SO I HAVE NO INE TO DISCUSS THIS WITH because none of my friends have read Narnia 😭😭

So I think what bothers me most about Susan Pevensie is not that she stopped believing in Narnia. It is that people seem so quick to judge her for it without really considering everything she had already lost.
Susan did not just visit Narnia. She lived there. She grew up there. She became a queen, formed an entire identity, built relationships, and spent years becoming an adult in that world. Then, in an instant, she was sent back to England and became a child again. That alone feels like the kind of experience that would permanently change someone.

Then she returns to Narnia only to be told that she and Peter will not be coming back again.
That part matters to me.

Because if someone tells you that a place you love is no longer available to you, eventually you might begin protecting yourself from that loss. You might start treating it like something from childhood. You might tell yourself it was imaginary. You might convince yourself you have moved past it because admitting how much you miss it would hurt too much.

That is why I have a hard time seeing Susan as shallow.
People often reduce her ending to lipstick, nylons, parties, and adulthood, but I think there is room for a much sadder interpretation. Susan may not have stopped believing because she became vain. She may have stopped believing because believing meant holding onto a world she had already been told she could never return to.

Peter was able to carry Narnia with him. Susan may have needed to bury it.

And then there is the ending!

Almost everyone she loves dies together in the train accident and enters Aslan’s country. Susan is left behind. She survives, but she loses Peter, Edmund, Lucy, and the rest of that shared history all at once.
That is the part that makes me feel especially protective of her.

Everyone else receives reunion, certainty, and closure. Susan receives grief.

And yes, maybe her story was not finished. Maybe she eventually found her way back to Aslan in another form. I actually like believing that. But I also think she deserved more compassion from the narrative before reaching that point.

Susan’s story feels less like a story about someone who abandoned Narnia and more like a story about someone who survived it.

She lost a kingdom.
She lost adulthood.
She lost the ability to return.

And eventually, she lost nearly everyone who remembered that life with her. So when I think about Susan, I do not really see “the one who stopped believing.”

I see someone who may have loved Narnia so deeply that distancing herself from it became the only way she knew how to keep living.

Hey all. Long-time lover of the books and the 05 LWW/08 Caspian movies. I have been waiting for Magician's Nephew to be put to film for longer than I know, and I have been super skeptical of many of Greta Gerwig's decisions thus far. However, I loved the use of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven in the trailer.

First of all, it's one of the greatest songs of all time. I do find it funny that Zeppelin was so heavily influenced by Tolkien and now they're on his long-time companion's movie trailer (see the final verse of Ramble On for example). However, it's a big deal because Zeppelin as far as I know has NEVER allowed a movie to use Stairway in their movie. (Wayne's World got in trouble for playing even three notes of the song!) So it's inclusion in the trailer made me go back and do several listens and read throughs of the lyrics, and I think it's just so perfect for this story.

There's a moment in the trailer where Jadis jumps forward from what I believe is her throne, and the lyric from the Bridge plays, "There walks a Lady we all know..." That seems super purposeful to me from Greta's perspective, and really makes me wonder (pun intended) how much the lady of the song echoes the themes of Jadis found in the original book. Of course, I don't believe the song is actually about Jadis, but I do love the parallels for the purpose of the trailer.

Not to go through the entire song, but consider some of it's most important lyrics...

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold,
and she's buying a stairway to Heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed,
with a word she can get what she came for.

Back in a 1988 interview for Total Guitar magazine, lead singer Robert Plant explained the song as being about " a woman getting everything she wanted all the time without giving back any thought or consideration." I think that is such a perfect description of Jadis, who brought about the destruction of her own home world (Charn) through her own selfishness. But she seeks immortality. Like the woman of the song, she is focused on getting what money can't actually buy, "the stairway to Heaven", or eternal life itself. We see this later in the book when she enters into the Secret Garden which possesses the Tree of Youth and Silver Apples, but does so in the wrong way by climbing over the wall rather than entering in through the front gate (like Diggory did). This leads me to the next lines of the song...

There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure
Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all our thoughts are misgiven

The "sign on the wall" reminds me of the words on the Golden Gate at the entrance to the Garden "Come in by the Gold Gates or not at all, Take my fruit for others or forbear, For those who steal or those who climb my wall, Shall find their heart's desire and find despair." Of course, the tree and the songbird reminds me of the trees which bear the Silver Apples and the Phoenix which guards them. All our thoughts are misgiven speaks so well to how all of her actions within the book come from a place of selfishness and evil which lead to further destruction.

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts, I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
and the voices of those who stand looking

Funnily enough, if "look to the west" is a reference to anything fantasy related, I think it would actually be a reference to the Undying Lands in Lord of the Rings. Still, it is interesting that Diggory, Polly, Fletch, and Jadis all travel west from where Aslan creates Narnia to seek out the silver apples of the Garden of Youth. The next verse is where I think things get real interesting though.

And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
and the forests will echo with laughter

In the original song, the piper seemingly refers to the inevitability and captive nature of death. Here this lady thinks she can buy anything, even her afterlife, but she's wrong. If Greta is indeed using this song to be a brief overview of Jadis's story, I think the piper could indeed be death, with Jadis terrified with her own mortality and the end of her world, but I also think the piper could be a good description of Aslan. He is the one who sings the world into existence after all, and all of his creation follows. Though he wants all visitors to his world to join in the following, Jadis is threatened by this premonition. She has no desire to follow a song or it's singer. She wishes only to rule, and Aslan stands in her way. The new day dawning could easily apply to the dawning of the first day of a new world, and the forests of this new world are filled with animals laughing and enjoying their new found life (including at the expense of Uncle Andrew). Speaking of Uncle Andrew, let's consider the next two verses from both his own perspective in the book as well as the children and Frank the Cabby.

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May Queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on

You're head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow? And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?

At the creation of Narnia, there's two different paths that the visitors from earth experience. Most of the visitors hear Aslan's song, but Uncle Andrew specifically only hears roars....The piper's calling forth his creation and the visitors from earth to join him, but some don't know and only hear the unrecognizable humming roar...but there's still time to change the road you're on. What will you do with the choice given? And for Diggory, will your path lead you over the wall seeking the Silver Apples for selfishness like Jadis did, or will you enter by the gate and only use them to benefit others?

Let's move on to the Bridge, which features heavily in the last minute of the trailer once Jadis awakens from her slumber on Charn when Diggory rings the bell.

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all, yeah
To be a rock and not to roll

I'm kind of shocked that Greta didn't include that line about the lady shining white light and wanting to show everything still turns to gold, that felt spot on for Jadis, who obviously is transformed by her eating of the Silver Apple (which we even see in the trailer). But I also love that line "If you listen very hard the tune will come to you at last." By throwing aside the allure and deception that Jadis presents, the characters come in tune with Aslan's song, and part of the world which he has created.

Of course, there's also the music beyond the lyrics. I think Stairway to Heaven starts with a slow melodic sound which is perfect for the post-war Britain that Diggory and Polly are born into in the movie, but then ramps up and gives way to an amazing other-worldly energy by the time you reach the Bridge.

I really don't know whether this movie will be good or not, but I think Greta cooked with the song selection for the trailer. The parallels to the overall story are just so good, and I am hopeful the end product will similarly be an insightful depiction of these stories and characters we hold so dearly. Thanks for reading!

Why do ya'll forget the BBC miniseries like Disney/Walden Media wasn't the first company to make Narnia, so I'm sick of people calling the Disney movies the first, they're not. There was the 80's BBC miniseries in the 80's and 90's. There was the animated movie in the 70's and even a lost media version in the 60's so stop saying the Disney version is the first. It never was.

The trailer has got me excited for this. It looked good.

I'm in my late twenties, and I have seen The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe movie a long time ago, but none of the others. I do remember liking it a lot though. Now that the new movie trailer has dropped, I wanted to know the story properly before watching the movie.

So should I read the books now???

I understand that these are children's books, but I don't mind reading a good fantasy story nonetheless.

Please help.... Is it worth the time?

In rereading TMN, both Jadis and Andrew mention having to undergo awful things to learn their craft, especially the Deplorable Word. I understand that getting exact details isn't the point of the book, but in your mind, what kind of horrors do you think these two faced for their powers? Even Jadis admits it was a terrible price, and this is coming from the woman who considered the groaning of slaves and the blood of sacrifice to be her rightful due.

Anyone else wondering what Reep is doing in Aslan's country?

Amazing visuals and I really want to be excited, and honestly it probably will be a really good film objectively speaking.

I just wish it wasn’t 80s rock and roll. I really vibe with 80s music, but it just doesn’t fit Narnia.

I need something folky, ethereal, enchanting. That’s how the Narnia universe feels to me when I read the books. The rock SOUNDS good, but it does not sound like Narnia, and it throws me off. It makes me sad thinking about what it could have been, given the budget and attention, if that sound wasn’t the choice of direction.

Edit: people are correcting me that the Led Zeppelin song came out in the 70s as if that changes my opinion. There’s Labyrinth influence in the music too and that’s from the 80s. I’m just trying to say that the rock sound doesn’t feel like Narnia to me.

We love Narnia and we are looking for other books for our young boys so I thought I’d reach out to the Narnia Family for recommendations.

We all enjoyed the Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott and Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix. We also enjoyed Tolkien’s Tales From the Perilous Realm. This would be the target profile for now.

LOTR and Wheel of Time are definitely on the menu but we aren’t there yet. And the Kingkiller Chronicles… if Rothfus ever finishes it.

Thoughts on Wingfeather?

What do you recommend? Why do you like it?
Thank you for any suggestions!

This is just my personal ranking, based purely on how much I enjoy each book. I’m curious to see what other people’s are.

1 - The Horse and His Boy
2 - The Silver Chair
3 - The Lion, The With, and The Wardrobe
4 - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
5 - Prince Caspian
6 - The Magician’s Nephew
7 - The Last Battle

IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ME THAT’S FINE, JUST BE NICE ABOUT IT.

I only read the first one long time Ago

I've often wondered that the narrator of the Chronicles is secretly (or speaking on behalf of) Susan Pevensie as her personal atonement. And that Jack wrote it in his name to protect her identity.

Like how Orual wrote her tale, Till We Have Faces, as a (eventual) confession and atonement for her sins against the gods, against her sister Psyche, and against herself.

One of the only promising visuals in the trailer that looks like it actually fits the source properly. Interested to see if we actually see her in this form in the film, or if it's just a teaser for TLTWATW, similar to the wardrobe shot at the beginning.

I was discussing the trailer with a friend of mine, who happens to be much more of a book purist than I am (also more religious, which may or may not be related), and as part of that conversation, I broke down what I liked, what I didn't, and what I'm reserving judgment on until a longer trailer (or just the film in general). Obviously, all is subject to change as we see more

Context: I am a 39M, who absolutely adores LWW and enjoys, to lesser degrees, all of the other Narnia books. I have read TMN once, a few years ago, and liked it quite a bit.

WHAT I LIKED:

• The first thing that stood out to me was the way that Gerwig has differentiated between the 'real' world and the world(s) later discovered. I thought the real world looked great, and I enjoyed the interactions between Polly and Diggory.
• Aslan singing the world into creation was breathtaking! That visual was everything I could have hoped for, and more.
• Jadis' White Witch outfit

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:

• Uncle Andrew's 'workshop' - felt too much like a TARDIS to me. Looked very 'Disney' as well. Just does not vibe the way I want it to.
• Everything we have seen of Jadis that is not her in the White Witch outfit

WHAT I AM RESERVING JUDGMENT ON:

• Any/all character arcs. This was a teaser, meant to show us the setting and designs - not character or story. I have seen a lot of people (including my friend) lament that they 'are changing the story/characters,' and I just cannot agree with that until we see more.
• Aslan. Obviously, we did not get the Streep voice in the teaser. I am choosing not to form an opinion one way or the other until we actually hear it.
• The music: I loved the music in the trailer, personally, but I also don't think I would enjoy it if classic rock was being liberally used throughout the actual film as the soundtrack. So the jury is out for me on this.

Greta Gerwig calls BBC’s Narnia adaptations “amazing” and says she has “no notes. I loved the beaver costumes,” after growing up watching the four mini-series of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair.

You can read more quotes from Greta Gerwig’s interview at the IMAX sneak peek event here: narniaweb.com/2026/10/greta-gerwig-discusses-narnia-c-s-lewis-and-her-adaptation-at-exclusive-imax-event/

Do you agree with Greta Gerwig? Do you like the BBC adaptations?

So I watched and loved the trailer. One of the things I loved about it was the 80s energy because it completely fits with Narnia. Not the text itself per se, but how influential it is.

I’m a kid of the 80s, as is Gerwig. I don’t think you understand how many of our cartoons were other worlds or Talking Animals or both. It was close to 100%. My Little Pony, Smurfs, Rainbow Brite, He-Man, She-Ra…this is just the tip of the iceberg. An 80s childhood was chock full of fantasy, and that’s because the people making those stories had Narnia in their zeitgeist.

The opening line of the trailer is ‘Sometimes one story is the beginning of all the others’ and that explains it all. The shots in the trailer explore the tapestry that Narnia weaves - it is part of all the fantasy that comes after it, which in turn inspires this film. Note the reference to Lord of the Rings when Digory puts on the ring, or the clear nods to the 2005 film in the draped wardrobe and design of the White Witch.

Edit to add: let me be abundantly clear that I’m talking about the visual style. I also think 70s rock fits the energy for similar reasons though. Stairway to Heaven in the trailer was a stunning choice.

This movie looks awesome, i’m so glad to not be a doubter.