Greta Gerwig's "Narnia: The Magician's Nephew" Trailer Is Here
Netflix has released the first trailer for Greta Gerwig's "Narnia: The Magician's Nephew," and it comes with a surprising soundtrack choice: Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven."
The trailer, released Tuesday, offers the first real look at Gerwig's take on C.S. Lewis' classic fantasy world. It arrived a day after Netflix unveiled the film's first poster, which shows a giant, star-filled silhouette of Aslan the lion as Digory and Polly fly past on a winged horse. The tagline reads, "A Universe Begins." Netflix also held an IMAX sneak peek for press and influencers at AMC Lincoln Square in New York.
What the Trailer Shows
The trailer opens with Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer wondering whether Digory's Uncle Andrew is "really mad" or a magician, ABC News reported. The two children then question whether they believe in magic before stepping through a portal into another world.
As "Stairway to Heaven" plays, Digory and Polly explore their strange new surroundings. The trailer builds to a final moment in which Aslan brings Narnia into existence, as the children are asked, "Have you ever seen a world born?"
Netflix also released six new images from the film, including the first glimpse of the Wood Between the Worlds and a behind-the-scenes photo of Gerwig with one of her young stars, according to What's on Netflix.
A Star-Studded Cast
Newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell lead the film as Digory and Polly. They are joined by an impressive lineup of stars.
Meryl Streep voices Aslan, Daniel Craig plays Uncle Andrew and "Sex Education" star Emma Mackey plays Jadis, the villain who would later become the White Witch. The cast also includes Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough and Susan Wokoma.
Gerwig wrote and directed the film. She reunited with her "Barbie" collaborators Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who composed the score. Seamus McGarvey served as cinematographer, and Jacqueline Durran designed the costumes. The film is produced by Mark Gordon, Amy Pascal, Vincent Sieber-Smith and Gerwig, with Douglas Gresham among the executive producers representing the C.S. Lewis Estate.
How Narnia Began
The movie is the first adaptation of Lewis' 1955 novel "The Magician's Nephew," the sixth of the seven "Chronicles of Narnia" books to be published. The story serves as a prequel, telling how Narnia was created and setting the stage for "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," which first introduced readers to the magical land in 1950.
Gerwig has said she fell in love with "the gorgeously improbable but completely brilliant concept of a cosmic lion singing the world of 'Narnia' to life" when she read the book as a child. She called the project "the honor of a lifetime to be asked to imagine it into being."
Netflix brought Gerwig on to direct in 2020. Since then, she directed "Barbie," which became the highest-grossing film of 2023 with nearly $1.5 billion worldwide.
When You Can See It
Netflix has described Narnia as "a rare phenomenon that spans generations and geographies." In a rare move for the streamer, the film will play in theaters before it hits the streaming service. It will open worldwide on February 12, 2027, with IMAX-only sneak previews starting February 10. The film was previously expected in 2026.
"Narnia: The Magician's Nephew" will then begin streaming on Netflix on April 2, 2027. Netflix is handling distribution in North America, while Sony Pictures Entertainment will release it in other territories.
Fans who grew up with the earlier Narnia films may remember the series that adapted the first three novels, released in 2005, 2008 and 2010. Gerwig's version marks a fresh start, beginning at the very start of Narnia's story.
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