Greta Gerwig’s Narnia adds a key cast member

Maestro and Promising Young Woman star Carey Mulligan has reportedly bagged a role in Greta Gerwig's Narnia adaptation. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she is expected to play the mother of one of the two kids, who go on an adventure in the novel.

Greta Gerwig is hoping to follow the critical and commercial acclaim of Barbie (2023) with this untitled Narnia film. Netflix is backing this project. The streamer acquired the rights to adapt the popular book series in 2018, previously held by Disney and 20th Century, who adapted three chapters into a trilogy that was reportedly a commercial success.

Netflix made a multi-year deal to work on movie and television projects in this fantasy universe steeped in the imagination of the 20th-century British writer C. S. Lewis.

Narnia: Past adaptations explored as Carey Mulligan reportedly bags a role in Greta Gerwig's film

Greta Gerwig's film for Netflix is the fourth time that Lewis' works are being brought to the screen. Before her, Andrew Adamson and Michael Apted directed three movies based on chapters from Lewis' expansive vision. These fantasy adventure movies came out between 2005 and 2010 and shared titles with the source materials, which are:

• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)

Lewis' fantasy novel series about a magic portal includes four more chapters that originally came out in the 1950s. Greta Gerwig's film is reportedly based on The Magician's Nephew, the sixth book published in this series.

Although published as the sixth chapter in Lewis' novel series, The Magician's Nephew is chronologically the first chapter. So, Greta Gerwig's film will serve as a prequel to the previously released movie trilogy.

Sources suggest that Greta Gerwig joined this project in 2023, before Barbie had hit the theaters. At the time, she shared honest feelings about joining this massive-scale project. During her appearance on the Total Film Podcast, she said,

"I haven’t even really started wrapping my arms around it. But I’m properly scared of it, which feels like a good place to start. I think when I’m scared, it’s always a good sign. Maybe when I stop being scared, it’ll be like, ‘OK. Maybe I shouldn’t do that one.’ No, I’m terrified of it. It’s extraordinary. And so we’ll see, I don’t know.”

She further added,

"I hope to make all different kinds of movies in the course of the time I get to make movies, which — it's a long time, but it's also limited. I want to do big things and small things and everywhere in between, and having another big canvas is exciting and also daunting."

Who stars in Greta Gerwig's Narnia adaptation for Netflix?

Greta Gerwig reunites with her Barbie star Emma Mackey and Little Women star Meryl Streep for her forthcoming project. Mackey has bagged the role of Evil Witch, previously played by Tilda Swinton.

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Before Mackey, Margaret Qualley and Charli XCX were also being considered for this role, per reports. Streep will be voicing the King of Beasts, Aslan. Daniel Craig is also a part of the cast, reportedly playing the uncle. Now, Carey Mulligan is considered for the role of Digory's mother.

Greta Gerwig's first Narnia film adaptation is expected to arrive around the time of Thanksgiving Day 2026 IMAX screens in the United States. That puts in the company a limited number of projects that the streamer had allowed to be released on the big screens. It will eventually be available to stream on Christmas.

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