According to IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond, Netflix has planned eight movies for Greta Gerwig’s Narnia franchise, which will serve as a reboot of Disney’s The Chronicles of Narnia movie series.
Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia movie will have a two-week exclusive IMAX run as part of the high-profile deal between IMAX and Netflix. The movie may be released around Thanksgiving Day in 2026, with filming scheduled to commence in the summer of 2025.
While discussing his experience finalising the deal between IMAX and Netflix, Gelfond revealed that Netflix’s Narnia franchise might end up consisting of eight movies.
“This was a really great movie [for us] because I think there are like eight movies planned … and what Imax does best is launch franchises and launch events, [and] this is the kind of movie that is very conducive to an Imax release,” Gelfond said.
This deal is indeed monumental, as it could pave the way for more of Netflix’s big-budget movies to receive limited IMAX releases. This would not only satisfy movie studios and producers but also boost box office collections and profits compared to what they could have earned as streaming-only releases.
The most striking revelation from Gelfond’s recent interview is that Netflix’s Narnia series might consist of eight movies. However, there are only seven novels by the legendary author C. S. Lewis. This suggests that one of the upcoming Narnia movies may be split into two parts.
So, which Narnia novel will ultimately receive a two-part feature adaptation?
S. Lewis wrote seven The Chronicles of Narnia novels: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), Prince Caspian (1951), The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952), The Silver Chair (1953), The Horse and His Boy (1954), The Magician’s Nephew (1955), and The Last Battle (1956).
Of these novels, the ones that truly deserve a two-part movie adaptation are The Silver Chair or The Last Battle.
Why The Silver Chair? Well, it is the longest Narnia book in terms of word count. Its story follows Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole on a perilous journey to rescue Prince Rilian, involving diverse landscapes, encounters with strange creatures, and psychological challenges.
The book’s pacing includes several distinct segments: Jill and Eustace’s entry into Narnia, their encounter with Aslan, their journey through Ettinsmoor, their navigation of the Marshes, their descent into Underland, and their final confrontation with the Lady of the Green Kirtle.
Given the book’s extensive storyline and diverse settings, a film adaptation of The Silver Chair will require strong world-building and CGI-heavy sequences. Moreover, both Jill and Eustace undergo significant character growth. Jill, in particular, struggles with fear and self-doubt, while Eustace continues his transformation from his previously arrogant self in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Or, The Last Battle could be adapted into two movie parts. This novel marks the final entry in Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia series. It is also the darkest, most philosophical, emotionally intense, and apocalyptic book in the series, making it difficult to condense into a single film without sacrificing depth.
What sets The Last Battle apart from other Narnia novels is its non-linear narrative structure. Instead of following a straightforward progression, it presents a series of escalating crises that ultimately lead to the complete destruction of Narnia.
The seventh novel doesn’t just depict the last war in Narnia; it also marks the end of an era and conveys a message about moving on to something greater in the most mesmerising and heart-touching manner possible. A two-part adaptation would allow for a more gradual and meaningful emotional transition—from despair to revelation to ultimate joy in Aslan’s Country.
Let’s see what Netflix and Greta Gerwig have in store for fans with their Narnia movies. Stay tuned for more updates.
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