Adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia

Written by Lewis between 1949 and 1954, illustrated by Pauline Baynes and published in London between October 1950 and March 1956, The Chronicles of Narnia has been adapted several times, complete or in part, for television, radio, the stage, film, in audio books, and as video games.

All three were shown on the PBS show WonderWorks and they were nominated for a total of 14 awards, including an Emmy in the category of "Outstanding Children's Program".

C. S. Lewis never sold the film rights to the Narnia series, being skeptical that any cinematic adaptation could render the more fantastical elements and characters of the story realistically.

The movie achieved critical and box-office success, reaching the Top 25 of all films released to that time (by revenue).

Disney and Walden Media then co-produced a sequel, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, released in May 2008 and grossed over $419 million worldwide.

At the time of Caspian's release, Disney was already in pre-production on the next chapter, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

In October 2013, development began on a potential fourth film, The Silver Chair, with the Mark Gordon Company producing.

Lewis Company announced that Netflix had acquired the rights to new film and television series adaptations of the Narnia books.

[16] Gerwig's adaptation will release exclusively in IMAX theaters on Thanksgiving Day in 2026, before premiering on Netflix in December 2026.

[17] A licensed musical stage adaptation of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader made its world premiere in 1983 by Northwestern College in Minnesota at the Totino Fine Arts Center.

[citation needed] In 1984, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was presented at London's Westminster Theatre, produced by Vanessa Ford Productions.

The play, adapted by Glyn Robbins, was directed by Richard Williams and designed by Marty Flood; and was revived at Westminster and The Royalty Theatre and on tour until 1997.

Productions of other Narnian tales were also presented, including The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1986), The Magician's Nephew (1988) and The Horse and His Boy (1990).

[citation needed] In 2011, a two-actor stage adaptation (published 1989) by Le Clanché du Rand opened Off-Broadway in New York City at St. Luke's Theatre.

[27][28] Theatrical productions of "The Chronicles of Narnia" have become popular with professional, community and youth theatres in recent years.

[30] The production was made by Gabriel Bedrossian as music and lyrics composer, Silvia Mignaqui as theatre director, and Jimena Valiño as choreographer.

The musical was played on Auditorio CEEC (December 2015), Teatro Gran Rivadavia (March 2016), Cachi, and Payogasta,[31] sponsored by IBM Argentina (Salta, June 2016), Tandil (Buenos Aires, June 2017) at Teatro del Fuerte[32] as a solidarity event (sponsored by Mesa Solidaria and again IBM).

[33][better source needed] In 2022, the Logos Theater, of Taylors, South Carolina, created a stage adaptation of The Horse and His Boy, with later performances at the Museum of the Bible[34] and Ark Encounter.

In 2014, the whole series was released (in the author's preferred order[36]) as a single audio book on Audible titled The Complete Chronicles of Narnia by BBC Worldwide with a total runtime of 15 hours 11 minutes.

In 1979, Caedmon Records released abridged versions of all seven books on records and cassettes, read by Ian Richardson (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Silver Chair), Claire Bloom (Prince Caspian and The Magician's Nephew), Anthony Quayle (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Horse and his Boy) and Michael York (The Last Battle).

[38] HarperAudio published the series on audiobook, read by British and Irish actors Michael York (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), Lynn Redgrave (Prince Caspian), Derek Jacobi (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), Jeremy Northam (The Silver Chair), Alex Jennings (The Horse and his Boy), Kenneth Branagh (The Magician's Nephew) and Patrick Stewart (The Last Battle).

By 2008, Buena Vista Games released new videogame adaptations of Walden Media/Walt Disney Pictures The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian film.