(Image: Netflix, Disney Pictures)
The first wave of stills for "The Magician's Nephew," the initial film in the new "The Chronicles of Narnia" reboot from "Barbie" writer-director Greta Gerwig, have been released by Netflix. The images, along with a cover for the renowned British film magazine *Empire*, unveil the designs for two core characters: the lion "Aslan" and the villainous "White Witch" (below).
In an exclusive interview with *Empire*, Gerwig shared her vision for the reboot: "I had the same idea with Narnia. I wanted a rock opera. I wanted it to be big and transporting." While the new version is not a musical, Gerwig hopes it will possess a similar spirit.
(Image: Netflix)
Gerwig pointed to British rock music of the '60s and '70s as a massive source of inspiration for her. "David Bowie saved my life. Paul McCartney saved my life. David Gilmour saved my life. Pete Townshend saved my life. And Jimmy Page, Robert Plant too… When I heard their music, I had this deep sense of [thinking], 'You're gonna be okay.'" She added, "Narnia is literally a world made out of music. It is a world sung to life by Aslan, and rock 'n' roll to me felt like a world made out of music."
(Image: Empire)
This adaptation of "The Magician's Nephew" will shift the novel's early 20th-century setting to post-war 1950s Britain. Gerwig believes that the children who grew up in the bleak and dreary environment of 1950s Britain ultimately became the vibrant and endlessly imaginative rock heroes of the '70s who illuminated her world. "Their upbringing was surrounded by pain, loss, and incredibly desperate circumstances like air-raid sites, and yet they built a castle. They created a universe. They created a whole world to live in," she explained. "I don't know how David Jones becomes David Bowie unless you went to Narnia and saw some things."
The inspiration from David Bowie also extends to the design of Aslan, who is voiced by Meryl Streep. This version of Aslan features heterochromia and a prominent red stripe on his face, a direct nod to Bowie's iconic makeup and style.
(Image: Amazon)
In addition to Streep, the cast includes David McKenna, Beatrice Campbell, Ciarán Hinds, Carey Mulligan, Susan Wokoma, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough, Daniel Craig as "Uncle Andrew," and Emma Mackey as the White Witch.
"The Magician's Nephew" is scheduled for a theatrical release on February 12, 2027, followed by its debut on Netflix on April 2, 2027. IMAX previews will be available two days earlier, beginning on February 10, 2027.
via： Empire