Narnia: Greta Gerwig's Netflix Movie Eyes Meryl Streep As Gender-Swapped Aslan

In today's news, here's an unexpected development that we're sure the internet will be very normal about. Honestly, the idea of Greta Gerwig (of all filmmakers) directing a new spin on "The Chronicles of Narnia" (of all things) for Netflix (of all places) already feels like a mad-libs fever dream. Add to that the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding her efforts to receive a wide theatrical release and the story only gets spicier. Now, however, here comes a twist that makes all of that pale in comparison.

After rumors have swirled over the last few days, Deadline has confirmed that "Narnia" is about to sound very, very different from what we might've anticipated. None other than star Meryl Streep is reportedly "in talks" to sign on as the voice of Aslan, the godlike entity from author C.S. Lewis' beloved fantasy novels who acts as a rather blatant allegory for Jesus Christ. Well, you could say that god is now a woman ... should this casting officially come to pass, of course. The report emphasizes that talks haven't progressed to the point of making an actual offer, however, so we'll have to wait and see if this becomes official. When last we saw Aslan on the big screen, he was voiced by none other than Liam Neeson in 2010's "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." Needless to say, fans can expect a slightly different approach this time around.

Read on for more details!

Can't imagine the soft and unmistakable tones of Meryl Streep coming out of the CGI mouth of Aslan the Lion? Kids these days would call that a skill issue. In all seriousness, we'd caution against directing any hyperbolic skepticism towards whatever Greta Gerwig is cooking up for her "The Chronicles of Narnia" franchise. This is the same writer/director who turned "Lady Bird" in a modern coming-of-age classic, remade "Little Women" to universal acclaim in 2019, and even managed to take something as crassly commercial as "Barbie" and transform it into a worldwide sensation. If she's looking for the star of "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" (as well as her own "Little Women" adaptation) to voice one of the most famous characters in all of fiction, well, she clearly has her reasons.

All that said, this potential Streep casting certainly seems in line with what we know of Gerwig's strategy thus far for these movies. Previous reports have detailed the efforts that the actor-turned-director has already gone to in order to put her stamp on these films. Not only does this venture appear to begin with Gerwig's somewhat controversial choice to adapt "The Magician's Nephew" (which is chronologically the first of Lewis' Narnia books, although the much more famous "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" was published five years before it), but we also know the filmmaker is looking at some colorful names to round out the ensemble cast. Deadline previously reported that Grammy-winning pop star Charli XCX is being eyed for the role of the White Witch (previously played by the perfectly-cast Tilda Swinton), while Daniel Craig has been offered another role (likely as the eccentric Uncle Andrew, which would certainly explain why Colin Farrell is replacing him on DC's "Sgt. Rock").

Based on this track record, we've only scratched the surface of whatever Gerwig has in store for us with her "Narnia" films. There's bound to be even wilder updates to come, so stay tuned to /Film.