By Movieguide® Staff
Greta Gerwig’s upcoming NARNIA adaptation is about to break a 75-year tradition — and that might not be such a bad thing.
“The release is believed to be an adaptation of ‘The Magician’s Nephew,’ C.S. Lewis’s sixth novel in the Chronicles of Narnia series, which tells the origin story of this magical land,” British Vogue reported.
Gerwig and Netflix have not made an official confirmation statement about the NARNIA adaptation, but a recent casting announcement from The Hollywood Reporter stated that the movie would be telling the story of “The Magician’s Nephew.”
It had been rumored that Gerwig would start with “The Magician’s Nephew,” as actor Jason Isaacs let slip in an interview, “I picked [‘The Magician’s Nephew’ as my favorite from the series] because Greta Gerwig is about to make a film of it, which I can’t wait to see.”
Greta Gerwig’s ‘NARNIA’ is deep in the casting stage with production seeking out its young leads.
It follows two youngsters Digory & Polly, who unleash the evil White Witch into a turn-of-the 20th century London.
Based on the prequel novel, The Magician’s Nephew. pic.twitter.com/vYhhBb71nj
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 20, 2025
This decision is pretty noteworthy, as it breaks with 75 years of tradition when it comes to launching a CHRONICLES OF NARNIA series — all other adaptations have started with “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe,” which was the first book Lewis published in the series.
Related: Greta Gerwig Calls NARNIA Project ‘Worthy Thing To Be Intimidated By’
While some might be disappointed that Gerwig isn’t starting in the traditional place, others — including Lewis himself — would disagree.
“After the last book was released, Lewis was asked about the best order for reading the books,” the official C.S. Lewis website explained. “He suggested that chronological order might be the easiest way to read the Chronicles,” meaning readers should start with “The Magician’s Nephew.”
While this creative decision might have received Lewis’ stamp of approval, others have raised eyebrows; specifically, Meryl Streep potentially taking on the role of Aslan. While this hasn’t been officially confirmed, Gerwig and Netflix have not denied that Streep is in talks to take on the role.
Movieguide®’s Dr. Ted Baehr cautioned against taking too many liberties with Lewis’ books, writing, “The treatment of Lewis’ material can either detract from the core preferences of the modern western mindset, or it can speak to them, and tap into them at a very emotional level. Netflix is in a key position to capitalize on this. It is a business opportunity that should be recognized and carefully nurtured.”
“The commercial realities of keeping faith with the original intentions of the author are far further reaching than the implication on any given moviegoer’s preferences,” he continued. “Throughout the globe, there are many millions of Christian people who, in partnership with Netflix, will form a catalytic coalition capable of propelling the work and its influence to stellar box office performance.”
NARNIA fans are excited to see a lesser-known Lewis work make it to the big screen and are hopeful Gerwig will take Dr. Baehr’s advice and stay true to the original source material.
Read Next: A Female Aslan? Why It’s a Threat to C.S. Lewis’ Legacy
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