Trouble in Narnia?

We regard Jesus as an amazing storyteller - the crowds who gathered to hear Him were enraptured by the parables which He taught and the wonders that God worked through Him.  His aim was to preach faithfully and see His Father use the messages to draw people to Himself, so they might come to know Him.  Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 13 (ESV) why He spoke in parables; His explanation included these words:
12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. ”
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. ’

C.S. Lewis understood the power of story, and among his most beloved writings are The Chronicles of Narnia, which traced the adventures and interactions of four children who entered a land of fantasy that shared much in common with today's world and the spiritual forces at play.

There were seven books in the series, and quite a few years ago, there were three movies made, corresponding to the books of the same title: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawntreader.  Periodically, on Focus on the Family Radio Theater, Saturday evenings at 6:00 on Faith Radio, you will hear audio dramatizations of the Narnia works.

Well, news emerged last year that a new rendering from the Narnia series, The Magician's Nephew, the sixth book in the series, would be released on Netflix. Greta Gerwig, who did the Barbie movie last year, will be directing the film.  And therein lies a potential rub, and one of the leading Christian voices calling for family-friendly and faith-respectful content has spoken out.  Faithwire reports:

...Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide, told CBN News he hopes to convince Netflix to “adhere to Lewis’ biblical allegories” and not veer off into other interpretations or antics when they release “The Magician’s Nephew,” a film adaptation of the sixth novel in Lewis’ Narnia series. 

The article went on to say: "Outlets like Deadline reported earlier this year that actress Meryl Streep was in talks to portray Aslan the Great Lion, a character Lewis created to represent Jesus. The allegation that Streep, a female, was up for the role immediately sparked outrage and consternation."  The article noted that, "Gerwig had previously pledged the movie would be 'rooted in faith,' but little is known about what the final product will look like. So, as Faithwire states: "With uncertainty abounding, Baehr is taking a stand with his open letter to the producers of the 'Narnia' movies — and he’s encouraging others to do the same.

The Faithwire article also noted:

Among other sentiments, Baehr asked that Christian themes from the books remain in place and aren’t distorted, that there is “moral integrity” in the story — and for a “respectful portrayal of Aslan.”

On this latter point, he asked that Gerwig depict Aslan with reverence and not trivialize the character’s interpretation as a Christ figure. And, among other points, requested that the film remain family-friendly.

Ultimately, Baehr said abiding by these sentiments would yield “enthusiastic endorsements” from Christians, theologians, and faith-based media.

I was pleased to learn that Douglas Gresham, stepson of the late C.S. Lewis, who has been instrumental in managing and carrying on his legacy, had been named co-executive producer all the way back in 2018, according to Christian Daily, which quoted Gresham: “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,” Gresham said at the time of the 2018 announcement. “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.”  Netflix had contracted with the C.S. Lewis Company to apparently make multiple films.  The Magician's Nephew, according to the publication, has begun filming in London.  The Christian Daily piece reported that NarniaWeb had discovered that Gresham is living in Malta with an illness from which he is not expected to recover.

I do have concerns over the treatment of Narnia content by those that may not really "get" the concept.  One can hope that the oversight of the Lewis company would keep wayward voices in check and deliver a story that is faithful to the material conceptualized and written by C.S. Lewis.

I think a great question for each of us has to do with the story of our own lives.  Are we remaining "faithful to the script?"  In other words, do our lives conform with the teachings of the Scripture and reflect the intent of the author? Or do we tend to improvise - making decisions that are not in keeping with what God has in store.  

In the interest of attempting to "modernize" and be "culturally relevant" have allowed the winds of culture to water down the bold breeze of the Spirit as He moves.  We have to make sure that we remain faithful to the story that God is writing through us and not stray to the right or left.   Ted Baehr is rightfully concerned about the faithfulness of filmmakers to maintain the Biblical parallels and spiritual moorings of the Narnia series.  We should always make sure that we are reverential toward the presence and principles of God.