Claim OwnershipTalking Beasts: The Narnia Podcast
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Explore the world of CS Lewis and keep a watchful eye on the latest Narnia movie news.
139 Episodes
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That’s right. Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew will be hitting IMAX screens in just over one year. A veil of secrecy continues to hang over the production, but much of what little has leaked has been controversial. How are fans feeling a Thanksgiving 2026 starts to draw near? Listen and then post a comment below!
The post One Year to Go: How We’re Feeling About Gerwig’s Narnia Movie | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
GO HERE to vote for your top 3 Narnia books. Submissions are due this Sunday October 12.
How does the NarniaWeb community rank the beloved Chronicles of Narnia? That is what we are on a mission to determine to mark Narnia’s 75th anniversary. Listen to podcasters discuss how they chose their top 3, and don’t forget to vote!
The results of the poll will be published on #NarniaDay, October 16.
The post The Top 3 Narnia Books | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
Amateur videos from the set of Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew are continuing to pour in, with the latest being the most dramatic yet. The footage appears to show Emma Mackey’s stunt double pulling a wand from her boot and “blasting” a pedestrian out of the why. This might indicate two changes from the book: 1) Jadis has a wand, and 2) She is able to use magic in our world.
Would this be a big change or small change? Listen to our discussion and then post a comment below!
The post Is the Witch’s Wand Kind of a Big Deal? | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
We have had some exciting reveals via London set photos: David McKenna as Digory, Beatrice Campbell as Polly, and what appears to be our first glimpse of Queen Jadis. Additionally, a large mural of a lion is offering fans some hope. Listen to our reaction and post a comment below!
Watch the post-show chatter.
The post First Look at Digory, Polly, and… Jadis? | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
The first photos from the set of Greta Gerwig’s upcoming The Magician’s Nephew adaptation revealed a key detail: The story will apparently be set in 1955, unlike the book which was set in 1900. It may also be worth noting that The Magician’s Nephew book was published in 1955. How significant is this shift? And could it be setting the stage for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe being set in present day? Listen to the discussion and post a comment below!
Watch the post-show chatter.
Rilian, Gymfan, GlumpuddleThe post The Magician’s Nephew Being Transplanted to 1955? | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
Academy Award nominee Carey Mulligan is the latest to join the cast of Greta Gerwig’s upcoming movie adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew. She will play Digory’s mother… who only has a few lines in the book. Should we expect more from this character in the movie? Listen to the discussion and post a comment below!
In the post-show chatter, the podcasters discuss other things in The Magician’s Nephew that will likely be expanded in the movie.
The post Why Mabel Kirke Will Probably Have an Expanded Role in The Magician’s Nephew | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
Last week, we saw the first official casting announcement for Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia movie! Following in the footsteps of Barbara Kellerman and Tilda Swinton, Emma Mackey will be the next actor to portray the iconic White Witch. Listen to our reactions to the news and then post a comment below.
Rilian, Gymfan, Glumpuddle
Watch the post-show chatter.
The post Will Emma Mackey Be a More Book-Accurate White Witch? | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
The aftershock of the latest casting report can still be felt in the NarniaWeb community: Meryl Steep is reportedly “in talks” to voice Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia movie. Following this report, our data indicates that fan enthusiasm for the project significantly diminished, with many questioning if they will go see the film at all. Is this being blown out of proportion? Listen to the podcasters process through the issue and then post a comment below!
Post-Show Chatter: Watch the podcasters talk about what was going on behind-the-scenes among the NarniaWeb staff as the report was breaking.
Audio only:
The post Meryl Streep Might Play Aslan… How Concerned Should We Be? | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
Daniel Craig as Uncle Andrew? Charli XCX as Jadis? Casting for Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew (title unofficial) is underway, and fans are not waiting for official announcements to start the discussion. Listen to the podcasters share their impressions (and do a dramatic reading of the audition scene being used for Digory and Polly).
Rilian, Gymfan, Glumpuddle
Watch the post-show chatter in which the podcasters discuss some of the films that have influenced Greta Gerwig, and Glumpuddle tries to convince Rilian and Gymfan to join Letterboxd.
The post The Magician’s Nephew Casting Rumors are Pouring In | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/IvnNk65cXPY
On April 15, for the first time in 17 years, new Chronicles of Narnia cover art will be hitting bookshelves. In this episode, the podcasters zoom in and squint at every detail of the new artwork and discuss how it compares to the previous set released in 2007.
Thanks to everyone in the NarniaWeb Discord group for aiding this analysis!
This episode is a bit of a sequel to previous video series, Marsh-wiggle Madness, in which we looked at every Narnia cover ever made and crowned a champion:
Watch the post-show chatter in which Glumpuddle and Gymfan discuss more past Narnia covers and react to the Oscars.
The post Narnia Book Covers: New vs. Old | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
There is still no official word on which of The Chronicles of Narnia books Greta Gerwig will adapt for the big screen. But last week, we got our biggest clue yet in the form of a casting call for a boy and a girl aged 10-11. Fans were quick to declare that all signs pointed to Digory and Polly. Listen to our analysis and then post a comment!
Join our Discord group!
Glumpuddle, Impending Doom
Watch the post-show chatter.
The post It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like The Magician’s Nephew | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
Last week, it finally became official: Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movie will be releasing in IMAX theaters Thanksgiving 2026 before it starts streaming on Netflix the following Christmas! And Producer Amy Pascal says it will be “all about rock and roll.”
Watch our reactions and then post a comment below or in our new Discord group!
In Part 2 of this discussion, the podcasters discuss possible titles for the movie. Will it just be Narnia? Or are they deliberately trying to keep the actual title under wraps for now? If so, why?
The post Netflix’s Narnia Movie is Ready to… Rock and Roll? | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
Note: This episode was recorded before the recent comments from Producer Amy Pascal.
We have not seen a Chronicles of Narnia movie adaptation since 2010… but not for lack of trying! This episode is a reflection the movie news ups and downs–from the Joe Johnston’s Silver Chair production all the way to Greta Gerwig taking the helm at Netflix. The podcasters pick their most controversial, puzzling, exciting, deflating, and surprising headlines from the best 14 years.
Related links:
NarniaWeb Interviews The Silver Chair Screenwriter David Magee
The Silver Chair Director Joe Johnston Answers Questions
Glumpuddle, Impending Doom
Watch the post-show chatter.
The post 14 Years of Trying to Get Another Narnia Movie Made | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
Nothing has been heard from Matthew Aldrich since he was announced as the “creative architect” of Netflix’s Chronicles of Narnia adaptations in 2019… until now:
I had a very specific idea about what I wanted to do with the Narnia material. I had laid out for [Netflix] a strategy of film and series as a way to adapt the seven books in a way that was both sort of respectful, but also not precious, you know, and try to sort of update them in some fun ways. And ultimately that’s not the direction Netflix wanted to go.”
Matthew Aldrich, Script Apart podcast
Are we happy Netflix decided to go with Greta Gerwig instead? Listen to our discussion and then post a comment!
Special guest: Stuart from Into the Wardrobe:
Watch the post-show chatter.
Looking for all the news about Netflix’s Narnia? Here’s everything we know.
The post Why Netflix Replaced Matthew Aldrich with Greta Gerwig | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids.
The World War II setting of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe makes it read like a period story today. But, C.S. Lewis published in 1950, just ten years after the story takes place. Many of the book’s first readers clearly remembered the war and would have related to the four children on some level.
Is the 1940s setting absolutely essential to this story? Most NarniaWebbers think so, but at least one isn’t quite sure… Listen to our discussion and then post a comment below!
Read more about the 1990s screenplay that was set in present day and substituted cheeseburgers for Turkish Delight.
Rilian, Gymfan, Glumpuddle
Watch the post-show chatter in which the podcasters discuss the exciting/terrifying progress of artificial intelligence.
The post Would Updating Narnia Be the Worst Idea Ever? | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
According to recent reports, Writer/Director Greta Gerwig is pushing for a Thanksgiving 2026 theatrical release for her upcoming Chronicles of Narnia movie adaptation, but Netflix is reluctant. How much does a theatrical release matter? What is Netflix so concerned about? Listen to the discussion and then post a comment below!
Watch the post-show chatter in which we discuss other Narnia-Netflix news from the past several months.
Glumpuddle, Impending DoomThe post Should Netflix Bring Narnia Back to the Big Screen? | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
The Last Battle is a dark final turn for The Chronicles of Narnia. In chapter 2 alone, we begin with the murder of the trees at Lantern Waste and end with the main characters committing murder. Is this all this too much of a departure from the rest of the books? Listen to the conversation and then post a comment below! (Discussion about the above illustration begins at 7:53)
Also check out The Lamp-post Listener’s discussion about The Last Battle.
“Let there be wicked kings and beheadings, battles and dungeons, giants and dragons, and let villains be soundly killed at the end the book. Nothing will persuade me that this causes an ordinary child any kind or degree of fear beyond what it wants, and needs, to feel.”
C.S. Lewis, On Three Ways of Writing for Children
Watch the post-show chatter about Star Wars.
Rilian, Gymfan, GlumpuddleThe post PG-13 Illustration in The Last Battle? | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
The final book in The Chronicle of Narnia begins in a very different way from the others. In the first chapter, we are introduced to Shift and his plan to put Puzzle in a lion’s skin and masquerade him as Aslan. Other authors might have chosen to keep this a mystery until later. Listen to our discussion about why C.S. Lewis went this route with the story.
Please enjoy and then post a comment below!
In our post-show chatter, we discuss how this scene might be handled in a movie adaptation.
Rilian, Gymfan, Glumpuddle
Talking Beasts: The Narnia Podcast
The post Why ‘The Last Battle’ Spills the Beans in Chapter 1 | Talking Beasts appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
This episode was originally published in April 2019.
To mark the 70th anniversary of The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis, we are re-posting our discussion of one of the memorable scenes in The Chronicles of Narnia: The meeting between Shasta and The Great Lion. In this chapter, “The Unwelcome Fellow Traveller,” Aslan gives meaning to the hardships Shasta has endured.
Listen to the discussion below and post a comment!
Rilian, Glumpuddle
Related links:
Video Review: The Horse and His Boy at The Logos Theatre
Video: Letters from C. S. Lewis to Glumpuddle’s grandfather
C. S. Lewis and The Problem of Pain: Lecture by Glumpuddle’s grandfather
The post Aslan, Shasta, and the Problem of Pain | Talking Beasts Flashback appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
This episode was first published in September 2018.
With a new season of Amazon’s The Rings of Power coming in a couple weeks, we thought this would be a good time to revisit a discussion pitting C.S. Lewis’s Narnia against J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
Lewis and Tolkien were close friends that each had an enormous impact on the fantasy genre. And, the huge success The Fellowship of the Ring movie (2001) paved the way for a film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). So, it is not surprising that these two amazing works of literature are often compared.
Which is better? Many NarniaWebbers adore both worlds, so don’t assume that Narnia has home field advantage in this episode. Listen to Rilian and Glumpuddle discuss which books and movies they prefer, and what makes a good adaptation.
Rilian, GlumpuddleThe post Narnia vs. The Lord of the Rings | Talking Beasts Flashback appeared first on NarniaWeb | Netflix's Narnia Movies.
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I really love this podcast. It's very adult and child friendly.
Really interesting episode! I just discovered NarniaWeb and love the podcast.
I'm part of the cast for The Horse and His Boy I'm so pumped plz come see it!