@azog-the-defiler I feel like the only way they would consider continuing the Walden Media series would be by making a sequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and redoing Prince Caspian. Personally, that would annoy me since I happen to like the Prince Caspian movie. In my really tolerant, giving moods, I even love it. I don't want to see it rendered uncanonical.

Posted by: @azog-the-defiler

Posted by: @justin_orman

They obviously won't continue where Walden stopped since Disney has those films on their rival streaming service, and the first movie is over 15 years old already, which means people who watched it as children could be parents themselves by the time a new one came out. 

I'm quite frankly disappointed about that. I've waited 13 years for a sequel to TVotDT. Walden's movies are rather nostalgic for me, but it doesn't seem all that long ago that those other movies came out; certainly not long enough to reboot the whole series. I suppose that it would be impractical to hire the same actors to act the adult versions of themselves, though it would be pretty cool since they're about the right age for THaHB.

I get that and sympathize since I really liked the Walden movies also (well, the first two, anyway), but I just don't see any way they can continue it since they don't have the rights to the previous movies. While it's harder for fans, it just doesn't make sense for Netflix to do that.

Posted by: @col-klink

I feel like the only way they would consider continuing the Walden Media series would be by making a sequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and redoing Prince Caspian.

I wouldn't want them to redo that, or any of the existing Walden Narnia movies. It would be best if they simply did The Silver Chair as was planned, though it might be hard to find a Will Poulter look-alike. The advantage is that none of the Pevensies aren't in that specific book so they wouldn't need to find look-alikes for the other 4.

Posted by: @justin

While it's harder for fans, it just doesn't make sense for Netflix to do that.

It's a disappointment either way. I expect that the movies would have more success if they felt like a continuation of the Walden movies. 

Posted by: @azog-the-defiler

Posted by: @col-klink

I feel like the only way they would consider continuing the Walden Media series would be by making a sequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and redoing Prince Caspian.

I wouldn't want them to redo that, or any of the existing Walden Narnia movies. It would be best if they simply did The Silver Chair as was planned, though it might be hard to find a Will Poulter look-alike. The advantage is that none of the Pevensies aren't in that specific book so they wouldn't need to find look-alikes for the other 4.

I do understand that fans of the Walden films were crushingly disappointed when that series ground to a halt after only three instalments. But honestly, seriously — as a few of us here have said more than once — why on earth would Netflix even consider trying to resurrect another company's failed franchise that bombed more than a decade ago? And why is anyone still speculating, let alone hoping, that they might?

It simply would not make sense for Netflix to start their new series with The Silver Chair. That would mean catering solely for viewers who are fans of the Walden series and have been watching and rewatching it all these years and longing for more. That's got to be a minority of potential viewers.

SC simply does not work as a story on its own without the audience already knowing about Eustace and his previous adventures, about Caspian and why he means so much to Eustace, about Narnia itself and what a special place it is — and about Aslan, who in his encounter with Jill comes across as quite scary and creepy if we don't have any background as to who this rather menacing talking lion is and why Jill, despite her fears, ought to trust him. Almost nothing in that story is going to grab viewers in the right way if they don't have all this prior knowledge from the previous stories.

And there is no way imaginable that Netflix, starting out on a whole new property like this, is going to aim it at only the tiny percentage of viewers who are such die-hard Walden fans that they're desperate for the next Narnia movie to be a pseudo-Walden Silver Chair. Netflix bought the rights to all seven books, not just the four that Walden never got around to. It was obvious from the start, by that very fact, that Netflix wants to begin afresh. And even if they did start with SC, where and how would they then fit in the stories that come before it chronologically, especially the three that were done by Walden?

Posted by: @justin

It's a disappointment either way. I expect that the movies would have more success if they felt like a continuation of the Walden movies. 

Er... seriously, why and how? They are quite clearly not going to be a continuation, as in starting from SC — and if they feel like a rehash of the Walden movies, that risks viewers getting bored because they feel they've seen all this before. That just wouldn't work, and it's bore obviously not going to happen, so why keep on contemplating it?

Reboots and starting from scratch happens like all the time. Even HBO is re-doing Harry Potter into a TV series, even though the film franchise have been very popular in the 2000's.

So why pick up from where the Walden film franchise left off for Narnia? Even fans of the Walden films would have their heads scratching and browse raised. It makes sense to start over- whether with LWW or even start a fresh with MN.

Now it kind of raises the question if the new franchise is going to call it "The Chronicles of Narnia" or simply just Narnia. I would be interested in what Greta Gerwig plans to call the franchise.

It's also worth noting that LWW is the only Walden film, in my eyes, that has culturally made an impact, with most people probably only remembering that one film. PC and VDT especially didn't have the same success on that front.

Posted by: @azog-the-defiler

I expect that the movies would have more success if they felt like a continuation of the Walden movies. 

Do you mean more artistic success or more financial success? 

From the perspectives of the artists themselves, I can see how trying to recreate the exact style of the Walden Media movies could be appealing if they were fans of those films themselves. But if they're not particular fans, I feel like being stuck in the straitjacket of the previous series would just be a pain for them. 

Posted by: @courtenay

I do understand that fans of the Walden films were crushingly disappointed when that series ground to a halt after only three instalments. But honestly, seriously — as a few of us here have said more than once — why on earth would Netflix even consider trying to resurrect another company's failed franchise that bombed more than a decade ago? And why is anyone still speculating, let alone hoping, that they might?

I personally don't view it as having "bombed." The view I hold is that the right people to adapt the Narnia movies had not been found at that time.

Posted by: @courtenay

That just wouldn't work, and it's bore obviously not going to happen, so why keep on contemplating it?

You're probably right that they won't, but it doesn't change the fact that it would be best to complete the other series. I don't like when something has been left unfinished.

Posted by: @col-klink

Do you mean more artistic success or more financial success? 

 

I don't know about financial or artistic specifically. All I know is that I would personally have more incentive to watch Netflix's movies if they were based off of the other ones instead of creating something new altogether. I haven't watched many new movies since most newer movies aren't as well done as the ones from the first decade of this century (in my opinion). I admit that I'm anxious that the newer Netflix series won't fit the values or spirit of C.S. Lewis' work, since Netflix doesn't seem to share his worldview.

Posted by: @jasmine_tarkheena

It makes sense to start over- whether with LWW or even start a fresh with MN.

I don't follow many other franchises between the Middle-Earth and Narnia franchises, so I wouldn't know, but I don't like the idea of starting over. Of course, Netflix is a separate company altogether, so they probably couldn't base their adaption off of Walden's.

Posted by: @rilianix

Its also worth noting that LWW is only Waden film in my eyes that has culturally made an impact, with most people probably only remembering that one film.

This may be true for many people, but I enjoyed the other movies in spite of their lack of faithfulness to the book.

Perhaps this meme will clarify my view. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OK8qQyA8sOLizTegD0LP7qyrn4NAeZtk/view?usp=drive_link 😉

Posted by: @azog-the-defiler

Posted by: @rilianix

Its also worth noting that LWW is only Waden film in my eyes that has culturally made an impact, with most people probably only remembering that one film.

This may be true for many people, but I enjoyed the other movies in spite of their lack of faithfulness to the book. 

Perhaps this meme will clarify my view. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OK8qQyA8sOLizTegD0LP7qyrn4NAeZtk/view?usp=drive_link 😉

Oh for sure, I enjoy PC and VDT in their own ways, even if I feel they can be done better, especially when it comes to PC. Some of the changes made there I think did the story some justice in terms of a more cinematic approach, but overall business wise I think, while Netflix will do everything in their power to please the fans and gives us a worthy adaptation, they have to approach this with those non-fans and general audiences in mind as well, with many of them maybe not even seeing Walden's LWW let alone its sequels, so a complete reboot and restart is the best option for both of us to be honest. I think one way of thinking about it, is how these Netflix adaptations are to the Walden films what the Walden films were to the BBC adaptations.

@azog-the-defiler Thanks for responding! It sounds like what you're saying is less that a new series will be bad for everyone than that you won't like it. Which is totally fine! Truth be told, I'm not super optimistic about Netflix myself. (Not precisely for worldview reasons since C. S. Lewis has a very specific worldview and it'd be unreasonable to expect to find adapters with the exact same one. I guess not for reasons totally unconnected with worldview either but...never mind. This is too much of a rabbit trail already.) But I feel like saying that you think the new movies would "have more success" makes it sound like you're making some kind of objective statement and that's why so many Narniawebbers are disagreeing with you. If you just said that you'd like them less, then they wouldn't argue even if they didn't agree. 

Sorry if I'm being presumptuous, giving you unsolicited advice about wording like that. I'd love it if you contributed more to this forum since there aren't many people left who really want to see the Walden Media series continued right now and having that viewpoint represented means more interesting discussion. In that spirit...  

Posted by: @azog-the-defiler

I personally don't view (the series) as having "bombed." The view I hold is that the right people to adapt the Narnia movies had not been found at that time.

I'm a little mystified by this. If you believe the wrong people were adapting Narnia with the Walden Media movies, why on earth would you want Netflix to follow in their footsteps? Shouldn't you want something different? 

FWIW, I hesitate to say the second and third Narnia movies "bombed" at the box office. It's not like they didn't make a cent. It was more a matter of fantasy movies being so expensive that they needed to make a whole lot more money to justify more of them being greenlit. 

Posted by: @col-klink

I'm a little mystified by this. If you believe the wrong people were adapting Narnia with the Walden Media movies, why on earth would you want Netflix to follow in their footsteps? Shouldn't you want something different? 

Maybe I'll say that it was doomed to fail (in someone's opinion) when the script became that of a "girl power action movie." (Please remind me who said that). Either way, it seemed like the person in charge of the script wanted to change the movies to something very different from what it would've been otherwise. This was a while ago, so I don't remember the details of why The Silver Chair was cancelled, but I won't hide the fact that it was a personal disappointment for me, and doubtlessly many others. If this could be an opportunity to redeem that it would seem like the best thing to me personally.

I don't care so much about who makes the movies, as long as they stay true to the spirit of the books. I do wish that anything Netflix would create would be tied to Walden somehow though. Perhaps they could have a cameo, or they could hire the original actors to play their adult selves.

Posted by: @col-klink

But I feel like saying that you think the new movies would "have more success" makes it sound like you're making some kind of objective statement and that's why so many Narniawebbers are disagreeing with you.

Maybe I'm referring more to the specific Narnia fan community I'm around that isn't on this site. Many of my Narnia-loving friends agree with me. As a new member to this community, I still don't know what the majority of people on this specific forum think. Maybe I should invite them to join the forum to discuss their views (lol).

Posted by: @col-klink

(Not precisely for worldview reasons since C. S. Lewis has a very specific worldview and it'd be unreasonable to expect to find adapters with the exact same one. I guess not for reasons totally unconnected with worldview either but...never mind. This is too much of a rabbit trail already.)

Even if they don't hold his worldview I don't want them to adapt the books in a way that he wouldn't approve of; especially in a way that he would firmly disagree with.

Posted by: @col-klink

I'd love it if you contributed more to this forum since there aren't many people left who really want to see the Walden Media series continued right now and having that viewpoint represented means more interesting discussion.

Thanks. I appreciate it.

Posted by: @azog-the-defiler

Maybe I'll say that it was doomed to fail (in someone's opinion) when the script became that of a "girl power action movie." (Please remind me who said that). Either way, it seemed like the person in charge of the script wanted to change the movies to something very different from what it would've been otherwise. This was a while ago, so I don't remember the details of why The Silver Chair was cancelled, but I won't hide the fact that it was a personal disappointment for me, and doubtlessly many others. If this could be an opportunity to redeem that it would seem like the best thing to me personally.

Ah, well, that movie was never going to be part of the Walden Media Narnia series. It was made by the Mark Gordon Company. I can understand the confusion though since it was adapting the story that followed The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the last Narnia book adapted by Walden. In an interview, I believe the wouldbe director said it would represent a "complete break" from the previous movies' continuity. I hope that goes some way to soothe your disappointment.

Posted by: @azog-the-defiler

Even if they don't hold his worldview I don't want them to adapt the books in a way that he wouldn't approve of; especially in a way that he would firmly disagree with.

Well, I believe he would have disapproved of the Walden Media movies, to an extent anyway. He doesn't seem to have liked movies much in general compared to books and there's a quote where he criticizes a movie adaptation of King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard for adding action scenes (like the melting waterfall scene in the 2005 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?) That doesn't really matter to me personally. As long as I enjoy the adaptations myself, I'm good. 

Posted by: @azog-the-defiler

You're probably right that they won't, but it doesn't change the fact that it would be best to complete the other series. I don't like when something has been left unfinished.

With all due respect, mate, that's an opinion, not a fact. There's no solid, objective and unarguable evidence that "it would be best to complete the other series". It's entirely a matter of "I liked the Walden series, so I wish someone would complete it" versus "I didn't like (or was overall indifferent to) the Walden series, so I would rather see an entirely new one." And when it does come down to evidence, as well as logic, all of that is on the side of Netflix intending to make a totally new start.

I'm also concerned that Netflix may not stay true to the spirit of the books, but then, I would argue that Walden didn't either, adding the notorious and totally unnecessary implied "Suspian" romance in PC and changing the plot of VDT so much that it only vaguely resembled the original. And probably any studio or director would get a big proportion of the fan community agitated with fear that they won't do it the way "we" would like to see it. As you've noted, one of the main things that stalled the proposed movie of The Silver Chair was the studio's desire to turn it into a girl power action flick, which the Lewis Estate didn't agree with. I can't remember either where that reference came from, but I know I've seen it, including here on NarniaWeb.

As far as I'm concerned, anyway, nothing is truly "canon" about Narnia except what Lewis himself actually wrote, and even that has enough inconsistencies and oddities to keep fans debating for all time!   And no matter what new interpretations and "spin" the various adaptations may give to them, we still have those seven books, which in my case have had a bigger and more life-changing impact on me than any other works of fiction ever have. So to me at least, that's what matters the most in the end.

@azog-the-defiler I'd really advise you to go back and read the old threads in General Movie Discussion. That would give you a better idea of where everyone is coming from here.  

Posted by: @courtenay

With all due respect, mate, that's an opinion, not a fact. There's no solid, objective and unarguable evidence that "it would be best to complete the other series". It's entirely a matter of "I liked the Walden series, so I wish someone would complete it" versus "I didn't like (or was overall indifferent to) the Walden series, so I would rather see an entirely new one." And when it does come down to evidence, as well as logic, all of that is on the side of Netflix intending to make a totally new start.

It doesn't change the fact that it's my opinion, and that my opinion is the most correct opinion in my opinion. 😜  

Posted by: @col-klink

Ah, well, that movie was never going to be part of the Walden Media Narnia series. It was made by the Mark Gordon Company. I can understand the confusion though since it was adapting the story that followed The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the last Narnia book adapted by Walden. In an interview, I believe the wouldbe director said it would represent a "complete break" from the previous movies' continuity. I hope that goes some way to soothe your disappointment.

Hmm.🤔 I must have been confused as to who made those then. Either way, I thought that it was supposed to be a sequel to the other movies. They were discussing whether they should cast Will Poulter as Eustace or not though, which would lead one to think that TSC is related to the other 3 movies. 

Posted by: @courtenay

I'm also concerned that Netflix may not stay true to the spirit of the books, but then, I would argue that Walden didn't either, adding the notorious and totally unnecessary implied "Suspian" romance in PC and changing the plot of VDT so much that it only vaguely resembled the original.

Fair point. That was rather silly, and I highly doubt that Lewis would've cared for that. Minor things like that aren't as big of a deal as what could happen to it though. I would be more concerned that Netflix may not adapt it as being "clean for the whole family," since that isn't something they're really known for.

Posted by: @col-klink

@azog-the-defiler I'd really advise you to go back and read the old threads in General Movie Discussion. That would give you a better idea of where everyone is coming from here.

I'll consider it. 🙂 

Also, I have the idea everyone has taken my opinions as being antagonistic to their own. This was not my intention and I believe this issue may come from the inability to detect a person's facial expression or tone of voice over the internet.