Even though some people are not comfortable with Greta Gerwig writing and directing the first two Narnia films, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hope that she does a much better job at directing two films that are both exciting and loyal to the storylines of THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW and THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. Even though she had the setting for Digory's and Polly's world in London at around the 1950s instead of the year 1900, we are all looking forward to seeing the Wood between the Worlds, the ruins of Charn on its last day under a large, red dying sun, and the creation of the land of Narnia by the Lion Aslan himself. However, just so many of you know, the rumors you've all been reading about or hearing that Meryl Streep will be providing the voice of Aslan is mostly just exaggeration, hot gas, and false information as neither Greta Gerwig nor Netflix have confirmed this. I personally think that Greta Gerwig does have a male actor providing the voice of Aslan for her first two Narnia movies, but she will hopefully confirm this just a few short weeks before the film is released in IMAX theaters in November and later to Netflix on December 25, 2026.

One of the positive outcomes of Greta Gerwig's writing and directing of THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW is that she will using little to no CGI compared to Disney, which went overboard on the CGI Narnian creatures used for their films, one of which was a major success, the second becoming a failure, and the third being directed by 20th Century Fox and Waden Media. Instead, she is relying more of real-life animals, animatronics, and puppeteering strategies which is slightly cheaper than CGI and more realistic, even though it will be a little expensive to work on hundreds of talking animals and mythical creatures like centaurs, fauns, dryads, and naiads. Nevertheless, if Greta Gerwig can produce a book-to-film story running at 120-140 minutes long, excluding the 10-12 minutes of ending credits, it might be the best film adaptation of C.S. Lewis' first Narnian chronicle. Plus, if we give a double or even a triple thumbs up for the success of this film, there's no doubt that after a six-month rest break after the film comes out during Thanksgiving and Christmas, Greta Gerwig could begin a live adaptation of the sequel novel, THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE.

Even though the setting of the story in the film takes place in 1950's London, possibly between 1950 and 1955, we can get a look at the growing friendship between Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer. With his mother (played by Carey Mulligan) stricken with illness, Digory Kirke meets Polly Plummer, who is feeling a bit lonesome with most of her friends away on holiday, and the two children become friends. They accidentally stumble into the private study of Digory's uncle, Andrew Ketterley (played by Daniel Craig), while exploring the rafters in the attics of the row of houses where the two children lived separately. What follows is the beginning of a series of adventures in the land of Narnia, beginning with Digory and Polly getting tricked by Uncle Andrew to put on magical rings and travel to the Wood between the Worlds, travel to the ruins of the city of Charn and accidently awakening Jadis, the last queen of Charn, and last of all, travel to a dark world only to witness the birth and creation of the land of Narnia by Aslan. By spending nearly $200 million to bring to life a wonderful film adaptation of THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW with an estimated runtime of 120-140 minutes excluding the end credits, I have no doubt that Greta Gerwig will produce a fine Narnia film that marks the promise of a series of magical, fantasy-based, and adventurous films with deep moral values of love, courage, betrayal, forgiveness, friendship, kindness, and family.

And one last thing. If THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW is a major success by the start of the new year, I've no doubt that Greta Gerwig will rest for a couple of months before beginning to write a script and start directing the film adaptation of THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE at least six months after the release of the first Narnia film. And if it comes to that, I believe that by Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2028, the new second Narnia film will be released and watched and admired by millions of Narnia fans. If Greta Gerwig, who set THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW in the 1950s for Digory and Polly in their world, sets the film setting for THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE in early 1990's London, then this might want to take place during a similar bombing of the city of London. If the second film takes place in the early 1990s, then maybe Greta Gerwig might have the bombing event which forces the Pevensies to be evacuated out of London and sent to Professor Kirke's country house to take place during the IRA bombings in 1993. Professor Digory Kirke, who was about 12 in the first Narnia film in 1950's London, would likely be around 50 years old at the time when the four Pevensie children are taken to his home in the countryside where they would be safer. The child actors to play the roles of the four Pevensie children should also be played by a boy of 14 or 15 (Peter), a girl of 12 or 13 (Susan), a boy of 10 or 11 (Edmund), and an 8-year-old girl (Lucy). Let's see what Greta Gerwig has in mind when she decides to begin production of THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE 6-9 months after the release of THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW.