Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’ Has Assembled One of the Most Exciting Fantasy Ensembles in Years
Netflix has officially confirmed the full main cast for ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’, and the lineup is every bit as ambitious as the source material deserves. The origin story for Narnia pairs newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell with an all-star ensemble that includes Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Daniel Craig, and Meryl Streep. Denise Gough, Ciarán Hinds, and Susan Wokoma have also been confirmed to round out the cast.
McKenna leads as Digory Kirke and Campbell as Polly Plummer, the two children at the center of the adventure, while Mackey steps into the iconic role of Jadis the White Witch, Craig takes on the eccentric Uncle Andrew Ketterley, and Mulligan plays Mabel Kirke. Mackey’s casting in particular generated enormous buzz when it was announced, with the ‘Barbie’ actress reportedly landing the villain role over several competing candidates.
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is understood to be playing Francis, believed to be the character known as Frank the Cabby in the book, a hardworking London cab driver who becomes swept up in a magical crossfire and is ultimately chosen by Aslan to rule as the first King of Narnia. Meanwhile Ciarán Hinds joins in an as-yet undisclosed role, though the Academy Award-nominated actor is well known to fantasy audiences for playing Mance Rayder in ‘Game of Thrones’ and Aberforth Dumbledore in the final ‘Harry Potter’ film.
Meryl Streep voices Aslan, the great cosmic lion whose song brings Narnia into existence, making her performance one of the most anticipated elements of the entire production. Gerwig spoke passionately about what drew her to the project, saying in a statement that as a child she fell in love with “the gorgeously improbable but completely brilliant concept of a cosmic lion singing the world of Narnia to life” and described bringing the story to the screen as “the honor of a lifetime.”
Filming began in August 2025 in London, with additional shoots in Manchester and studio work at Shepperton and Longcross Studios, before wrapping in January 2026. The film’s score is being composed by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who previously collaborated with Gerwig on ‘Barbie’. That creative reunion signals a deliberate effort to carry forward the same playful yet emotionally layered sensibility that made ‘Barbie’ such a cultural juggernaut.
The release marks a significant shift in strategy for Netflix, with the film set to open in IMAX and theaters worldwide on February 12, 2027, before arriving on the platform on April 2, 2027, making it the first Netflix original film ever to receive a wide IMAX theatrical release. The C.S. Lewis Company offered an enthusiastic response to the news, stating it was “incredibly moving” to see how deeply Gerwig had embraced Lewis’s world and “infused ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’ with joy, heart, and genuine love for the story.”
With this many beloved performers gathered around a story that has never been given a proper big-screen adaptation before, anticipation is running exceptionally high. Whether you grew up with the Lewis books or are coming to Narnia fresh through Gerwig’s lens, which cast member has you most excited to see step into this magical world?
