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What book is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) based on?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, book 1 of The Chronicles of Narnia in publication order, by C.S. Lewis.

The book is short and told by a narrator who talks to the reader; the battle the movie shows at length takes only a few pages.

  1. 1
    This is the book behind The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

    The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

    1950 · Movie (2005)

    Four children walk through a wardrobe into a land under endless winter.

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  2. 2

    Prince Caspian

    1951 · Movie (2008)

    The children return centuries later to help a young prince.

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  3. 3

    The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

    1952 · Movie (2010)

    A sea voyage to the end of the world.

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  4. 4

    The Silver Chair

    1953 · BBC series (1990)

    Two children search for a lost prince underground.

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  5. 5

    The Horse and His Boy

    1954 · No movie yet

    A boy and a talking horse escape to Narnia.

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  6. 6

    The Magician's Nephew

    1955 · Greta Gerwig movie (2027), in theaters before Netflix

    How Narnia began, and where the wardrobe came from.

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  7. 7

    The Last Battle

    1956 · No movie yet

    The end of Narnia.

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All seven books in one boxed set

The complete Chronicles of Narnia in paperback.

What the books give you

Only in the books

The narrator's asides to the reader, and the Christian allegory that runs through every book.

What the screen changes

The 2008 Prince Caspian movie adds a night raid on Miraz's castle that is not in the book. The details are folded below.

Show differences (spoilers)

In the movie of Prince Caspian, Caspian and Susan have a short romance; in the book there is none.

Editions

  1. 1

    The Chronicles of Narnia, one volume

    All seven books in a single book.

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  2. 2

    The Chronicles of Narnia box set

    Seven paperbacks.

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  3. 3

    Narnia illustrated by Pauline Baynes

    The original illustrator.

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More by C.S. Lewis

  1. 1

    The Screwtape Letters

    1942 · letters from a senior devil to his nephew

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  2. 2

    Out of the Silent Planet

    1938 · book 1 of the Space Trilogy

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  3. 3

    Till We Have Faces

    1956 · Lewis's retelling of Cupid and Psyche

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All C.S. Lewis books in order →

If you liked it

  1. 1

    A Wrinkle in Time

    Madeleine L'Engle · 1962 · a 2018 movie

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  2. 2

    The Hobbit

    J.R.R. Tolkien · 1937 · Lewis's friend

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  3. 3

    The Golden Compass

    Philip Pullman · 1995 · His Dark Materials, a BBC and HBO series

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Quick answers

Which book is each movie and series based on?

Movie or seriesBook
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
Prince Caspian (2008)Prince Caspian (1951)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
Narnia: The Magician's Nephew (2027)The Magician's Nephew (1955) · directed by Greta Gerwig; in theaters first, then on Netflix
The Chronicles of Narnia (BBC) (1988–1990, series)The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) · also Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair

In what order should I read The Chronicles of Narnia?

Read the seven books in the order C.S. Lewis published them, starting with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) and ending with The Last Battle (1956). Newer editions number them in story order, with The Magician's Nephew first; both orders work.

In what order should I read the Narnia books?

Either works. Publication order starts with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950). Story order, used by newer editions, starts with The Magician's Nephew (1955), which tells how Narnia began.

Which Narnia books became movies?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010). Greta Gerwig's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew comes to theaters in 2027 and then to Netflix.

How many Narnia books are there?

Seven, all by C.S. Lewis, published from 1950 to 1956.

Updated Nov 1, 2026 · MoviesBooks editors