- Barbie director is taking on beloved classic children’s story
- The movie has an IMAX release before it goes onto Netflix
- Charlie XCX is rumored to star
As it is confirmed that Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia movie will get an IMAX release ahead of its streaming debut, here is all we know about it.
There is much anticipation for Gerwig’s take on the Chronicles of Narnia series, given her huge success in 2023 with Barbie – which was that year’s highest-grossing movie.
Gerwig will be directing the movie and writing the script. She has a contract with Netflix to produce two movies for the service – this is the first.
Have there been Chronicles of Narnia movies before?
Yes – there was a movie released in 2005 based on the first book in the series, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. This movie was hugely successful, grossing $745 million at the worldwide box office. This was followed in 2008 by Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010, but these were neither critical nor box office successes and the franchise was quietly dropped.
There have also been previous TV series based on the Narnia books over the years. A BBC adaptation is particularly well remembered by viewers of a certain age in the UK.
What is The Chronicles of Narnia about?
The Chronicles of Narnia was a seven-book fantasy series written by English author CS Lewis and published between 1950 and 1956. They were hugely successful on publication and have sold more than 100 million copies across the world since then.
The books are largely set in Narnia, a world of magic, mythical beasts and talking animals. Children from our world are transported to Narnia, where they help to protect the realm from evil. The books cover the history of Narnia and take place over a number of years.
Who has been cast
News about casting for the movie have been scant so far. Louis Partridge – best known for his role in Enola Holmes – is so far the only name we have, although we don’t know which role he will be playing.
In early March, rumors swirled about Brat music icon Charlie XCX joining Gerwig’s movie. The role? Apparently, she could be playing Jardis The White Witch – but this remains unconfirmed for now.
As production on the movie gears up in the coming months, there will be more announcements of who will be in key roles.
What is the plot
While Gerwig and the team behind the movie have said little on the record about what the movie is about, it is widely assumed that it will cover the first book in the series, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
In the book, four siblings are evacuated to the countryside to escape the Blitz in London during World War II. In the house they are now living, they discover a magical wardrobe that leads them to a different world – Narnia. Once there, they become embroiled in a battle between Aslan and his rebellion against the repressive ruler, the White Witch, who has made the land a permanent winter.
When is The Chronicles of Narnia released
Narnia will be released in 1,000 IMAX screens on November 26, 2026 – Thanksgiving Day in the US.
The movie will then drop on Netflix on Christmas Day 2026.
While some Netflix movies have appeared in theaters before, they have been a small selection and it has mostly been to ensure that the movie is eligible for awards. This is the first wide-scale release for a Netflix movie.
There was speculation last year that more than one Narnia movie would be shot during the production timescale but this hasn’t been confirmed.
