Wow, this is an intense topic. Where to start?

I definitely think that Walden Media is at least planning on filming MN. I don't remember where I saw it, but somewhere it was said that the planned filming order was to follow the order of publication, making MN the second to last movie. But if Tilda Swinton isn't planning on coming back.....??? I hope she does...I honestly don't think anybody could replace her!!! Besides, I thought she practically begged Andrew Adamson to let her be in PC, and that she was anxious to be in any role, even if she couldn't be the witch. What happened?

I also think that Anna, Skandar and Georgie should be able to return for HHB. The only problem is, how will they pull off a younger look for LB? Maybe they'll go back to the older actors from LWW...but then, they might look too different to be able to do it again. Hmm, definitely a problem.

As for the remaining four films, I think it all depends on how well VDT is received. I'm pretty sure they want it to do as well as or better than LWW. If it does worse than LWW, they are very likely to abandon the rest of the movies. If it does worse than PC, then they'll definitely abandon them. Sooo.....everybody cross your fingers and pray (seeing VDT in theaters more than once won't hurt, either... )!!

I really hope they make MN. It's not been converted onto the silver screen before, I think it could be amazing. Considering that prequels are pretty big (I say this, I can only think of one, 'Wolverine', but I'm pretty sure there are others) it'd be an interesting thing to do. Especially if they're going to do it second from last, I would work on the assumption that the previous films were a success, I imagine people would like to see how it all started. I may be carrying some of my narnia-fan bias here though!

As for Tilda Swinton, I didn't realise she didn't want to do it - or is 'no plans' just saying that there are no plans in place at the moment? Considering this will be happening in the relatively distant future - if they do HHB - I don't know how to judge it! (I imagine if they make HHB, then they'll make MN, they seem to be books of the same 'none-essential' - I use this term loosely! - vein)

Douglas Gresham himself said that Magician's Nephew should definitly be made into a movie(pc official movie guide) and suggested that it be made after SC. He stated the MN was one of his "personal favorites"(I want to ask him which book is not one of his "personal favorites ) and he is really looking forward to seeing it brought to the screen.

I personally really hope they make it not only because it is one of my favorite books, but because it has such a great story(like all of the narnia books ).

Nothing in life is certain and should never be taken for granted... I don't know the future. And while I hear about a lot of things I can't share, I don't hear everything.

So, my post here is based off of the ASSUMPTION that VDT will do well, and be followed up by SC which will also do well (as in, the powers that be are willing to keep making movies), as well as a few implications based on tidbits that have reached my ears.

Not only am I certain that MN will be made, I believe it will be made after SC. Why you may ask? Because I keep hearing about all of these production people who really want to make it. Primarily people at Walden Media and Douglas Gresham (as stated above by A_Narnian_Ship). And as to Wagga's comment as to why didn't they make it first? Simply because it wouldn't make financial sense to do so.

And I'm also going to go out on a limb here and say that until I see officially in writing that Tilda Swinton is not going to reprise her role as Jadis in MN, I'm assuming she will be. Everything I'm hearing behind the scenes implies to me that she's very interested in returning, and that's all I can say on that subject. Sorry I can't say more. Don't start getting panicky and assume she's not gonna be back.

The thing that I'm wondering is this.

Assuming VDT succeeds, and that SC also succeeds, and MN follows SC and also succeeds, what do they do then? The logical thing to do would be to make LB directly after, because the two stories are so intertwined and connected. But where does that leave HHB?

I agree that it makes perfect sense for MN to be filmed 5th, but this leaves no room at all for HHB to squeeze into the film series.

I recent article by Walden Media on here said that they would "be very disappointed if they could not make all seven books into movies".. which, to me, means that as long as Fox will agree to co-finance the remaining books, they have every intention of making them all into movies.

^^ I hope so!
and Andrew Adamson wants to come back to direct MN.....

Has it been confirmed that Tilda Swinton will not be coming back? And why is this? She even appears in PC as someone other than Jadis. Why would she not be available? I do not think a conflict would be booked THAT ahead of time. Is it because of money reasons? Does she not want to be associated with Narnia anymore?

Anyhow, I do hope MN is made, Tilda or no Tilda.

Please read my post four posts above yours.

I agree that it makes perfect sense for MN to be filmed 5th, but this leaves no room at all for HHB to squeeze into the film series.

Probably a year or two ago, maybe even three, we had a thread discussing movie order, and we decided while it's nice having MN and LB back to back for the beginning and the end, HHB and LB being back to back works very nicely too. If for no other reason than having the new race of Calorman be introduced in HHB and having them as a main plot line in LB. Really it'd be hard to do LB without HHB because otherwise the Calorman come out of nowhere.

HHB and LB being back to back works very nicely too. If for no other reason than having the new race of Calorman be introduced in HHB and having them as a main plot line in LB. Really it'd be hard to do LB without HHB because otherwise the Calorman come out of nowhere.

I like that arrangement best probably because I read the books that way. I just like the idea of having something between the first and last stories and as pointed out above, the Calormene factor would work well with HHB preceding LB.

As for The Magician’s Nephew being made, Walden Media was committed to making all 7 books from the beginning, as others have pointed out. Also, I remember reading that Andrew Adamson said he would like to return to direct this particular story.

The last time I read the book I thought that maybe only the journey to get the Silver Apple may need something more to it. Not every Narnia movie needs to be 2 hours or longer. 1½ or 1¾ hours would work for a story like MN. (IMHO).

I really think MN would make a great movie and there are enough influential people who want to see it made. I would hope that it will be some day.

If there is any Narnia film that would lend itself well to a full 3D interpretation, its The Magician's Nephew. The creation of Narnia in 3D - doesn't get much better than that.

Depending on how this 3D experiment with VDT goes, and depending on how the 3D market goes in the future, it would seem like a no-brainer to me. And maybe by the time they get round to making Magician's Nephew (given how slow they've gone through the first three films) home 3D video technology might have finally made it to the mainstream, so we wouldn't have to worry about losing out on a fundamental part of the movie once it leaves the cinema.

What I've read here about the film makers wish to make all seven films gives me hope although I've always been worried that if they decided to cut any MN and HHB would be prime targets. They are two that could be left out as they divert from the time line and have several different main characters. That said there were strong hints on Professor Kirke / Digory's significance in LWW which I really loved 'Try me!' - I loved that!
The point made about HHB being a good introduction for the Calormene race is a very good one. Also the point about the creation of Narnia being a chance for some beautiful cinematography (as would the destruction of Charn)
Regarding the age of the actors for the Pevensies I think it'd work out alright as they'll be young grown ups in time for HHB and in LB they were described as being of no disernable age so they could get away with any. And with Tilda Swinton the white witch was supposed to look quite different before she ate the apple so I think they could get away with a very different look which could distract from her age. Anyway they can do amazing things with make - up. If they can make dwarves, orcs and hobbits they can make people look a few years younger!

I really hope that MN will be made. I loved reading how Narnia was made, and I think that it would look really cool on screen.
I'm not terribly worried about the age thing. If they went at the pace they've currently been going at (around 2 years per movie), and then filmed HHB and LB 6th and 7th respectively, the actors would look old enough. And even if they don't, like polly plummer said, makeup would probably work.

So far, LWW was released in December 2005. It was even the Boxing Day film, which helped its chances at Box office glory no end, at least here. PC was released in June in 2008, having already been released overseas at the same time as the last Indiana Jones movie. That is to say, two and a half years later. VDT, despite the controversy will be released another two and a half years, in December. It would be grand if there was a united release date, to coordinate the publicity. A Boxing Day release like LWW would be tremendous, too.

But assuming VDT does as well or better than we ever hoped, and SC is greenlit, you still have a problem. SC is the favourite since it makes the best use of William Poulter, maybe Ben Barnes as well, and decisively continues on from VDT. But Eustace and Jill aren't all that much older when the Last Battle comes around. And whilst Last Battle would be spectacular to film, it is also a very sad story which adds a very definite full stop to the series. On this board I've noted that there are some who think that LB should be made next, right after SC, for those sorts of casting and chronological reasons.

Both Magician's Nephew and Horse and His Boy are prequels, and I agree that both fit in well before LB. But how well do they fit in after SC? I would say HHB would be the next film due to the references to Prince Corin and the Horse and His Boy within SC. And yes, HHB would go very well just before LB, especially as Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes need to be in both films. But then I can also see that this argument for LB being filmed directly after SC to take advantage of Will Poulter as Eustace, plus whoever they cast as Jill would shut out both MN and HHB.

And here's another thing. So far it has taken five years since the release of LWW to make the first three movies. It may take all of ten years to make the rest, at the present rate of filming. It will take a huge bit of luck , or a direction from on high , to get all those four movies made without more hitches, whatever Walden says it wants to do. That is not to say I don't want to see all of them made. I very much fear it will take just as huge a piece of luck if I live long enough to see it all happen, given that I am of retiring age now.

If for no other reason than having the new race of Calorman be introduced in HHB and having them as a main plot line in LB. Really it'd be hard to do LB without HHB because otherwise the Calorman come out of nowhere.

We don't know yet how closely the film VDT follows the book. Because the Calormenes were first introduced there, at the Narrowhaven slave market, where they were happily purchasing Lucy, Edmund and Reepicheep but not Eustace. Although it isn't a big mention, it is an introduction to the Calormenes, nonetheless. How would this change the order of how the movies will be made?

I still think that if the powers that be were as interested in filming MN as you say, they could, would and should have done it first, then proceeded to do LWW, PC, VDT, SC, HHB then LB. That order would not have affected continuity so much, Jadis would have had her time in the Sun and then it would be a matter of getting on with the other chronicles. Furthermore, the filmmakers would have a completely new start to the series, and maybe less trouble. But no! Did Walt Disney get seduced into wanting to film yet another well-known children's classic?