Some might argue that the early 2000s were the peak of cinematography. Movies like “The Dark Night,” “Gladiator,” “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and other epic films quickly scaled the box office ratings within weeks of their release. Many of the actors and actresses that people are familiar with today had their debut in blockbuster movies during the first 15 years of the 2000s. Think of Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and countless other Hollywood stars. All of them had their big breaks during the early 2000s and have gone on to make names for themselves. Other actors, however, seem to have fallen short of their co-stars despite having big breaks themselves. For example, actors such as Michelle Trachtenberg, Julia Stiles, Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush were some of the dominating actors and actresses of the 2000s but have largely dropped out of the spotlight in the last 10 years or more. In the same way, many of the hit movies from 2000-2015 are no longer remembered by many and instead have been pushed to the farthest recess of people’s brains.
One such movie that has been largely forgotten by the later generations is Walden Media, Fox Pictures and Walt Disney’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” Released in 2005, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is a much beloved movie adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ book of the same name. A quick synopsis of the story tells of four siblings, the Pevensies, who enter a fictitious land that is entrapped in an eternal winter by Jadis, the White Witch, where they face various trials and betrayals. Through all this, they must endure together to bring about the prophecy of the Kings and Queens of Narnia that was established by Aslan, the Great Lion. In short, the film, similar to Lewis’ book, serves as a Christian allegory and includes prominent themes of Christianity such as forgiveness, redemption, salvation and even the death and resurrection of Christ.
Although there are some who still remember this iconic movie with its realistic CGI, given the technology available at the time, it has fallen from its fame. The movie’s sequels, “Prince Caspian” and “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” faced similar problems as their prequel. Despite great casting choices and beautiful filming locations, all three movies struggled to make a lasting impact in the Hollywood world. Their actors are largely forgotten and are only remembered by a few. Even with well-established actors such as Liam Neeson and Tilda Swinton, “The Chronicles of Narnia” never gained the momentum needed to produce “The Silver Chair” and possibly even “The Horse and His Boy.”
For over 12 years, the world of Narnia and the Pevensies has been largely forgotten. New actors and movies have taken their place in the hearts of many. Instead, people have turned toward dystopian movies such as “The Maze Runner” and “The Hunger Games” or superhero franchise such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even older movies, like “Clue” or the “James Bond” movies are getting remakes or new storylines. In fact, there are more espionage movies than there are Narnia movies.
And while there are plenty of good Christian and faith-based movies and shows that are being made, many of them tend to focus on a singular theme such as overcoming challenges, remaining faithful when surrounded by doubts or finding Christ after a life of struggles. But none of them touch on the story of Christ, not in the way that Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” does. Today there are few children’s movies that are directed toward telling the story of the Gospel.
Perhaps Netflix’s “The Chronicles of Narnia” TV show will fill the gap that Walden Media’s “Chronicles of Narnia” left. One can only hope that Greta Gerwig will stay true to Lewis’ books and his story. Adapting a book series into movies or TV shows often face backlash from the book fans, which puts a large amount of pressure on the producers and directors to keep the old fans happy while also reaching out to newer audiences.
