Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig will be helming the major reboot of one of the most beloved fantasy franchises, The Chronicles of Narnia. The first film is officially confirmed to be an adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew, the sixth book in the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. Ahead of the film’s release, producer Mark Gordon revealed a major branding shift for Netflix’s upcoming reboot.
Mark Gordon sets the record straight, “We’re not calling it Chronicles”
Producer Mark Gordon has revealed that the franchise will drop the full literary title and go with the more direct “Narnia” branding. It signals a relaunch strategy, making the franchise distinct from the older adaptations. The earlier live-action Narnia films produced by Walden Media were released under the Chronicles of Narnia branding.
The movies in focus were The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008), and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010). “It’s called Narnia. We’re not calling it Chronicles,” Gordon said. Meanwhile, the first film draws from The Magician’s Nephew, which is a chronological prequel despite being the sixth book in C. S. Lewis’ multi-novel saga.
The book explores the creation of Narnia, the origins of the wardrobe, and early events involving Digory and Polly. “It’s based on the books, the Chronicles of Narnia. The first book, which is The Magician’s Nephew. Actually, the first chronologically, but not the first book that [C.S. Lewis] wrote,” the producer further explained.
The project is being positioned as a full-scale franchise reboot, with Gordon confirming that there could be more than one Narnia movie. Furthermore, he revealed that they have finished filming the first film, and that it is currently in post-production. “Hopefully, it’ll be more than one [movie],” he said. “We’re done filming. We finished in February.”
The film will have its theatrical debut on February 12, 2027, marking the first project backed by Netflix to get a wide global theatrical release, including IMAX. The movie will then head to the streaming platform on April 2, 2027. The streaming giant is setting the up Narnia reboot for a rare wide theatrical run, a big shift from its usual strategy. “It is a four-quadrant, all-audience movie that will be a delight for kids,” Gordon added.
“I’m sure it’ll be PG. [The cast] are wonderful, and they will, you know, delight and surprise the audience.” Mark Gordon also confirmed a star-studded lineup for the film, with Meryl Streep, Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey, and Carey Mulligan among the notable names linked to the project. Based on widely reported casting details, Mackey is set to play Jadis, the White Witch, with Streep playing Aslan, and Craig portraying Uncle Andrew Ketterley.
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