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The Magician's Nephew explores Narnia's creation, introducing audiences to Aslan, Digory Kirke, Polly Plummer and Jadis.
Greta Gerwig directs the fantasy adaptation, featuring Daniel Craig, Meryl Streep and Emma Mackey in key roles.
The film's planned 2027 release introduces Narnia's chronological beginning, while the original book remains sixth in publication order.
The world of Narnia is getting a new beginning, quite literally. Netflix is bringing C. S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew to the big screen, taking audiences back to the events that led to the creation of the magical land. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the upcoming fantasy film features a star-studded cast, including Daniel Craig, Meryl Streep and Emma Mackey.
While previous Narnia films followed children who stumbled into an enchanted world, this adaptation will explore how that world came to exist in the first place. Here's everything to know about its story, cast, release date and the correct order of the books.
Narnia: The Magician's Nephew is scheduled to arrive in IMAX and theatres worldwide on February 12, 2027. Exclusive IMAX screenings are scheduled to start on February 10, 2027, while the movie will be released on Netflix on April 2, 2027.
The screenplay and direction for the movie have been provided by Greta Gerwig, who is famous for directing Barbie and Little Women. This movie will herald a new era in the fantasy series and bring before us the tale which happens many years prior to the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Netflix will distribute the movie in North America, whereas Sony Pictures Entertainment will be distributing it out of North America.
Published in 1955, The Magician's Nephew tells the story of how Narnia came into existence. At the centre of the narrative are Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, two children whose curiosity leads them into an adventure across different worlds.
Their quest ends up taking them through the Wood Between the Worlds, a strange world which is populated with pools that act as gateways to other worlds. What started out as a weird quest eventually ends up being much more than this, as they witness the birth of Narnia.
The story reveals the existence of Aslan, the majestic lion who is able to sing the world into existence through his songs. The story also delves into the history of Jadis, who later on becomes the White Witch.
For those who have watched previous movies about the adventures in Narnia, this movie provides an opportunity to learn about its history rather than rehashing its adventures.
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The movie features an interesting combination of famous Hollywood actors and some newbies. Thus, David McKenna is the actor playing the role of Digory Kirke, whereas Beatrice Campbell plays the character of Polly Plummer.
Daniel Craig takes on the character of Uncle Andrew, Digory's uncle who is a magician, while the role of Jadis (White Witch) is played by Emma Mackey. One of the main characters in the Narnia world, Aslan, is voiced by Meryl Streep.
Carey Mulligan takes on the character of Mabel Kirke, whereas the supporting actors in the cast include Ciarán Hinds, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough and Susan Wokoma. The movie's music was created by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who had already collaborated with Gerwig on the movie Barbie.
C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia consists of seven books, published between 1950 and 1956. Although The Magician's Nephew is the sixth book in publication order, its story takes place before all the others.
Here is the series in publication order:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
Prince Caspian (1951)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
The Silver Chair (1953)
The Horse and His Boy (1954)
The Magician's Nephew (1955)
The Last Battle (1956)
Readers who want to follow the events in chronological order can begin with The Magician's Nephew, followed by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. However, reading the books in publication order allows readers to discover Narnia in the same sequence as the original audience.
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In contrast to other adventures that The Magician’s Nephew presents, it focuses on the origin of Narnia. The film describes how the magical world was created, what the backgrounds of some of its major characters are and provides a base for the entire series.
The upcoming movie adaptation by Gerwig starring such a renowned cast is set to be released in theatres in February 2027 and later appear on Netflix in April. It may become a journey into the beloved world of fantasy for long-time readers or a start of a new one for others.
What is The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew about?
The film explores Narnia's creation through Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer's adventures across mysterious worlds, introducing Aslan and revealing the origins of Jadis, the White Witch.
Who is directing The Magician's Nephew?
Greta Gerwig, known for Barbie and Little Women, is directing the fantasy adaptation based on C. S. Lewis's novel, bringing Narnia's origins to the screen.
When will The Magician's Nephew be released?
The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on February 12, 2027, with exclusive IMAX previews beginning February 10 and a Netflix premiere planned for April 2, 2027.
Who stars in The Magician's Nephew?
The reported cast includes David McKenna as Digory Kirke, Beatrice Campbell as Polly Plummer, Daniel Craig as Uncle Andrew, Emma Mackey as Jadis and Meryl Streep voicing Aslan.
Where does The Magician's Nephew fit in the Narnia book order?
Although published sixth in 1955, The Magician's Nephew takes place first chronologically. Readers can start with this novel or follow publication order, beginning with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
