Will Netflix fight the Aslan war or not?

On the other side, Narnia fans have to decide if they will buy that first ticket

Oh merciful heavens, why would Netflix executives risk such a move that they know will infuriate millions of Chronicles of Narnia lovers around the world?

I am referring, of course, to the decision — based on early photos of locations and outdoor sets for “The Magician’s Nephew” — to set the Narnia origins movie in 1955, as opposed to 1900 or thereabouts. This would move the core Narnia stories out of the World War II years, as clearly stated in the classic fantasy series by C.S. Lewis

Why make such a provocative move?

Wait, a minute. You thought I was talking about the rumored decision (some claim confirmed) by director Greta Gerwig to hire superstart Meryl Streep to provide the voice of Aslan, the Great Lion who is Narnia’s Christ figure. Hold on, because we will get to that.

But first, here is some high-quality intel from Narnia Web. Note the important cautionary language in the second paragraph:

The set appears to depict a 1950’s street scene in a post-war reconstruction-era Britain, the highlight of which is a giant billboard for a new housing development, featuring a magnificent golden-maned Lion.

This confirms our reporting from yesterday that multiple scenes within the movie will be set in the 1950s, rather than entirely in 1900 as per the book. Note however that it is still unconfirmed whether this represents a time shift for the entire story, or simply the addition of a framing device corresponding to year in which The Magician’s Nephew was published (1955).

The rest of the street scene features various items of street furniture appropriate to the 1950s, as well as Taxis, Cars and Buses of that era.

Ah, a time-shift framing device? And an image of a lion with a “magnificent” mane.

In other words, millions of Narnia lovers appear to be stuck in the troubled land of mixed signals.

Not that long ago, conservative Hollywood watchers were claiming that a slight delay in Narnia filming might be evidence that Netflix executives have pulled the reins on some crucial casting and screenplay decisions. Here is a typical note from That Park Place, describing the fact that filming — originally set for July — was pushed back a bit.

This delay, though not officially labeled a crisis, poses a significant threat to Netflix’s already-tight timeline. The current plan is for The Magician’s Nephew to premiere in theaters via IMAX in November 2026 — Netflix’s first experiment with a traditional theatrical window before bringing the film to streaming just in time for Christmas. But a seven-month filming schedule means every month counts, and the clock is ticking.

Now, the essential and very trustworthy Narnia Web team has run an update on images and reports from early shoots at London locations. See this: “Top 10 Takeaways from Narnia’s First Week of Filming.”

It is interesting, of course, to read these tea leaves — noting what photographers are seeing and what they are not seeing, at this point. For example:

4. The Absence of Uncle Andrew

… One character conspicuous by his absence in all of these set photos is Uncle Andrew, a character who accompanies Jadis on her horse-based rampage through London in the book, but who has seemingly been replaced by Digory here.

Whilst Daniel Craig has still not been confirmed for the role, there was no sign of anyone even vaguely resembling him or the character on set.

Correct. There has been no official announcement for that big role, one that might involve a major star.

Likewise, there has been no official announcement on Streep’s role. There is no rush, of course, to announce the actor or actress who is simply providing a voice for a digitally created lion. That work can be done later.

I thought this detail was interesting, in terms of mixed signals on a potential decision to shift the Narnia timeline out of the first half of the 20th century:

7. Strawberry The Horse

At least three horses were spotted on set, though all with identical chestnut coats and blonde manes, and who had been purposefully fitted with additional horse feathers around their ankles. All of this suggests the horses had been deliberately dressed as likely stunt doubles for Strawberry the Horse.

With the apparent time jump forward to 1955, many NarniaWebbers were wondering how Strawberry the horse would factor into the plot, since horse-drawn Hansom Cabs were discontinued in 1947. Horses however, remain a common sight in London, even to this day, and are frequently used by the Police, the Military, and the Royal Family, as well as for a wide range of other commercial uses, including stables and bridleways in nearby Hyde Park.

The fact that Strawberry is seen fitted with a harness in these photos, does perhaps indicate that his character was likely being used to pull a cart of some sort, prior to being commandeered by Jadis.

Jadis, of course, is the evil ruler of a dying planet who later becomes the icy, iconic evil Queen of Narnia in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

Readers who dig into the comment pages on Narnia Web posts will find a poignant tension between hope and fear.

Narnia fans are clearly hoping for the best — that the talented Gerwig will not warp the images and themes built into the Chronicles of Narnia, offering some new creation (yes “woke” applies) that guts the Christian symbols and plot points woven into the heart of these Lewis classics. Their fear is real and could impact the whole project.

Why move the movies forward several decades? Might this have something to do with lower production budgets? There is more of 1950s London around today than streets and images from 1900.

Then again, Gerwig could be having fun with the mysterious pools of water in the book’s “world between the worlds,” with their ability to open doors into different worlds. See this reader comment:

Is it possible that the entire story won’t be set in the 1950s, but that they’re time-jumping through the portals and this is just one scene depicting the 1950s?

There are, however, no scenes in “The Magician’s Nephew” set in the 1950s, so that would have to be new material interjected into the Narnia timeline (#SIGH).

However, this discussion — for most fans — is not as important as the pending decision to cast an actress as the voice of Aslan. See this post and podcast: “Let Aslan first be shaved!”

Ah, some say: But Streep’s vocal talents are legendary! Maybe, with technical assistance, the actress will be providing the voice of the Great Lion in a way that leaves Aslan, well, a lion? Thus, the Christ figure would remain male, but with the twist of having a voice that viewers know was provided by a female.

What would be the purpose of that strategic move? Why take that risk” Here is a chunk of another Rational Sheep post: “Can Meryl Streep provide Aslan's deep voice?”

In the past, when I have heard Narnia fans discuss a potential movie version of “The Magician’s Nephew,” they have often focused on how difficult it will be for a performer to create the voice of God, singing a world into being.

Later, author C.S. Lewis extended this image:

“Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could possibly count. They were in harmony with it, but far higher up the scale: cold, tingling, silvery voices. The second wonder was that the blackness overhead, all at once, was blazing with stars. They didn’t come out gently one by one, as they do on a summer evening. One moment there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leaped out — single stars, constellations, and planets, brighter and bigger than any in our world. There were no clouds. The new stars and the new voices began at exactly the same time. If you had seen and heard it, as Digory did, you would have felt quite certain that it was the stars themselves who were singing, and that it was the First Voice, the deep one, which had made them appear and made them sing.”

Yes, that deep voice. At a press conference presenting Streep as Aslan, will Gerwig stress this Narnia quotation: “Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself.”

Is it possible that Gerwig wants a voice that is without gender, somehow, for this first story — with its creation imagery? Perhaps 76-year-old Streep would, somehow, be used in the first movie and then a male performer would take over for the rest of the series, which could take a decade to film?

Who knows?

The question that I expect to hear soon is this: If Gerwig makes fundamental changes in the imagery and, yes, theology of Narnia, should millions of people who love these books (Gerwig insists she is one such reader) boycott the film — at least during the crucial first weeks in theaters?

Would sitting out this incarnation of Narnia be wise?

Would it, dare I ask, be a logical choice for traditional Christian believers?

I will also ask: Does anyone doubt the response of C.S. Lewis to any kind of gender-neutral depiction of Aslan?

It’s possible that a boycott by millions of readers in the Narnia base could change the direction of the Netflix project — by killing it.

Is that a victory? Then again, signs of reader distress could lead to Gerwig dropping out of the Netflix project and choosing not to lead, as screenwriter and director, the next movie. That would almost certainly be “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

The bottom line is the financial bottom line: Will Netflix leaders choose to add Narnia to the tragic list of crashed Hollywood franchises?

Or will someone step in and adapt the books in ways that are both expansive and faithful to the texts? I am thinking of something along the lines of this recent test case: “Kenneth Branagh didn't crash ‘Cinderella.’”

What think ye? Please leave comments and let me know.