That's interesting Rowling said that. I love Narnia because C.S. Lewis doesn't explore adolescence. He explores everything right up to post-adolescence romance and angst. And very sparingly. Which I love a lot! He focuses on childhood spiritual journeys as Ithilwen mentioned above.

Ditto! The whole "I'm growing up and it stinks." Thing always bothered me. The word "teenager" is an entirely new word, invented in the last 50 years (or so). The books are great because Lewis, while not completely condemning the stage of life where we all "grow out of childish things" right before we grow back into them; sort of pokes fun at it, showing how ridiculous it really is. I know many teens who enjoy childish games and can still participate with grownups (in fact, some are from NW).
Love Narnia!

I voted that Interest in Narnia will go up I think that now that HP has finished, it will make way for Narnia and other things
I hope that's the case

I voted UP.

This may sound silly but hear me out. Why should Harry Potter get all the fame and glory and money? Why should the world get it all? These things belong to Narnia, the books anyway. They’re more Christian. I want God to defend his other name, Aslan. I want him to help the Lewis Estate make more film adaptations, but excellent ones this time. I want Narnia to be the next HP, but better! Nothing is impossible with God!

I think one of the problems with the Narnia films was they tried to make it something it wasn't. They tried to make it epic, like LOTR. But when people look at the Narnia books and think about what they love about them, it's not action, or adventure, the villains, the danger, or big huge EPICNESS. It's the spiritual journey, it's Lucy learning to trust Aslan, it's the fact that, although there are villains, we know we don't need to fear them because Aslan is there. That's what makes Narnia special. I think that's what really separates it from LOTR.

*sigh* If only they could make a quiet, accurate miniseries of Narnia...

My thoughts exactly! I feel like this is what Walden Media/Fox/Disney is getting wrong about the Narnia franchise. LWW came closest in atmosphere to the books as a whole. Yet I thought PC worked better as an adaptation. But I also want someone who's a Christian and understands the books, what Lewis was trying to do in Narnia, to direct the next four films. And to be honest, I want them made now. I'm tired of a "Christian" movie series, based on Christian books, to look bad compared to HP and LOTR and Twilight. I'm not here to debate the "Christian" aspects of the first two franchises. Others can do that elsewhere. All I'm saying is that I want Narnia to look good on screen - for the sake of Lewis and the book fans and God. I want him to defend his other name (Aslan) on screen!

That's interesting Rowling said that. I love Narnia because C.S. Lewis doesn't explore adolescence. He explores everything right up to post-adolescence romance and angst. And very sparingly. Which I love a lot! He focuses on childhood spiritual journeys as Ithilwen mentioned above.

Ditto! The whole "I'm growing up and it stinks." Thing always bothered me. The word "teenager" is an entirely new word, invented in the last 50 years (or so). The books are great because Lewis, while not completely condemning the stage of life where we all "grow out of childish things" right before we grow back into them; sort of pokes fun at it, showing how ridiculous it really is. I know many teens who enjoy childish games and can still participate with grownups (in fact, some are from NW).
Love Narnia!

Yes, I agree that the term 'teenager' was only a post WW2 term - blame the Baby Boomers for their sheer number and that as such they were courted by marketeers realising what a big market they were, plus politicians who listened to arguments about enfranchising those people old enough to be conscripted into the army.

But that is not why JK Rowling would have said that, or why C.S.Lewis would have been a typical children's writer for his times. No-one is denying that teenage years can 'stink'. High school days are not necessarily the best and most enjoyable ones in one's life, as C.S.Lewis, himself, made clear in the Narnia stories. But what JKR was mostly referring to was the complete blank of the day in British children's literature, especially, before children were old enough to leave school on the one hand, and the adult fiction of the time.

The boarding school literature which then dealt with children of fourteen and upwards tended to omit or decry romantic stirrings, being teased or bullied, pimples, moody people, going to the dance with the wrong partner or worse, without anyone at all. In the real life of teenagers, not everyone gets to be in the winning sports team, or being selected for prefect - why is it always so perfect for the hero or heroine in boarding school literature?

Adventure stories were also popular, but nobody mentions in books of the time, such as Biggles' exploits, or in Enid Blyton, the lack of, or the inadequacy of bathroom facilities out on a Famous Five camping trip, for example, or that Julian, Dick and George ought to have been more willing to assist Anne clean up after themselves and Timmy the dog, however they disparaged domesticity. And whilst C.S.Lewis can write tales where the children reenter the real world at the exact time that they left, or has Aslan deem them too old to return to their magical land, not many other authors would have been prepared to have gone as far as he did to say that Eustace suffered from seasickness nor would they have mentioned the mess made when an animal was killed.

That is where Harry Potter came into the picture, scarred, specky and with glasses, and nonetheless playing a crucial part in his world. A world written JKR's way. The books were popular because they were adventurous, because the heroes had the same sorts of problems other people their age do, and because JKR hadn't finished writing the series when the films were started, and also kept good control on what could go into the movie and what could be left out. Not least, they were popular because they came under intense scrutiny from Christian groups who wanted to ban them on account of the magic trappings, even though at no point were they antagonistic to Christian values, unlike Eragon or Golden Compass.

Meanwhile, it seems that there is a strong chance that other modern fantasy series which were perceived to be popular enough to be filmed, haven't been able to make the same impact or even make the grade, once a film is made of their first book or books, judging by that list Movie Aristotle linked us to. Apart from Harry Potter, you say there is the recent Twilight series, putting a new romantic twist on old chestnuts like Vampires and Werewolves. But I'm not so sure that more films about either of these groups, like Vampire Academy or the Vampire chronicles or whatever, really would be so sensational that a good quality Narnia production can't compete with them successfully.

I voted 'no change'. I think the Narnia franchise is currently a 'been there, done that' series to most people. Those who were interested in it before HP will remain interested, those who weren't, won't be.

If any movie rebuilds interest in Narnia in the next few years, it will be the Hobbit.

High school days are not necessarily the best and most enjoyable ones in one's life, as C.S.Lewis, himself, made clear in the Narnia stories.

Where exactly does he make that clear? None of the Narnia kids are high-schoolers. The Narnia series is written about and for pre-adolescent children. It spotlights the challenges in that time of life, and treats children of that age with dignity and respect that is unusual in literature, even to this day.

When Rowling criticizes the Narnia series for focusing on issues that are specific to young children, she reflects a common attitude among adults that the challenges of childhood are "no big deal," and that pre-adolescence is just a sort of waiting area where children can pass the time until the doors to adolescence are open.

The fact of the matter is that children learn a great deal about life, love and coping before they even reach the teen years. And, while adults may take these skills for granted because they have become second nature, to a young child, learning the fundamental skills of life can be every bit as challenging and urgent as fighting a dragon.

It is metaphorically significant that the children in Narnia usually leave the series when they start adolescence. While having a rich fantasy life can help young children play around with scary ideas in a risk-free mental environment, there comes a time in life when you need to focus on applying those lessons of courage, strength and responsibility in the real world. You can't live your life in a fantasy dream. Aslan himself, in PC, states that this is not intended to be a punishment, merely a signal that it is time for the children to move on. The struggles of adolescence are an important story, but not for a Narnian setting.

^ Another excellent post, Anhun. Please post more often. I'm a fan of you.

I think it's very sad that stories about childhood often get completely written off.

If any movie rebuilds interest in Narnia in the next few years, it will be the Hobbit.

Sad but probably true. *facepalm*

The most fundamental problem with this series is that it was little more than a cash-in from the start. LotR was a hit, so Disney/Walden used Narnia to lick its crumbs. Now that Narnia has run out of gas, the only hope for it to return is....LotR.

I love LOTR and I know I will love The Hobbit. I know that some people dont interpret these to be similar to Narnia, but I love how Narnia has embraced LOTR stylistically. But thats just me.

As for this thread, I dont think Narnia's popularity will go up or down because of Harry Potter. Saying that would be a disservice to the tastes of both franchises' fans. Multiple franchise can coexist at the box office. The argument would hold more merit of both films opened on the same opening weekend.

I love LOTR and I know I will love The Hobbit. I know that some people dont interpret these to be similar to Narnia, but I love how Narnia has embraced LOTR stylistically. But thats just me.

I'm not really talking about the style.

LotR began with Peter Jackson getting an idea, and getting excited about it....even though it was a risk. Genuine inspiration.

Narnia began with someone going "LotR is a hit! Fantasy is in! We must find another fantasy story! How about...uhhh...those Narnia books!" They decided to make it long before they had any ideas how it could be adapted.

Many superhero films have a similar problem. The decision to make them is made before they know if they have a good idea for the story.

Where exactly does he make that clear? None of the Narnia kids are high-schoolers. The Narnia series is written about and for pre-adolescent children. It spotlights the challenges in that time of life, and treats children of that age with dignity and respect that is unusual in literature, even to this day.

In LWW the Professor saying Bless me what do these schools teach? Also, Edmund's going wrong because of 'that school'. In PC Lucy going to boarding school for the first time (usually upper primary lower high school). Experiment House in SC wasn't an infants school (lower primary), and it was also well-known how miserable C.S.Lewis own boarding school days were. C.S.Lewis went to boarding school at the age of 9. That isn't 4 or 5, the age I went, let alone the age of 11, the age JKR sends off Harry Potter to Hogwarts - after an equally miserable time in primary school with Dudley.

The fact of the matter is that children learn a great deal about life, love and coping before they even reach the teen years. And, while adults may take these skills for granted because they have become second nature, to a young child, learning the fundamental skills of life can be every bit as challenging and urgent as fighting a dragon.

This is a fair point and I agree. But it all depends on what age you define teen years which would be 11 or even 10 upwards. In days gone by, someone who was a fourteen year old adolescent would have been legally old enough to go to work. My grandmother was sent to work when she was 12. Adolescents of age 17 still can join the military or learn to drive, and at the age of 18 could legally drink at a bar. Yet in those days they couldn't marry without parental consent, or vote until they were 21.

By the way, VDT did come out at the same time as the 1st Harry Potter DH episode. It can't have helped that both movies were road movies.

As for this thread, I dont think Narnia's popularity will go up or down because of Harry Potter. Saying that would be a disservice to the tastes of both franchises' fans.

I might agree with your statement if only fans went to see movies, but there is also a general audience of movie-goers who feel like seeing a fantasy every now-and-then. Seeing Harry 7 part 1 might have been enough to tie these people over for a while, thus skipping over VDT. When faced with the question "Which fantasy movie should we watch this year?" I'm guessing most general movie-goers would vote HP over VDT, and they did.

Another reason I disagree with your statement is because it is possible that some young people who have been hooked on Potter for the past 10 years will soon be waking up to the realization that there are other good fantasies besides Harry. People who have been anxiously following Harry may switch over to Narnia, just as I, who have been anxiously following Narnia have, for the time being and for lack of news, switched over to The Hobbit.

Narnia began with someone going "LotR is a hit! Fantasy is in! We must find another fantasy story! How about...uhhh...those Narnia books!"

I'll say it again, that statement is false. [quote="Perry Moore, The Official Illustrated Movie Companion":1v4iywze] I'd made a list of all my favorite books from school reading lists...one book always remained in the number one spot: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. ...when Michael and Cary had first approached Phil Anschutz with the idea to invest in their new company the year before, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the most important property they described when they presented him with a vision of the types of films they hoped to create. ...this story had to be done right, and that meant being faithful to the book. ...I tracked down the C. S. Lewis Company and sent them a well-intentioned letter that expressed Walden Media's belief in the power of the property and requested an introductory meeting...But it would take almost a full year of creative discussions and negotiations by the whole Walden Media team before the rights would officially be granted. During that year two blockbuster movies came out: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. ...The result was that every studio and production company now stepped forward and approached the Lewis estate aggressively for the movie rights to Narnia. ...Loyal to a fault, the Lewis estate respected and appreciated our early interest in the books.

(Emphasis added).

I am sorry that Perry is no longer with us.

Can I post some more thoughts?

A thing I've noticed, especially at school, is whenever I'm reading one of the Narnia books, somebody comes up, and asks, "Aren't these books for little kids?"(Take note of my age.) While feeling insulted and explaining that there are older people I know that would be very offended by that, at the same time I note that these people are often fans of Harry Potter or LotR or some other young adult series. They have come to believe that Narnia is just for little kids.

That could present a problem. They think Narnia is just a dumbed down version of HP or LotR. That is not the truth from many of us. Narnia is for young adults(please don't go on arguing over what a "young adult" is when I say this), children, elderly, and more. It's sad when this happens. This is something that inspired J.K. Rowling to write the HP phenomenon. Lewis and Tolkien were very close. Narnia is not a kid's story. It is for all.

If people are going to think Narnia is just a ripoff of Harry Potter, read the books. It was written decades before Potter. Rowling read them as a child and still likes them. Movies are not books, and books are not movies.

If people think Narnia is a copycat of LotR, read the books. They have similar elements(I've just started The Hobbit, and I've already noted similarities.) but they do not copy each other. The movies sometimes have kind of all too familiar looking scenes at times, but movies are not the books.

If people are going to see Narnia as stories just for children, this could cause Narnia to go downwards. Unless there could be another way for it to go up, and not by The Hobbit film(goes into thinking mode again)...

(Btw back when my dad went to school, there was no middle-school or junior high... You started high school in 6th or 7th grade. At least that's my understanding...)

But back on topic...

I doubt it will. I think the only thing that'll help is if they get back to the way they ought to be made- with passion for the subject material and without the need to make $500,000 in profit. Until then things will only get worse.

I voted 'no change'. I think the Narnia franchise is currently a 'been there, done that' series to most people. Those who were interested in it before HP will remain interested, those who weren't, won't be. If any movie rebuilds interest in Narnia in the next few years, it will be the Hobbit.

I mostly agree. But that's common sense. It leaves God out of the equation. Anything can happen. Anything is possible - with God. Walden Media and the Lewis EWe need to ignore what the world and their human-sized brains are saying and cast their nets on the other side of the boat into some fresh water!

I think the only thing that'll help is if they get back to the way they ought to be made- with passion for the subject material and without the need to make $500,000 in profit. Until then things will only get worse.

Total agreement. And here's how: Daniel 1:17-20. But excellence in all things before an unbelieving world men won't happen without sacrifice: Daniel 1:8. This means passion for the material and caring more about quality than profit.

Christians need to demonstrate excellence in film. We should put the world to shame in every media form, not the other way around. And we should use such media for the glory of God: evangelism! I want God to use the Narnia films to bring himself glory, to show the world true excellence in film, and to demonstrate how the media should be used.

I'm tired of a "Christian" movie series, based on Christian books, to look bad compared to HP and LOTR and Twilight.

Trust me, Narnia is regarded MUCH higher than Twilight is, or ever has been. Aside from the most hardcore fans of the series.

As for the poll, I voted "no change". The only major change that could come up is that without harry potter for people to fan over, and the hobbit still a ways away (and far between), fantasy series will immediately go down in interest in general, but a semi-major franchise like Narnia could come out on top as more popular.