Although THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE was a big success, the next two films in the franchise were less so, both critically and commercially. Development on what was to be the fourth film stalled until it was announced last October that Netflix had acquired the rights to develop new TV series and films based upon C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia series.
THR has reported that Netflix has tapped Matthew Aldrich, the co-writer of Pixar's Oscar-winning COCO, to serve as Narnia's new creative architect. Aldrich will oversee all development and creative on the multiple adaptations. Netflix's plan is to tell a wide-range of stories across the Narnia franchise with a set of movies with at least one TV series thrown in for good measure. Consisting of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "Prince Caspian," "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," "The Silver Chair," The Horse and His Boy," "The Magician's Nephew," and "The Last Battle," the series is set in the fantastical land of Narnia and typically follows the adventures of various children who play large roles in the shaping of Narnia's history. Netflix's deal marks the first time that the rights to all seven books have been held by the same company.
"C.S. Lewis’ beloved Chronicles of Narnia stories have resonated with generations of readers around the world," said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix. "Families have fallen in love with characters like Aslan and the entire world of Narnia, and we’re thrilled to be their home for years to come." Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis, added, "It is wonderful to know that folks from all over are looking forward to seeing more of Narnia, and that the advances in production and distribution technology have made it possible for us to make Narnian adventures come to life all over the world. Netflix seems to be the very best medium with which to achieve this aim, and I am looking forward to working with them towards this goal."