Narnia: The Magician's Nephew (2027)

The long‑awaited trailer for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew has finally dropped, confirming that Netflix’s multi‑year deal with the C.S. Lewis estate is moving full steam ahead. Greta Gerwig, fresh off Lady Bird and Barbie, will write and direct the first of two planned adaptations, positioning the streaming giant to close a six‑decade chapter of Narnia on its own terms. What makes this entry truly historic is the choice to start at the very origin of Lewis’s world. Unlike every previous screen version that opened with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Gerwig’s film adapts the 1955 prequel, The Magician’s Nephew, giving audiences the first look at the Wood Between the Worlds, the birth of Narnia, and the creation of the iconic wardrobe that later guides the Pevensie children. The cast signals the ambition of the project: David McKenna steps into young Digory Kirke, Beatrice Campbell plays his adventurous friend Polly Plummer, Emma Mackey embodies the future White Witch Jadis, and Meryl Streep lends her voice to the cosmic lion Aslan. Scheduled for a theatrical debut on February 12, 2027, before streaming on Netflix in April, the film promises to reshape the franchise’s timeline and set the stage for a new era of Narnia storytelling.

Netflix rolled out a special press event for the upcoming Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, where director Greta Gerwig sat down with Stephen Colbert to unpack C.S. Lewis’s beloved world and give fans a first look at the new trailer. The buzz‑worthy gathering highlighted Gerwig’s vision for the prequel and set the tone for what promises to be a visually ambitious adaptation. Gerwig explained that she gravitated to The Magician’s Nephew after discovering a letter from Lewis urging readers to begin the series with that book. While she, like many, started with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the author’s note convinced her that the creation myth of Narnia deserved to be the cinematic kickoff. A standout moment in the trailer is a galactic Aslan—voiced by Meryl Streep—gliding among the stars before roaring to bring color and life to the world. Gerwig emphasized that the scene captures Lewis’s description of Aslan’s song that “sings the world into existence,” and she wants the film to echo that sense of wonder rather than focus solely on destruction. The director also spoke about fostering an environment where collaborators could unleash “outrageous creativity,” echoing the novel’s theme of inventing a universe. With a star‑studded cast that includes David McKenna, Emma Mackey and Carey Mulligan, the film is slated to hit Netflix on February 12, 2027.

Netflix’s first look at Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew reveals a wildly colorful, almost psychedelic vision of C.S. Lewis’s world. Director Greta Gerwig leans into the sweeping fantasy scale of The Lord of the Rings while slipping in the bright, irreverent energy of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, hinting at a franchise that could sit shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the biggest fantasy epics of the decade. The trailer leans heavily into a 1950s rock‑and‑roll aesthetic, a choice Gerwig describes as a love letter to the era’s music icons like David Bowie. The final shot of Aslan roaring the universe into being is set to Led Zeppelin’s"Stairway to Heaven," underscoring the film’s bold, retro‑musical vibe and confirming that the soundtrack will be as eclectic as the visuals. Fans are already sparking heated debate over the film’s creative liberties. Meryl Streep’s casting as the lion Aslan—still male in the story but portrayed by a legendary actress—has ignited concerns about the treatment of the series’ underlying Christian symbolism. Adding to the controversy, Gerwig has shifted the story’s timeline to the 1950s, a full half‑century later than the original 1900 setting, potentially throwing off the historical context of future installments like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which rely on a World War II backdrop. Despite the uproar, Netflix is positioning The Magician’s Nephew as the kickoff to a seven‑part adaptation of the entire Chronicles of Narnia. If Gerwig can balance her rock‑infused vision with the core of Lewis’s mythos, the reboot could become 2027’s biggest fantasy event, challenging the dominance of The Lord of the Rings and the new Game of Thrones projects.

The families of Douglas and David Gresham – the surviving stepsons of C.S. Lewis – have publicly backed Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew. In a statement issued through Netflix, they praised Gerwig’s lifelong love of the author’s work, noted their recent visit to the London set, and highlighted Douglas Gresham’s continued executive‑producer credit, linking the new film directly to the author’s legacy. Netflix is positioning the prequel as a major theatrical event, rolling it out in IMAX and standard cinemas in February 2027 before moving it to streaming in April. The dual‑release model underscores the studio’s confidence that Gerwig’s vision will draw both die‑hard Narnia fans and a broader audience eager for a big‑screen fantasy experience. For Gerwig, best known for indie hits like Lady Bird and Little Women, the project marks a dramatic shift into franchise filmmaking. The endorsement from Lewis’s own family adds weight to her ambitious take on the series’ origin story, promising a blend of reverence for the source material and the director’s distinctive, character‑driven style.