I'd be very interested in seeing Wes Ball direct a Narnia film.
He made a striking debut with The Maze Runner this year and I was very impressed with his tense, visually striking and at times terrifying direction with a very modest budget. And most importantly he seems to understand and respect the source material without being afraid to change the story when necessary without ever compromising the book. And he was also able to coax some really great performances out of his young cast.

Kenneth Branagh is another choice I think I might like. I really enjoyed both Thor and Cinderella. Neil Burger is also someone I wouldn't mind seeing in the chair.

Duncan Jones (Source Code, Warcraft)
His first feature length film, Moon won him numerous accolades. He's got a really promising future ahead of him depending on how well Warcraft is received. Plus he's worked with Mark Gordon before on Source Code.

Gabor Csupo (Bridge to Terabithia)
Bridge to Terabithia was one of those films that really resonated with me. The themes of imagination, friendship and escapism are very present in the film. I'm not familiar with any of his other works though.

Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are, Her)
He's been nominated for a few Academy Awards. His name has been tossed around before to direct SC based on the work he's done with Where the Wild Things Are. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out!

Susanna White (Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang)
She's mainly done work directing British television, which has won her a BAFTA. At this point in her career she would jump at a chance to make a big budget live action film like Narnia.

Mathew Vaughn (Stardust, X-Men: Days of Future Past)
He needs no introduction. Stardust is the one of the best fantasy/sci-fi films in the last 20 years. Crazy talented.

Kevin Lima (Enchanted, Aladdin, Tarzan)
The mastermind behind some of Disney's best animated films. He also knows how to direct live action very effectively. He's won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing for a Children's Program. Going through his IMDB page, the man hasn't made a bad film. Can't go wrong here.

Kenneth Branagh (Cinderella, Thor)
I hadn't thought of Kenneth before FriendofNarnia2 linked that interview with him talking about Cinderella. Soon after that I went out to see the film and was very impressed. Now im really interested in the prospect of him directing SC. He seems to get what Narnia is about.

Other potential directors:
Chris Noonan (Babe, Miss Potter)
John Lee Hancock (Saving Mr. Banks, The Blindside)
Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Paul King (Paddington)

Gabor Csupo is an interesting choice. Bridge to Terabithia also really resonated with me. I could see him doing a good job with The Silver Chair, making it more of a character-based film like Bridge to Terabithia. Hopefully it would have better visual effects though.

Thank you for the list! Some of them I can definitely imagine doing TSC. Gabor Csupo, even if I sympathize with both Bridge to Terabithia and The Secret of Moonacre (and I need to say he made the story much more interesting than it actually was in the book), I don't "trust" him completely. His movies are always beautiful and have this sensation of comfort and happiness, but they usually lack something that can't make the movie go further. I don't know how to explain.

About Duncan Jones, Moon is a great movie. I sadly doubt Spike Jonze would accept to do something like Narnia, but I would kill if necessary to have him in this adaptation, haha. Where The Wild Things Are is simply a piece of art. I'm not really a fan of the Nanny McPhee movies, but I honestly can see them making a call to Susanna White at some point. Matthew Vaughn is growing fast in the Hollywood world with his great job and I can't blame him, but I also doubt he would do a Narnia movie.

About Kevin Lima, I like his job but don't know if he would suite TSC. Kenneth Branagh is one of my favorites choices at the moment. I LOVED the Paddington adaptation so I could easily chose Paul King too but I'm not sure. Someone told that usually the company/studio likes to work with a familiar director too.

I've gotten all weird as far as directors are concerned. It seems like their film history does not necessarily dictate how well a movie turns out. In fact, it seems like the worse the history, the better they do with the movie they're directing because they have to prove themselves.
But then once they're a big successful director, they have nobody to reign them in, and the movie does not turn out well at all.

What I want is somebody who is madly in love with the particular Narnian story they are directing. I think that more than anything else will turn a good movie. But since I don't know how people feel about the Silver Chair, that doesn't help much with discussion.

Of the above mentioned (thanks Impending Doom!) I like the idea of John Lee Hancock the best. Probably because I really loved both of those movies mentioned.

(My first post!) My suggestions are...

Richard Ayoade (Submarine, The Double) - a comedian turned director, I think he could nail both the comedic and serious scenes. He is good at making misfit characters like Eustace and Jill endearing.

Paul King (Paddington) - a popular director now, he would probably be the best fit for The Silver Chair. He has experience in all the right areas: a beloved children's book adaptation, a fully CG character, and most importantly, he can make a film that is faithful to spirit and tone of a classic book, but also connects with contemporary audiences.

Chris Noonan (Babe, Miss Potter) - I have a soft spot for him because he has basically directed only two films in his entire career, I have no idea what he has been doing all this time but he should do Narnia.

Agneiszka Holland (The Secret Garden) - she directed one of the best adaptations of a British children's book, so definitely one of the best options. As a bonus, The Secret Garden was shot by one of the foremost cinematographers in the world, Roger Deakins, so maybe she could nab him for The Silver Chair too.

Brad Silberling (A Series of Unfortunate Events) - he could do a decent job, but he is probably a bit more risky as his films are sort of hit and miss.

I really appreciate Gresham taking these films so personally and wanting to protect the material. I don't envy the responsibility. But...

I'm concerned that Gresham's watchful eye is our safety net and biggest limiter at the same time. If he stays in control, it probably prevents the movie from being a disaster... but also keeps it from truly being great. Like an overprotective parent. I hope it is not a situation where it's Gresham's movie and he just needs a director to make sure it's all in focus. I say hand over all the keys to a director with a vision... and take a chance. *crosses fingers*

I think we can expect them to hire someone who has directed a big movie before, but is not a household name. Like, the director of Divergent or something (no idea who that is). Someone who is easy to control, and will just make the product they are hired to make. Won't necessarily end up being a bad movie... but probably won't be a great one.

An auteur like Spike Jonze would be an inspired choice. He would bring a very personal, distinctive style... and would not respond well to notes from micromanaging producers. I have a feeling Gresham would not be comfortable taking a risk on someone like that because he so desperately wants to protect the material. If so, I think that's a real shame. But I also appreciate it at the same time.

Warner Bros rolled the dice on Spike Jonze with Where the Wild Things Are, and I think it turned out to be a very special film, but not one that's designed to appeal to the masses, so it flopped. I would like them to find a way to keep the SC budget as low as possible, and and take a chance on a director like that.

"For some people to love it, others must loathe it." --JK Rowling

When racking my brain for a director to choose for this film, I ultimately came to one surprising conclusion: Chad Burns. He's only done two films, but his latest, Beyond the Mask, was visually stunning on an very small budget.

His first film, Pendragon, looks a bit hokey, but on the other hand you have to admire his vision and also the the way he upped his game between film 1 and film 2.

Also, I wouldn't mind a director who truly appreciated the spiritual undertones in the Narnia stories.

*makes a note to watch Where the Wild Things Are* Seems like it does a good job combining fantastical with personal and character-driven... that's similar to the atmosphere I would like to see for SC.

Warner Bros rolled the dice on Spike Jonze with Where the Wild Things Are, and I think it turned out to be a very special film, but not one that's designed to appeal to the masses, so it flopped. I would like them to find a way to keep the SC budget as low as possible, and and take a chance on a director like that.

This is exactly what I am hoping for: keep the costs down, get someone who is truly inspired, and make it for more of a niche audience. CoN is so unique and it's just not meant to be jammed into the mainstream Hollywood mold.

I also hope that we get someone who is so impressed by the book and script, they are arguably more of a purist than Gresham, so we don't run into issues in that respect. (Purist in the sense of wanting to embrace all of the meaning and atmosphere of the book, to fully bring to life the "not tame" side of Aslan, et cetera. Not necessarily including every single scene from the book in the movie.)

When racking my brain for a director to choose for this film, I ultimately came to one surprising conclusion: Chad Burns. He's only done two films, but his latest, Beyond the Mask, was visually stunning on an very small budget.

I haven't seen that film in full, but I've seen a commentary on it. (Here; it's made by a Christian who reviews and pokes fun at Christian films in an effort to hold them up to the same storytelling standards set by great films produced in Hollywood.) I remember thinking that they were pretty creative in what they were able to make with the budget they had to work with. At the same time, though, I feel like sometimes filmmakers who specifically set out to make Christian movies for a Christian market end up being kind of heavy-handed with the message, so I'm not sure how I feel about the idea in general. It will be interesting to see what the Burns brothers do in the future.

CoN is so unique and it's just not meant to be jammed into the mainstream Hollywood mold.

*weeps* Preach it!

The first three movies have been way too focused on epic-scale and saving the universe. That really isn't what Narnia is about. I would like SC to be a small film about a girl with trust issues that has to go on a journey. That's it. I'd like to find a director that will embrace that, rather than force it to be LotR.

I really don't have any specific person in mind that I would like to direct, though I do like the suggestion of Spike Jonze Where the Wild Things Are is a great film and I think his visual style would fit Narnia vary well, but realistically I don't know what the odds are of him actually being hired.

I ditto what Rose, and Gp, seid about not making Silver Chair in to something it's not and focusing on the characters, on the first two film even though he made some vary questionable creative choices Adomson for the most part understood that, then with Dawn Treader no one seemed interested in telling the story Lewis wrote, who ever is chosen to direct I desperately hope that he/she understands the book and just focuses on telling a character driven story.

I would like to officially endorse Spike Jonze for SC director.

I loved Her, Where the Wild Things Are, and Adaptation. He takes really weird concepts and makes them feel so relatable and human that you forget they're weird.

What would happen if you give a director like this the keys to a fairy-tale like Narnia? ... Not sure! It'd be risky. And that's what I like about it. PLEASE don't just grab the Divergent director or something. Think outside the box. Pick somebody unexpected who will do something fresh.

Thank you, Glumpuddle. Not knowing much about which director is which, but caring as I do, more about the end result being as good as possible, I will have to bow to everyone's suggestions. I don't really know enough about who does what, or what their jobs entail when producing a movie. So I don't know for sure whether it is the director or someone else who does the casting. I just hope that whoever is, chooses the most effective actors to play the roles. Wherever the locations may be, I don't want to see any more big name grandstanding, over-the-top drama queens of movie stars flouncing around, terrorising everyday locals, doing the jobs they are paid to do, just for the publicity.

I know that there is a thread on IMBd to discuss Johnny Depp to take the role of Puddleglum, and some might agree elsewhere. But I seriously doubt that he should be let anywhere near such an honest, loyal, steadfast and brave character as Puddleglum. I am not convinced that after his shenanigans where VDT was filmed earlier this year, that Johnny Depp would understand an ethical principle even if it hit him in the face with a wet sturgeon. Or danced stark naked, with a rose between its teeth, wearing St Edward's crown. On the other hand, if someone suggests that he would shine as Jadis in a production of Magician's Nephew, I'd reconsider.

Spike Jonze would be a really interesting choice. While I couldn't say whether or not I would like the end product, I feel certain that it would give me plenty to think about, and I much prefer that to a boring, mail-it-in adaptation. I would definitely be interested in seeing him do the conversation with Jill and Aslan at the beginning... he seems like as though he may have been born to direct that scene!

That said, I feel like his style is so up close and personal, I worry that the movie might lack the wider lens that would make Narnia seem like a real place rather than a sound stage for character interaction. And I don't mean a real place just in the physicality of it, but in the richness and realness and mythic quality of Narnia. You can nail all of the character interactions, but if the atmosphere isn't there—and the environments, with all of their little details and tidbits and asides that are never fully explained, are huge part of that atmosphere—then it's not going to be Narnia for me.

It's honestly a bit difficult to describe exactly what I mean here... I've rewritten this post a couple of times! I think what I'm trying to say is this: if it's so intensely character-focused, it could end up feeling more like an audio drama where we have to imagine the world of Narnia rather than being able to soak it in alongside Jill as we go on the journey with her. Does that make sense?

This concern may be completely unfounded as I haven't seen any of Jonze's films as of yet, though. I'm just going off the vibe from the clips.

Hey guys?

Please remember rule #1 of the forum rules.

1.) Speak respectfully of other NarniaWebbers, public figures, and corporations.

The comments I'm seeing in reference to Depp do violate that rule.