Billed as a “rock and roll” reimagining, the four-time Oscar-nominated auteur’s new take on the childhood classic will be one to remember. Here’s everything you need to know.

Who’s in the cast of Narnia?

Emma Mackey is reportedly confirmed to be in the ensemble, while the likes of Meryl Streep and Daniel Craig are among those who could also come aboard.

What’s the plot of Narnia?

The release is believed to be an adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew, C.S. Lewis’s sixth novel in the Chronicles of Narnia series, which tells the origin story of this magical land.

When will Narnia be released?

The film is set to be released on November 26, 2026, before streaming on Netflix on Christmas Day.

The details:

Emma Mackey will don icy robes to play the White Witch

On April 25, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that the Sex Education and Barbie star had snagged the coveted part of the supremely frosty and always impeccably dressed villain, so memorably brought to life by Tilda Swinton in the aughts adaptations of C.S. Lewis’s beloved books. Among those who were reportedly in contention for the part? None other than Charli XCX, who will soon be appearing in a string of high-profile onscreen projects, and was previously in the lead for this one, and The Substance’s Margaret Qualley, who ultimately came second to Mackey at the end of the casting process.

With Charli now out of the running for this role, may we suggest that she contributes to the film’s soundtrack, as she previously did on Barbie alongside the likes of Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish?

Meryl Streep and Daniel Craig look set to round out the ensemble

Per Deadline, the three-time Oscar winner, who was a delightfully austere Aunt March in Gerwig’s Little Women, is currently in talks to play Aslan, the benevolent talking lion and god-like guardian of Narnia, though a formal offer has yet to be made. Meanwhile, the former Bond is also being courted for the project, and apparently has an offer to play the titular sorcerer in The Magician’s Nephew.

The story will explore the origins of Narnia

The Magician’s Nephew, despite being the sixth book in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia series, is actually the first chronologically, and follows two children, Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, who meet while playing in adjacent gardens in London at the turn of the 20th century. Soon, they find themselves in the study of Digory’s uncle, Andrew Ketterley, and when Polly touches a magic ring which causes her to be transported to another world, Andrew admits that he has been dabbling in magic. He gives Digory another ring with which he follows Polly, and their adventures across different dimensions reveal the origins of the White Witch, Narnia itself and the transportive wardrobe in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

It’s not yet clear who will play Digory and Polly, or several other key roles, including Digory’s ailing mother, his Aunt Letty, and Frank and Helen, who become the first king and queen of Narnia. Watch this space.

With Gerwig at the helm, expect the unexpected

After her spirited directorial debut, Lady Bird, the filmmaker tossed out the rulebook with her time-jumping take on Little Women and defied all her doubters on Barbie, so it’s safe to assume that this reimagining of Narnia, which she’ll be writing as well as helming, won’t be an entirely traditional reboot. Amy Pascal, who’ll be producing the new project and previously worked with Gerwig on Little Women, went even further, telling Deadline last December that it’d be “a very new take on Narnia. It’s all about rock and roll.” Make of that what you will.

Look out for it on IMAX screens before it lands on Netflix

Narnia is due to be released on November 26, 2026 in IMAX cinemas, before streaming on the platform on Christmas Day—a rare move for Netflix, and one which Gerwig apparently fought for. With production expected to kick off later this year, keep your eyes peeled for those tantalizing first stills.