimited' talented animators, I believe it's more than possible to create lively and expressive lions like Aslan.

[@TheAkwarium]

@@limitlessbianca they obviously weren't going for that kind of lion and more for actual realistic lions. If they did they would have made ones more like Aslan, that wasn't their goal apparently. Also idk why people say the lions in the Lion King movie aren't expressive, because they are. Anyone who's watched enough nature documentaries will tell you that

[@buttsmcgee50]

Netflix is making a series.

[@BlueBoboDoo100]

Not to nitpick too much, but Edmund isn't an allegory for Judas. He's meant to represent all of humanity needing to be redeemed.

[@chrisdoe2659]

Maybe it's just because his betrayal/sin involves eating food, I always saw him as an Adam+Eve type of parallel.

[@TheBricknell]

I was thinking the same thing. The basic requirements for a Judas parallel is being close to the Jesus of the story before betraying him. Obviously Edmund didn't even hear about him until he met the Beavers. He is the reason Aslan goes to the Stone Table but not for the same reasons as with Judas. Judas sold Jesus out and had him arrested. Edmund did no such thing. Instead, Aslan chooses to go in order to "buy" Edmund from the White Witch as the "Deep Magic," or whatever, required. So yeah, that's a lot more like Jesus dying to redeem humanity. In fact, it's basically the Ransom theory of atonement found in Christian Theology, where Jesus's death paid the price for our lives, usually to the devil. It's just an error on @captainmidnight 's part. It doesn't affect his main points so I guess it is nitpicking in this case.

[@beccag2758]

I agree I don’t think Edmund is supposed to be Judas allegory, he’s just another person who needs saving. Also Lewis himself said Narnia is supposal not allegory, which is another argument to Edmund not being Judas

[@ellynsoup4724]

Thank you!!!

[@LordHoth_90]

Exactly, Edmund represented humanity and our sin and Aslan represented Jesus. The scene of Aslan taking Edmund’s place as a sacrifice on the Stone Table was literally Jesus sacrificing himself on the cross so that we can be saved. I always loved the fact that Lewis took parts of Bible and made a completely compelling story from the beginning of the world (The Magician’s Nephew) to the end of our world and the beginning of the new (The Last Battle).

[@gskyon]

Disney was unhappy that two of the biggest franchises at the time didn't belong to them, and when they failed to make a sucessful movie to follow the ongoing trend they learned their lesson, and proceeded to buy every single pop culture company, franchise, copyrights and studios known to man. You can't be left out of a trend if you own all the trends.

[@DS-mi9ru]

Disney is the colonial British Empire of movie studio's. They buy and take every property they find, milk it for money and leave it in the gutter to waste, when the profits start to dwindle.

[@lars9925]

​@@DS-mi9ru You are right about Disney, but wrong about the British Empire. They did invest in their colonies

[@JamesSavik]

Disney has become the East India company of our dreams. Like the East India Company, they pollute it all with avarice and will fail.

[@Teemo6544]

what were the biggest franchises that did not belong to them? Harry Potter and LOTR?

[@richardgurney1844]

@@Teemo6544 Yes As mentioned in the video

[@davfree9732]

If Narnia ever wants to be a full fledged series... They have to start with 'The Magician's Nephew' and tell the creation story of Narnia... But they never will because The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is too iconic compared to a boy and girl with magic rings who jump into puddles and travel to other worlds.

[@MaskedMan66]

All the Narnia stories are iconic, and the Wood Between the Worlds is full of ponds, not "puddles."

[@louspowels7120]

@@MaskedMan66 context nazi

[@xaidanx64]

youre fun@@MaskedMan66

[@disneyfan_1237]

Yes he is fun 😊

[@katherineneville5304]

I would film LWW and Nephew at the same time... Release LWW first (Xmas) and Nephew in the summer. Then the rest of the books in order. LWW kids would probably age up quick enough to play themselves in Horse&Boy as young adults. Not sure I'd even bother with Last Battle, but it should probably be an Easter release

[@tillyt4054]

The children might seem “ stiff and bland “ to Americans but to me as a Brit , they were perfect tbh , Bare in mind they were playing Middle-class children from England in the 1940’s ......of course they were more reserved and “ stiff” than modern day children

[@eceheceheceh]

i agree

[@samuelzuleger5134]

Agreed...and I'm American.

[@gracekim1998]

yeah

[@punbug4721]

Fair

[@urekmazino6800]

I remember as a child I watched this in play form. And those kids weren't stiff as the movie actors.

[@Wraiths_and_Wreckage]

C.S. Lewis didn't like Disney. He would be perfectly fine with his books remaining books.

[@whitedragoness23]

Some books should be left alone with beloved memories and not for profit

[@AN474-e1o]

Peter Pan and Winnie the Poo were two other beloved children's stories that that got Disnified that probably should have stayed books.

[@gracekim1998]

@@AN474-e1o why?

[@hunterolaughlin]

That’s probably a major reason why the books couldn’t be adapted back when they were first published. I can imagine C.S. Lewis wouldn’t want Walt Disney adapting his books back then because of loosely adapted the Disney animated films were compared to their original source material. He’d think Walt would downplay the Christian aspect of the books and emphasize more on the fantasy elements. So you’re right about how Lewis would have felt regarding adapting his books back when they were new.

[@Archonsx]

@@AN474-e1o Peter Pan story has been improved so much in once upon a time and in the old movie, you’re a fool for saying otherwise.

[@chadhill8776]

They didn’t need a “reboot.” They needed commitment! They needed vision! They needed passion for the source material - instead of trying to rework it to fit their own foolish suppositions (like bringing Peter and Susan into the third story that didn’t even involve them!!!) . . . But they didn’t have any of that. *They* failed the audience. It was a foreshadowing of the demise of virtually every franchise out there!

[@samuelzuleger5134]

Totally agreed! If you slap a franchise name onto a project, that project better stick to the franchise. If you are going to write a new story or make major changes to the existing story, then just give it a new name. My family and I didn't go to the Narnia movies to see a PG LOTR, or a Harry Potter alternative. We went to see NARNIA on the big screen! For example, our passion kind of faltered with the Susan-Prince Caspian thing...especially when considering Susan's perspective on romance that is mentioned in "The Horse and his Boy."

[@dominiquenotyourbusiness5836]

The problem is these books as a series don't really translate that well onto movie. Especially the more meditative, narrative ones which are way less conflict and character driven. I know that everyone loves to talk about the christian allegories but apart from that Narnia's main hero... is Narnia itself. The land is the main hero. And that's something that is extremely tough to show on film, especially spanning over at least 7 movies

[@subjectnivleis7572]

Still makes me sad we never saw a magicians nephew movie

[@AChungusAmongUs]

@@dinorocks4887 LOTR started out incredible but it seemed like Jackson got a little more drunk on success with each movie. Each one strayed a little further from the source material and indulged more and more in over-the-top glamor shots and action scenes, corny humor and scenes or entire side plots that had no basis in the books. The Hobbit was my favorite Tolkien book, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed in the latter trilogy.

[@encycl07pedia-]

@@dinorocks4887 LOTR was good. The Hobbit films (first one, anyway) were not, if only for the fact that they split a book thinner than every LOTR book into 3 parts. Super greedy, super sketchy. I saw the first Hobbit movie and none of the rest. Fool me once, shame on you. The Hobbit Part 1 doesn't resolve the plot and uses a ton of filler. You can get away with that kind of stuff in a book, not in a movie. Even the LOTR movies, while being part of a larger narrative, had better self-containment.

[@jp3813]

Pirates of the Caribbean was already Disney's most successful live action fantasy franchise of the 2000s. They just thought that they could pull off two of them side-by-side.

[@theojjuiceisloose]

its fantasy???

[@jp3813]

@@theojjuiceisloose Think of the villains' abilities.

[@99Plastics]

@@theojjuiceisloose No, an under crew of a magical ship with magical properties, a magical compass, and mermaids are in fact not fantasy at all.

[@theojjuiceisloose]

@@99Plastics mmmmm i love when its hard to tell whats sarcasm over text :(

[@thecasul1524]

​@@theojjuiceisloose They are. It's just that the magic is usually used by the villains (Barbossa, Davy Jones, Salazar), who have less screentime than the heroes, but there is plenty of magic in PotC

[@kayday6598]

"The horse and his boy" as well as "The magician's nephew" would have been great as stand alone movies

[@dan4lau]

I agree. However The Horse and his Boy... which I absolutely adore by the way, might be kind of controversial today. Calaumen is basically a mirror of the Ottaman Empire... or at least it's all very turkish. So you've got black baddies and white goodies, with the single exception of Aravis. I can see that raising a lot of hackles. You could change the imagery I suppose, but you'd end up by upsetting somebody because the Calaumens are just people and would have to look racially different from the Narnians, otherwise it wouldn't be obvious that Shasta was "one of those beautiful barbarians".

[@cally77777]

@@dan4lau Turks aren't usually of black ethnicity, as it happens (they're believed to originate in central Asia). However the Calormenes were black, to my recall. It does come across as a bit racist from a modern perspective, not to mention Islamophobic (Tash=Devil worshippers!) I guess though a modern film could have made the most of the positives, such as Aravis being 'good' and a main character. Also I recall some of the other Calormenes had a concept of honour. At any rate, there's a 'good' Calormene in the Last Battle, who gets into 'heaven'.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I do wish that they would start with the Magician's Nephew just because it doesn't get much love and is the first chronologically.

[@ftheweebs6799]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade yup, If Fox want to make a reboot Magician Nephew will be the perfect start

[@yovtobe]

@@ftheweebs6799 I've never liked the weird order of when they went chronologically - the series works better in its original order

[@NateMulder]

Re: Narnia being shot in NZ, it's worth noting it wasn't just to copy Peter Jackson, Andrew Adamson is also a kiwi, so he was shooting in his home country too.

[@joaomarcos2089]

@@bullymaguire9987 give him rent

[@philipvalenti6464]

This is free country not rent free county

[@tropicalcatdetective]

Filming in New Zealand also meant that Weta Workshop was available to the production for all their set building, costuming, amour and weaponry which they had become proficient in creating after Lord of the Rings.

[@candasmith]

I'm a banana, I filmed in New Guinea.

[@EternalDensity]

But Peter Jackson was born there first.

[@KatieLHall-fy1hw]

They should reboot with “The Magician’s Nephew” or “The Horse and his boy” would work fine. Have “the silver chair” be the weird 3rd one and then get the original kids back for the finale

[@juliane5632]

Would glad to but some of the cast like skandar keynes stopped after like 2010. So might as well find a bigger shot casts that has personality somehow

[@raphl8026]

Horse and his boy would be Amazing

[@madelinevance8954]

The Horse and his Boy was my favorite book I think, just because it is so vastly different from the other books. But I think The Magician’s Nephew would translate pretty decently to screen.

[@Boogiewalker]

I love A Horse and His Boy... But let's be honest: that's one movie that no studio is going to touch with a two-hundred-foot pole in this current woke climate. Seriously, any depiction of Calormen and/or the Calormenes that's true to the book will have the accusations of both Islamophobia and cultural appropriation (and most likely racism too because it's the current year) flying at the studio's executives and creatives. It's such a bummer because it's such a good story. The Last Battle also would be epic, but also not made due to wokeness wrong-think. The Silver Chair really is kind of a head-scratcher though. Tough book to adapt. Why didn't they do The Magician's Nephew instead?

[@ViolentRainbow]

The silver chair is the best book by far

[@neochris2]

I wish they'd do The Horse and His Boy. It's the 5th book of Narnia (and second chronologically) and has completely different characters so no need to keep the same cast. But it was always my favorite Narnia book. I loved the setting, I loved the characters, I loved how it was a self-contained adventure. It wouldn't be problematic at all to make that movie.

[@Sad-Lesbian]

It baffles me that they did The Silver Chair as the reboot instead. The Horse and His Boy would have been THE book to use as a reboot.

[@KeybladeMasterAndy]

@@Sad-Lesbian Apparently, publishing order takes precedence over chronology.

[@jjthekhanman2876]

That was my favorite book too

[@rtyria]

I would have loved that too.

[@milkwalkerjones633]

Horse and His Boy and Magician's Nephew were the ones that would be absolutely wild on screen.

[@RachelASmith697]

I think The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe would have been a good stand-alone movie.

[@morgant.dulaman8733]

Here's how I think they could have done it: 1. Make the Magicians Nephew, and use the Professor to tie in and lead into the next movie in the series. 2. Make the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe as before. 3. Make the Horse and His Boy, but advertise it as a spinoff from when the Kids were in Narnia. 4. Prince Caspian, but have the kids serve as mentor characters to Caspian when they meet him, and let the more human conflict focus on Caspian dealing with the tyranny his people were committing, the bloodshed in the war, and how this makes him grow from a naive kid to someone who intends to be a good king to all Narnians. 5. Make the Voyage of the Dawn Treader...But as a mini-series, not a standalone movie. This would accommodate the more episodic nature and allow the characters to grow more. 6. Silver Chair: Again, mini-series, since this one is also kind of episodic. 7. Last Battle: make it a movie. Throughout it all, leave hints that lead into the finale, with bits in the THAHB hinting that Tash is real, or that there's some power beyond just the White Witch with all the evil in the world. Make Calorman feel like a real empire that poses a constant threat to the people of Narnia throughout all the parts of this series, and to how everything will come to an end with the falling stars, father time, and all the rest.

[@RachelASmith697]

@@morgant.dulaman8733 Hmm, I never thought of that before.

[@morgant.dulaman8733]

@@RachelASmith697 Being somewhat insane helps me think outside the box. On a more serious note, I wonder how many movies would have been better received if they were presented via a different medium, and the process that goes into deciding what medium should be used to tell a story.

[@safi135]

@@morgant.dulaman8733 disney shouldve hired you 21 years ago

[@morgant.dulaman8733]

@@safi135 Considering I was a toddler around that time, I don't know if I could have been the best advisor.

[@dylanbusby7851]

Anyone thats watched Prince Caspian as a kid can vividly remember the badass minotaur holding up the gate at the castle Edit: Clearly everyone did remember this scene

[@BigTBrook34]

I imitated him when I lifted up my garage yesterday 😂

[@evbbjones7]

Minotaur* I hate being that guy, but it's such a badass word. Might as well get it right. ;)

[@dylanbusby7851]

@@evbbjones7 I spent at least 5 straight minutes trying to figure it out before just misspelling it

[@Inframan-6767]

That Minotaur was the Real Hero of the movie.

[@dylanbusby7851]

@@Inframan-6767 literally holding up the whole film

[@crowbar_the_rogue]

The chronicles of Narnia isn't a franchise, they're, well, chronicles.

[@abishaipaul2298]

Someone understands

[@bemotivated8443]

A man of culture

[@thiccspidey2127]

YES

[@rubenzavala2084]

Thank u

[@caramelcandys]

Wizdum

[@majormonochrome8529]

That kid from Dawntreader is the child actor I'm probably most impressed with. I really liked him as the more-or-less antagonist of Maze Runner. He makes me hate him as a villain and I love him as a hero. Good range from someone so young.

[@MaskedMan66]

If you're talking about Eustace, he was not a villain, just, in Edmund's words, "an ass."

[@mersault509]

And to be fair he is an A list actor now compared to the rest of the cast, his acting truly has ranges despite being side characters for so long. He glows up, so I hope he receives more lead character:)

[@MaskedMan66]

@@mersault509 Actors from the UK generally don't care what list they're on; they just like to work. Where in the USA, T.V. actors who make it big in movies seldom return to television, in the UK, they go back all the time, because it's their job.

[@lmads8023]

​@@MaskedMan66also you'd find big British actors would even do stints on acting in the theatre even during their peaks of fame

[@MaskedMan66]

@@lmads8023 Exactly; that's where their roots are.

[@loganhurley5590]

On a very tangent note, the "Edmund as Judas" analysis of the tLWatW's allegory always has irritated me. Edmund isn't Judas, he gets redeemed. Edmund is CS Lewis and every sinning human who needs their betrayal covered over by another.

[@axezero1753]

so he's more Simon Peter, then Judas.

[@elizabethashley42]

@@axezero1753 No, he's representative of humanity as a whole, not someone who was a close friend of Jesus and then denied him

[@GiulianaBruna]

Aslan sacrifices himself to save Edmunds. Jesus sacrifices himself for humanity.

[@jeremyheartriter2.063]

I always assumed he repressented Judas. I think people have their own opinion.

[@longforgotten4823]

Remember that betrayal is a type of sin in mid evil thinking. It is just one type of sin which is why Edmond being the representation of all of humanity is a much better representation. The candy consumption is a symbol of a type of passion, giving the white witch the location of Aslan is a symbol of a deeper sinful action which is giving up creation itself, redemption on the table is for not just humanity but the world becoming right again. A lot of folks not knowing these medieval distinctions will simply see the betrayal of Judas storyline. But that is why Edmond is the every man.

[@_Eunoia_]

The Silver Chair would've been an EPIC movie. A stolen prince, an evil enchantress, man-eating giants, an entire hidden civilisation beneath the ruins of an ancient kingdom - what's not to love? If Disney had allowed it to be filmed while Eustace's actor was still young enough to fit the part, it would've been PERFECT, because he did a fantastic job in Dawn Treader.

[@kosikumah7249]

I read the books way back in the late 1970s when I was in a British army primary school in Germany. My favorite aside from Prince Caspian was always The Silver Chair and The Horse and his Boy.

[@ophanimangel3143]

No to Disney. They suck at fantasy adaptations. If WB could've picked this up, we wouldn't have the much sanitised Narnia we got. Disney is all about their brand so they often sacrifice story or themes over whether it complies with their brand. Look at how they've butchered A Wrinkle in Time. The book was way darker than what was portrayed in the film adaptation...it felt even a bit sci fi fantasy dystopia in bits but sure it got "Disneyfied" for the sake that it should appeal to audiences younger than what the book even originally intended to target at.

[@mikenash7049]

@@ophanimangel3143 At the same time, the Narnia books are children's books, not young adult books. The main thing I didn't like with the film of Prince Caspian is that they tried to make it a YA film.

[@brendadotter4433]

@@mikenash7049 I heard Ben Barnes say in an interview that he & Anna Popplewell weren't entirely in favor of injecting that "romance" into the movie ("Prince Caspian"). They felt like it distracted from the main story arc. Ben also said that much of the "romance" was only on the Extras on the DVD.

[@wraith2939]

Totally agree, tho it’s Fox who gave up. Disney already did after Prince Caspian. My favorite will always be The Horse and His Boy. This could have been the reboot they’ve been hoping for. It’s a completely different Story, much like The Magician’s Nephew. I feel like Narnia 1-4 should have been shot in a row, then do the 2 spinoffs and finally, today they would be filming thé Last Battle with the original cast being older and coming back for the conclusion of this franchise

[@thomasfalzone9619]

For a split second I thought you said the movie was “directed by Shrek.”

[@bonefetcherbrimley7740]

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY SET?!"-Shrek in an alternate universe when directing this movie.

[@adrianortega1431]

I low-key want to see Donkey play Aslan, ngl.

[@ijimenez1951]

@@adrianortega1431 *Flashbacks to the Last Book*

[@grant9589]

So that's why the franchise is all Ogre now...

[@mr.mischiefiknowyourpasswo8224]

*SOME BODY* once told me the wardrobe is gonna roll me.

[@afarensis9720]

I'm so sad that The Silver Chair never got a chance to take off. It was defs one of my favourites from the series, the Lady of the Green Kirtle was such an interesting villain with a lot of potential, and there was some amazing worldbuilding throughout the book. We got to see the rougher, more dangerous parts of Narnia, with the human-eating giants in the North, and the giant underground city. Plus it wrapped up Caspian's story in a great (albeit sad) way. If they were thinking of rebooting the franchise, another great place to start would be the Magician's Nephew. It's another great story with a lot of potential, not to mention bringing back the iconic Jadis as the villain

[@MaskedMan66]

Did you see the T.V. version of SC? It was very well done and featured Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor Who, as Puddleglum.

[@Valihir]

There's a theory that the lady of the green kirtle is also jades In the bbc versions they are played by the same actress thought that dosnt necessarily mean much

[@MaskedMan66]

@@Valihir Jadis was killed by Aslan. He doesn't leave jobs unfinished. ;-) And yes, Barbara Kellerman played the White Witch, the Hag, and the Queen of Underland in the BBC TV miniseries. An economical move, no doubt (the same actor, Martin Stone, played both Maugrim and the Werewolf, and Big Mick played both the White Witch's driver and Trumpkin), but I think she was miscast as the latter. The Lady of the Green Kirtle seemed to me when reading the book to be a young, sweet-faced girl who barely seemed out of her teens and with a soft, melodious voice.

[@heyyou9267]

The one thing that dawn tredder got right was the casting of Eustace. He's exactly what I pictured when reading the book

[@melisaavila2780]

Saaaaame

[@calvinsbeard7423]

"There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."

[@zachanikwano]

For real! First time I ever saw an actor and was like, “He’s perfection.”

[@hunterolaughlin]

Calvin's Beard Lol. Eustace was the earliest Scrappy before Scrappy-Doo even existed. Although, Eustace did change when he turned into a dragon and became more tolerable and likable in his debut book and the next 2 books after. So he wasn’t entirely a Scrappy.

[@JayTohab]

YES

[@Esotericgrrrlie]

The first movie, in my opinion, is one of the best disney movies ever

[@MaskedMan66]

That doesn't say much for Disney movies.

[@yusufgazi7]

Aladdin (original) is

[@hannahrosereviews5073]

Oh same!

[@soseikiharagatatsu7859]

There's something about the first Narnia movie that we can't help but love it because we enjoy it as a kid

[@MaskedMan66]

@@soseikiharagatatsu7859 I was an adult when I first saw it, and I couldn't stand it. I also think a child who had read the book would be watching the movie and thinking, "What the heck is this crud here?"

[@SippingVino]

I’m sorry but no one can take away the power I felt when I saw Aslan as a kid. He strengthened my love for lions and that’s when I knew they would be my favorite animal for life.

[@hennaA26]

Sameeeee

[@nicoleashley3906]

Oh my god I was crawling on the floor pretending to be Aslan all the time

[@lynxvex]

I too ended up worshiping Lions religiously... Thanks, CS Lewis!

[@MaskedMan66]

@@lynxvex He would not be glad to know that.

[@MaskedMan66]

@A Dead Channel What?

[@arizonaphied5427]

I fully recognize that it's not actually that great but Prince Caspian is still one of my favorite movies of all time. It's so nostalgic for me to watch and I had a devastating crush on Ben Barnes and still do 🤣

[@jnnfrr24]

I used to have a crush on Ben Barnes when i saw him as Prince Caspian, also i agree the sequel ain’t great & doesn’t hold a candle to its predecessor but it’s nostalgia more than anything because it’s the 2nd movie i ever saw in the theatre as a child.

[@saida7320]

THIS! he was the first movie character i remember PROPERLY crushing on and i’ve never forgotten him since. both the first and second narnia films are extremely nostalgic for me; the third, not so much. i loved eustace, but i remember desperately wanting to watch dawn treader in cinemas and never getting the chance to see it until it came out on dvd- it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

[@RTU130]

Hmm

[@wispy3171]

Oh you should see Dorian gray lol

[@99Plastics]

Would rather shit out a razor blade and wipe with hot sauce than ever watch that movie again.

[@Chidsuey]

"How can we make this just like all the others" is the death of every adaptation.

[@ARCtheCartoonMaster]

As an up-and-coming creator, I always worry whenever I notice unintentional similarities in my stories and characters to others that have been done before, and that I might be accused of intentionally stealing from those other stories. I'm always trying to work out how I can make my works different from those before.

[@Chidsuey]

@@ARCtheCartoonMaster There is a saying that "Good creators borrow. Great creators steal". Tolkien was heavily influenced by English Folklore. Martin by the War of the Roses. Remember your intentions are noble, so don't let yourself get bogged down in avoiding copying someone else. It's basically impossible to completely reinvent the wheel. Good luck to you. 😁

[@LeonAvalos]

* cough * The Hobbit trilogy we're looking at you * cough *

[@carso1500]

@@ARCtheCartoonMaster everything has already been invented, the only thing left is your own spin, your own personal touch that no one can reproduce

[@MaskedMan66]

@@LeonAvalos Do people still do that silly cough shtick? Just come right out and say what you mean to say.

[@DimitriMoreira]

So... A movie about not losing your faith, gets its own faith "lost" by Disney. Awesome.

[@MaskedMan66]

That's not really what the stories are about-- more about gaining faith-- but given Hollywood's hatred and fear of Christianity, they tried to excise as much of it as they could. Part of why the movies ultimately fell flat.

[@coreymckee4844]

Ironic....

[@user-mb3dx5fl9f]

Even heard of Disney's Treasure Planet? :D Same story, feller.

[@user-mb3dx5fl9f]

@@MaskedMan66 I think the author's idea was the the real faith in the world and in yourself that you won't be able to lose is the faith that you can and should obtain by gaining the Christian faith. Something along these lines.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@user-mb3dx5fl9f Lewis was about faith in Christ.

[@HordrissTheConfuser]

The duel between High King Peter and King Miraz is amazing. I love how it starts off energetic and flashy, and gets progressively dirtier and more desperate. They also used clever camera movement to increase the violence without actually showing it onscreen.

[@yellhaha8993]

I agree, its probably my favorite sword fight in a movie. Slick but gritty fighting.

[@ominouspigeonmaster1571]

Also agree, that fight always stood out to me.

[@Destroyer120296]

@@yellhaha8993 Yeah i was suprised upon rewatch how "realistic" and gritty it was. No real dumb flashy moves. Kinda realistic sword motions. They stay at a distance and only move in to strike then quickly back out and dont really "clang" a lot. THey both clearly know getting hit by a sword hurts.

[@GgCashh451]

I’m surprised it didn’t get PG-13 I wish I was rated R it would’ve made it a lot better in my opinion

[@A.G.O.M.]

The only thing about that fight that didn’t seem right was that one slow motion shot. Like why did that need to happen.

[@jonraquet6629]

I honestly think that if fox wanted to do a reboot, going back and telling the story of the magicians nephew would've been a really good idea. It's not a very long book, so it mightve only been a 90 minute movie, but people love prequels. Also a movie adaptation of the horse and his boy would've been very interesting as well. It was always my favorite of the seven novels and I never felt like it got the attention it deserved.

[@MaskedMan66]

Have you ever heard either of the radio adaptations of the Chronicles? There was one by the BBC and one by Focus on the Family, the latter hosted by Lewis's stepson Douglas Gresham.

[@jonraquet6629]

@@MaskedMan66 I don't believe I have, but I'll definitely look into them

[@MaskedMan66]

@@jonraquet6629 A number of actors have been in both; Bernard Cribbins for one, and Martin Jarvis was in both versions of "The Horse and His Boy"; he was Bree for the BBC and King Lune for Focus.

[@FantasticExplorers]

These books are kind of hard to adapt as "traditional" movies. But I agree!

[@jonraquet6629]

@@FantasticExplorers yeah, they'd definitely have to make some changes to make it work as a movie for sure.

[@sebastianotero]

Man the first movie was so good that the sequels couldn’t overcome

[@CrestToothpaste]

The books were really good too.

[@sebastianotero]

@@CrestToothpaste I agree but might be a good idea to bring it back as a Disney+ series

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

I disagree. All of them were really good

[@CrestToothpaste]

@@sebastianotero Well obviously (edit: Correcting autocorrect)

[@CrestToothpaste]

@Brian I loosely agree but I don’t think any of them are necessarily bad but they just aren’t as good as the others.

[@katherinealvarez9216]

The movie I want is Tolkien and Lewis arguing over this.

[@ashleywilliamson427]

That would be incredible.

[@Rolf97]

IIRC, they were friends in real life.

[@katherinealvarez9216]

@@Rolf97 I know. And I did read that Tolkien was annoyed by all the mythological creatures in the same setting. And all thier literature buddies were tired of listening to his readings about the elves.

[@ashleywilliamson427]

@@Rolf97 yeah, for the majority of their lives. I think they stopped being good friends a little while before their deaths, but while they were friends, they had a pretty legendary friendship/rivalry going on. I believe the reason why CS Lewis included the street lamp in Narnia was because Tolkien said that fantasy shouldn’t have street lamps.

[@fabulousmyriad267]

I was disappointed by the film,"Tolkien" as it was a very safe depiction of the author's life. Both versions of Shadowlands ( Joss Ackland & Anthony Hopkins) depicting CS Lewis's relationship with his wife were both excellent. Now we need to combine the two into one epic narrative about how fantasy tropes were changed (& ironically set in stone) for future generations.

[@robertzarfas9556]

Lewis himself said that his books would never adapt well into visual media. Go figure it didn’t work out 🤷‍♂️

[@falcore91]

I’m curious what his explanation for that statement was. Naturally they aren’t great traditional films, but as a series? I wonder if he would change his statement if he could have seen the last couple decades of tv shows, miniseries, and Netflix original series.

[@spongemaster]

I kind of see what he meant since you have two books about the four Pevensies, a book with only two of them and Eustace, a story with Eustace and Jill as well as a sort of standalone story and a prequel with only the last book to tie them all together. It's kind of hard to make a cohesive film series with the cast constantly changing with each film which is why it's understandable that they decided to just skip The Horse and his Boy. Still, I think they did a very good job with the first two at least and though Dawn Treader wasn't great it would have been nice if they at least had a shot at The Silver Chair.

[@starkingbiker]

You can translate anything into visual media. The only boundaries are what your creativity allows.

[@gregoryhenry8464]

Yeah but in his day they had cardboard and paint smudges or whatever for special effects so it makes sense he’d think that

[@robertzarfas9556]

@@falcore91 He believed that the only two interpretations of his books that would translate well to the stage or screen would be to go either too campy, overdramatized, or kid-friendly and miss the gravity of the symbolism or to be too dark and therefore not appropriate for his intended audience.

[@jamesmccarthy4777]

I think Narnia can really only be adapted successfully as animated movies. That way you can use the same voice actors for child characters without the constraint of age and the rapid aging of some characters from one story to the next is easier to work with in animation.

[@MaskedMan66]

There's no "rapid" aging, and that was handled in the T.V. series by simple recasting.

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

Everything about the Narnia movies looked fake. They're just not well done. With the sleekness of Sin City, it was proven animation can thrill adults and children alike - and look damned good!

[@Matheus-vf9sj]

​@@KathrynsWorldWildfireTrackingi wouldnt change narnia. Its seems so good (in this first movie)

[@MaskedMan66]

@@Matheus-vf9sj Not when you've read the book.

[@eprjct]

Yep, just like the Hobbits worked much better in the animated series than in the film.

[@DeadRebornKid]

Being a kid named Edmund, Narnia gave me so much clout on the playground🥶

[@MaskedMan66]

Did they call you Edmund the Just?

[@danielcasallas4267]

did you betray your family?

[@MaskedMan66]

@@danielcasallas4267 I think he's talking about the reformed Edmund.

[@unhhgcrxexhjvuvujchcrzwzwz7956]

Dude where tf are you from that your just named that

[@DeadRebornKid]

​@@unhhgcrxexhjvuvujchcrzwzwz7956 Uhhh the United States lmfao. I was named after a relative who was given the name because it sounded regal lol.

[@user-en1vp2gs8v]

I swear the entire cast was perfect... kind of a bummer having to see Narnia end this way.

[@ambergathings7160]

As a child, (5) I thought Lucy was going to marry Mr. Tumnus, come to find the second movie he dead. Now that I'm older I have NO idea why I thought this.

[@MistbornPrincess]

They were! It’s not over yet...just their time in Narnia.

[@eileensnow6153]

The Last Battle was my all-time favorite book, now I’ll never get to see it come to life 😭

[@eileensnow6153]

@@ambergathings7160 to be fair, if it was an adult human instead of a faun, that whole dynamic would seem extremely predatory

[@autographedcat]

This is the second time an attempt to adapt the Narnia series kinda sputtered out. (The earlier one was a made-for-TV series made by the BBC in the 1980s.) Part of the problem, I think, is that when you think of Narnia, you think of the Pevensie children, and all four of them are only in the first two books, two are in the third, and then they're pretty much gone until three of them show up towards the end of the last one.. Movie executives don't seem to know what to do once the cast of kids they built the marketing around are all gone.

[@admthrawnuru]

They really should just make a stand alone Horse and His Boy. That story lends itself to a movie adaptation easily.

[@dracul6259]

While I love the book, I think the movie released today would have a lot more criticism directed towards it for its religious depictions if you know what I mean 😅

[@CrazyLikeUhFox]

@@dracul6259 what was that book about again? God I read CoN like fifteen years ago and it all bleeds together in my head.

[@gabrielonibudo5710]

@@CrazyLikeUhFox yeah same, I know I loved it but I can’t remember what it was about

[@bemotivated8443]

It’s been a while since I read it but I believe it is about a kidnapped Prince Who meets a talking horse and helps prevent war between Narnia and one of their neighboring countries, The book I Believe Takes it takes place during the lion the witch and the wardrobe in the main cast is grown-up but before they leave

[@SM_757]

@bemotivated more like a lost prince who finds a narnian horse and sets out for narnia

[@abrahamfields9893]

I think Narnia would really lend itself well to a high budget animated series like arcane! There could be less emphasis on action and it could be way more atmospheric.

[@hollyro4665]

Honestly I think the series would’ve worked really well if it tried to follow Harry Potter even more literally. Small and British. I could Narnia having been a cute CBBC series in the early 2000s.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@hollyro4665 Not really much cuteness in Narnia, especially when you get to LB.

[@sackthebastard]

A show doesn’t need to be animated to be atmospheric or have less emphasis on action

[@itsgonnabeokay9341]

​@@sackthebastardbut animation makes everything better especially if it looks like Arcane.

[@alphabloodpaw3233]

I feel like antnia actually works better as live action

[@lucypiskura9160]

The White Witch was the first villain to genuinely scare me when I was a child. Tilda Swinton was perfect for the role

[@MaskedMan66]

As someone who's read the books multiple times, Swinton was lifeless and dull as Jadis. The underlying pettiness and cowardice, so essential to the character, were just not there.

[@unamusedcaveman9235]

@@MaskedMan66 She was still the best actress for Jadis tho

[@MaskedMan66]

@@unamusedcaveman9235 No, there are dozens of others who would have served much better. Helena Bonham Carter, for only one suggestion.

[@unamusedcaveman9235]

@@MaskedMan66 In the books Jadis is described as a beautiful and terrifying woman, and Tilda Swinton fits the description

[@stephaniephucker4508]

​@@MaskedMan66 Let Liam have his opinion without throwing the amount of times you've read the source material in his face. Reading a book doesn't make you more or less entitled to a position. Ever audience member whose "read the books multiple times" won't, by default, agree with your opinion, as you've designated. As someone who's poured over the series from the time she was a child, I disagree; Tilda exhibited every ounce of brutality, command, steel, and noble sentiment that Jadis displayed in The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but I won't bar another's opinion based upon whether they have or haven't read the manuscript the movie sprouted from. Different strokes, man. The only thing they really screwed up was her hair color. Bellatrix, on the other hand, wouldn't have been a good fit; she's too close to another fantasy franchise.

[@sealionstudios8597]

As a huge Narnia fan, I don't think Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, both as a film and a book, could ever have been topped as it was just so well written and well adapted.

[@nathangale7702]

It's a great story, but I think some of the books are at least as good if not better. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has always been very memorable for me.

[@kjj26k]

A Horse and His Boy is one of my favorite stories ever.

[@colliric]

That's why they should have started with the Magician's Nephew instead. The should have used the chronological order.

[@nahor88]

@@colliric LWW is a more interesting story though than Magician's Nephew. It's more of an adventure story which is what kids like.

[@hunterolaughlin]

@@colliric Dude! It wouldn’t have worked. It would have flopped and put a premature end to the franchise due to less recognizability and familiarity with the mainstream public as much as LWW. Now quit talking foolishly.

[@everygameapainting772]

It's sad they gave up just before Silver Chair. That book has such unique, gloomy and eerie feel and maybe perhaps that's why it just resonates with me.

[@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess]

Someone else should pick up this series. Specially after it becomes public domain

[@YHWHisEternal]

the sky is grey for the entire book

[@crusherven]

It was my least favorite as a kid. It's grown on me as an adult.

[@justmeiniowa]

One can only imagine the CGI wonders they could create nowadays to make that book come to life. I hope to see it in my lifetime for sure.

[@workingmothercatlover6699]

I really wanted to see how they would do The Silver Chair.

[@TheOlivesAreGreen]

I’d love to see a super-artsy adaptation of Magician’s Nephew! one of my favorite books of the series because of the incredible imagery: the endless forest with the pools, the ancient, crumbling citadel, and the temptation of the bell and hammer

[@Souten66]

I think Magicain’s Nephew was my favorite in the series! I would LOVE to see Charn adapted on the screen!

[@rhyssuy8361]

there's a manga adaptation if your interested

[@MaskedMan66]

@@GrunesGemuse Did you see the T.V. version of SC? It was very well done and featured Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor Who, as Puddleglum.

[@buggalujuju]

Yes exactly! The magicians nephew is definitely my favorite book of the series. I love that it explains everything about how the first book came to be. It's so deep and I think if it could be properly done, would make for an amazingly stunning movie!

[@MaskedMan66]

I'm curious; what do you mean "super-artsy?"

[@bruhdon4748]

The first movie is honestly extremely solid & the CGi is incredible especially for the day.

[@mnorth1351]

Honestly, I haven't seen CGI get noticebly better since that time. I mean, there are new possibilities, with more motion capture characters, but as far as the types of CGI shots they did back then, I don't see that those types of shots have gotten any better in the intervening decade and a half.

[@josue_mejia]

It's specially incredible considering it's uses. Aslan is not a normal Lion. He is Narnian, therefore bigger, more... human-like, and, he is god-like, so him being unreal-ish gives him a quirk. The same can be said for the animals. They are not normal animals, they talk, they use things, they walk on two legs when just sautering by, they don't have to look real, because we don't know what real is in Narnia.

[@mistermoo7602]

I loved the first movie as a kid, but it is nearly unwatchable as an adult. Not even gonna attempt to revisit the rest.

[@bruhdon4748]

@@mnorth1351 eh that’s not true, maybe it’s because a lot of movies that are heavy in CGI are usually just pumped out nonsense like marvel that just get lazy & subpar CGI especially in black panther, I think CGI has gotten so good that it’s in places that you don’t even notice and that’s the whole point, I think the reason it looks like CGI hasn’t come all that far is because they try to do insane over the top things that just end up looking crap, narnia and Lotr had a great blend of CGI and practical, lots of movies now just go full CGi and green screen and it loses the weight

[@mollydooker9636]

It’s a shame they didn’t do “The magicians nephew” it would have looked amazing. Ah maybe next time.

[@purrrbot]

Hard agree. I always hoped that Disney would pick up these novel readaptations again. Been wishing for it since Narnia hit theaters.. A lot of childhood movies don't hold up, but this one definitely does.

[@backtoklondike]

As the video said, Netflix is making a new series. But we don't know how it's developing right now and if it is a total reboot. If it is, then chances are that we will never see The magicans nephew with Netflix' tendency to cancel shows. And besides that, I'd be dying to see an adaptation of The horse and his boy. I always felt that book was overlooked just because it's a side story.

[@camiriofrio6995]

If netflix does it, I really hope they don't take creative liberty and go and ruin the series....

[@MaskedMan66]

@@backtoklondike I don't trust Netflix.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@camiriofrio6995 They will, they will, and it'll be more time, talent and money wasted.

[@Dachusblot]

It always bummed me out that they never got around to making _The Magician's Nephew._ That one has some of the most memorable & eerie imagery in any book I've ever read, and it would be amazing to see on screen.

[@singingstars5006]

It was always my favorite too!

[@netherlingfreak]

I agree so much!!! Just imagine how crazy that would be!

[@netherlingfreak]

Imagine how they’d make the beginning of narnia and the witch’s origin story!! That would be such an amazing movie I would cry

[@netherlingfreak]

IMAGINE SEEING THE WOOD BETWEEN WORLDS IN A MOVIE!!!!!!

[@Theevil6ify]

I say MN for sure. The conflict Digory faces when he's forced to choose between bringing the magic apple back to Aslan as he promised, or taking it for himself to cure his deathly ill mother, was the most interesting moral dilemma of the entire series. It would also be awesome to see Jadis' origin and the fall of Charn explored.

[@StarlitSeafoam]

Edmund!!! He was my favorite character in book and movie, and the actor who played him did a fantastic job in the first movie.

[@GenerationWest]

I adored the first movie and book, it had everything I wanted from a fantasy world, lore and a wide use of mythological beings. I rewatched the trailer so many times in my middle school library on the Disney site, and got as many McDonald's toys as I could, oh I played the PS2 game, but I owned the Gameboy Advance version lol. So when Prince Caspian dropped, I really liked the atmosphere it gave off, like Disney put in that Pirates of the Caribbean edge, but wasn't totally enamored with it. By the time Dawn Treader happened, I was more hyped for Iron Man 2, and eventually watched a cam copy, and it was alright (Just found out the recently passed Michael Apted of the Up series, Nell, Coal Minor's Daughter and The World Is Not Enough directed this) Was waiting for the Silver Chair to drop, since I stopped reading Narnia long ago, and wanted a new reason to jump back in... Then no further news happened, and it died. Now, Netflix has the rights... AAAAND haven't heard anything about it in a few years, and with other Netflix adaptations being what they are, we were robbed of that orginal Narnia franchise.

[@rhiannejones3815]

TLTW&TW isn’t the first book The magicians nephew is You must be a massive fan 😐

[@GenerationWest]

@@rhiannejones3815 Chronology it is, but release order, it wasn't, and I read it after Dawn Treader.

[@thedinosaurdiscovery]

Dude the first 3 Pirates films were so good! I always got the pirates vibes when I watched the Narnia movies maybe that's just me

[@nevermorethan12]

@@rhiannejones3815 Yes, you're exactly right. And when people refer to the first Star Wars movie, they mean The Phantom Menace, not Star Wars 1977. I agree that chronology is the end-all, be-all of storytelling. ::sarcasm tag for clarity::

[@thedinosaurdiscovery]

@@nevermorethan12 I always really liked The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith never cared for The Attack Of The Clones but those first two Star Wars movies are my favorites! But always as a kid my most favorite movie franchise was the Pirates of the Caribbean films it's a shame that they are really underrated now

[@TheStephanieAnnFoster]

Edmund is not a stand-in for Judas; he's meant to represent all sinners. Lewis saw himself in Edmund.

[@GabeRodriguez]

I'm thinking Edmund is closer to Peter the disciple

[@cooliodiablo4571]

Sorry, but he’s clearly Judas.

[@Annie-et2ri]

@@cooliodiablo4571 No, I don’t think Edmund is a representation of Judas because he never betrayed Aslan to the white witch. He DID betray his siblings. But that was before he even knew about Aslan or the prophesy! (He leaves before the beavers talk about that) Judas betrayed Christ after years of discipleship. And Judas did it knowing full well the consequences of his actions (aka the persecution of Christ). Edmund is, like she said, a representation of all sinners. Aslan willingly sacrificed himself in Edmund’s stead to atone for his wrongdoings- Just as Jesus did for all of mankind’s sin.

[@onrode]

Lewis was kinda crazy then

[@GabeRodriguez]

@@cooliodiablo4571 Judas was never restored back as a disciple and Edmund was.

[@rebeccaservais8115]

Fun fact: Diggory (the Professor) was based off of Tolkien and Treebeard was based off of Lewis. Lucy was the name of Lewis's goddaughter

[@punbug4721]

Oh... oh no... That line about Treebeard taking so long to say anything... Damn they were throwing shade lol.

[@hunterolaughlin]

Does that mean John Rhys-Davies will play C.S. Lewis in a film biopic? 😂 Well, you said Treebeard was based on Lewis and John Rhys-Davies voiced the character in the Peter Jackson films, so it’s fitting he’s got to play the actual man himself.

[@christiantopping4386]

That is quite possibly the best fact i have heard and will ever hear in my life

[@MaskedMan66]

I've never heard of Digory being based on Tolkien. Dr. Elwin Ransom, the hero of Lewis's "Space Trilogy," was.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@hunterolaughlin Only if they animate a movie about Lewis; Rhys-Davies is older now than Lewis ever got to be.

[@AllBraunZeroBrains]

As a kid, the magic the movie instilled in me was fucking insane. Had to have watched that final battle a thousand times, but as a younger reader those books were such an amazing discovery as well, really enjoy the story with this one

[@MaskedMan66]

The books are so much better.

[@isak242]

I remember these movies, that one scene where the witch freezes the fox was terrifying to me as a child.

[@partydean17]

Same

[@Pantano63]

Yea, it was a very cold move on her part. I remeber I had some of the toys from McDonald's.

[@mr.shyryhud1659]

I’ve always liked these movies. Also, their cgi for their animals is surprisingly decent for being so old.

[@dustinakadustin]

Aslan looks more lifelike and interesting than the lions in The Lion King remake😂😂😂

[@prska]

@@dustinakadustin jesus this isnt a video or a comment about "narnia's cgi vs lion king's cgi" stop being a hater and enjoy both

[@deadplthebadass21]

@@prska Please stop calling people haters for criticizing something... you can criticize a movie and still love it at the same time and nowhere in their comment did they said they hated the movie.... For example of that criticizing thing I love Scooby-Doo 2 monsters unleashed the movie was terrible I agree but AWESOME for me personally because it's so dumb it's good

[@dustinakadustin]

@@prska I don't have to enjoy everything

[@melfree2545]

They’re easier to look at than the live action Lion King.

[@SuperMurray2009]

I never knew alot of people didn't like these movies. I loved them as a kid and teenager.

[@annaairahala9462]

Lion the witch and the wardrobe was well done, I think a lot of people like it. The latter ones were alright but for book readers didn't quite measure up due to many of the differences they chose to do

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

@@annaairahala9462 To be honest, they weren't that different from the books except for Caspian age

[@annaairahala9462]

@@lancethefilmguy9392 Voyage of the Dawn Treader was pretty different, barely any of it overlaps with the book even. Prince Caspian wasn't as far off, but there were a lot more differences than just his age.

[@Christ2010Grad]

Me too.

[@c--mn4ub]

They're flawed but I loved them honestly. They're quite charming!

[@tristanburgos1]

I remember seeing the first one in theaters with my family when it was released around Christmas. The pure magic and excitement in that movie made for one of my favorite childhood memories! It’s a real shame the franchise took a nosedive and never got the chance to reach its conclusion.

[@shivah8049]

Can i just say that the prince Caspian film had the perfect conflict for the children to deal with, the fact that they have already lived a adult life and have been foreced back to children again having to adjust to that would have been really interesting to see, as they would probably act quite strangely considering that they've had decades to mature and probably gone through alot of different experiences, and how they probably feel like they don't belong in their world, but when they go back to Narnia what should be a happy return slowly turns into a realization that Narnia has changed and that even they have changed and this longing and want of something they feel they were robbed of is what is holding them back and although they feel like adults in children's bodies that they need to move on with their lives, which would have made the ending of the film more impactful with susan and Peter choosing to leave a place that they've wanted to be for ages, years probably. Just saying that could have been a cool concept, and a nice lesson to weave through about the importance of moving on and heading to the beginning of a fresh start.

[@SteppingStonevlogs]

This is the part of the story that always disturbs me: to live a whole life and then have to live as though it never really happened, and be a child again. That is some crazy thing to live through!

[@rmsgrey]

@@SteppingStonevlogs The Pevensies were only in their twenties when they left Narnia - based on the official Timeline, Peter would have been about 28, and Lucy 5 years younger (rounding errors introduce a little uncertainty). While the 15 years in Narnia is more than half even Peter's age (and only Susan lived to be older in the real world than their peak ages in Narnia) it's a pretty short lifetime. That said, if you want an exploration of what it would be like for the Pevensies returning home with adult experience and perspective (though it picks up after Caspian and shortly before Dawn Treader rather than immediately after LWW) I recommend The Stone Gryphon - archiveofourown.org/series/15017 - which incorporates considerable research into real world events during World War 2, and finds a solution to the notorious Problem of Susan (mostly that Lewis didn't know what to do with a character that was actually interested in sex and relationships and living in the real world as an adult - though he did get better about it in the Ransom trilogy)

[@calebfielding6352]

honestly the horse and his boy should have been the sequal to the lion the witch and the wardrobe, then all of a sudden what you suggest would have made a lot of sense.

[@ciannacoleman5125]

If I remember correctly they remembered their time in Narnia more like a vivid dream than life events, that is why Susan later decides that it was childish fantasy.

[@rmsgrey]

@@ciannacoleman5125 Edmund and Lucy have clear memories of Narnia at the start of Dawn Treader, and everyone except Susan still remembered Narnia 7 years after Dawn Treader in the Last Battle, all of which suggests that they remember it. Besides, if, as Susan, you had clear memories of something plainly impossible having happened, would you believe that you really did take a trip down the rabbit hole as a child, or would you congratulate yourself on how vivid your childhood imagination was, and convince yourself it was all just make-believe? And congratulate yourself on how sophisticated and grown up you are to not believe such a ridiculous fantasy now that you know better...

[@Qenton]

They always forget that "A Horse and His Boy" would make an amazing stand-alone movie.

[@davidesguario2151]

Yup, just as it was a good stand-alone novel :)

[@samuelzuleger5134]

Magician's Nephew out of context would work as well. Silver Chair would need a little help with King Caspian and Aslan, but otherwise could be a standalone.

[@cherieuk4488]

It is actually my favourite book, after The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. A nod to the Kings and Queens, a taste of Narnia in the Golden Age, a real rags to riches story, a sort of Great Expectations arc for the two lead characters, with a snotty rich girl and a poor boy, the twins twist etc etc. So much going on. Great storytelling.

[@tamarawynne424]

Yes! I was just thinking it. It's much more of an action/adventure chase story that ends in a climactic battle and then the main character turns out to be a prince without know. I read over it at Christmas time, and yes it has the racism and sexism that was common during the period it was written, but it also has a woman of colour as one of the leads so I think they could adapt a lot of the problematic elements out of it. Even if they used it as a "soft reboot" as they were planning with Silver chair it'd work quite well. It's got the call backs/cameos from the first book, and they could just swap out Edmund for Peter (because Skanda doesn't act any more) and it would work fine for the ages of the old actors now. But they're background decoration to the main characters who don't actually know who they are. And really, I'm just a sucker for fantasy where the main setting is based upon the Near East or Northern Africa instead of Europe.

[@ianwestc]

A Horse and His Boy and The Magician's Nephew could work for Narnia as side stories, ala Rogue One for Star Wars.

[@johnolson9793]

i've always believed that Disney doesnt have what it takes for high fantasy/ Sci-fi. Disney doesnt push the boundaries on their content. they wont get down and dirty or gritty enough for their shows to make sense. I still believe Star Wars would do much better if it were owned by a different film company.

[@monkey6207]

Brave was a huge let down. Thought it was supposed to be epic from the trailers, then I remembered it was disney. . .

[@AKen_Films]

It’s also because Disney is afraid to apply a certain grit to their movies that may or my not fit with the child-like Disney brand they’ve worked to preserve. They can do high fantasy/sci-fi, just not with the same grounded sense of realism or depth.

[@jimf1964]

Old Disney could have done the series ok, but new Disney (and most of new Hollywood) would have to make it woke and politically correct and destroy it with one of the characters being gay, or only girls in charge.

[@bikosaurusrex2264]

Hunchback of Notre Dame was the darkest thing they did. And even that is tainted by silly wacky gargoyles 😒

[@ShadowPa1adin]

You realize this video is about Narnia, right? People grew up reading those books because their parents were afraid that literal demons would get them if they read other fantasy books. The kind of people that make reviews "warning others" about a cartoon "having a bad message" because it's about something like a little girl learning to believe in herself "when she should instead be relying on God." These are not stories that "push boundaries."

[@MetlKen87]

"The Silver Chair" and "The Last Battle," are my two favorite Narnia books. I'm so glad they didn't get around to making them into terrible movies. Also the story isn't about the kids that discover Narnia, the story is about Narnia itself.

[@misslady2639]

"The Last Battle" was my least favorite book. The ending and the "true and false Narnia" stuff ruined it completely for me.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@misslady2639 The physical Narnia was never false, it was just less real, the same as this world of ours being less real than Heaven. How could you not like the idea of the Seven Friends of Narnia being reunited with Aslan forever?

[@MaskedMan66]

Did you see the T.V. version of SC? It was very well done and featured Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor Who, as Puddleglum.

[@misslady2639]

@@MaskedMan66 Because it was too much "Paradise". Narnia is a magical place, sure but HEAVEN?! They were dead all of the sudden, and that bothered me. Their train accident was actually never shown, only told by Aslan in one scentence. Also Susan the only survivor of the gang, I would like to read about her reaction of all your siblings and cousin died, but no. She doesn't matter anymore, because she is not in the Garden Eden with them. Its okay if you like the ending though, this is just my opinion

[@MaskedMan66]

@@misslady2639 Yes, Heaven. Don't you know about the author of the Chronicles? Didn't you pick up on the clues in the other books? Aslan is Jesus. Nobody said that Susan didn't matter, nor that she was lost forever. Having known Aslan personally, she can't fully fall out of belief in Him, so it's more than likely that when her time came to pass from the Shadowlands, she too would travel to where the True England and the True Narnia exist side by side.

[@kenllacer]

CS Lewis is a legend for creating a fictional world immune to Disney's 'charms'. Like a wolf that refuses to be domesticated.

[@CyberneticArgumentCreator]

It's unabashedly Christian and I'm surprised Hollywood even made it.

[@SirHirnschaden]

@@CyberneticArgumentCreator i mean most peopel don even get the direct connections anymore bcs they are disconnecting from it. even the so called christians ^^ so u can just set it up less focused on it

[@SirHirnschaden]

Now its Netflix turn :D

[@pendlera2959]

@@SirHirnschaden Are you kidding? When the first movie came out my Sunday School did lessons based on it. People in my Church were all like, "yes, this famous movie will totally draw people in to Christianity!"

[@mnorth1351]

So what you're saying is... It's not a tame lion? 🤣

[@friendlystranger8522]

I haven't even THOUGHT about Narnia for literal years, but the first one was one of those movies I kept rewatching as a kid.

[@thunderbird1921]

Except for Narnia fans, it seems nearly EVERYONE has forgotten these movies ever released! Unbelievable.

[@m.j.piazza7853]

I read the books like every decent Christian homeschooler. I didn’t know the movie existed until several years after it came out and the hype was died down.

[@sleepyontime5513]

It was all I watched when I was six and I even cut my hair the same style as Lucy 🥰

[@alanpennie8013]

@@thunderbird1921 It never escaped from the shadow of LOTR.

[@thunderbird1921]

@@alanpennie8013 True, I could maybe see that, but it's still crazy though how much they've been forgotten. Even big Disney fans hardly ever acknowledge these films' existence.

[@ryanw2032]

One of the problems with re-doing the series is that they will inevitably start with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe again. The problem with this is that TONS of versions of this story have been made. I hope the next attempt starts with The Magician's Nephew and A Horse and His Boy, just to mix it up a little.

[@MaskedMan66]

The BBC Radio series began with "The Magician's Nephew" and presented the stories in chronological order, as Lewis always recommended.

[@michelleflood7225]

@@MaskedMan66 the book I’ve got of them ( contains all seven ) begins with magicians nephew and has them in Lewis’s recommended order . And not by publication dates which is how some sets have them . Lion witch and the wardrobe was the first published which is why most start there but I’m hoping Netflix listen to Douglas Gresham ( Lewis’s stepson ) who by the way they have to go through to get the rights to any of the book series as he’s executor of Lewis’s estate . If you look at the dedication on the horse and his boy you’ll find it’s dedicated to Douglas and his brother David who became his stepsons when he married their mum joy in 1956 . I’d recommend reading Lenten lands his book that is about Lewis and his wife joy Gresham or watching the various interviews with him on here . Very eloquent and lovely speaker .

[@iamawesome4026]

It feels like they won’t do it whoever makes the story or if they do, they will try to exaggerate it.

[@Foxygrandpa2131]

I’m not sure how you adapt Magicians Nephew. The climax is a kid not eating a fruit, not really as interesting as the final battle with the witch.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@Foxygrandpa2131 There's no one "climax" to that story, unless it be the creation of Narnia. It's a tale with multiple amazing scenes.

[@hookedonphoenix3112]

I’ve always wanted to see an adaptation of “The Magician’s Nephew,” the first book chronologically. It’s so whimsical and fun, and we get to see the origins of Narnia. Part of me wishes the series would get a treatment like “His Dark Materials,” but I know no modern studio will respect it.

[@MaskedMan66]

Maybe, maybe not, but it has been done twice on radio, first by the BBC, then by Focus on the Family.

[@jaysutter9934]

I’m gonna be that guy and point out that Narnia actually is not an allegory. It’s really just a fantasy series from a Christian worldview. Aslan doesn’t symbolize Jesus, he literally is Jesus incarnated as a lion in a fantasy world.

[@Ceviche4K]

So It'd be more accurate to call it a "retelling" of sorts?

[@barshafoxman4169]

Kinda, more of an 'Elseworlds' situation. It was a 'What if there was this other world with talking Animals, how would Jesus have manifested there?' sort of thing :)

[@SammyD-vz1qj]

This is why we get the line by Aslan at the end of Narmia 3 "In your world I have another name"

[@beccag2758]

Lol I was gonna write this too😂 basically think of the Aslan-Jesus dynamic being like Abe Lincoln in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer. Abe Lincoln is literally just the real Abe Lincoln but he also deals with vampires. This is why I’m always annoyed when people are like “Lewis went too far with allegory etc etc.” It’s totally okay if people don’t like the books, but Lewis literally said it wasn’t allegory, it was a supposal (what if) so complaining about allegory overload is a moot point.

[@jaysutter9934]

@@beccag2758 so you listen to the Narniaweb podcast as well?

[@tirza6439]

The only thing that really irked me about the movie adaptations was that Lucy RIPPED a page out of the magician's book. Like WTF?! It's the most precious book in the Narnia universe and you rip a page out of it?! Seriously?! lol

[@madelinemcmillan4020]

lucy doesn't give a fuck

[@vulc1]

@@madelinemcmillan4020 Hey, The Mandalorian is good

[@shadowlibrarian400]

@@vulc1 not anymore ☹️

[@josue_mejia]

@@shadowlibrarian400 A Character doesn't make a story. Beskar does.

[@eddiejc1]

In almost every movie----and this goes all the way back to "Chinatown" at least----whenever a character finds an important piece of information in a book, even a library reference book, the character never writes it down or makes a copy but rips the page out of the book.

[@lindakarlsson7348]

The first Narnia movie was a hit because it works well as a movie. The two sequels were decent, but you could tell it became more and more difficult to hold the franchise together, because the Narnia books just are´nt written in that way. I´m not surprised they dropped the project.

[@marshmallowvampire8503]

That's right. Now that I think about it, Prince Caspian should've been more about the Pevensies redeeming Narnia, or undoing the damage their absence caused (their was the Dark Age and the Talmerine Age after they left and I can only guess it's bc they had no Kings or Queens). Idk though. Overall, this franchise is pretty underrated imo. Even though it is very flawed, as many franchises are, I think it was cool.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@marshmallowvampire8503 Their absence didn't cause any of the damage, because the Telmarines appeared years and years later. And the Pevensies didn't redeem Narnia, Aslan did. As before, the siblings were among his helpers.

[@rclark777]

I think they'd work wonderfully as movies. But Disney kept pushing a 3 act structure onto them, which isn't a good idea. They should've been approached less like blockbusters and more like art films or anthology films.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@rclark777 In other words, they should have followed the BBC's lead and just adapted the books as written.

[@rclark777]

@@MaskedMan66 Yeah, but with the advantages of a higher budget. I think it would be interesting to see a film adaptation of a book that is completely faithful, even down to the descriptions of clothes or settings, and how people might react to such a work, especially since it would have to be very long, probably 3 and a half hours in length.

[@desertrose0601]

It’s my understanding that the main issue in making these series is that the Lewis estate only gives licenses to movie-fy it for a few years at a time, which generally isn’t actually enough time to adapt all seven. This is why any time people have tried to adapt these, only 2-3 get made. I grew up watching the BBC versions which also only had 3 adapted.

[@MaskedMan66]

The T.V. version did four of the books.

[@acheIois]

I feel like Disney just abandoned Narnia, I don't think they see this as magical as we do. 😔 oh and btw fun fact: "aslan" means lion in turkish.

[@RinitaChan]

Yes and “Simba” means lion in Swahili.

[@acheIois]

@@RinitaChan oh oh simba in the lion king animation! wow thanks i didnt know

[@MaskedMan66]

@@acheIois And in the live-action version.

[@corriehingston6744]

Yeah. Narnia is a beautiful land and you must admit, the characters are wonderful The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader are my favourites due to the Pevensie children Wish Disney continued...d

[@MaskedMan66]

@@corriehingston6744 I'm glad they didn't; the films were mockeries of the books. And it's a mistake to think it's all about the Pevensies.

[@PabloStirling]

Actually Disney had a massive franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean.

[@LittleNicky558]

Pablo, at this time only the first two potc movies were out, both aimed at an adult audience. Those movies got more childish overtime. Narnia is very different, mainly aimed at children.

[@PabloStirling]

@@LittleNicky558 you’re very on point. Didn’t remember the rating on potc.

[@PabloStirling]

@@LittleNicky558 Disney is about to hit his first PG: R with Deadpool 3

[@LittleNicky558]

@@PabloStirling yes and disney plus where i live in canada is about to add over 500 new adult movies from fox etc and over 300 new tv series from various places, all aimed at Adults. In the early 2000s they experimented with adult stuff but pirates was the only thing that succeeded. With the absorption of fox in (2016-17?) they were finally able to get their hands onto the adult audience, just under the name of 20th century fox.

[@SnifferSock]

They are hell-bent on ruining that one too. 😅

[@thereaIitsybitsyspider]

Tilda Swinton as the witch was such a perfect and memorable casting.

[@alanpennie8013]

They kept bringing her back in the sequels. Not surprising Miraz was a pussy, only 10% as evil as she was.

[@c__walker__jr]

What has Tilda Swinton been in that didn't seem like perfect casting?

[@dawn__to__dusk9129]

@@c__walker__jr I loved her in Snowpiercer!

[@belegl.7721]

@@c__walker__jr Not be too much of stickler or to say that she didn't do a great job, but she was arguably not perfectly cast in Dr. Strange

[@ComedyBros5]

@@belegl.7721 Agreed. Her character felt very...off in that.

[@Rammsteinfanboy2]

These books were so damn good it hurt to see Disney absolutely fail with a world full of lore so deep it could fill a black hole.

[@MaskedMan66]

"So blessed good" would be my assessment! 🙂

[@sybillestahl8646]

In the novel Prince Caspian, the conflict among the kids is Lucy, following her visions of Aslan, and Peter and the others wanting to do the 'practical' thing. TLTWATW was by far the best of these movies, as it was the closest to the Lewis book, plus, of course, how adorable a faun James McAvoy portrayed, and how icy and evil a witch Tilda Swinton gave us.

[@MaskedMan66]

The official abbreviation is LWW. Takes less time to type. ;-)

[@DeadeyeJim327]

She would be amazing to see in The Magician's Nephew too.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@DeadeyeJim327 A far better cast would be Gwendoline Christie; Jadis comes of a race of giantlike people, and Miss Christie is 6'3"!

[@Boujonzu]

OMG that was James McAvoy!!!!

[@MaskedMan66]

@@Boujonzu Erm, yeah. That's the first thing I ever saw him in.

[@ZainKhan-kg6qr]

Being a kid, i loved the lion, the witch and the wardrobe battle scene. it was glorious and very well done

[@pisscvre69]

I was the kid who was annoyed at the lack of blood lol, still enjoyed it kinda tho

[@RenegadeShepard69]

@@pisscvre69 xD. Yeah, tbh, thinking back about it now, I really loved the earlier parts of the movie and how dark and "mature" they felt to me at the time, and didn't care as much for the more happy, cheerful parts, I think the tension and constant threat that came with that strange world was much more fun to me back when I saw it the first time, so I can understand you wanting a bit more "mature"/realistic battles too, I probably felt the same.

[@CINRZ]

Bringing a strange new character in after you've grown to love the originals will always be the kiss of death. Unless you can write them as a valuable addition, framing Caspian as a rival was a weird move

[@MaskedMan66]

These tales were books first, and there are new characters in all of them. Lewis was providing his child readers a valuable lesson, namely that people will come in and go out of your life, and his writings reflected that.

[@MaskedMan66]

Caspian was not a rival in the book, because Peter wasn't a whiny little twit who thought he should still rule.

[@EliWintercross]

Exactly, Caspian was already established in the book, the horn was blown because of the siege and the kids arrived to help

[@CINRZ]

@@MaskedMan66 talking bout the movies LMAO it works just fine in the books. I grew up reading them

[@CINRZ]

@@EliWintercross read the books growing up, I meant in the context of the movie

[@hirinawara8731]

You really got the nail on the head with this. I remember being such a big fan of the first movie as a kid, it felt whimsical it had its strong villain it had its relatable main characters all with strong motives and kind supporting characters and then when the second movie came out I felt so removed from the story. I don’t even remember what it was about thinking about it now. I missed the side support characters we were introduced to in the first, I missed the dynamics and the exploration of the magic world. Kid me felt alienated from the franchise and it killed my interest.

[@thomassinker7936]

“Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia.”

[@Aladayle]

Except for Susan, sadly.

[@KALIMAindia]

@@Aladayle According to the book right?

[@MaskedMan66]

@@Aladayle Anything is possible in her case. She was a very much alive 21 year-old woman at the end of the Chronicles, and had her whole future ahead of her. And what with having lost her parents, her siblings, her cousin, and three friends in that train accident, it's more than likely that she'd be shocked out of her materialism and open her mind once again to Aslan as He is known in our world.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@KALIMAindia That's the only authority.

[@KALIMAindia]

@@MaskedMan66 Cool! I want to read the books cause I like the films!

[@j.g.3737]

I’m a middle school English teacher- been reading the books to my students and then watching the movies in class; they loved them. The kids still really enjoyed the trilogy, despite the dated effects. We coincidentally finished Voyage of the Dawn Treader today. They were a bit sad to learn there were no more.

[@Flome810]

I’m in middle school right now :D

[@spongemaster]

I grew up watching them so it's nice to know that kids today are still enjoying them despite them no longer being "relevant". My friend and I were obsessed with them back then so it was a little disappointing to later realise that they didn't have the same impact for everyone else. They'll always hold a special place in my memories at least.

[@nathangale7702]

On the bright side, that will be good motivation for them to read the books so they can enjoy the rest of the story.

[@quinnmarchese6313]

i was in middle school (mayle late elementary) when the first film came out. i thought it was better than a good portion of the Harry Potter adaptations at the time and even watched it fairly recently sometime in quarantine. its still quite good, the supporting actors like Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, and Liam Neeson really sell their roles.

[@TheFourthWinchester]

@@quinnmarchese6313 Were you high in middle school? Cuz harry potter was better than every Narnia movie.

[@jenniemochixo]

i actually REALLY enjoyed edmund in the second movie

[@ladonke8044]

Same, the second movie acc makes it seem like he learns something and in some ways he’s an anchor for Peter as Peter becomes desperate and chases his old glory, Edmund becomes more mature and casually heroic but in the third all that goes out the window and he seemingly loses all progress made previously

[@riderofrohan8840]

I agree. The second Narnia movie has its problems, but I do think in general it is a really good film

[@DaDunge]

Yeah I think the third one is where he's weakest. Which s sad because in the third one removed from Peter's shadow is where he shines in the books. I seems to recall he's the only one not tempted by the golden water, because Edmund dealt with temptation in the first book and know where it leads. Thee's a really cool quote from him about Eustace just having been an idiot while Edmund himself had been a traitor.

[@scs998]

If anyone does want to redo a Narnia adaptation I would LOVE to see an episodic retelling of the voyage of the Dawn Treador. Completley faithful, each episode is a new island, it would be SO GOOD!! The movie made me so mad cause it was so unfaithful to the book

[@maddiesteiner1063]

I was furious at the amount of changes in the movie.

[@MaskedMan66]

Both BBC Radio and Focus on the Family have done excellent audio adaptations of the Chronicles; they're well worth hunting up and listening to. The Focus series is hosted by C.S. Lewis's stepson Douglas Gresham.

[@rebeccacalledalice]

Honestly, I can remember going into the first film without knowing anything about it. I think my dad just put it on for my brother and I to watch. He was a fan of the books, I believe. At first, I thought it was going to be about these four children being evacuated. But when Lucy first stepped into the wardrobe, I was just as surprised as she was. After that, I completely fell in love with the series. It's a shame they never continued past Dawn Treader. It was a really good adaptation.

[@MaskedMan66]

Your dad should have given you the books instead.

[@rebeccacalledalice]

@@MaskedMan66 he only had two of them. we couldn't find the others.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@rebeccacalledalice *Yiddish accent* Vhat, you got no bookstore or library in your burg?

[@yammoto148]

@@MaskedMan66 Typical elietist mentality.

[@GolgappaUwU]

Same 🥹 literally love em so much i still want then to make a part 4 literally read all the books cause i wanted to know what's next 😍😍

[@BookstoreTenant]

I'm sad that I'll never get to see Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, and The Magician's Nephew made

[@3mpt7]

The BBC did a TV series back in 1988-1990 of The Silver Chair, Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. They also did a radio drama of all seven books in 1990 under 'The Complete Chronicles of Narnia'. We _almost_ got a TV adaptation of The Horse and His Boy. As for 'The Magician's Nephew' and 'The Last Battle', I don't think any non-Christian for-profit movie-maker wants to touch those with a barge pole.

[@jeremiahsands6163]

I would like to see those as well...well The Horse and His Boy would be a stretch for me. It was the only one I had to force myself to read.

[@misspotterstargleek]

love that fans completely ignore the last battle (as we should lol)

[@errorcringyname4044]

The last battle would have been awesome too

[@Terestrasz]

@@3mpt7 Honestly, people probably wouldn't think Magician's Nephew as Christian imagery. I mean yeah there's a lot of symbolism, but 99.9999% of it was lost on me until I was in my 20s.

[@FearTheShadowz]

And we haven't even talked about Percy Jackson, the greatest failure of the 2000's Fantasy era

[@christopherpenn9585]

i mean, maybe this is just me needing to rewatch Percy Jackson, but i do recall it being at least watchable. now contrast that to Eragon lmao now that was the greatest failure of 2000's Fantasy XD

[@RocketeerAndRoll]

I think Artemis Fowl beat it.

[@leahdavis9434]

@@RocketeerAndRoll that's not a 2000s fantasy movie. It was made like, last year.

[@davidesguario2151]

@@christopherpenn9585 Eragon was the greatest cultural shock for kids into fantasy born in the first half of the 90's. Maybe the fall of Constantinople by the hand of the Turks can be compared to that.

[@tipi5586]

@@christopherpenn9585 But how could Eragon ever be watchable? It's barely readable as a book.

[@hamburgler9839]

in 5th Grade my teacher loaded us all into a schoolbus and took us to see The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe in theatres. It was a moment I'll never forget

[@hamburgler9839]

later the following year, epic movie came out and ripped on Narnia

[@nubbiewubbie7285]

Oh my gosh. I just realized the goat dude is James McAvoy.

[@marlonclark1896]

yep

[@no1bro120202]

😱I didn't realize until I read your comment!

[@goodial]

he is! And Peter Dinklage is in Prince Caspian :)

[@ethanjobson3879]

He’s a hell of an actor. Slips seamlessly into his roles.

[@Blade-hf9po]

When xmen 1st class came out, I was like "hey, I know this guy from somewhere... NARNIA!"

[@michaelroe6502]

I've always thought a big problem was that they wanted a LOTR 'feel' but in a child friendly way, but as a result it ended in a jack of all trades,master of none environment

[@samuelzuleger5134]

Agreed! It is especially ironic considering that Lewis and Tolkein were acquaintances, read the other's novels, and apparently didn't like them.

[@niallreid7664]

I thought I was alone in thinking this. The films so badly wanted to be Lord of The Rings, but also seemed to want the Harry Potter crowd so had the kid angle too. I don't know, I might be wrong with the Harry Potter part but the obsession with battles and stuff made it look like diet LOTR.

[@RockSprites]

@@niallreid7664 To be fair, they are children's books and the author was best friends with Tolkien. So it's natural that they would feel this way.

[@ComedyBros5]

​@@niallreid7664 I personally loved the film adaptation of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I thought it was well cast, well acted, well directed, and well made. It's an all-around great movie that I feel captures the essence of the book very well. The other films? Not at all.

[@niallreid7664]

@@ComedyBros5 To be fair, there is a lot of positive to be said about it, and at least it actually felt like an adaptation of the book. I remember watching Prince Caspian and being confused. I didn't really feel like I was watching an adaptation of the book, more like somebody getting a cliff notes version and then adding in a, you guessed it, massive battle.

[@embargovenom9948]

So, at first the franchise failed because it wasn't sequel-friendly enough and then it failed because it was too sequel-focused?

[@thefanguy639]

Does it count as a failure though? I think movie franchises are a case of "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain" the franchise ended on a slightly awkward note with "The Dawnsomething's Journey iirc" but it was good nonetheless with the main quartet finally growing up and passing the torch leaving room for future adventures to happen, I think the books nature worked in favour of the film franchise(this is coming from a guy who hasn't actually read the books and is seculating based on multiple KZbin comment sections regarding this topic), not to mention that them being one of the lesser known books means that any project based on them has legitimate passion behind it and therefore the chances studios could give Narnia the LOTR/ Harry Potter treatment are slim to none.

[@dinorocks4887]

@@thefanguy639 I feel like if the entire marvel universe can move characters around while still being faithful to a large story/theme, this should be the same. I get that they aren't typical sequel in a fantasy realm series, but who cares. I read them in childhood and reread them as adults and didn't mind either time that the characters differ from book to book. I wish hollywood would see that its ok to break out of their own expectations and make these movies, especially Magicians Nephew

[@thefanguy639]

@@dinorocks4887 are you talking about the comics or the cinematic universe? The later sure as hell is doing that and it looks good so far, as for the comics this is a general problem in superhero comics. Which is a shame because the try to avoid it only to come back to it again via event comics, reboot, or retcon.

[@dinorocks4887]

@@thefanguy639 cmu not comics specifically

[@thefanguy639]

@@dinorocks4887 Well, since the MCU has real people who have real lives and jobs and age portraying it's heroes them changing the status quo comes more naturally since: a) the MCU 's more realistic characters age in universe parallel to the actors b) Movie-making costs a pretty penny so the MCU can't afford to call it's entire cast for a crossover every month or two, not to mention that we've barley scratched the surface of the Diamond mine that is marvel lore and we've already gotten the highest grossing film of all time.

[@thefirstarrow6523]

I still wish that if they were to ever do a reboot, they would do The Magician’s Nephew. Besides The Final Battle (which would make a great scary movie imo), The Magician’s Nephew would be a great book to turn into a movie/tv series! The characters were interesting, the worlds they stumbled upon, how Narnia and the White Witch came to existence, everything about that book was magical to me

[@TheInspirationalMind]

Any day a new Captain Midnight video is released is a great day :D

[@Flome810]

Not as great as the day my parents died

[@michaelthompson3347]

I 1000% agree with this

[@TheInspirationalMind]

@The Dark Overlord Hey!! It's always great to see a fan out in the wild :D Thank you so much!! I am so glad I was able to help out!

[@Jabb8055]

I remember watching the first movie and it was captivating. As a kid I was always bored and alone, wishing I had friends and just lost in my own thoughts. The idea of a closet leading to a new magical world where I could be someone special was amazing. I am 30 years old now and can honestly say it was one of the only movies that stuck with me growing up

[@MaskedMan66]

There were many ways of getting to Narnia besides the wardrobe, including magic rings, passing through a rift in the air, being pulled through an oil painting, or calling out to Aslan; in every case, Aslan himself was allowing the passage.

[@CagedPhoenixThe1st]

@@MaskedMan66 lmaooooo. Man's pouring his heart out and you're mentioning how there's more doors to Narnia

[@MaskedMan66]

@@CagedPhoenixThe1st And?

[@CagedPhoenixThe1st]

@@MaskedMan66 😂😆😂😆

[@matthewclay3544]

Well, the Eragon and Golden Compass series killed themselves off by completely destroying/ignoring the source material.

[@iwasalllikeomg]

But the new His Dark Materials series makes up for that, in my opinion!

[@augustday9483]

Thanks for reminding me of the late-term abortion that was the Eragon film. I'd almost completely forgotten about it.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@iwasalllikeomg Nah, it's crap, just like the books.

[@nicolet8186]

Ahh Eragon.... the medieval Star Wars of my youth.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@nicolet8186 For me, that was "Willow."