Picture: Getty Images / Disney
The casting for Netflix’s Narnia movie continues! Today, Nexus Point News, who have a pretty solid track record on scoops, is reporting that Meryl Streep is in talks for what will be a gender-swapped Aslan for Greta Gerwig’s The Chronicles of Narnia movie, which will be covering The Magician’s Nephew.
Should both parties sign on the dotted line and make this casting a reality, this will serve as Streep’s fifth major project with the streamer, having appeared in the movies The Prom, The Laundromat, and most recently, Don’t Look Up. She also featured in Netflix’s excellent WWII docu-series Five Came Back.
Aslan plays a significant role in this particular book. In The Magician’s Nephew, he plays the role of Narnia’s creator, protector, and guide. He brings Narnia into existence through the power of his song, filling the empty world with life, light, and beauty. He guides the main characters, particularly Digory, teaching them lessons about responsibility, obedience, and redemption. Through his wisdom and compassion, he offers Digory the chance to undo his mistakes and ultimately heals his sick mother.
Aslan is perhaps most commonly associated with the voice of Liam Neeson, who voiced the iconic character with Disney. Previous adaptations have also seen the character voiced by Stephen Thorne, Ronald Pickup, and David Suchet.
The news that Streep is being tipped for a role in Narnia comes a couple of weeks after we posted about Daniel Craig being in talks for the role of Uncle Andrew Ketterley and Charlie XCX being offered the role of Jadis, the White Witch.
With a budget north of $100M, the new movie is set to start production sometime in late June 2025 at Shepperton Studios in London. Production is planned to wrap in late December. It’ll then have a two-week IMAX run before hitting Netflix globally on Christmas 2026.
Greta Gerwig is directing, with Amy Pascal and Mark Gordon producing. James Chinlund is on board as production designer, and Seamus McGarvey was recently cited as the director of photography on the new movie that’s being called: Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.
Note: Netflix hasn’t publicly commented on Meryl Streep’s casting.
We’ll keep you posted on Narnia on Netflix as and when we get more. Until then, please read our complete preview of the history of Narnia with Netflix and what we know about the upcoming movie.
