Netflix has acquired the rights to develop new TV series and movies based on C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books that have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

Right to all seven books
You may recall that three movies based on The Chronicles of Narnia have already been released. Disney has produced two while the last one from 2010 was produced by 20th Century Fox. A fourth movie was in the works but later cancelled.

This is the “first time that rights to the entire seven books of the Narnia universe have been held by the same company”, Netflix claims. The books have been translated into more than 47 languages and sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

- ”It is wonderful to know that folks from all over are looking forward to seeing more of Narnia, and that the advances in production and distribution technology have made it possible for us to make Narnian adventures come to life all over the world,” said Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S Lewis. ”Netflix seems to be the very best medium with which to achieve this aim, and I am looking forward to working with them towards this goal.”



Sometime this year, Netflix will reach a milestone of 1000 originals but Narnia is one of the few that the company has chosen to highlight.
 
- “C.S. Lewis’ beloved Chronicles of Narnia stories have resonated with generations of readers around the world,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix. ”Families have fallen in love with characters like Aslan and the entire world of Narnia, and we’re thrilled to be their home for years to come.”

Netflix has been releasing content in 4K resolution and HDR for a few years now, and has said that all major new projects will be produced in this format. However, 4K HDR was not confirmed explicitly for Narnia. The company did not announce a premiere date either.

With Narnia, Netflix has a real franchise on its hands. In the coming years, it will compete for eyeballs with Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings as well as upcoming series on Disney’s new streaming service. It appears that franchises that we usually associate with the big canvas are now increasingly being adapted as series by streaming services.