Summary
Greta Gerwig may not seem like the obvious choice forThe Chronicles of Narniafranchise, butone movie is proof that she’s exactly what the fantasy saga needs. The $1 billion success ofBarbiesolidified Gerwig as one of Hollywood’s most prominent filmmakers, achieving the rare combination of commercial phenomenon and award juggernaut. Shortly after, it was announced that she’d berebootingThe Chronicles of Narniafranchisefor Netflix, following Disney’s attempts to build a movie saga out of the classic book series in the 2000s.
Disney’sNarniarebootscame at a pivotal moment for fantasy films, as they released in the shadow of Peter Jackson’s iconicLord of the Ringstrilogy. The 2000s saw waves of fantasy adaptations hoping to emulate Jackson’s success, resulting in an action-packed epic version ofThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobethat attempted to match LOTR in scale. This adaptation is the perception many movie audiences have ofNarnia, and even after the impressive set pieces inBarbie, it’s hard to imagine this being in Gerwig’s wheelhouse. Luckily, she isn’t adapting the Disney movies; she’s adapting C.S. Lewis’s novels.
Greta Gerwig Faithfully Adapted Little Women For Modern Audiences
2019’s Little Women Is A Terrific Adaptation Of A Classic Novel
AdaptingThe Chronicles ofNarniawon’t be the first time Greta Gerwig has approached classical literature for her films. Gerwig’s second film was her adaptation ofLittle Women, written by Louisa May Alcott and published in 1868. Transforming classical literature into contemporary cinema isn’t an easy task, butGerwig pulled off a variation that managed to balance faithful retelling with modern appeal. WhileLittle Womenlacks talking lions and evil witches, it embodies much of the same atmosphere asNarnia, making it a far better blueprint than Disney’s previous adaptations.
Why Little Women Is The Perfect Model For Greta Gerwig’s Narnia
Little Women Follows Children In A Cozy Cottage Period Setting
Despite C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien being friends and releasing their enormously influential fantasy stories around the same period,The Chronicles of NarniaandThe Lord of the Ringsare vastly different. While the latter is a sprawling war epic,Narniacaptures an entirely different, cozy cottage aesthetic. Sure, there are battles and grand, triumphant moments to make audiences leap out of their seats in celebration, but they’re balanced out by their own distinct tone.Greta Gerwig’s comments aboutNarnia(viaTime) seem to capture this perfectly, which can be read below:
“It’s connected to the folklore and fairy stories of England, but it’s a combination of different traditions. As a child, you accept the whole thing—that you’re in this land of Narnia, there’s fauns, and then Father Christmas shows up. It doesn’t even occur to you that it’s not schematic. I’m interested in embracing the paradox of the worlds that Lewis created, because that’s what’s so compelling about them.”
Aside from tone, adapting older material comes with obstacles in appealing to modern audiences.Little Womensimilarly explores period customs and religious material, and Gerwig’s adaptation doesn’t shy away from embracing those aspects. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos acknowledged thatThe Chronicles of Narniais"rooted in faith,“importantly noting that Greta Gerwig won’t be ignoring the foundational spiritual elements of Lewis’s novels.
