Narnia Movies in Order: Release Order, Story Order, Where to Start

The Narnia movies, in order

1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005, directed by Andrew Adamson). Four Pevensie children find a world through a wardrobe, ruled by the White Witch (Tilda Swinton), and join the lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson). It made about $745 million worldwide.
2. Prince Caspian (2008, Andrew Adamson). The children return a thousand Narnian years later to help Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) win back his kingdom. About $420 million.
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010, Michael Apted). Edmund, Lucy and their cousin Eustace (Will Poulter) sail with Caspian to the edge of the world. About $416 million, and the last of the original series.
4. Narnia: The Magician's Nephew (February 12, 2027, Greta Gerwig). A new start for Netflix, telling how Narnia was created.

The three existing films are in story order as well as release order, so there's nothing to rearrange. The planned fourth film in the original series, The Silver Chair, was never made.

How the films map to the seven books

C.S. Lewis published the books in one order, but the story happens in another:

• Publication order: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), Prince Caspian (1951), The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952), The Silver Chair (1953), The Horse and His Boy (1954), The Magician's Nephew (1955), The Last Battle (1956).
• Story order: The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Last Battle.

So the original films cover books 2, 4 and 5 in story order. Lewis once told a young reader he slightly preferred the story order, though many fans still start with the wardrobe, as the first readers did.

Narnia: The Magician's Nephew (2027)

• Release: IMAX previews from February 10, 2027, then wide in cinemas on February 12, and on Netflix on April 2. It was first set for November 2026 but moved, giving Netflix its first full theatrical release.
• Writer and director: Greta Gerwig (Barbie, Little Women).
• Cast: David McKenna as Digory and Beatrice Campbell as Polly, with Daniel Craig as Uncle Andrew, Emma Mackey as Jadis, Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan, Carey Mulligan as Digory's mother, and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Frank the cabby.
• Music: Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who wrote songs for Barbie.
• Distribution: Netflix in the US and Canada, Sony Pictures in most other countries.

The story follows Digory and Polly, who are tricked by Digory's uncle into testing magic rings that carry them between worlds. They wake the sorceress Jadis in the dying city of Charn and end up watching Aslan sing Narnia into being. It explains where the lamppost, the wardrobe and the White Witch came from.

Where to start

• First time, with kids: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It's the most magical of the three and needs no setup.
• You want everything in story order: wait for The Magician's Nephew in February, then go back to the 2005 film.
• You liked the first film: Prince Caspian is darker and more of a war story; Dawn Treader is a lighter sea adventure.

More franchise watch orders: the Twilight movies, every Avatar movie and Tom Holland's Spider-Man films.

Frequently asked questions

When is the new Narnia movie coming out? In cinemas, including IMAX, on February 12, 2027, with IMAX previews from February 10, then on Netflix on April 2, 2027.

Where can I watch the original Narnia films? They move between streaming services and are available to rent or buy digitally, so check what's showing in your country.

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