Riding high off Barbie’s brilliant bombshell at the box office, Greta Gerwig reacted to the film’s historic success. However, she doesn’t have much time to rest as her next blockbuster – a revival of The Chronicles of Narnia series – is currently in the works. Turning Mattel’s property into a box office hit might seem like a confidence boost for the Oscar-nominated director. However, it hasn't totally calmed her nerves about her next project, as she explained why she’s terrified of her Narnia movie.
Our sister site GamesRadar reported the Little Women director's feelings about writing and directing two films based on the iconic C.S. Lewis book series for Netflix. Gerwig’s films mark a revival of the franchise after the last film, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, was released in 2010. After adapting Barbie, the filmmaker spoke about the unease she feels about tackling the beloved children’s book series. She told the publication:
I don't know. I haven't even really started wrapping my arms around it. But I'm properly scared of it, which feels like a good place to start. I think when I'm scared, it's always a good sign. Maybe when I stop being scared, it'll be like, 'Okay. Maybe I shouldn't do that one.' No, I'm terrified of it. It's extraordinary. And so, we'll see, I don't know.
It appears fear is a great motivator for the Lady Bird director. She’s seemingly feeding off it, especially given the breadth and scope of The Chronicles of Narnia series. Fear might push Greta Gerwig to experiment with the Netflix revival while remaining close to the source material. It’s currently unknown which books she will adapt for the streamer, which leaves questions about her take on the beloved franchise.
Outside of reviving the Narnia film series, the director is open to trying out different genres with varying budgets. She mentioned wanting to “do big and small things and everywhere in between.” So, audiences will continue to see Gerwig balance smaller fare like Lady Bird with big blockbusters like Barbie.
Before the White Noise star’s take on the fantastical books premieres on Netflix, The Chronicles of Narnia has been adapted multiple times for film and TV. The most recent live-action adaptations came courtesy of Disney. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe premiered in 2005 to a positive reception from audiences and critics. It was followed by two sequels – Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Originally, a third sequel, The Silver Chair, was announced in 2013 before being scrapped in 2018 following Netflix reaching a deal with C.S. Lewis’ estate for the book rights.
Barbie is Greta Gerwig’s only release on the 2023 movie schedule. However, viewers can look forward to another adaptation from her in 2024 after serving as co-writer for Disney’s live-action Snow White remake, which arrives in movie theaters on March 22. You can still catch her record-breaking movie in theaters as Barbie and Oppenheimer will reportedly maintain their box office stronghold for a second weekend. You can also watch Disney's live-action Narnia movies through a Disney+ subscription.
