What Directors should make a Narnia film in the future?

[Hallows]

Please, try to be realistic. Yes, we would all love to see a Steven Spielberg narnia film, but the guy is just too busy with his already established properties. And no Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, Paul Thomas Anderson, or Peter Jackson either.

These should be filmmakers who you think would be interested in a franchise based on fantasy books. Please also say what you like about the filmmaker.

My personal picks are:

Guillermo del Toro
One of the best filmmakers in the world. Fantastic visually and works with actors very well. Pan's Labyrinth is one of the greatest movies ever made. Also, he has made horror films. I think this is particularly important. When looking at fantasy films that have been successful this is a quality that seems to be present a lot. Horror filmmakers tend to ground the film in reality and approach it with a more dramatic sense. They also have a better sense of tone and suspense, and know how to carve out "moments" in the story. Examples: Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi.
This would be very refreshing after Adamson's films, which were shot like cartoons in my opinion, and Apted's, which was laughably childish. I'm not saying the books aren't childish, but they embrace the wonder and imagination that comes with childhood instead of dumbing down like the films. The books are very mature thematically and a filmmaker like del Toro could nail it.
Great Films: Pan's Labyrinth, The Devil's Backbone, Hellboy.
Upcoming projects: Pacific Rim(2013), At the mountains of Madness, The Haunted Mansion, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Drood, Slaughterhouse Five(all pre-production)!

Gore Verbinski
Great visual master. Also a horror filmmaker. Good with humor and directing actors. Versatile filmmaker who has made great dramas, action films, and horror films.
Great Films: The Mexican, The Ring, Pirates of the Carribean: Black Pearl, Rango
Upcoming projects: The Lone Ranger(2013) Clue, Butterfly, Light House: A Trifle

Spike Jonze
Raw, visual filmmaker who's a great actor's director.
Great Films: Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Where the Wild Things Are.
Upcoming: ?

Rupert Wyatt
Has made two good films and proved he could do action while also handling character with Apes. Cheap, but very talented.
Great Films: The Escapist, Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Ang Lee
Most unlikely of all on my list. Chooses projects carefully and would most likely not make a franchise film. One of the most talented filmmakers in the world, though. An oscar winner who never fails to construct beautiful shots and get great performances from his actor's. Yes, Hulk was mediocre, but that was because of the script. Again, very raw. A Peter Jackson level visionary who could bring Narnia to life visually and dramatically. If we want great Narnia films we need to dispense with mediocre filmmakers like Adamson and Apted and get someone like this.
Great Films: Eat Drink, Man Woman, Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain, Taking Woodstock
Upcoming projects: Life of Pi(2012)

Whew, that took a while. If you want, you can say what films each of your picks would be best for.
Example: I would want Lee to direct MN, Verbinski for LWW, Verbinski for PC, Wyatt for VDT, Del Toro for SC, Jonze for HHB, and Del Toro for LB.

[Balin]

I don't know if he is reputable enough to suppose that he would be selected for a major franchise such as Narnia, but how about Mark Herman? I've only seen The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, but I think he demonstrates characteristics that would be perfect for Narnia. There's an imaginative quality that can come without being childish (which you rightly accuse Apted of being for VDT).

I know Guillermo del Toro was suggested frequently as a Narnia director back in the day, but I can't really make a call without seeing any of his films...

[Louloudi the Centaur]

Actually I would really like Spike Jonze to direct a Narnia film.

I really liked Where the Wild Things Are a lot. It was basically a story on childhood for adults, though families could watch it too. I really loved his directing style, and the child's actions and character was very realistically portrayed as it would in real life.

This is why I think Jonze would be great for Narnia. The books are all seemingly for children with children as the main characters, but they all have a very deep sense that adults can relate and enjoy to as well.

Not really sure who else would be good, but yes, as said, I would not like it if Peter Jackson took on a Narnia film, and I don't think he ever will. I'm afraid the film would end up looking like a true LotR copycat. Besides, he's very busy.

[220chrisTian]

We need to approach this issue analytically before we start suggesting directors. The main question is, what are the necessary criteria for directing a Narnia film – but especially SC and MN? Mine:

1. Understanding children: how their minds work, not demeaning them, etc
2. Understanding the fragile relationship between reality and fantasy, and how the two worlds interact

Based on these criteria, I thought Andrew Adamson a much better director for the Narnia franchise than Michael Apted. It’s not that the latter is a worse director but that his skills lie elsewhere. He works better with children in documentaries rather than fantasy. I believe most directors work well in just a few genres. Fantasy is just not a good fit for Apted. But it is for Adamson. And I feel like this is where Walden made the crucial mistake with VDT.

So, has anyone considered Charles Sturridge (IMDb)? I saw his film "Lassie" earlier this week, an excellent family film. It’s a movie about a boy and a dog, set in 1940s Britain with an excellent cast that includes Peter Dinklage (Trumpkin in PC). Sturridge understands children. Based on other films he’s produced, I believe Sturridge also understands the reality/fantasy relationship.

I strongly suggest that everyone take a second glance at their favorite family films (children, fantasy, etc) - ones that are better than the Narnia franchise - and see who directed them.

[220chrisTian]

Because no one has posted since my days old post, I'll post here again. [lol]

The ideal director for Narnia 4

The ideal doesn’t always become real, but we can hope and pray. I want the director of Narnia 4, male or female, to be an avid Narnia fan like Peter Jackson is an avid Tolkien fan. I think book fans understand the material better. I also want this person, preferably a perfectionist, to fill the niches of adapting literature (i.e. children’s literature), working well with children, and understanding the relationship between fantasy and reality – how fantasy is a stepping stone to maturity when approached rightly. Most importantly, I want the director of Narnia 4 to understand and practice biblical Christianity, whatever others here think. If a person doesn’t understand spiritual themes, how can he or she interpret such material on the screen?

Apted’s secular approach to “Amazing Grace,” as beautiful as the movie is and as much as I liked it, hurt the film. It was a feel-good movie without real spiritual depth. Christianity is what made Wilberforce care about and try to fight the slave trade. Before his conversion, he was just like the MPs he argued with on this issue. Practical Christianity is a daily lived-out salvation. Practical Christianity makes people care about moral injustice and gives them the moral courage to do something about it. Apted missed the point because he wasn’t a Christian. I fear his secular approach also hurt “Dawn Treader.” Yet the real problem with this Narnia film was the horrid script. I love what George Clooney says.

I'm protected as an actor by a really good screenplay, number one; and then a really good director, number two; and then really good actors, number three - but first and foremost a good screenplay. You cannot make a good film out of a bad script. You can make a bad film out of a good script - easily. I've seen that happen before, but you can't do it the other way around; it always has to be the screenplay. Source

I want all the cast and crew of Narnia 4 to be Christian perfectionists – the Louie Giglio’s and Ravi Zacharias’s of filmmaking. Read this event review to see what I mean. Through Narnia 4 (and subsequent films), I want Christians to demonstrate to an unbelieving world that they can make films better and cheaper than the world can. God is perfect. Everything he creates is perfect. What excuse do we Christians have? Let’s step up our game in Narnia 4!

[Reepi]

Nope, I would NOT like a Steven Spielberg Narnia, and not a Guillermo Del Toro one either. While Guillermo Del Toro is a decent director on his own, I don't think he's the right one for anything Narnia, considering he wanted Aslan not to rise again in LWW

[MinotaurforAslan]

I don't think he's the right one for anything Narnia, considering he wanted Aslan not to rise again in LWW

That doesn't make any sense. How would LWW even have ended, let alone the sequels?

[Ithilwen]

While Guillermo Del Toro is a decent director on his own, I don't think he's the right one for anything Narnia, considering he wanted Aslan not to rise again in LWW

When did Del Toro talk about Narnia and not wanting Aslan to rise? Was he considered as a director at some point?


~Riella

[brandybuck]

While I agree that being able to work with kids on their level is importatn, I also believe it's important to have sublime filmmaking skills to start with! So if you were going for the 'dream' director, at this point in time I would say Martin Scorcese. He wasn't on your list. Not only is he arguably one of the most talented directors alive today, his latest showing (Hugo) also indicates he can work quite well with the younger folk.

That IS a pretty high ask though. On a more realistic level, I'd find it hard to go past Peter Weir. He's demonstrated his pure filmmaking talents for story with the likes of Dead Poets society, as well as his ability to handle adventure with Master and Commander. Although yes, both these examples are probably a bit to long and 'heavy' for a Narnia film, I'm quite sure he could pull of the tone with tastefull elegance, whilst not scimping on the heart of the story.

[Reepi]

While Guillermo Del Toro is a decent director on his own, I don't think he's the right one for anything Narnia, considering he wanted Aslan not to rise again in LWW

When did Del Toro talk about Narnia and not wanting Aslan to rise? Was he considered as a director at some point?

http://www.narniafans.com/archives/1036

Afterwards, he just made his own version instead, Pan's Labyrinth and when asked about the similarities of the two answered something along the lines of "It is like a Narnia left out in the rain".

[TheGeneral]

Maybe Steven Spielberg or Ron Howard, would be my picks. Who knows maybe they'd just do soemthin weird with the movies but it'd be worth a try

[wolfloversk]

we would all love to see a Steven Spielberg narnia film, but the guy is just too busy with his already established properties.

Well he might not be too busy by the time LB comes around. We have to wait three years at the least for them to even consider making a new one, and there's still 4 to go, so I don't think it's such a far fetched idea.

If it were between a fourth Narnia movie and a fourth Jurassic Park film however... well lets just say I've been very pleased with Adamson so far, and I'd rather not wait another ten years for JPIV (Though I'd rather not wait ten years for either 8| )

Besides Spielberg and Adamson, I'm not sure... I like a lot of Joe Johnston films, but he doesn't seem like the Narnian kind of guy...I could be wrong though I know a lot of people are rooting for Peter Jackson, but I haven't seen any of his films yet so I can't give an opinion there... Honestly I don't really know of that many directors... (I rarely pay attention to the credits, and I'm bad at remembering names anyways). There are a few NWers out there whose adaptations I'd be interested in seeing, but then again... that might not end well on the site.

Whoever it is though should ideally love whatever book they are adapting, or at the very least think it a cool story. And they need to be a good storyteller as well.

[SilverSea]

Alfonso Cuaron, maybe? He balanced the fantasy and emotional aspects of HP3 really well.

[DamselJillPole]

I think Wolfgang Peterson would be perfect to direct the series. I love how when he adapts book to screen he keeps the same perspective on the characters.

[SilverLynx]

Tim Burton Haha, I have no idea.

[Pepper]

Perhaps the Sherwood people (Flywheel, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Courageous) could have a go at it. No doubt they'd get the theological part right.