Netflix and Greta Gerwig have finally pulled back the wardrobe door. The first trailer for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew debuted on October 13 on an IMAX screen at AMC Lincoln Center in New York — alongside confirmation that the film will open in cinemas on February 12, 2027, rather than in November as originally planned.
Key facts
- Theatrical release: February 12, 2027 (wide, global)
- Netflix streaming: April 2, 2027
- Budget: a reported $280 million
A prequel to the beginning
Gerwig’s film adapts The Magician’s Nephew, the sixth book C.S. Lewis published in the series but the first in Narnia’s internal chronology. It follows two children in 1900 London who are transported to another world and witness the creation of Narnia itself — including the origins of the famous lamppost and the White Witch.
The cast
Newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell lead the film, supported by an ensemble that includes Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey, Ciarán Hinds and Carey Mulligan. Meryl Streep voices Aslan, who appears in the trailer as a cosmic outline and roars rather than speaks. The casting has drawn criticism from some conservative commentators, though the filmmakers have not publicly responded.
What the trailer shows
Scored to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” the teaser leans into a sense of awe, building to the line asking whether viewers have “ever seen a world born?” The imagery promises an IMAX-scale spectacle that contrasts with the cosy tone of earlier screen adaptations.
Moving Narnia to February gives Netflix a rare thing: a family event film with the winter release window almost to itself.
Why the date moved
Netflix pushed the film into 2027 to give it a global theatrical run before it reaches subscribers — a notable shift for a streamer that has historically limited cinema releases. The strategy reflects growing evidence that big theatrical launches can boost later streaming viewership.
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