Big Clues Dropped About Netflix's Narnia Project and Why It Might Actually Hit Theaters

Fans of "The Chronicles of Narnia" are celebrating a key milestone in the development of the upcoming Netflix project about the series. 

As CBN News reported, film director Greta Gerwig is onboard to co-write and direct two new adaptations of C.S. Lewis' beloved series on the streaming platform. 

And dedicated fans have just been given several clues as to what the new film might be. 

According to NarniaWeb, a fan-supported internet platform, casting for the films is underway.

"NarniaWeb has obtained a copy of the casting call for Greta Gerwig's adaptation, confirming that the search for young actors has begun. Within the past week, UK children's casting agencies and drama schools have received the notice, and some call-backs for roles are already taking place," it says on its website. 

BAFTA-nominated casting director, Nina Gold, is reportedly looking for "two children, a boy and a girl, to portray characters that are 10 or 11 years old." Gold previously worked on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader which was released in 2010 by Fox.  

According to the outlet, there are no specific physical characteristics like height or hair color that the casting crew is looking for, but fans speculate that the need for a young boy and a young girl actor points to one story – "The Magicians Nephew."

In "The Magician's Nephew," which is a prequel to the series, two children, Digory, 12, and Polly, 11, discover a portal among "the wood between the worlds."

Meanwhile, Collider reports that British actor Jason Isaacs also dropped a hint that appears to corroborate to "The Magician's Nephew" as the first Netflix film.

NarniaWeb cites filming and rehearsals are scheduled to take place in the UK this coming June through Christmas 2025.
 

As CBN News reported, Gerwig was confirmed as the director for the Netflix series in 2023, just ahead of the release of the highly successful Barbie film. 

The 41-year-old previously said she is treading lightly when it comes to tackling the Narnia project. 

"I'm slightly in the place of terror because I really do have such reverence for Narnia," she told BBC Radio 4's Today program. "I loved Narnia so much as a child. As an adult, C.S. Lewis is a thinker and a writer. I'm intimidated by doing this. It's something that feels like a worthy thing to be intimidated by."

"As a non-British person, I feel a particular sense of wanting to do it correctly," she continued. "It's like when Americans do Shakespeare, there's a slight feeling of reverence and as if maybe we should treat it with extra care. It is not our countryman."

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The Oscar-nominated director was tapped by Netflix for her ability to turn beloved childhood icons, like the Mattel doll and Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women," into successful films. 

"(Gerwig) grew up in a Christian background. The C.S. Lewis books are very much based in Christianity," Scott Stuber, chairman of Netflix Film, told Variety. "So, it was just a great opportunity, and I'm so thrilled that she's working on it with us. And I'm just thrilled to be in business with her. And she's just an incredible talent."

Fans have been waiting more than a decade to see if more of the books would finally be turned into movies. In 2005, Walden Media and Disney scored a box office blockbuster with a film adaptation of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and then "Prince Caspian" in 2008.

Netflix acquired the rights to the series after Walden Media let its rights to the Chronicles of Narnia lapse in 2018.

"C.S. Lewis' beloved Chronicles of Narnia stories have resonated with generations of readers around the world," Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a press release at that time. "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."

According to Bloomberg, it looks like Netflix is aiming for a December 2026 release for Gerwig's Narnia film, and there's even talk about a possible theatrical release with IMAX. That would be a rare event for Netflix since the streaming company doesn't release its films in theaters.

The first three Narnia films – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – reportedly earned a total of $1.5 billion worldwide at the box office.