Netflix releases first trailer for Greta Gerwig’s Narnia film

Netflix released the first trailer for Greta Gerwig’s adaptation Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew on Tuesday, 13 October. The film brings C. S. Lewis’s story about the creation of Narnia to the screen.

The film is written and directed by Gerwig. Netflix says its announced cinema release is 12 February 2027, with IMAX sneak previews from 10 February, followed by a Netflix release on 2 April.

Those dates describe the distributor’s announced release plan. They do not establish individual South African cinema bookings or screening times.

According to Netflix’s Tudum announcement, newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell lead a cast that also includes Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep.

The project adapts Lewis’s 1955 novel, which takes place before the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Netflix describes it as the first screen adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew.

The Associated Press reported that Gerwig presented the trailer and behind-the-scenes footage at an IMAX event in New York earlier on Tuesday, speaking with Stephen Colbert. The trailer uses Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven.

AP also reported that Streep voices Aslan and that Gerwig approached Robert Plant and Jimmy Page to secure permission to use the song. The film had previously been scheduled for November before moving to 2027.

Netflix lists Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt as the composers of the original score. Both previously worked with Gerwig on Barbie. Sony Pictures Entertainment will distribute the film outside North America, while Netflix will handle domestic distribution.