Netflix has released the first official trailer for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, the upcoming fantasy adventure written and directed by Greta Gerwig (Barbie, Little Women). Based on the 1955 novel by C.S. Lewis, the film serves as an origin story for the world of Narnia and marks the beginning of a new series of adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia.
The story follows two children, Digory Kirke (David McKenna) and Polly Plummer (Beatrice Campbell), who discover a collection of magical rings belonging to Digory’s eccentric uncle, Andrew Ketterley (Daniel Craig). The rings transport the children to other worlds, setting in motion events that eventually lead to the creation of Narnia and the arrival of the evil witch Jadis.
The trailer introduces the film’s central characters and offers a look at several of its fantasy settings, including the Wood Between the Worlds. Set to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” the footage also features Emma Mackey as Jadis, the future White Witch, and Aslan, the lion whose voice is provided by Meryl Streep.
In addition to Craig, Mackey and Streep, the ensemble cast includes Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, Denise Gough, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Susan Wokoma. Gerwig reunites with Barbie collaborators Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who are composing the film’s original score.
First published in 1955, The Magician’s Nephew was the sixth of Lewis’s seven Chronicles of Narnia novels to be published, although its events take place before those of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The book explores the origins of Narnia, the introduction of evil into its world and the circumstances surrounding several familiar elements of the series, including the magical wardrobe.
The new adaptation represents the first feature-film version of The Magician’s Nephew. The Narnia books were previously adapted into a trilogy of theatrical films beginning with Disney and Walden Media’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005. That film was followed by Prince Caspian in 2008 and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010, the latter distributed by 20th Century Fox.
Gerwig’s film also represents a significant departure from Netflix’s usual release strategy. Rather than debuting directly on the streaming service or receiving a limited theatrical engagement, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will receive a wide theatrical release, including IMAX screenings, before arriving on Netflix several weeks later.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is scheduled to open in theaters on February 12, 2027, with IMAX previews beginning February 10. The film will premiere on Netflix on April 2, 2027.
Watch the official trailer below: