The Chronicles of Narnia Movies in Order: C. S. Lewis’s fantasy fiction series, The Chronicles of Narnia, is quite popular. There are three film adaptations of the series, with the most recent appearing in 2010.
Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are four siblings who enter the enchanted land of Narnia through one wardrobe and have incredible exploits. They encounter dwarfs, elves, and giants, along with talking animals and talking trees in Narnia.
They also meet the true king of Narnia, Aslan, a wise and mighty lion. They must work together to end the White Witch’s reign of terror and bring peace back to Narnia.
The Chronicles of Narnia will enthrall audiences of all ages because of its thrilling plot and vivid imagery. According to Movieweb, a fourth film titled “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair” was in the works but ultimately scrapped.
If you are in a rush here are The Chronicles of Narnia Movies in Order.
Now let’s revisit all three film adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia.
1. The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley (Actors)
- Andrew Adamson (Director) – Ann Peacock (Writer) – Mark Johnson (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
The plot of the first movie in the Narnia series is identical to that of the first novel chronologically. In this adaptation, Lucy Pevensie (Georgie Henley), Edmond Pevensie (Skandar Keynes), Susan Pevensie (Anna Popplewell), and Peter Pevensie (William Moseley) are the children who use a wardrobe to enter the land of Narnia.
On arrival, they are shown the many wonders of Narnia, although not everything is as it appears. The orphans must find common ground and battle against the terrible Witch Winter (Tilda Swinton), who rules over the enchanted region of Narnia.
As they go, they encounter Mr. Tumnes (James McAvoy), Mr. Beaver (Ray Winstone), Mrs. Beaver (Elizabeth Hawthorne), and the mighty lion, Aslan (Liam Neeson) — all the folks who will play essential roles in their adventure.
Many recurring concepts from the Narnia series are first introduced in this picture. The trilogy is built around the ideas of restoration, forgiveness, and integrity, and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe emphasize these concepts extensively. The White Witch and Aslan are such clear symbols of good and evil that they’re understandable to kids, adults, and everyone in between.
2. Prince Caspian
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley (Actors)
- Andrew Adamson (Director) – Andrew Adamson (Writer) – Mark Johnson (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
The realm of Narnia has been torn by battle once more, and the Pevensie children are forced to ally with Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) to save the land from the tyrannical reign of King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto).
The events of this movie take place a year after the events of the first movie in our world, but the clock in Narnia is very different from our own time, as about 1,300 years have passed in Narnia. Things aren’t looking good, and the kids need to understand that this battle won’t be like the one they fought before.
The sequel’s tone is somewhat more adult, and the protagonist, the enigmatic and honorable Prince Caspian, receives considerably more attention this time. Most of the supporting cast has been removed to make room for introducing new characters. Given the vast amount of time that has passed in Narnia, this is the next natural step.
The Pevensie family and Prince Caspian are joined by a new ensemble of supporting characters, including Trumpkin (played by Peter Dinklage), Nikabrik (Warwick Davis), Doctor Cornelius (Vincent Grass), and General Glozelle (Pierfrancesco Favino).
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is incomparably superior to its predecessor, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The narrative is far more interesting; the action is more intense, and, most crucially, the visuals are significantly more gritty.
Adamson is pushing the PG rating to the utmost. Even though Caspian is extraordinarily violent, cruel, and dramatic, Adamson edits away the half-second whenever any blood or graphic violence is displayed on the screen. But that doesn’t mean that there weren’t a lot of deaths, deceits, and maybe even a decapitation.
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes (Actors)
- Michael Apted (Director) – Andrew Adamson (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the last installment in the cinematic adaptation of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. It has been three years since Prince Caspian’s story took place. Edmond and Lucy are stuck with their obnoxious cousin Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter) while Susan and Peter are in the States. The kids are integrating into their new living situation when they come upon a painting with magical powers that whisk them away to the land of Narnia.
Much to Eustance’s amazement, Narnia is real, and the three reconcile with their old companion, Caspian. The seven Lords of Telmar have gone missing, and Caspian must now locate them. The Seven Lost Lords alone, using their swords, could completely stop the weird green mist that possessed men’s thoughts and bodies.
The absence of Peter and Susan from this picture and the subsequent shift in the character dynamic is noticeable; the addition of Eustace only intensifies the disharmony. Dawn Treader is the worst of the three movies and a disappointing way to finish the story.
With the disappointing box-office performance of Prince Caspian, Walt Disney Pictures withdrew as a distributor and co-financier and was replaced by 20th Century Fox. This is why 20th Century FOX, rather than Walt Disney, produced The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; it is the only other film in the series to do so.
The film has a different director, composer, and cinematographer compared to the first two films, contributing to the new tone.
The Future of the Narnia Chronicles
After the disappointing box office of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, filmmakers couldn’t decide which Narnia novel to adapt next. After unsuccessful discussions, Walden Media could not acquire the rights to develop The Magician’s Nephew, the fourth installment in the series.
The Mark Gordon Company started working on The Silver Chair from The Chronicles of Narnia in 2013. Joe Johnston, the film’s director, has claimed that this will be the first of a new “trilogy” of Narnia films. However, the creative disputes between Douglas Gresham and the studio led to the final cancellation of the project.
Matthew Aldrich is at the helm of Netflix’s Narnia film and TV project.