@rilianix Thank you for sharing that. Because of quotes from Greta Gerwig about being overwhelmed by possibilities and because of how slow Netflix has been with Narnia, I hadn't been expecting them to start so relatively soon. Well, I guess it's not that soon; production probably starts with casting which can take a while. Or does it start with the writing? I can't remember. Anyway, Narniaweb also did a story recently saying that Gerwig had been thinking about doing something with Narnia for some time, so you'd think the writing would be underway soon. We'll see.

Posted by: @col-klink

@rilianix Thank you for sharing that. Because of quotes from Greta Gerwig about being overwhelmed by possibilities and because of how slow Netflix has been with Narnia, I hadn't been expecting them to start so relatively soon. Well, I guess it's not that soon; production probably starts with casting which can take a while. Or does it start with the writing? I can't remember. Anyway, Narniaweb also did a story recently saying that Gerwig had been thinking about doing something with Narnia for some time, so you'd think the writing would be underway soon. We'll see.

Production would mean filming. Casting and screenwriting are part of pre-production.

I'm definitely not taking this timeline as a fact (Scott Stuber mentioned it is their aspiration to begin production next year), but Greta Gerwig's Narnia project is feeling more and more like it's really going to happen!

Headline makes it all seem more important or official than I think this is. Scott Stuber has been hoping to start production for years. NarniaWeb has an article from early 2021 with a similar sentiment from him.

It makes sense why Netflix would want this out as quickly as possible. Gerwig hype is at an all-time high with Barbie's success and they've been patiently waiting on Narnia since 2018.

Given Gerwig's recent comments, it seems as though a script doesn't yet exist. So there's just so much at play here that it's difficult for me to think that filming could begin in the next 12 months. 

Posted by: @impending-doom

Headline makes it all seem more important or official than I think this is. Scott Stuber has been hoping to start production for years. NarniaWeb has an article from early 2021 with a similar sentiment from him.

What's interesting about that interview is that it's from January 2021, and Greta Gerwig signed on to direct Barbie (after having co-written the script) in July 2021. And we know that she was talking about doing Narnia before doing Barbie. So it's possible that she was trying to decide between the two projects, Barbie won, and Netflix has been waiting for her since then.

Maybe at the time Narnia seemed like it could be moving ahead relatively soon, and that's why Stuber was teasing it. But the moral of the story is still that plans are tentative at best in Hollywood!

Posted by: @impending-doom

Given Gerwig's recent comments, it seems as though a script doesn't yet exist. So there's just so much at play here that it's difficult for me to think that filming could begin in the next 12 months. 

I'm not so sure... on the one hand, she's recently said she's in the writing process, but since she's also directing, I'm not sure when she'd consider it totally finished. She also said that she had a draft of Little Women written before making Lady Bird.

And honestly, Gerwig saying that she feels like she's in the Wood Between the Worlds makes a lot more sense to me if she's entering the part of pre-production where there are a million decisions to make about locations, design, casting, et cetera. In the context of writing, it was a bit of a weird metaphor for writing a book adaptation, and definitely doesn't vibe with what Stuber says here. (Edit: Just went back and listened to that interview snippet, and she never says that she's talking specifically about writing.)

It's also possible that Stuber's "aspirational" wording is because of the strikes that are still ongoing, and not so much whether or not they're about ready to go.

So I don't know. I've been expecting a late 2026 release, so this quote is a surprise. At the same time, it seems odd for Stuber to say this if it was likely impossible. Then again, considering that Stranger Things season 5 may not release until 2026, they may be hoping to push Narnia along to fill out their 2025 slate.

Posted by: @rose

What's interesting about that interview is that it's from January 2021, and Greta Gerwig signed on to direct Barbie (after having co-written the script) in July 2021. And we know that she was talking about doing Narnia before doing Barbie. So it's possible that she was trying to decide between the two projects, Barbie won, and Netflix has been waiting for her since then.

But didn't she also way she thinks & talks about the next project before she does the one in hand? (my wording)

Posted by: @coracle

But didn't she also way she thinks & talks about the next project before she does the one in hand? (my wording)

Well, she identified this as a pattern for her because it's happened a couple times, but it doesn't sound like it happens every time (Gerwig wasn't involved with Barbie before Little Women, as far as I know). But yes, it's definitely possible that she wasn't actually in talks with Netflix before signing on to direct Barbie in July 2021. That said, her partner Noah Baumbach started collaborating with Netflix on a film in 2020/2021, and Gerwig herself was cast in it, so she probably had an open line of communication with Netflix.

So I'm speculating, but it seems believable that she may have been talking to Netflix about doing Narnia back when Scott Stuber and Mark Gordon were talking about it in late 2020/early 2021. There was something that was making them talk about it, and something else that caused the silence afterwards — which maybe, maybe, was Gerwig choosing to direct Barbie.

It is interesting thought if production start in 2024. And what would be the odds if the new Narnia film was released in December 2025, when it will be the 20th anniversary of when Walden's LWW was released in theaters?  

Hopefully, Greta Gerwig doesn't keep pushing back the release dates for new Narnia films. That's kind of what happened with Walden: PC was originally going to be released in December 2007 then got pushed to May 2008; VDT was originally going to be released in May 2009 then got pushed to May 2010 then got pushed to December 2010). So I'm kind of hoping Greta Gerwig doesn't keep pushing back the release dates.

I have to say that after reading through this article, that I'm going to describe it with one of those newfangled words.... a Nothingburger.  

Ms. Gerwig is working on it. The strikes are over. Things will happen as they happen. But the actual quote....

“Well, I think people know that we’re aspirationally trying to get Greta Gerwig’s [The Chronicles of] Narnia together and get that movie, which will be next year,”

I don't even know what that means. 

Posted by: @jasmine_tarkheena  

Hopefully, Greta Gerwig doesn't keep pushing back the release dates for new Narnia films. That's kind of what happened with Walden: PC was originally going to be released in December 2007 then got pushed to May 2008; VDT was originally going to be released in May 2009 then got pushed to May 2010 then got pushed to December 2010). So I'm kind of hoping Greta Gerwig doesn't keep pushing back the release dates.

If Netflix's first adaptation doesn't start filming next year, I wouldn't chalk it up to being Gerwig's fault. This is clearly more of a Netflix timeline than Gerwig.

@impending-doom 

Point taken. Though I think it should get interesting as more news starts rolling in! I even thought of what if LWW got made first (which is still possible) and it was released in December 2025? Now both the Walden LWW film and the new LWW film would be released just about 20 years apart.