I probably wouldn't have known the movies existed were it not for the books. However, if I did end up watching them, I think I would love LWW nearly as much as I do now as the magic and beauty is there whether you've read the books or not. PC on the other hand, I might like better than I do now (which is not at all) if it was not attached to such a wonderful book. So my love of the first movie is strengthened by the books, and my dislike of the second is worsened by the books. But I agree with greenbird37, "The books are always better than the movie. Movies come and go, books stay with you forever and has so much more meaning. "

As for LotR, I loved the movies at first because of the books, but as time has gone by the changes made in the characters in the transfer from book to movie have become more clear and bothersome to me, so now I don't like the movies much.

This is an interesting question. I really don't know if I'd like the movies or not without knowing the books; I have grown up on the books, devoured them many times, and that's why I love the movies as well. However, if I had never read them... I'm not sure.
Part of me believes I would still enjoy the movies, since I LOVE fantasy stories and movies. Then again, I realize that Narnia is really what introduced me to Fantasy and Narnia is the reason I love fantasy, so perhaps I wouldn't like the movies after all! Interesting thought....

As for LOTR, I saw the movies long before I ever read the books (in fact, I still haven't quite finished the books... shame on me ) so I'll always be a huge fan of the movies, even though the books are great. Perhaps Narnia would have been the same for me had I seen the movies first.

I love the books. My reaction to the movies so far has pretty much been," Meh." They're okay and enjoyable enough to watch, but nothing like the LotR movies, which I've watched over and over again. So if it weren't for the books, I probably wouldn't watch the movies more than once, if that many times.

I feel that this is an unfair question because so much of who I am is wrapped up in the books. A lot of the tastes that I have in stories were created by (or at least fostered by) the Chronicles. But if I had to come down on one side or the other, I'd probably say that I would have liked the movie even if I hadn't read the books. I tend to like Disney fantasies, and I would have seen LWW as Disney's return to their roots (making movies out of classic literature). I seem to have more respect for movies if I know they came from books first.

Also, I enjoyed Shrek, so I might have gone to see LWW based on the director alone.

Since we seem to be discussing LOTR as well, I'll throw in the comment that the reason I watched The Fellowship of the Ring was because an article that I read mentioned Tolkien was a friend of Lewis. So while I might have been drawn to the Narnia movies based on my like of LOTR in our hypothetical situation, in real life I was drawn to the LOTR movies because of my liking for Narnia.

As for LOTR, I saw the movies long before I ever read the books (in fact, I still haven't quite finished the books... shame on me ) so I'll always be a huge fan of the movies, even though the books are great. Perhaps Narnia would have been the same for me had I seen the movies first.

My story exactly.

I guess in the end we should consider that part of Walden's mission is to make good movies based on books so that kids will want to read the books. It seems the company itself realizes that watching a movie adaptation could never equal reading the book it is based on.

well, personally i am a fan of the movies because I'm just glad they made them! But I diffidently like LWW much better than PC, it keep truer to the book and displayed the spirit of Narnia better (in my opinion)

For me, I'm only a fan of the books because of the movie!!!
Without the movie, I would have never read the books. Which answers the second question, I would be a fan of the movies without reading the books.
My fandom started at night on an airplane to the Philippines. There, I saw LWW for the first time. *dramatic music* Well, okay before that, at school the LWW cartoon was playing, but I didn't really like that.
I was a plain liker, then I forgot about Narnia, floating away like driftwood...
Then, my buddy Kelsie took me to see PC, and my fandom was born.

Would I have taken an interest in the trailers, hype, etc. if I had never heard of/read the Chronicles of Narnia before? I'm not sure. Probably not.

But if I had given it a chance and watched it anyways, I firmly believe I would have been made a fan right there and then, not having read the books.

(I am talking, of course, about LWW by the way. Not PC. )

Yes because i read the books after i seen the movies.

I don't know that I even would have gone to see the Narnia films if I hadn't read the books. I would have just thought, oh, another book adaptation and ignored it. But since I had read the books and loved them, I saw the films and love them, too.

I grew up listening to Narnia, so I heard, and loved all the books. I might have not been such a big fan of the movie if I had never read the books.
As for the LOTR, my dad read The Hobbit to me and my siblings when I was 4 or 5. He had an awesome book with pictures, so we loved it. I did not read the rest of the series till I saw the first LOTR. I kind of like narnia better though, because of the under-lying theme.
~Sunnie

I might have seen the movies if I hadn't read the books, idk for sure though, cause as soon as I see kids as the stars of a movie I tend to back away. But I've loved these books for a long time, so it's cool to see how they adapt them to screen.
For Lotr I saw the movies before I read the books, and I like the movies better

When I was ten I saw The Fellowship of the Ring one week after it had opened in theaters, and I’ve been hooked on it since then.
I had never read any of the Lord of the Rings books or had even heard of them. After I saw the movies I read the books. And though I love the books, I really LOVE the movies!
It was opposite with Narnia. I read Narnia first, and fell in love with Narnia through the books.
If I hadn't read the books before seeing the movies, if I didn’t have that love for, the story, characters, and places first.
I would have liked the movies. But It would have been in my ten movie list.
Instead of it being tied with Lord of the Rings for my number one movie like it is now.
Also unlike Lord of the Rings, I'm not to picky with what they change in the movies. But with Narnia, everything they do matters to me!!!! Because the books are so close to my heart!

I love fantasy and C.S. Lewis and Narnia was something that fit my interests When I saw LWW I was hooked!!

H'm, interesting topic, gP! It really makes you think.

I am a fan of the films because I am a fan of the books. However, if I had never read the Chronicles of Narnia, I probably wouldn't be a fan of the films; I would like them, but not love them.

But, I actually did see LWW before I read the books and I LOVED it! So...either way I would probably be a fan of the films now I that I put some thought into it.

The books were a family favorite growing up. They have been so ingrained into my DNA that I think it might be hard to answer the question. But I'll try.

I loved the old school BBC movies because I loved the book. But even when I was young, I could tell that those were poor quality. The new movies, however, are very good, as far as movies go.

Hypothetically, I think I would become interested in the books if I had seen the movie first.

Anyway. In reality, I'm a fan of the movies because I was first a fan of the books.