Greta Gerwig Tackles 'Narnia' in Her Most Ambitious Directing Venture Yet!

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Despite helming one of the summer's most successful blockbusters, Greta Gerwig still harbors some apprehension when it comes to embarking on her next project.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gerwig, 39, will direct and write at least two of the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia films, which are based on the beloved C.S. Lewis novels. These movies will be premiered on Netflix and will mark Gerwig's foray into the fantasy genre. Despite feeling the pressure to deliver, Gerwig views it as a positive thing. "I haven't fully grasped the magnitude of it, but I'm genuinely scared, which I believe is a good starting point," Gerwig shared on the "Total Film" podcast episode aired on July 20. "Being scared always seems like a positive sign to me. Perhaps when I'm no longer frightened, I'll question whether it's the right project. But for now, I'm terrified and thrilled."

Cinema has previously ventured into the world of Narnia with three adaptations. These include "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" in 2005, "Prince Caspian" in 2008, and "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" in 2010, all released by Disney. Among them, "The Lion" was particularly well-received, earning over $745 million globally and gaining praise from both critics and fans. In 2018, Netflix announced their acquisition of the rights to this popular book series.

On Thursday, Gerwig expressed her desire to create diverse films throughout her career as a filmmaker. She aims to work on projects of various scales, whether big or small, and everything in between. Having another opportunity to work on a large production is both thrilling and challenging.

Gerwig, known for her work on indie films like Lady Bird and the adaptation of Little Women, took on a larger-budget project in 2023 with Barbie. She was approached by executive producer Margot Robbie, who also stars in the film. Gerwig spoke to Vogue in May and expressed her excitement and confidence in the project, stating that she would only agree to it if her partner Noah Baumbach co-wrote it with her. "Noah and I will do this," she insisted.

Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, and Simu Liu eventually joined the cast, and Ryan Gosling was chosen as the perfect Ken for the women. The comedy premiered on July 21, 2023, and is expected to dominate the summer box office alongside Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. It is set to be one of the biggest moviegoing weekends since 2019.

Although Gerwig has proven her ability to handle a major franchise, when asked about the possibility of directing a James Bond film, she responded, "We'll stick with lions and dolls for now. But you never know. I really like Barbara Broccoli, the Bond producer."