Netflix Reveals First Look at Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia Reboot

We finally have a first look at Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia film for Netflix, titled Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. The promotional image features Aslan, the talking lion who has become the face of the series. The image debuted in the UK magazine Empire and offers an inspired take on the creature with heterochromic eyes and patterns resembling a mix of stitching, Trencadís mosaics, and melted scales.

Meryl Streep will voice Aslan. Greta Gerwig explained her casting choice to Empire by stating, “I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness. Someone who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight. I wanted someone who was older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child. And also to be one of the greatest actors to ever do it. That list is not a long one.”

Greta Gerwig previously worked with Meryl Streep on her 2019 adaptation of Little Women. As for Aslan’s design, Empire reported that his eyes and bold red stripes nod to David Bowie, who served as a key creative inspiration for the director. Empire also revealed an additional promotional image depicting Aslan creating Narnia and promised more updates when its November 2026 issue arrives on September 24.

In an interview with Empire, Greta Gerwig discussed her vision for the film. She stated that she wanted a rock opera that feels big and transporting. She mentioned that British rock music from the 1960s and 1970s was a major point of inspiration, explaining, “Narnia is literally a world made out of music. It is a world sung to life by Aslan, and rock ’n’ roll to me felt like a world made out of music.” While the movie will not literally be a musical, it draws inspiration from that aesthetic.

What other details do we have on the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia adaptation?

The next Chronicles of Narnia film adapts the sixth book in the series, the 1955 novel The Magician’s Nephew. Although this is the earliest story chronologically, it diverges from the publication order of the earlier books. Greta Gerwig is directing, writing, and co-producing the movie following her work on Lady Bird, Little Women, and Barbie. The cast includes David McKenna from Lord of the Flies, Beatrice Campbell from The Phoenician Scheme, Emma Mackey from Sex Education and Emily, Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds from Game of Thrones and Silence, and Daniel Craig.

Netflix is producing the film, marking the streaming service’s first movie to receive a wide theatrical release. It arrives in theaters on February 12, 2027, followed by its streaming release on Netflix on April 2, 2027. More than 15 years have passed since the last Chronicles of Narnia movie, which was Walden Media’s trilogy released between 2005 and 2010 to adapt the first three books.

Source: Polygon