By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Monday, May 04, 2026

Netflix has announced a release date and star-studded cast for “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew,” the first installment in its new adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ beloved fantasy series, directed by Greta Gerwig.

The streaming platform announced last week that the film will open in IMAX and theaters worldwide on Feb. 12, 2027, with exclusive IMAX previews beginning Feb. 10, before arriving on Netflix on April 2, 2027.

Written and directed by Gerwig, the project marks the first-ever screen adaptation of Lewis’ 1955 novel The Magician’s Nephew, which serves as the origin story of Narnia and explores the creation of the fantastical world.

The cast includes newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell in leading roles, alongside Emma Mackey and Carey Mulligan, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, with Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep rounding out the ensemble.

“Working with Netflix to bring this film to life has been extraordinary and IMAX continues to be an incredible partner,” Gerwig, the director behind "Little Women" and "Barbie," said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. “I cannot wait for people to see the film in theaters on February 12 and on Netflix on April 2.”

Gerwig described the adaptation as a deeply personal project, reflecting on her early connection to the story. The director said that it was because of Lewis and the Narnia series that she "believed in magic and hidden worlds and adventure," adding: I believed that anywhere could be enchanted and that anyone could be swept up into an epic. That wonder and awe was available to everyone, even ordinary people like me. ... It transformed me.”

“I was a child when I first read The Magician’s Nephew, and I fell in love with the gorgeously improbable but completely brilliant concept of a cosmic lion singing the world of Narnia to life,” she said. “It is the honor of a lifetime to be asked to imagine it into being.”

The release strategy — pairing a global theatrical rollout with a later streaming debut — signals Netflix’s push to position the film as a major cinematic event, per the streaming platform, drawing on the enduring popularity of The Chronicles of Narnia franchise.

Producers include Mark Gordon, Amy Pascal, Vincent Sieber-Smith and Gerwig, with executive producers Patricia Whitcher, Douglas Gresham and Melvin Adams representing the C.S. Lewis Estate.

In a statement, the estate praised Gerwig’s vision, saying it brings “joy, heart and genuine love for the story” as the film introduces a new generation to the world of Narnia.

Though he died in 1963, Lewis, who was famously friends with Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien, remains one of the best-known Christian authors worldwide. 

Over the years, his fiction writings have been turned into numerous family-friendly films and TV projects, including a 1988 BBC version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and three movies produced by Sony Pictures that grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide. 

In June, Fellowship for Performing Arts, the New York City-based theatrical company known for its faith-driven productions rooted in Lewis’ writings, announced it had secured the rights to adapt The Screwtape Letters into a feature film.

FPA founder Max McLean, an acclaimed theater actor who has since spent much of his life adapting Lewis’ work for the stage, told CP he believes Lewis’ ability to appeal to both intellect and imagination is why his work continues to influence lives. 

“Lewis didn’t shy away from the hard questions,” McLean said. “He understood the tension between what we feel and what we believe. He said if we feel but don’t act, eventually we become numb to both.”

 “He had a steel-trap mind, could remember everything he read, and translate it into powerful prose and speech,” McLean said. “But he did it all under the headship of Christ. That’s what sets him apart.”

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/netflix-reveals-release-date-cast-for-the-magicians-nephew.html