Already craving your next Greta Gerwig fix after watching Barbie? You'll be glad to know that she has another project in the works, and it's going to be just as nostalgic.
Greta, who wrote and directed the films Ladybird and Little Women, as well as Barbie, is set to direct a remake of The Chronicles of Narnia for Netflix. Here's everything we know so far…
What will the Narnia remake be about?
Your memories of watching Narnia as a child are probably based on the film The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. But there are actually seven books that are part of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, three of which have already been adapted for Disney: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
The New Yorker confirmed on the 2 July 2023 that Greta will be directing and writing not just one, but at least two films based on The Chronicles of Narnia books for Netflix.
Netflix acquired the rights to new films and TV shows of the Narnia series in 2018, so they have been a long time coming. But we have a feeling that Greta's films will be worth the wait.
We don't know anything about Greta's exact plans for the Narnia remake yet, other than that they will be based on the plot of the original books. But if her previous work is anything to go by, they're likely to explore the female experience, while beautifully unpacking childhood memories for a generation of adults and children.
What has Greta said about the Narnia remake?
Greta has been a little bit busy recently, you know, breaking box office records and fighting the patriarchy with pure cinematic genius, but she did recently share her thoughts on entering the world of Narnia.
Speaking on the Total Film Podcast last week, she said that she was 'terrified' and excited about the project: '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,' Greta said. 'I think when I’m scared, it’s always a good sign. Maybe when I stop being scared, it’ll be like, "Maybe I shouldn’t do that one." No, I’m terrified of it. It’s extraordinary. And it’s exciting.'
What are people saying about the Narnia remake?
People are understandably excited to see how Greta remakes Narnia. A lot of fans are particularly interested in what she will do with the character of Susan who, if you don't remember, is the second eldest Pevensie sibling and the only one who stops believing in Narnia, seeing it instead as a childhood game.
'Now I’m even MORE nervous for Susan’s arc in Greta Gerwig’s Narnia. If Barbie gave me an existential crisis about girlhood, Susan Pevensie will kill me on the spot,' one fan tweeted.
'Greta Gerwig directing Narnia movies can only mean one thing: Justice for Susan Pevensie,' reads another Tweet. Many people deem Susan's ending in the original Narnia series to be unsatisfying and are hoping that Greta uses this opportunity to do her character justice.
Who is in the cast of the Narnia remake?
There are no cast announcements just yet for the film, but fans of Greta and of The Chronicles of Narnia certainly have some thoughts. One person suggested that Gillian Anderson should play the White Witch, and she is certainly an actress who knows a thing or two about playing a complicated villain.
Greta has also cast Timothee Chalamet in two of her previous films, Ladybird and Little Women, and a lot of fans feel strongly that he should play Mr Tumnus, the half-horse/half-man character originally played by James McAvoy in the Disney production.
Whoever ends up taking on the iconic roles of Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter, as well as the other mythical characters from the books, has big shoes - or should we say snow boots? - to fill. But we're sure that the world of Narnia is in safe hands with Greta.
When is Greta Gerwig's Narnia remake released?
As casting hasn't been announced we're a while off from a release date, but no doubt it will be a huge deal when it's announced.