Netflix Reveals First Trailer for Greta Gerwig's Narnia Film

Netflix has released the first trailer for Greta Gerwig's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, offering a preview of the fantasy adaptation starring Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep. The film explores the origins of Narnia and will open in theaters on February 12, 2027, before arriving on Netflix on April 2, according to release details reported by What's on Netflix.

The production marks Gerwig's first feature film since Barbie, which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide. Netflix is planning an extended theatrical release, with IMAX previews beginning February 10, 2027, and Sony Pictures Entertainment handling distribution outside North America, according to What's on Netflix.

The trailer introduces magician Andrew Ketterley, played by Daniel Craig, as he gives children magical rings capable of transporting them to unfamiliar worlds. His opening line establishes the story's significance within the wider fantasy universe: "sometimes one story is the beginning to all others".

The film adapts the events of C.S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew, the first book chronologically in the Chronicles of Narnia series. It follows Digory and Polly, played by newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell, who discover the Wood Between Worlds, a mysterious place connecting different dimensions, and witness Narnia's creation.

Emma Mackey appears as Jadis, the sorceress who eventually becomes the White Witch, while Meryl Streep voices Aslan, the great lion central to the story. The casting and character designs were previously highlighted in an exclusive preview published by Empire in September, according to What's on Netflix.

The film's promotional artwork also emphasizes its creation narrative. The poster features Aslan's enormous silhouette against a cosmic backdrop, with two riders traveling on a winged horse beneath the tagline "A Universe Begins." The accompanying artwork uses swirling colors and celestial imagery to evoke the birth of the fictional world.

At a trailer premiere event in New York, Gerwig described the lasting influence of Lewis's books on her life and creative development.

"I don't remember a time I didn't know the books," Gerwig said, according to Variety.

She also explained the personal connection that informed her decision to adapt the series.

"I wouldn't be who I am without these books."

Gerwig said she had to persuade Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos to support a major theatrical presentation because of her approach to filmmaking.

"I told Ted [Sarandos, CEO of Netflix] I only know how to make movies for the big screen," Gerwig said.

Sarandos responded by encouraging her to prioritize the cinema experience, according to Gerwig's account.

"Make the movie for the biggest screen and trust the process."

The trailer features Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, a choice Gerwig said required discussions with the song's creators, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. She explained that those conversations centered on themes shared by the music and the film.

"I talked to them about a lot of the themes of the film," Gerwig said, as reported by Rolling Stone.

She said the musicians recognized the narrative and emotional dimensions of the project.

"They saw the heart and the story and the drama in it."

Gerwig also discussed why the song suited the film's introduction to audiences.

"It's an epic song," she said.

She connected its themes to the story's moral and spiritual journey.

"It's about the two paths of good and evil … It is a spiritual quest and a spiritual journey. So to me, this was a song that made sense to introduce the film to the world."

What's on Netflix reported that Gerwig described the adaptation as a rock opera, drawing inspiration from David Bowie and The Who. The film also shifts the story's historical setting from around 1900, as depicted in the book, to the 1950s.

The publication further reported that Gerwig characterized Uncle Andrew as "the stupidest magician in the world who actually made magic." The character's experiments and pursuit of magical knowledge help set the story's events in motion.

Netflix's theatrical plans give the adaptation a seven-week exclusive cinema window before its streaming debut on April 2, 2027. The release schedule positions the film as a major global theatrical project for the streaming company.