Greta Gerwig's Narnia reveals a J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Easter egg you can't miss

We recently saw the first pieces of what will become Greta Gerwig’s reboot of The Chronicles of Narnia, based on the books by legendary writer C.S. Lewis. Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will hit theaters on February 12, 2027, getting a rare theatrical release from Netflix of around two months.

The Magician’s Nephew is chronologically the first Narnia book, though Lewis actually went back and wrote it after several others were published. It recounts how the infamous White Witch came to be in Narnia, first making a calamitous stop in our world. One of the first-look images seemingly depicts this sequence, with a visible Easter egg that nods to both Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

“Eagle & Child” pub appears in new image with Emma Mackey’s Jadis

The exclusive images recently revealed by Empire Magazine include a first look at Aslan (Meryl Streep), as well as Andrew Ketterly (Daniel Craig) in a kind of magical lab, and Jadis (Emma Mackey), the future White Witch, screaming and causing things to explode while in a world that looks like ours. This is likely the section of the book where Jadis, accidentally brought back to London by the children, goes on a rampage through the city.

In the image of Jadis, you can see in the background a building with a sign designating it as the “Eagle & Child,” its windows in the process of shattering while patrons standing outside stumble. The Eagle and Child is a real pub in Oxford, U.K., which was famously frequented by Lewis, Tolkien, and the other Inklings.

Thus, this Easter egg is actually slightly inaccurate, as it transplants the Eagle and Child from Oxford to London. Yet it still proves the attention to detail in Gerwig’s new movie and her desire to incorporate pieces of history like this, even as she makes drastic changes, like moving the setting from the early 20th century to the 1950s.

Who were the Inklings?

Lewis and Tolkien’s friendship is a famous one, with urban legends surrounding it springing from the contrast in how they explore the fantasy genre and handle their medieval literary inspirations. They are also the two most famous members of the literary group known as the Inklings, who were based in Oxford in the 1930s and ‘40s.

Other writers and philosophers who participated in the group’s discussions include Owen Barfield and Charles Williams. The real Eagle and Child pub has been closed since 2020, and was bought by Larry Ellison's Ellison Institute of Technology from St. John’s College in 2023. The Ellison Institute has reportedly stated that the pub will reopen in 2027.

What else does the image of Jadis reveal about The Magician’s Nephew?

Speaking with Empire, Mackey teases the tone of the scene where this clever allusion appears. The star says, “She’s this larger-than-life creature who appears in Digory [David McKenna] and Polly’s [Beatrice Campbell] world and takes them by surprise.” The Magician’s Nephew’s cast also includes Carey Mulligan, Denise Gough, Ciarán Hinds, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, and Susan Wokoma.

Gerwig describes her new iteration of Narnia as a “rock opera” inspired by David Bowie. Jadis’s armour in this scene has a modern, costume-esque feel, while the still is also a bit absurd. People may now expect Gerwig’s Narnia to be a psychedelic one, which will hopefully be just as thrilling as the more classic epic fantasy tone of the movies from the 2010s.

But The Magician’s Nephew is a first for the Narnia franchise, as we have never before seen a theatrical adaptation of Digory and Polly’s story. Audiences will witness the beginning of Narnia and set-up for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which may be in Gerwig’s future.

Narnia: The Magician's Nephw premiers in theaters on February 12, 2027, and begins streaming on Netflix on April 2, 2027.

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