Remember the first time you stepped into Narnia? For many readers and moviegoers, the fantasy world of talking animals, enchanted forests and the battle between good and evil became part of childhood. Now, filmmaker Greta Gerwig is preparing to take audiences back to that magical universe, but with a different story, a new musical identity and a few unexpected surprises.
The first trailer for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew offers a glimpse of a world that looks familiar yet distinctly different from the one audiences remember from the earlier movies. With Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven playing over the footage and Meryl Streep voicing the great lion Aslan, Gerwig appears ready to revisit the wonder of C.S. Lewis’s books while giving the fantasy a new cinematic identity.
For viewers who grew up watching The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the question is whether this prequel can bring back that childhood sense of wonder for a new generation.
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Is this the Narnia story we have been waiting for?
Unlike the previous theatrical films, The Magician’s Nephew goes back to the beginning. Published in 1955, the novel was the sixth book in The Chronicles of Narnia series to be released, but its events take place first in the fictional world's chronology.
The story follows Digory and Polly, two children who discover magical rings that transport them between different worlds. Their journey takes them to the mysterious Wood between the Worlds, where they eventually witness the creation of Narnia.
The novel also explores the origins of Jadis, the character who becomes the White Witch, and explains the mystery behind the lamppost in the snowy forest.
For longtime fans, these details are more than fantasy lore. They are part of the mythology that made Narnia feel like a place with its own history, secrets and rules. The new film offers an opportunity to revisit those memories while introducing the origins of the kingdom to viewers discovering the story for the first time.
Gerwig's adaptation is also the first screen version of The Magician’s Nephew, giving this particular chapter of Lewis's universe a cinematic debut.
Led Zeppelin and a cosmic lion: The trailer’s biggest surprises
One of the trailer's most striking choices is Stairway to Heaven. The Led Zeppelin classic accompanies scenes from the fantasy world, suggesting that music will play an important role in Gerwig's interpretation.
The film marks the first time the band has licensed the song for a movie. Gerwig reportedly met Robert Plant and Jimmy Page to seek permission, and they agreed because they “recognized the heart in the story”.
The musical choice is especially fitting for a novel in which Narnia is brought into existence through Aslan's song.
Aslan himself is another major talking point. Voiced by Streep, the lion appears as a cosmic presence, with differently colored eyes and red markings inspired by David Bowie. The trailer shows him taking on his powerful lion form against a backdrop of stars, accompanied by Stairway to Heaven.
It is an unexpected combination of classic rock, fantasy and mythology, suggesting that Gerwig is approaching Lewis's story with an eye toward both its original themes and a contemporary audience.
Emma Mackey’s White Witch and Daniel Craig’s uncle Andrew
The trailer also introduces a darker side of Narnia. Emma Mackey plays Jadis, who will eventually become the White Witch. An early image released by Empire shows her screaming on a historic street as windows shatter and cars crumple around her.
The moment hints at the destructive power she brings into the story and the danger that follows her arrival.
Daniel Craig plays Uncle Andrew, the magician whose experiments set the adventure in motion. David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell play Digory and Polly, while Carey Mulligan portrays Mabel, Digory's ailing mother.
The supporting cast includes Ciarán Hinds, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough and Susan Wokoma. Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who previously worked with Gerwig on Barbie, are also contributing to the film's music.
(L-R) Skandar Keynes, director Andrew Adamson, Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, Anna Popplewell and William Moseley attend the Japanese Premiere of the film "The Chronicles Of Narnia" on February 16, 2006 in Tokyo, Japan. The film directed by Andrew Adamson will open on March 4 in Japan. Getty Images
A nostalgic nod to C.S. Lewis’s literary world
There is also a detail for readers who enjoy the history behind the books. An early image shows the sign for The Eagle and Child, a historic Oxford pub associated with the Inklings, the literary group that included Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
The group met at the pub to discuss their writing and exchange ideas. Lewis shared drafts with fellow writers, making the location a fitting reference in a film exploring the beginnings of Narnia.
The adaptation also makes an interesting change to the setting. While the novel's story takes place in the early 1900s, Gerwig's version is set in 1955, the year the book was published. Vintage cars, double-decker buses and a period poster offer glimpses of the world in which the story unfolds.
Gerwig has spoken about the book's lasting influence on her imagination.
“I was a child when I first read The Magician’s Nephew, and I fell in love with the gorgeously improbable but completely brilliant concept of a cosmic lion singing the world of Narnia to life. I didn’t know that I would grow up to make films, but a universe built out of music is an idea that always lived in my heart. It is the honor of a lifetime to be asked to imagine it into being," she told Tudum.
She also recalled how Lewis's stories shaped her childhood understanding of magic, hidden worlds and adventure.
Is this the final chapter of Narnia?
Not quite. The Magician’s Nephew is a new beginning for Narnia on screen, rather than a confirmed final chapter of the franchise. The film returns to the creation of the fantasy world instead of continuing the stories told in the earlier theatrical adaptations.
The movie is scheduled to open in IMAX and theaters worldwide on February 12, 2027, with exclusive IMAX previews beginning February 10. It is set to arrive on Netflix on April 2.
For longtime fans, the real appeal may be the chance to revisit a world that once made ordinary wardrobes, forests and everyday places feel full of possibility. For younger audiences, it could be their first invitation into Narnia.
Whether Gerwig's version becomes a new favorite or inspires viewers to revisit the original books, the trailer raises one appealing question: can a story about the birth of a magical world bring back the feeling of discovering one for the very first time?
