Netflix announced today that it has signed the rights to produce new series and films set in The Chronicles of Narnia universe.
Although no firm plans have been announced at this point in terms of plot line or expected release date, the deal gives the streaming service the rights to create anything from the seven main books in the series – thus marking the first time any company has owned the rights to the entirety of the series.
To coincide with the announcement, Netflix announced that the producers on the projects will include Mark Gordan (producer for Saving Private Ryan), Douglas Gresham (producer for the three existing Chronicles of Narnia films) and Vincent Sieber (producer for the never-released Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair).
“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,” said Gresham in a post on Facebook. “Netflix seems to be the very best medium with which to achieve this aim."
The transition away from traditional films to more accessible platforms like streaming services seems like the right play for the nearly 70-year-old franchise, which has struggled to bring in viewers after the success of 2005's The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
The deal with Netflix could not only revitalize the brand (see: Daredevil) but it also gives Netflix a high-caliber fantasy series of its own that rivals Amazon's ostentatious The Lord of Rings series that's expected to cost upwards of $1 billion.
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