Netflix and Greta Gerwig have finally lifted the veil on their ambitious adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia. Empire Magazine has published an extensive feature with interviews with Gerwig herself, the cast and the technical team, offering the most complete look yet at Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, the first installment of this new era of the saga created by C.S. Lewis.
The report confirms that the film will hit theaters on February 12, 2027 and land on Netflix on April 2, 2027. Among the details revealed are the glam-rock aesthetic that permeates the entire production, the visual inspiration drawn from the work of artist M.C. Escher, and details about the cast, led by Meryl Streep, Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan, Emma Mackey, David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell.
Netflix has held the rights to The Chronicles of Narnia since 2018, in a deal whose official figure has never been confirmed, though various reports place the purchase in the nine-figure range. Gerwig officially joined the project in 2023, although, as she herself has explained, her interest arose back in 2020, when she discovered that the platform held the rights.
Why Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew begins at the beginning of the story
Unlike all previous adaptations of Narnia, which have always begun with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Gerwig's version starts chronologically from the origin: The Magician's Nephew, the sixth novel Lewis published but the first in the saga's timeline. This installment narrates the creation of Narnia, the origin of Aslan and Jadis—who later becomes the White Witch—and answers questions that Lewis left open in his later books.
Gerwig told Empire that she had long been pressing Scott Stuber, Netflix's head of film, about where the adaptation should begin. In her own words: "I thought they should start with The Magician's Nephew because it's the creation of Narnia, and in fact, if you take all seven books together, the story is about the life and death of a universe."
The glam-rock tone and the soundtrack that inspired Gerwig
One of the most striking changes is the story's shift in time period, moving from early 20th-century England to the 1950s, coinciding with the era in which Lewis published the original novel. This change allows Gerwig to incorporate a strong influence from the rock music of the time.
"I wanted a rock opera," the director has stated. "I wanted it to be big and to transport the viewer."
Gerwig has made no secret of her musical references, though she has insisted that the film is not a musical in the conventional sense. Among the influences she cites are David Bowie, Paul McCartney, David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. According to Empire, tracks such as Baba O'Riley by The Who and Life on Mars by David Bowie were played on set to set the mood for the crew.
1950s England and a nod to C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien
Although the era has changed, the starting point remains a small English town. One of the images revealed shows a significant change from the original novel: Jadis appears wielding a wand and using magic in the streets of London, something that isn't possible in the books outside her own world.
The same image includes a nod for the most attentive followers: in the background appears The Eagle And Child pub, the real-life place where C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and other writers used to meet to discuss their work.
Cast: Digory, Polly, Uncle Andrew and the mother’s name change
Digory and Polly, the two child protagonists of The Magician's Nephew, are played by David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell. Carey Mulligan plays Digory's mother, while Daniel Craig plays his eccentric Uncle Andrew.
One detail confirmed by Empire is that Digory's mother, named Mabel in the novel, has been renamed Flora in the film, as a tribute to C.S. Lewis's mother, Florence "Flora" Lewis, who died of cancer when the writer was a child.
Regarding his character, Daniel Craig has noted: "I'd like to say his intentions are good, but I'm not sure they are. It's not that he's cruel, evil or terrible. He gets too excited about what he might achieve, and because of that he overlooks the people around him and the consequences of what he does." The actor has also praised Gerwig's work: "She's like a unicorn as a director."
Charn and the new look of Jadis, played by Emma Mackey
Charn, the desolate realm that Polly and Digory visit after crossing a portal in the Wood Between the Worlds, looks completely different in this adaptation. Gerwig describes it as a place that "looks, perhaps not by coincidence, like an exploded pinball machine," with lights flashing in orange and green and large chrome spheres embedded in the ceiling.
Jadis's costume, worn by Emma Mackey, also breaks with the character's traditional iconography. Instead of the usual regal robe and golden crown, Jadis wears a disco and glam-rock inspired dress. Gerwig has defended this aesthetic choice: "What do you think the Devil is going to look like when he's near you? No one is going to be fooled by a guy with a long, pointed red tail." On Mackey's performance, the director has added: "I fell almost instantly in love with her take on Jadis. She had this unhinged energy, almost screwball-comedy energy."
Meryl Streep voices Aslan in a project born from a dream
Aslan, the lion who runs through the entire mythology of Narnia and whom C.S. Lewis conceived as a representation of Jesus Christ, is voiced by Meryl Streep, who previously worked with Gerwig on Little Women (2019), playing Aunt March.
"I dreamed it," Gerwig has revealed about casting Streep. "It felt fitting, since Lewis wrote about dreaming of lions when he began writing the Narnia books. I wanted someone deep but not pretentious, with gravitas but without a somber seriousness. Someone capable of conveying depth and pathos, as well as joy and delight. I wanted someone over 70, so there would be wisdom from experience, but who also had a fresh capacity for wonder, like a child. On top of being one of the best actresses who has ever lived. That list isn't long."
A new take on Narnia that is already dividing opinion
Empire's report makes clear that this version doesn't aim to be a literal, faithful translation of the novel, but rather a reinterpretation shaped by Gerwig's sensibility. Emma Mackey herself has defended the director's approach: "I think it's rare, but something that used to be cultivated more was curiosity. Greta has this in spades: she's intrigued by people, she asks questions, she reads books, she goes digging for references at the library and she weaves all those threads together."
The changes in era, aesthetic and tone have already sparked mixed reactions among fans of the saga. None of the previous adaptations disappears with the arrival of this new version, which presents itself explicitly as Gerwig's personal reading of C.S. Lewis's material.
Frequently asked questions about Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew
When does Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew premiere?
The film will hit theaters on February 12, 2027, and will join Netflix's catalog on April 2, 2027.
Who directs the new Narnia adaptation for Netflix?
The film is directed by Greta Gerwig, who officially joined the project in 2023, although her interest in adapting the saga arose back in 2020.
Who plays Aslan in Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew?
Meryl Streep voices Aslan. Gerwig has explained that the idea of casting her came from a dream, and that she was looking for an actress over 70 with dramatic gravitas but also a capacity for wonder.
Who plays Jadis in the new Narnia film?
Jadis is played by Emma Mackey, who wears disco and glam-rock inspired costumes that are a far cry from the character's traditional appearance in the original illustrations.
Why does the story begin with The Magician’s Nephew instead of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?
Gerwig chose to begin with The Magician's Nephew because it narrates the creation of Narnia and the origin of Aslan and Jadis, offering answers to questions that C.S. Lewis left open in later books in the saga.
Which other actors are part of the cast?
The cast includes David McKenna as Digory, Beatrice Campbell as Polly, Carey Mulligan as Flora (Digory's mother) and Daniel Craig as Uncle Andrew.
