New Narnia Details Reveal A Potential Big Change For Greta Gerwig's Netflix Adaptation

Note: Potential spoilers for Netflix's upcoming "Chronicles of Narnia" adaptation ahead!

When Netflix bought the rights to "The Chronicles of Narnia," then-Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said, "C.S. Lewis' beloved 'Chronicles of Narnia' stories have resonated with generations of readers around the world. Families have fallen in love with characters like Aslan and the entire world of Narnia, and we're thrilled to be their home for years to come." That was in October of 2019. Since then, the world has gone through a pandemic, and Sarandos was promoted to Netflix's co-CEO. The company has also signed an inspired (but also terrified) Greta Gerwig to helm its first "Narnia" adaptation and will release the film in IMAX theaters globally on Thanksgiving 2026 (something Gerwig butted heads with Netflix over for a while).

It may sound like a lot of activity, and having Gerwig on board is definitely a big deal. But really, over the course of more than half a decade, Netflix's Narnia project has only inched toward becoming an on-screen reality. The glacier pace continues, as Netflix has released minimal information about the project at this stage. Be that as it may, things are, in fact, progressing behind the scenes, with a bit of potential news having recently emerged from the fan site NarniaWeb.

The scoop claims the site has obtained a copy of the casting call for Gerwig's adaptation, adding that, in true Narnia style, the movie is looking for child actors. However, the number and age of those actors are telling. Here's what the site reported:

"The prodution [sic] is looking for two children, a boy and a girl, to portray characters that are 10 or 11 years old. At this stage, the description does not specify any particular physical characteristics for the roles, such as height or hair color. Filming and rehearsals are scheduled to take place in the UK from June through Christmas 2025."

This prospective filming schedule makes sense, given the film is targeting a late 2026 release. However, the biggest detail here is the presence of not four but two children. Lewis' inaugural Narnia book, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," focuses on a quartet of protagonists in the forms of the Pevensie children: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy (played by William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgi Henley, respectively, in Disney's 2005 live-action movie adaptation). If this news is accurate, and Gerwig is looking for two older children to lead her project, then it could mean she's gearing up to adapt a different Lewis novel: "The Magician's Nephew."

Over 18 months ago, I argued that "The Magician's Nephew" is the true beginning of the Narnia story, and Gerwig would be wise to start there. This was before any announcements or casting calls had taken place. Why is that book, rather than "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," the best option here? For a couple of reasons.

Remember, we're talking about a new cinematic interpretation of Lewis' fantasy books. The ability to offer a fresh take that doesn't require mangling or misinterpreting the source material is huge. To start an adaptation from "the beginning" while being distinctly different from previous adaptations isn't always an option. In this case, however, it is.

Lewis' book follows the adventures of Digory and Polly, two kids in 1900 England who use magic rings to enter Narnia at its genesis. They witness Aslan's creation of the magical world and play a critical role in its initial troubles and early redemption arc. Bear in mind, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" was the first published Narnia book when it came out in 1950, while "The Magician's Nephew" was presented as being a prequel when it came out five years later. Still, it doesn't change the fact that "The Magician's Nephew" is a legitimate (hitherto untouched) origin story and one of the more fun chapters in the Narnia chronology.

As far as the casting call for Gerwig's movie goes, the presence of two, not four, main characters is another major hint that this could be where Gerwig has set her sights to start things off. Not to mention, Digory and Polly are 11 and 12 during the events of Lewis' book, so it would make sense for Gerwig to cast a 10 and 11-year-old now before starting production later this year. It's just one small piece of a much larger puzzle, but it would nevertheless imply that Gerwig plans to changes things up from Narnia adaptations past.

Again, "The Magician's Nephew" is the most obvious play here. But there are other ways to interpret this casting call. For example, it's possible Gerwig is working on a continuation of the trilogy of Narnia movies released from 2005 to 2010. That includes Disney's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian" adaptations, as well as 20th Century Fox's "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader."

The natural flow from there, if you're following the chronology of the books, would be "The Silver Chair." Interestingly, this book also features two lead children again: Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole. The pair are nine years old in the novel, which isn't far off from the casting call ages for Gerwig's film, and they go on an adventure in Narnia before returning as the lead children again in (chronologically) the fifth and final book in the primary saga: "The Last Battle."

Adding impetus to this theory is the fact that the report from NarniaWeb stated that the casting director for Gerwig's Narnia film is Nina Gold. Don't recognize the name? Neither did I, but it turns out she's a behind-the-scenes titan who previously helped cast "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." Yep, the same person who helped recruit talent for the last Narnia movie we saw in theaters 15 years ago is helping Gerwig assemble the lineup for this new adaptation.

Yet another option is the book "The Horse and His Boy." Of the seven novels in the Narnia series, this one is the strangest to fit in with the rest. The five main books from "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" through to "The Last Battle" tell a relatively complete story. "The Magician's Nephew" is a great prequel, and the fact that the main boy, Digory, builds the magical wardrobe and is the professor who hosts the Pevensie children decades later is a great connection point.

In comparison, the other book in the series, "The Horse and His Boy," takes place within the narrative of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." It is a stand-alone tale and the only one that takes place 100% inside Narnia from start to finish. It specifically occurs while Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are kings and queens (before they return home through the wardrobe and find they are children again at the very end of that story).

This one is another option in light of the casting call, as it follows two children, a boy and a girl named Shasta and Aravis. Technically, this aligns with the need for two child actors. However, it seems unlikely Gerwig would want to jump right into this story with her first Narnia adaptation, especially without having established any of the context around it. 

This, in turn, leads to my final suggestion: this could actually be nothing. Even if this casting call is real, there's no confirmation that it's for a main character (or the main characters). Maybe the call is really for Peter and Susan, and Gerwig's team simply hasn't gotten around to casting Edmund and Lucy yet. The only thing we know for certain is that we won't have any real clarity on the subject until we start getting updates directly from Netflix. With filming apparently underway this year, hopefully, those shouldn't be too far off.

As mentioned earlier, Gerwig's Narnia movie is currently slated to open in IMAX theaters on Thanksgiving 2026 before streaming on Netflix a few weeks later.