Everything We Know about Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Films

After years of lying dormant in the vaults at Netflix, The Chronicles of Narnia series is finally taking center stage for the streaming giant. Greta Gerwig, the famous director behind hits such as Barbie, Little Women, and Lady Bird, has signed on with Netflix to develop at least two films set in the Narnia universe, with the first arriving Thanksgiving of next year. The first film will be an adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew. For those unaware, The Magician’s Nephew is a prequel to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It recounts the adventures of a young boy by the name of Digory Kirke (the Professor in LWW) and his friend Polly Plummer as they explore the majestic beauty and mysteries of the Wood Between the Worlds, escape the clutches of the terrifying Jadis, and witness the Creation of Narnia itself. While it may seem risky, adapting The Magician’s Nephew first makes a ton of sense and could pay dividends in the future. If it finds success, The Magician’s Nephew will create a strong and sturdy foundation for the rest of the series and will also pave the way for its more proven and popular successor, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, to not only continue the success but build upon it as well.

The Creative

Greta has talked numerous times about how Narnia has influenced her and how she has great respect for the source material. In an interview with BBC Radio 4, the director had this to say: “I’m slightly in the place of terror because I really do have such reverence for Narnia. I loved Narnia so much as a child, [and] as an adult, C.S. Lewis as a thinker and a writer. I’m intimidated by doing this. It’s something that feels like a worthy thing to be intimidated by. As a non-British person, I feel a particular sense of wanting to do it correctly… It’s like when Americans do Shakespeare, there’s a slight feeling of reverence and as if maybe we should treat it with extra care. It is not our countryman.” Greta also had a few words to say about C.S. Lewis: “As a writer and a thinker, C.S. Lewis is so rich, and he’s so erudite. He’s written so much about different things that there’s a lot to dig into, and I find myself—it sounds maybe mystical—but it’s like you have a collaborator, and the collaborator is both C.S. Lewis and who I was when I was eight. And so you’re always checking in with your child and this person whom you’ve never met and you’re not going to be able to meet.”

In an unprecedented turn for Netflix, Gerwig was able to negotiate a deal that will allow the film to premiere in IMAX for an initial 2-week run. Starting Thanksgiving 2026, the film will stay in theaters until early December where it will then be pulled and released for Netflix on Christmas Day. This is one of the very few Netflix productions to get a theatrical release window (especially one of this size), as well as a run in IMAX.

IMAX’s CEO Richard Gelfond believes Netflix is aiming to release “like 8 movies” — which is 1 more than the total number of books in the series. Many within the Narnia community believe Netflix will attempt to break up the final book in the series, The Last Battle, into two parts, similar to how WB broke up Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows into two parts and how Lionsgate broke up The Hunger Games: Mockingjay into two parts. It’s a strategy that may prove well with streaming statistics but also sour fans in the process.

Production is set to begin this month according to producer Amy Pascal. Pascal, known for her credits on films such as Challengers, Into the Spider-verse, and No Way Home, is one of five producers on the film, the others being: Christine Crais, Mark Gordon, Vincent Sieber, and C.S. Lewis’ stepson Douglas Gresham.

The Crew

Marketing chief Joshua Goldstine from WB has been offered the role of marketing consultant on the film. Goldstine was heavily involved in the marketing for Greta Gerwig’s previous film, Barbie, which was renowned for its stellar marketing and advertising. While there has been no word yet on whether or not he has accepted the role, his potential involvement should be a clear sign to many that Netflix is not playing around when it comes to Gerwig’s Narnia films. Along with Goldstine, the next few names listed in this article all but confirm Netflix’s dedication to investing in proven talent and treating these films like they’re going to be the company’s next big thing.

The Batman’s production designer, James Chinlund, will lead us into a new on-screen era of Narnia. He’s been nominated for a BAFTA in the past and has led the design efforts for monumental productions such as The Avengers, Matt Reeves’ Planet of the Apes films, and Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain. His stylistic flair is somewhat brooding with a hint of mysticism. In The Batman we see a Wayne Manor that is both dark and archaic, yet elegant in its gothic presentation. On the flip side, The Fountain is drenched in spiritual and other-worldly imagery that highlights Chinlund’s more mystical side. His take on what Narnia should look like will be something to get excited for, and I can’t wait to see it for myself.

THE Jacqueline Durran, Oscar-winner and costume designer for Greta Gerwig’s Little Women and Barbie, as well as Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, and Anna Karenina, will be the costume designer for The Magician’s Nephew.

5-time BAFTA-nominee Ivana Primorac has been hired to lead the hair and make-up department. Her work on Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory should speak for itself.

Seamus McGarvey has been tapped as cinematographer for the film. The two-time Oscar-winner is best known for his work on Atonement, Godzilla (2014), and The Greatest Showman. Fun fact: McGarvey, Primorac, and Durran all worked together on Atonement.

The VFX studio behind Disney’s Prince Caspian and Fox’s Dawn Treader, Framestore, is making its way back to Narnia as the main VFX team for The Magician’s Nephew.

The casting director is Nina Gold. Most people will know her for her incredible work as the casting director for the Game of Thrones series. Funnily enough, she also curated the cast for the Voyage of the Dawn Treader film back in 2010 when Narnia was still under Walden Media. Gold is a six-time Emmy-winner.

The Cast

Casting is currently underway. The production has already made its first two official castings with the up-and-coming Emma Mackey signed on to play Jadis (The White Witch) and the ever-so-talented Carey Mulligan tapped to play Mabel Kirke, the mother of the protagonist Digory Kirke. Emma Mackey is best known for her roles in Sex Education and Barbie, while Mulligan is a three-time Oscar-nominee for her work in Promising Young Woman, An Education, and, most recently, Maestro. Casting for the two leads of the film is underway also, though there are no official reports or rumors on who is being eyed for Digory and Polly.

Though talks are reportedly still in the early stages, Daniel Craig is being eyed for the role of Uncle Andrew. There have been no reports of other suitors for the role, so Craig looks to be Gerwig’s preferred choice.

Along with Craig, Meryl Streep has also been offered a chance to appear in the new Narnia film, but probably not in the capacity or the role, you might initially expect. Indeed, the legendary actress may yet be playing the most important character in the entire series: Aslan, the Great Lion. Though there has been no confirmation yet of her involvement, the initial news of her potential casting as Aslan was met with heavy pushback and criticism from fans.

For those who are unaware, Aslan is a male lion and is referred to as such in the books. He’s also – and spoiler alert – Jesus Christ himself; and I’m not just talking about an allegorical reflection of Jesus Christ, but the literal representation of Christ incarnate, as noted by C.S. Lewis. From my perspective, it makes little sense to cast Meryl Streep in the role, especially since Liam Neeson, the voice of Aslan in the Disney/Fox trilogy, had already laid the groundwork for how Aslan should be voiced and represented in a Chronicles of Narnia adaptation. Alas, nothing is set in stone, and maybe after seeing the backlash made from the news, Netflix is reconsidering their potential casting decision. But, of course, only time will tell.