With the recent details contained within the casting call, we are now starting to finally get a sense of what Greta Gerwig’s Narnia project is going to look like, with all indications now pointing firmly towards The Magician’s Nephew.

However, I think a lot of people have also started to pick up from some of the quotes by senior executives, that perhaps there are still a few more shoes to drop, and that potentially Greta Gerwig has done something particularly unique, special, or clever with her adaptation.

In many ways, the seeds of that notion were planted in many people's minds by virtue of the way she adapted 'Little Women' (2019) into a non-linear narrative, and I think its been natural for people to assume that maybe she has got some similarly inventive tricks up her sleeve for something like Narnia.

I will clarify here that I think Greta Gerwig has demonstrated an enormous degree of respect and knowledge for CS Lewis work in every interview she’s given so far, therefore I don’t necessarily think there is anything to worry about in terms of fidelity to the source material. However she is also a very creative storyteller, and it would seem naïve to think that part of her own directorial essence is not going to shine through just a little bit.

I’ve therefore compiled a list of some of the main storytelling devices that Greta Gerwig could theoretically employ with her Narnia movie... Again i'll emphasise that this is not about altering the story being told, but rather about how that story is told.

Therefore, for the purposes of this poll or debate, assume that the story being told will be exactly the same as the one in the book. All of the characters, costumes, locations, events, actions and plot elements will be exactly as the book… the only difference will be the manner in which those elements are communicated to the audience.

Also, i fully accept that not all of these narrative formats are going to work for Narnia. It was more just about providing a wide range of options to spark peoples imaginations and trigger some debate:

Anyway, the poll options are as follows (you should be able to vote for multiple options at a time)

Nothing

The story will be told in a conventional cinematic storytelling format.

Framing Device

The story will be presented within a framing device, such as an older character looking back and reflecting on their childhood self This could either be as two book-ends (at the start and finish of the film respectively) or as something we continually cut back and forth between.

An example of this narrative structure is the movie “Titanic” (1997) which presents Rose’s story aboard the ship within the context of an elderly Rose talking to a deep-sea diving team who are exploring the wreck of the vessel, and who we occasionally cut back to during the film.

Non-Linear

The story will cover the events of a single book, however the order in which the events of that book are presented to the audience will be presented in a non-linear order.

For example, Greta Gerwig’s own “Little Women” (2019) cuts back and forth between Part 1 and Part 2 of the original book, in order to draw out the thematic parallels of various moments, and to reflect on the ideas of childhood vs adulthood.

Multiple Stories Told in Parallel

The film will combine the events of two or more stories into a single film (this will thus largely dictate an element of non-Linear storytelling as well). This wouldn’t necessarily have to be the stories of two whole books told in parallel (such as a MN/LWW mash-up) but could be something else entirely altogether, perhaps within the context of a more expansive framing device..

An example of this is the format would be the movie “Cloud Atlas” (2012) which jumps between the six different stories which were originally presented within a nesting format in the original novel. Similarly also, The Fountain (2006) or The Tree of Life (2011), both of which have three parallel narratives (past, present and future)

Multiple Perspectives.

The film will tell a singular story, but from different thematic perspectives at the same time. This is something perhaps uncommon in films, but there have been two notable examples in the last few years.

First, in the movie “Oppenheimer” (2023), which features both an “objective” perspective on Oppenheimer’s story according to the raw historical facts (indicated by in scenes shot in Black and White) and a “subjective” perspective telling Oppenheimer’s story from a more personal point of view (indicated by scenes shot in colour)

Another example would be “The Last Duel” (2021) which features the same story told 3 times in a row, with each section reflecting the contradictory versions-of-events according to each of the three main protagonists.

Single Take

The film will edited in a manner which makes it appear as if it was shot in just a single take of the camera.

For example, the movie “1917” (2019) uses the single take format to provide a very intimate focus on the main protagonists’ journey through World War 1, and results in an intense viewing experience for the audience, who are never granted the respite of cutting away from the action to a moment of safety back home. The audience is along for the ride and has to see, feel, and experience everything that happens to the main characters.

Another example of this format is in the film “Birdman” (2014).which uses the format to reflect the nature of a Broadway play.

Meta Narrative

the movie will not only have a narrative featuring the story of a Narnia book, but it will also have a Meta narrative that is substantively about the idea of Narnia itself, and of CS Lewis works in general.

Examples here include The Lego Movie (2014), which is about the ideas and concepts of what it means to build Lego sets these days (as well as being a fun family adventure featuring Lego characters) and again Greta's own Barbie Movie (2023), which features both the Mattel Corporation, and the original inventor of Barbie, Ruth Handler, as a character.

Also, whilst we already have a discussion topic open for Narration specifically I’ll throw a few narrator based formats for the purposes of the Poll, however if you do want to discuss those elements specifically in more detail, head on over to that area of the forum:

First Person Narrator

The events of the story will be narrated in voiceover  by one or more characters who exist within the story. For example The Shawshank Redemption (1994), or Forrest Gump (1994).

Third Person Narrator

The story will be told by an external, third person, narrator (perhaps initially presented within a framing device) who will continue to narrate the events of the story, but who exists outside of the main story world.

An example of this is in  Wes Anderson’s film “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” (2023), which starts with Ralph Fiennes playing the author Roald Dahl, whose narration continues into the film, and extending through the dialogue of the characters themselves.

Inner Monologues

The film will feature a significant number of inner monologues, voiced by the characters, such as in The Thin Red Line (1998) or The New World (2005) whereby the characters talk about their inner feelings, either in literal terms, or more abstract poetic terms such as in the two movies just cited.

I've also included an "other" element in case there is any other fun or inventive way to tell the story on screen you can think of, or any editing ideas you've seen in other films recently which you think could work.