Are you thinking of watching The Chronicles of Narnia movies? Maybe you’ve read the books and want to see what the films are like. Whatever the reason, if you need to know how to watch The Chronicles of Narnia movies in order, here’s the answer.
Watch Order for The Chronicles of Narnia Movies
There’s been some debate over whether you should read The Chronicles of Narnia books in publication order or chronological order. That’s a non-issue with the movies because they didn’t get as far as The Horse and His Boy or The Magician’s Nephew. Instead, the movies stalled after 2010’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and there hasn’t been a new Narnia movie since. So, the correct order in which to watch the movies is as follows:
1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is based on the book most people think of when you mention the Chronicles of Narnia. Set during WWII, it sees four evacuees discovering a wardrobe that leads to the land of Narnia, meeting Aslan the Lion and the wicket Jadis, the White Witch.
In short, it lays the groundwork for the rest of the series, even though the movies only got as far as three. Another important fact we learn is that time doesn’t work in Narnia the same way it does in the normal world. The protagonists, the Pevensies, go on to rule Narnia till adulthood, suggesting the events of the movie span at least 20 Narnia years. But in the “real” world, next to no time has passed.
2. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian takes place one real-world year after the last movie, but 1,300 or so years have passed in Narnia years, with the Pevensies passing into legend. The children meet Prince Caspian, whose uncle wants him dead, and set out to raise an army against King Miraz. Unlike the book, the movie features the brief return of Jadis, the White Witch, a cameo that will make little sense unless you’ve seen the previous movie.
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3. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Unlike Prince Caspian, there’s no thousand-year time jump. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader takes place just three years after the last movie, with the Dawn Treader, a ship, setting out to rescue the banished Lords of Narnia. Of the four original Pevensie children, Lucy, Peter, Susan, and Edmund, only Lucy and Edmund feature in the film, though they do bring a human cousin, Eustace, with them.
There was talk of a movie based around The Magician’s Nephew, but that never happened. The good news, if you’re a Narnia-head, is that Netflix is set to adapt the books, each becoming a movie.
It’s extremely unlikely that they’ll be following on from the previous movies. Netflix will almost certainly be starting from scratch. Greta Gerwig, who directed and co-wrote the Barbie movie, is set to direct and write at least two. I’m already imagining Margot Robbie as the White Witch.
If you were wondering how to watch The Chronicles of Narnia movies in order, that’s what you need to know.
The above article was updated on 4/1/2024 by Chris McMullen to add additional information about The Chronicles of Narnia series.
