I Can't Wait To See Greta Gerwig's Narnia Movie. Here's Everything We Know So Far
The Chronicles of Narnia!

It has been a little more than two years since Greta Gerwig’s Barbie took over the world (and the global box office). Now, with her upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, the decorated actor-turned-director is turning her attention to The Chronicles of Narnia, where she’ll explore the magical, fascinating, and hidden world C.S. Lewis created 70-plus years ago.
That’s right, Narnia is coming to theaters (and one of the best streaming services) on the 2026 movie schedule, and we have so many details about the long-awaited project from one of the most promising and engaging filmmakers on the planet right now. From the release dates and cast, to which of Lewis’ books the Little Women director is reportedly tackling first, we have a lot to break down…
What Is The Narnia Release Date?
Though you won’t see the Narnia release date on the 2025 movie schedule, you will be able to watch Greta Gerwig’s next movie on the big screen starting November 26, 2026 (Thanksgiving Day for those in the United States). However, according to Deadline, the global IMAX run in 90 countries and 1,000 screens will last for only two weeks, as the film will eventually find its permanent home on Netflix starting December 25, 2026 (Christmas Day).
Narnia doesn’t have any competition on its Thanksgiving debut, at least not yet, but it will debut at home the same day Robert Eggers’ Werewulf hits the big screen, making it quite the holiday pairing. With so much time between now and then, expect a lot more announcements to be made about the final stretch of 2026.
The Narnia Cast
Though we won’t be seeing James McAvoy, Tilda Swinton, Ben Barnes, or the actors who brought the Pevensie children to life in the 2000s Chronicles of Narnia franchise, Greta Gerwig’s take on the classic series of fantasy novels is putting together a stellar group of A-list actors. Seriously, the names we’re about to go over do not disappoint one bit.
In March 2025, Deadline reported that Daniel Craig was being eyed for one of the starring roles in Narnia, with many assuming he’s going to be playing Andrew Ketterly, a.k.a., Uncle Andrew from The Magician’s Nephew (more on that later). A few weeks later, in April 2025, Deadline also reported that Meryl Streep was in talks to play Aslan the Great Lion, an allegorical character and protector of Narnia throughout C.S. Lewis’ novels.
A couple of years after showing up in Barbie, Emma Mackey will retream with Gerwig, as Variety reported in April 2025 that the actress was picked to play the White Witch, the main antagonist from the novels and a core character in the previous adaptations. The following month, in May 2025, THR reported that Carey Mulligan would be joining the cast as the sick mother of one of the kids at the core of the movie’s plot.
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
With the ball moving on Narnia, expect to hear a lot more about the cast in the weeks and months to come.
What Is Narnia About?
As you may know, The Chronicles of Narnia isn’t a book, but rather a series of novels written by C.S. Lewis between 1950 and 1956 that chart multiple stories and eras within the portal kingdom of Narnia. So, what does that mean for Gerwig’s Narnia?
When reporting on Carey Mulligan’s casting news in May 2025, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the upcoming fantasy film will be an adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew. Though the second-to-last novel to be published, the book is chronologically at the beginning of the series, and helps set the stage for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. While it’s not yet known how many movies Gerwig will be making for Netflix, starting at the earliest part in the chronology makes it seem like they’re going all out with the franchise.
What is The Magician’s Nephew about, you ask? Set in London in 1900, the 1955 novel follows two children – Digory and Polly – as they discover a magical world with the help of rings created by an eccentric uncle. Traveling from one world to another, the pair accidentally unleash an evil queen who follows them to London and then Narnia, setting up the conflict for books to come.
Production On Narnia Got Underway In August 2025
It’s been well over a decade since we last went to Narnia, but that will soon change, as production has gotten underway for Gerwig’s new adaptation. In August 2025, Screen Daily reported that cameras got rolling on the upcoming Netflix movie with the shoot primarily taking place at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, though location shooting was reportedly going down in central London.
There’s no word on how long the shoot will last, or how long it will take for all the post-production work (especially with Meryl Streep playing what will most likely be an animated character), but with a Thanksgiving 2026 release on the books, we should know more in the very near future.
Greta Gerwig Started Working On Her Narnia Adaptation Before Setting Foot On The Barbie Set
This Narnia isn’t just something that the Lady Bird and Little Women director started working on in the wake of her super successful Barbie; instead, it’s something that has been gestating for a long time. When speaking with Time in February 2024, Gerwig revealed that she actually started working on the Narnia script before even setting foot on the set of her blockbuster hit, which ended up helping her when it came time to return to the fantasy:
Knowing that I’d laid the groundwork for Narnia and wanted to return to it—that’s probably something I set up for myself psychologically. Because I know the right thing, for me anyway, is to keep making movies. Whatever happens, good or bad, you’ve got to keep going.
These comments came just as the end of the 2023 WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes that pretty much shut down Hollywood for much of the year, which is where the “you’ve got to keep going” comment comes from. With Gerwig seeming to be fully entrenched in the project years before cameras started rolling, it’s easy to get excited about her vision.
This Is The First Part Of Netflix's Planned Narnia Franchise
If all goes well this will be the beginning of a major franchise for Netflix. In October 2018, Netflix announced that it was developing series and films based on C.S. Lewis’ beloved books, opening the door for an expansive and years-long dive into one of the most fantastical worlds in all of literature.
Those other plans for the ambitious project have not yet been announced, but with The Magician’s Nephew being a prequel for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, one can imagine that the iconic novel would be next to be made.
Expect to hear much more about Narnia in the coming weeks and months, but in the meantime, there are still a great number of 2025 Netflix movies to watch while you wait.

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.