After Lady Bird, Little Women and her now-cult Barbie, Greta Gerwig is taking on the world of Narnia: the very first trailer has just dropped. Her signature touch is already unmistakable, a world away from the superhero factory churning away on loop, for a hugely anticipated adaptation.
Who is Greta Gerwig, before she took on Narnia?
at the global box office, Barbie firmly established Greta Gerwig’s credibility.
Greta Gerwig didn’t wake up one morning with a camera in her hand. Her career began in front of the lens, not behind it: she appears in the films of her partner, director Noah Baumbach. Audiences then discovered her as an aimless twenty-something in Frances Ha, which she co-wrote, then as a rebellious artist in 20th Century Women.
The real turning point came in 2017: she stepped behind the camera with Lady Bird, partly distributed by A24. In 2019, she reunited with Saoirse Ronan for Little Women, a new take on Louise May Alcott’s 1868 novel. Nominated several times for an Oscar and winner of a Golden Globe for Lady Bird, Gerwig quickly caught the eye of the major studios.
How did Barbie change the game for her?
Behind Barbie lies an unlikely duo: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, partners both in life and at the writers’ desk. Their Barbie is awash in pink and glitter, but the feminist gloss hides some very real claws: the story is sharp, mischievous, and at times downright man-hating. Tense negotiations between the two filmmakers and Mattel, which wasn’t exactly keen to let everything slide, surrounded the film’s worldwide release in July 2023.
The gamble paid off well beyond the story itself: at the global box office, Barbie firmly established Greta Gerwig’s credibility. The film owes its charm to its unmistakable touch, that of a director who refused to be swallowed up by the blockbuster machine, unlike the dreary multiverse Marvel keeps dragging along like a dead weight. The result: more than a billion dollars in takings, and the title of Warner Bros’ most profitable film in history, ahead of the final Harry Potter.
Why did Netflix bet on her to bring Narnia back to life?
Even before Barbie's release, The New Yorker revealed on 2 July 2023 that Greta Gerwig had signed with Netflix for a new adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia. This seven-book saga by C.S. Lewis, which follows the Pevensie children up against the White Witch, had only ever been partly brought to the screen by Disney and Fox, whose three films captured just a fraction of it.
Netflix’s choice makes sense in a wider context: the platform is rapidly expanding its roster of literary adaptations, as already shown by Wes Anderson’s short films inspired by Roald Dahl. In November 2023, during an interview marking the reopening of the American Cinematheque at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre, Scott Stuber, Netflix’s film chief, confirmed this ambition for Narnia.
Who’s in the cast of this reimagined Narnia?
Daniel Craig trades his impeccable suits for something more professorial: he dons the dressing gown of Uncle Digory Kirke, the eccentric scholar who opens his home (and his wardrobe) to the Pevensie siblings. It's not a role you'd necessarily picture him in, and that's exactly why it's so delightful. On the voice side, there's no half measure: Meryl Streep herself lends her tones to the lion Aslan the Great. A heavyweight for a legendary beast.
For Jadis, the White Witch, Greta Gerwig went back to her Barbie (2023) co-star Emma Mackey, clearly born for the icy glamour of a villainess. Singer Charli XCX and actress Margaret Qualley had both been rumoured for the part, but it’s ultimately the Sex Education actress who landed the role. Carey Mulligan rounds out an already strong cast as Mabel Kirke, as confirmed by the enchanting first trailer.
What does the trailer reveal, and when can we see the whole film?
The first trailer for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the sixth book in The Chronicles of Narnia saga, delivers on its psychedelic promise. Set to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”, it opens on Andrew Ketterley, the magician of the title, played by Daniel Craig. We also meet Digory (David McKenna) and Polly (Beatrice Campbell), the first to discover the Wood between the Worlds, Jadis (Emma Mackey, of Sex Education), the future White Witch and last queen of Charn, and Strawberry, the talking horse. The tone is that of a retelling that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
To see the full film, patience is required: the release is happening in two stages. In the United States, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew arrives in cinemas, IMAX included, on 12 February 2027. In France, no cinema release has been announced for now: only a Netflix streaming release is planned, from 2 April 2027. The Wood between the Worlds will have to wait.
The trailer may only lift a corner of the veil for now, but it's enough to remind us what Greta Gerwig does better than anyone: taking a legend everyone thought was set in stone (a plastic doll, a 19th-century author, and now a White Witch) and turning it on its head with her own particular brand of humour. Netflix has bet on her distinctive touch rather than on a safe franchise formula, and if Narnia keeps even a fraction of the spirit that carried Barbie, the saga stands every chance of finally shaking off its dusty reputation.
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