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Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew: Emma Mackey’s Nefarious Jadis Is ‘All Chaos And Bad Plans’

Тигр — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 16:20:20 GMT

If your entryway into Narnia has always been The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, you already know that Jadis is bad news: this, after all, is the White Witch, who by the time of that story has imposed her rule over the fantasy kingdom. But in The Magician’s Nephew, chronologically the first Narnia tale, Jadis is in a very different place (literally and metaphorically) though clearly on the path to who she’ll eventually become. In Greta Gerwig’s adaptation – Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew – the role is being played by Emma Mackey, previously one of Barbie’s Barbies (Physicist Barbie, specifically).

As she encounters crosses paths with young Digory (David McKenna) and Polly (Beatrice Campbell), Jadis – long trapped in the realm of Charn – prepares to unleash fresh anarchy. Mackey was instantly hooked by how Gerwig wrote her.

“There’s this great line in the script where she’s described as ‘all chaos and bad plans’,”

she tells Empire.

“She’s this larger-than-life creature who appears in Digory and Polly’s world and takes them by surprise.”

The impact that the otherworldly Jadis has on the kids is evident, too, in her costume – very much in keeping with Gerwig’s glam-rock cultural inspirations. She’s unlike anything they’ll have seen back home in the post-war rubble of 1950s London.

“We had to have that duality of fun, which is what the kids are seeing — [a] shiny, exciting person — but also, ‘Wow, you’re a little bit scary, and I don’t really know what foot to dance on with you’,”

Mackey says of Jadis’ look.

“It was very shiny and exciting, but also comfortable and ready for war.”

Bring on all those bad plans.

All text, information and materials belongs to Empire magazine.

Daniel Craig Is A Scheming Magician In Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: ‘He’s Overexcited About What Could Be’

Тигр — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 16:04:31 GMT

Across his career, Daniel Craig has dealt with major character archetypes: he’s played the super-spy, as James Bond. The ultimate detective as Benoit Blanc in the Knives Out films. And now, we’re about to see him play a magician. More specifically, the magician of The Magician’s Nephew, in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ Narnia stories. It’s Craig’s Uncle Andrew that sets the whole affair in motion, a man who has spent his life tinkering with magical objects and artefacts, with life-changing results for his young nephew Digory (David McKenna) and neighbour Polly (Beatrice Campbell).

Since Andrew’s attention is firmly on all things sorcery, it comes at a cost to the people in his life that he should care about.

“I’d like to say that his intentions are good, but I’m not sure that they are,”

Craig admits to Empire.

“It’s not to say that he’s cruel and mean and awful. He gets overexcited about what could be, and therefore overlooks the people around him and the consequences of what he’s doing.”

In Gerwig’s words?

“He’s the stupidest magician in the world who actually made magic,”

the writer-director puts it. Andrew’s actions have ramifications not just for Digory and Polly, but for Aslan (voiced in Gerwig’s film by Meryl Streep), the nefarious Jadis (Emma Mackey), and the fundamental existence of Narnia too.

Craig’s love of Narnia goes right back to his childhood, when he devoured The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe in a single sitting.

“I stayed up all night and read it,”

he remembers.

“It was the first time I started a book and finished it near dawn, and I’d never read a book cover-to-cover before.”

Here’s hoping, all these years later, that he and Gerwig are ready to make magic.

All text, information and materials belongs to Empire magazine.

Empire’s World-Exclusive Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew Covers Unveil Aslan – Voiced By Meryl Streep

Тигр — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:07:28 GMT

Any new film from Greta Gerwig is something to be celebrated. After all, the master filmmaker has emerged as one of the most unique and passionate voices in 21st century cinema. But her return is even more anticipated in the wake of 2023’s Barbie, a deeply idiosyncratic summer smash comedy that crossed $1.4 billion at the box office. Where do you go after that? You return with something very big, very bold, and very Greta: Narnia is calling.

Next year brings Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew – adapting C.S. Lewis’ sprawling fantasy saga to the screen with an origin story tale that’s never hit cinemas before, and a very specific vision. Empire went on set with Gerwig and her cast – including Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey, and incoming youngsters David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell – witnessing first-hand the unexpected reference points, cultural resonances, and expansive world-building she’s incorporating into her most ambitious film yet. Inside our world-exclusive Narnia issue – packed with the first images anywhere from the film – we speak to the director and her cast about creating this brave new world, illuminating the philosophies of Lewis’ creation, and exploring the ramifications of moving the Narnia stories into the 1950s.

Your journey into Narnia starts right here: Empire’s newsstand cover brings you face-to-face with none other than Aslan, the mythical lion at the heart of Lewis’ saga. In Gerwig’s film, Aslan’s heterochromic eyes and bold red-striped visage nods to one of her key creative inspirations: David Bowie. And he’s voiced by the one and only Meryl Streep, reunited with her Little Women director.

“I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness. Someone who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight,”

Gerwig tells Empire of casting Streep as Narnia’s deity-of-sorts.

“I wanted someone who was older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child. And also to be one of the greatest actors to ever do it. That list is not a long one.”

This month’s exclusive subscriber cover – from concept artist Jaime Jones, who worked on the film – is an epic sneak-peek at Aslan literally creating Narnia itself.

Make way, then, for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew – a ground-up retelling of C. S. Lewis’ stories, starting not with the oft-adapted The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, but with his universe-hopping Narnia origin story instead. Both literally and metaphorically, Gerwig’s adaptation comes from the same mid-lockdown creative wellspring that birthed Barbie.

“I had the same idea with Narnia,”

she tells Empire of where her wild vision began.

"I wanted a rock opera. I wanted it to be big and transporting.”

While not literally a rock opera (no, this is not a musical) the sheer creativity of British rock music from the ‘60s and ‘70s – the glam scene, the proggy wildness – all proved significant creative touchpoints for Gerwig’s The Magician’s Nephew.

“David Bowie saved my life. Paul McCartney saved my life. David Gilmour saved my life. Pete Townshend saved my life. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant…”

she reels off.

“When I heard their music, I had this deep sense of [thinking], ‘You’re gonna be okay.’”

These inspirations provided the bedrock for Gerwig’s interpretation.

“Narnia is literally a world made out of music,”

she explains.

“It is a world sung to life by Aslan, and rock ’n’ roll to me felt like a world made out of music.”

In taking The Magician’s Nephew out of the early 1900s setting of the novel, and into post-war ‘50s Britain instead, young heroes Digory (David McKenna) and Polly (Beatrice Campbell) take on fresh resonance. After all, the kids of grey, muted 1950s Britain became the vibrant, ceaselessly imaginative ‘70s rock heroes that illuminated Gerwig’s world.

“They had this relationship to pain and loss and something as unpromising as a bomb site, and they made a castle,”

she marvels of that generation.

“They made a universe. They made something you could live inside of.”

Get ready for a transformative cinematic journey that only Greta Gerwig could make.

“I don’t know how you went from David Jones to David Bowie unless you went to Narnia and you saw something,”

she posits. Now, you’ll see it too.

All text, information and materials belongs to Empire magazine.

By all accounts, true Narnia fans are in for a major disappointment. Sure, the film promises to be atmospheric and visually stunning, but it shares little more than a name and a few passing similarities with the original Narnia. And calling Aslan a deity of Narnia —considering who the author was and who Aslan is meant to represent in our world — is, frankly, a pretty bad look.

"A universe begins”: Netflix officially launches marketing for Greta Gerwig’s Narnia

Тигр — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:01:55 GMT

Netflix has officially launched the marketing campaign for its upcoming Narnia adaptation by revealing the movie's new logo across social media. The reveal came alongside the tagline “A universe begins,” signaling the launch of a broader cinematic world.

Experience the creation of Narnia, as filmmaker Greta Gerwig brings to life C. S. Lewis’s beloved story The Magician’s Nephew for the first time. In cinemas February 11, 2027.

In tandem with the announcement, Netflix rolled out dedicated social media accounts for the project, inviting fans to follow @NarniaMovie on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X, or visit the newly updated website at NarniaFilm.com.

Narnia Netflix: Adult cast shares high praise for rising child co-stars

Тигр — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 06:43:14 GMT

In a recent interview with Porter Magazine, Emma Mackey shared her enthusiasm for working on Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. The actress spoke warmly of the young cast members leading the project. While production details remain strictly under wraps, Mackey managed to touch upon her role as the film’s antagonist, calling the experience "very fun" and emphasizing the impressive scale of the project.

“I’ve never really worked with young actors before,”

Mackey says of her co-stars, David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell, both 13, who play the film’s leads, Diggory and Polly, respectively.

“They’re so talented. It really changes you as a performer because you start to see it through their eyes.”

How was it playing the villain? She laughs, politely sidestepping the request for details, but assuring me that her role was “very fun” – particularly because of the scale of the film, which is reportedly set to be among the most expensive projects Netflix has ever made.

Mackey is not the only cast member relishing a villainous turn. Earlier this year, Mark W. Taylor, the longtime body double for Daniel Craig, said that the former James Bond star seemed significantly more relaxed playing the eccentric Uncle Andrew than he ever did during his tenure as 007.

Casting director Nina Gold has also shared new details about the audition process for Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew with Backstage magazine. The search for Narnia’s two young protagonists began with a wide open casting call across the UK, utilizing an unconventional approach where children were asked to record a short video sharing their happiest memory.

"It’s really hard, but as a child actor, you just have to bring what you’ve got. It’s not necessarily about having learned all the lines in one particular way. It’s about seeing different sides of a person and seeing what sort of potential they have, and the rest of it can possibly come later. Also, it’s meant to be fun. If you’re a child actor, it really is supposed to be fun. Otherwise, what’s the point?"

According to Gold, the subsequent rounds transitioned into more traditional auditions. Young actors performed a dialogue scene between two fictional characters, Isadore and Frannie, which closely mirrored the first meeting of the book's main characters, Digory and Polly. Following multiple competitive rounds, the highly coveted lead roles were ultimately secured by David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell.

"We were looking for kids who could occupy the center of this gigantic story and keep you wanting to watch them, which is an incredibly big ask for children to bring enough acting talent and their own personality to the whole thing."

Samantha Spiro Cast as the voice in Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Film

Тигр — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 08:43:31 GMT

Award-winning stage performer Samantha Spiro has officially joined the cast of Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, where she will lend her voice to one of the Beavers. The casting news was first uncovered by What’s On Netflix after details of the role appeared on Spiro’s professional online résumé.

Spiro, a multiple Olivier Award winner for her work on stage, is already familiar to Netflix audiences thanks to her role opposite Emma Mackey in the series Sex Education. She has also appeared in smaller roles across several high-profile television productions, including Game of Thrones and Doctor Who.

Her addition expands a gradually growing ensemble for the Narnia film, which already features names such as Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan, and Denise Gough. Notably, Spiro’s role marks the first confirmed voice performance for any of the story’s talking animals in the production so far.

In an interesting bit of narrative symmetry, Beavers are among the very first creatures in the original novel to be granted the power of speech by Aslan. In Chapter 9 of The Magician’s Nephew, the Lion moves among the animals and selects pairs to receive this gift, touching their noses and calling them to follow him.

Beyond the Beavers, the book describes a wide range of animals who gain the ability to speak, including Badgers, Bears, Boars, Bulldogs, Donkeys, Elephants, Elks, Jackdaws, Moles, Owls, Panthers, Rabbits, Ravens, Warthogs, and many others—hinting at the rich and varied world of talking creatures that may eventually appear on screen in Gerwig’s adaptation.

Licensed Narnia Merchandise Begins Quiet Rollout Ahead of Greta Gerwig’s Film

Тигр — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 05:04:55 GMT

Toy companies have begun discreetly unveiling licensed merchandise connected to Netflix’s upcoming film Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew at this week’s North American International Toy Fair in New York, and the first concrete details about the brands involved are now starting to emerge.

Held annually each February, the New York Toy Fair brings together professionals from across the global toy sector to showcase upcoming product lines and negotiate licensing agreements tied to major entertainment releases.

Among the participating companies is Monogram International, which recently included Narnia among its officially licensed properties for 2026 in a press statement released last week. The company specializes in smaller collectible merchandise such as 3D foam bag clips, keychains, novelty coin banks, and enamel pins.

Another major name joining the lineup is Funko, widely recognized for its Pop! Vinyl figures. The collectible brand confirmed that it will also introduce Narnia-themed products later this year.

During an appearance on the Strictly Business podcast, Funko CEO Josh Simon described 2026 as one of the company’s strongest years yet in terms of entertainment partnerships. He highlighted a slate that includes The Mandalorian & Grogu, Toy Story 5, Moana, Supergirl, and Avengers: Doomsday, before adding that he is also especially excited about the Narnia film directed by Greta Gerwig, which is scheduled for release toward the end of the year.

“I have to also give a shout out to — I’m very excited for the Narnia movie that Greta Gerwig is directing that also comes out at the end of the year.”

Josh Simon

At the same time, Simon emphasized that many of the year’s upcoming products are being shown privately behind closed doors at the New York Toy Fair, as studios are working carefully to prevent plot details or character designs from leaking prematurely through early merchandise reveals.

As a result, fans should not expect to see official public reveals of new Narnia toys just yet—unlike earlier Toy Fair showcases in 2005 and 2008. Nevertheless, this initial wave of licensing news likely marks only the beginning of a broader range of marketing collaborations that will build momentum in the months leading up to the film’s planned November debut.

A Dead Maple Takes Center Stage in Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Adaptation

Тигр — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:53:35 GMT

An unusual casting choice has reportedly emerged for filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s forthcoming screen version of The Magician’s Nephew—and it isn’t a human actor at all, but rather a long-dead tree.

A story published by The Bucks Herald claims that the production team behind the new Narnia adaptation acquired a deceased maple last September. The tree came from Startop Farm, located near the village of Marsworth on the boundary between Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire in England.

The maple had become something of a local landmark thanks to its gnarled shape and the dramatic scars left by lightning strikes. To prepare it for its cinematic role, contractors dismantled the tree with great care, cutting off and labeling sections of branches so the entire structure could later be rebuilt precisely on the film set.

According to the report, the production first noticed the tree during the Marsworth Steam Rally in June, several months before it was transported away for use in the Narnia shoot.

Farm owner Josie Kempster explained that the maple is set to appear as “one of two apple trees in the wood.” However, the way the newspaper summarized and interpreted her comments leaves some ambiguity about whether the reference is to the Wood Between the Worlds or to the Tree of Protection—along with its real-world counterpart planted by the character Digory at the novel’s conclusion.

An accompanying image shows workers from Greens Team Ltd—a business known for providing plant-based set decoration for film and television—carefully dismantling the tree and loading it onto a flatbed truck.

The company recently shared a video on Instagram featuring a very similar dead tree. The clip demonstrates how their team modifies the branches of lifeless trees to create the convincing illusion of living foliage; in that particular case, the work was done for an Alice in Wonderland-themed installation at the Pinewood Studios Futures Festival.

Greta Gerwig’s Magician’s Nephew finishes filming in the UK

Тигр — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 04:32:58 GMT

Filming has officially concluded on Greta Gerwig’s upcoming feature The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, bringing to a close a production that stretched over roughly half a year. The shoot began in late summer after a minor scheduling adjustment delayed the originally planned start.

The project was filmed simultaneously across several major UK soundstages, including Shepperton, Longcross, and Cardington, while additional scenes were captured on location in London, Manchester, and Bradford.

With cameras now down, the film is moving fully into post-production. Leading visual effects houses Framestore and Weta are currently developing the film’s digital environments and creature work. Music for the adaptation is being composed by Mark Ronson in collaboration with Andrew Wyatt, while editorial work and sound finishing are expected to be handled through Netflix’s New York post-production facilities.

While Netflix has yet to formally announce the editorial lineup, industry sources indicate that Andrew Weisblum is among the editors attached to the project. Weisblum is widely recognized for his long-standing collaborations with Darren Aronofsky and Wes Anderson, and has received two Academy Award nominations for his work in film editing. His résumé includes projects such as Black Swan, mother!, Noah, The French Dispatch, The Whale, and tick, tick… BOOM!.

Weisblum’s involvement dates back to the earliest days of filming, though it went unreported at the time. In a recent interview conducted during the press tour for Caught Stealing, he reflected on his philosophy toward adapting well-known source material, explaining that he deliberately avoids leaning on familiarity with the original text. Instead, he aims to ensure that each film functions as a complete and self-sufficient narrative, accessible to audiences regardless of their prior knowledge.

The broader creative team includes production designer James Chinlund, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, and costume designer Jacqueline Durran, with Ronson and Wyatt overseeing the musical score.

As the film transitions out of production, new casting information has begun to surface. British actress, screenwriter, and director Susan Wokoma is reported to have joined the ensemble in a role that remains undisclosed. Wokoma is known to international audiences for her work in Netflix’s Enola Holmes franchise, as well as television series such as Chewing Gum and Cheaters. Her career also spans extensive voice performance across animated projects and video games. She was named one of BAFTA’s Breakthrough Brits in 2017.

Other performers believed to appear in the film include Gerard Monaco and James Murray, though neither Netflix nor the actors’ representatives have confirmed their involvement. Monaco has appeared in a wide range of film and television productions over the past two decades, including Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Blitz, and 3 Body Problem. Murray is best known for his portrayal of Prince Andrew in The Crown and his recent role in Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air. All casting details remain tightly guarded.

Previously announced cast members include David McKenna (Digory Kirke), Beatrice Campbell (Polly Plummer), Daniel Craig (Uncle Andrew), Emma Mackey (Queen Jadis), Carey Mulligan (Mabel Kirke), and Denise Gough in an as-yet-unrevealed role.

The Magician’s Nephew is scheduled to open with a two-week IMAX theatrical run worldwide starting November 26, before launching globally on Netflix on Christmas Day. The film serves as the first installment in what is planned to be a multi-film Narnia project developed by Gerwig for the streaming platform.

BBC about to re-release their legendary series

Тигр — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 06:47:31 GMT

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe", the BBC will launch a fully restored digital edition of its classic television adaptations from 1988 to 1990. This special release brings back all three series, which together dramatize the first four stories, presented in their original six-episode structure on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Alongside the remastered episodes, fans will get exclusive bonus content. The big highlight is a new full-length documentary, «The Return to Narnia», directed by Chris Chapman and featuring insights from circa 30 members of the original cast and crew.

The collection will be officially released in the UK in both Blu-Ray and DVD editions on November 24, 2025.