Greta Gerwig shares passion for her new Narnia film as Netflix's theatrical strategy becomes clearer

When it was first announced that Netflix was planning a new adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia, most expected it to be a TV series that would adapt each book of C.L. Lewis’ classic fantasy stories. Instead, the streamer is producing a new film series written and directed by Oscar nominee Greta Gerwig.

In a story for The Los Angeles Times (via Narniaweb), Netflix’s film chairman, Dan Lin, discussed the streamer’s 2026 plans to release both on Netflix and in theatres. During the talk, Gerwig herself chimed in via video with her first major discussion on her adaptation.

“It’s all very under wraps right now, but it’s something that I’m just so thrilled about because it was the book of my childhood," Gerwig said. "It was the book series that I loved, and I lived through, and I spent so much time imagining myself inside of Narnia. It’s been a joy and an honor to be the person who gets to imagine this universe.”

Surprisingly, rather than open with The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe as Disney did in 2005, Gerwig will reportedly start the Chronicles of Narnia with The Magician’s Nephew. This is basically the prequel to the entire saga, focusing on the younger adventures of Diggory (David McKenna), the professor from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and his young friend, Polly (Beatrice Campbell), who are transported across worlds to see the origins of Narnia.

The cast also includes Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey as Jadis, a.k.a. the White Witch and Meryl Streep, apparently voicing the lion Aslan. Production is underway, even as some fans express worries about the film.

Should we be worried about the Narnia films?

One turn that has fans concerned is that leaked set photos indicate The Magician's Nephew is set in the 1950s, rather than the early 1900s as in Lewis' written works. That would mean The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe would take place in the 1980s rather than the World War II setting of the book. It’s added onto by comments from producer Amy Pascal about the film having a “rock 'n' roll” take that goes against the book’s style.

These bits of information have fueled doubts about whether Gerwig is the right person to adapt this tale or not. Even the most accomplished filmmakers can falter with different material. Netflix is obviously hopeful, as they’re pushing Narnia as a key part of their movie slate and a trying to make it a true event film.

Narnia will have an exclusive theatrical run before it hits Netflix

Lin claimed that Netflix is hoping at least half of its slate for 2026 will be based on original stories rather than IP. Bela Bajaria, the company’s chief content officer, said the company isn’t as concerned about the theatrical element as they are “streaming first,” and thus focus on different stories another studio may not take a chance on.

Per the article, the current strategy is to release up to four “Event films” in theaters per year. For 2026, that will include Narnia and The Adventures of Cliff Booth from David Fincher, with Brad Pitt reprising his Oscar-winning role from Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, due to hit theaters in the fall.

So the pressure is higher on Gerwig, as Narania will be one of the few theatrical offerings from Netflix for the year. According to Lin, Gerwig's Chronicles of Narnia film will release theatrically in IMAX on Thanksgiving, and will drop on Netflix around Christmas, 2026.