Note: Potential spoilers for Netflix’s upcoming “Chronicles of Narnia” adaptation ahead!
When Netflix bought the rights to “The Chronicles of Narnia,” then-Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said, “C.S. Lewis’ beloved ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ stories have resonated with generations of readers around the world. Families have fallen in love with characters like Aslan and the entire world of Narnia, and we’re thrilled to be their home for years to come.” That was in October of 2019. Since then, the world has gone through a pandemic, and Sarandos was promoted to Netflix’s co-CEO. The company has also signed an inspired (but also terrified) Greta Gerwig to helm its first “Narnia” adaptation and will release the film in IMAX theaters globally on Thanksgiving 2026Â (something Gerwig butted heads with Netflix over for a while).
It may sound like a lot of activity, and having Gerwig on board is definitely a big deal. But really, over the course of more than half a decade, Netflix’s Narnia project has only inched toward becoming an on-screen reality. The glacier pace continues, as Netflix has released minimal information about the project at this stage. Be that as it may, things are, in fact, progressing behind the scenes, with a bit of potential news having recently emerged from the fan site NarniaWeb.
The scoop claims the site has obtained a copy of the casting call for Gerwig’s adaptation, adding that, in true Narnia style, the movie is looking for child actors. However, the number and age of those actors are telling. Here’s what the site reported:
“The prodution [sic] is looking for two children, a boy and a girl, to portray characters that are 10 or 11 years old. At this stage, the description does not specify any particular physical characteristics for the roles, such as height or hair color. Filming and rehearsals are scheduled to take place in the UK from June through Christmas 2025.”
This prospective filming schedule makes sense, given the film is targeting a late 2026 release. However, the biggest detail here is the presence of not four but two children. Lewis’ inaugural Narnia book, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” focuses on a quartet of protagonists in the forms of the Pevensie children: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy (played by William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgi Henley, respectively, in Disney’s 2005 live-action movie adaptation). If this news is accurate, and Gerwig is looking for two older children to lead her project, then it could mean she’s gearing up to adapt a different Lewis novel: “The Magician’s Nephew.”