Barbie director Greta Gerwig is reportedly “bummed” over the streaming first release plan for the Chronicles of Narnia reboot, vouching for a theatrical release instead, as per Matthew Belloni’s What I’m Hearing newsletter. Although the acclaimed director voiced her concerns to Netflix, the streaming giant refused to change their release strategy. 

The Chronicles of Narnia based on C. S. Lewis’ iconic novels originated with 1950’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and spanned six sequels. The original series has had several small-screen adaptations. In 2005, the franchise earned its first big-screen adaptation which was followed by 2008’s Prince Caspian and 2010’s The Voyage of the Dawn Tredder which marked the end of the franchise. 

In an interview with Bleeding Cool, William Moseley, who portrayed Peter Pevensie in all three The Chronicles of Narnia feature films shared his disappointment over where the franchise was headed. After stating that Netflix’s feature film directed by Gerwig will be “rebranding and rebooting” the franchise, the actor admitted he’s sad not to be part of it anymore. 

“I’m not part of that world anymore, which sometimes makes me sad because I love the world of Narnia and becoming a part of it,” he said. However, he’d love to have the opportunity to visit the film sets to witness what they are building. In another interview with Screen Rant, the actor confessed that if asked, he’d join the film in a heartbeat. 

But unfortunately, his time with the franchise is done. “And that’s the way it is. If I might ever get asked that, great, but I don’t think it’s there,” he added. In July 2023, it was confirmed that Gerwig would write and direct Netflix’s highly-anticipated Chronicles of Narnia reboot. 

Speaking to Collider, the Little Women director responded to being previously quoted as “scared” about taking on the reigns of the fantasy-adventure franchise. “When I’m scared, it’s always a good sign,” she said.  “It’s extraordinary. And so we’ll see, I don’t know,” she added. 

The untitled Chronicles of Narnia reboot is expected to arrive on the streaming platform in 2025.

Filmmaking is getting interesting with the increasing access to Artificial Intelligence. Still, according to Dune director Denis Villeneuve, it will never be a match for the organic creative process of filmmaking. In a conversation with fellow director Joe Wright, Villeneuve talked at length about the use of AI in creative projects. 

“The thing about cinema I love the most is this collective act of creativity, where you try to make poetry … at the end of the day it is cinema, it is storytelling,” he said. The director further implied that if in the future, he were to use computers to create stories, it might be interesting but would “absolutely miss the collective act of creativity, which is so beautifully human.”

The French Canadian director garnered acclaim for his work in the Dune films. During the conversation, he also gave insights into his creative process, especially his idea that inspired the design of the gigantic sandworms. “We were really obsessed with the idea to try to make this beast look as realistic as possible,” the director said, adding that his educational background in biology really helped with the ideation. 

He and the production designer Patrice Vermette studied various animal species to analyze how the worm skin could withstand the harsh desert environment. Besides being an enormous spectacle, the Dune franchise has its intimate moments as well. “‘Part Two’ is a love story, and the whole movie structure is on that love story,” Villeneuve explained. 

He focused on the relationship between Paul [Timothée Chalamet] and Chani [Zendaya] and found ways to enhance the scene to improve their connection. However, he admitted that not all filming days were rosy. “There’s always at least one day where I’m a shitty director, where it feels like you’re an instrument out of tune,” he said. 

The director highlighted the importance of reshooting scenes when necessary, despite the initial feeling of guilt/shame. In April, it was confirmed by the studio that a third sequel to the Dune franchise is under development based on Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah, set 12 years after the events of the first novel.