A quiet woodland, a handful of enchanted rings and a lion capable of bringing a world to life. Greta Gerwig’s first trailer for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew takes us to the beginning of C. S. Lewis’s fantasy world, well before anyone discovers the wardrobe.
Released by Netflix on 13 October 2026, the trailer follows two children who find their way between worlds and witness the extraordinary origins of Narnia. It is the first screen adaptation of Lewis’s 1955 novel, with David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell leading a cast that also includes Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey and Meryl Streep.
The film will reach cinemas worldwide, including the UK, on 12 February 2027 before arriving on Netflix on 2 April 2027. It is a notably big-screen approach for a Netflix production, and the early footage gives a sense of why Gerwig wanted that opportunity.
An adventure that begins with two children
Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, played by McKenna and Campbell, stumble into a mystery involving Digory’s uncle Andrew Ketterley. Played by Craig, Andrew has been experimenting with magic, and his rings can transport people beyond the world they know.
One of their destinations is the Wood Between the Worlds, an eerily peaceful place whose pools lead to other realms. On the page, its stillness makes the strange possibilities around it all the more unsettling. The trailer turns that idea into images of deep woodland, mysterious passages and landscapes that seem to open out without end.
The children are not simply visiting the Narnia familiar from earlier films. They are travelling towards its creation, where they encounter powers and characters whose influence will be felt across the wider series.
Mackey plays Jadis, while Streep lends her voice to Aslan. The lion is central to the film’s premise, although the trailer wisely keeps much of his story for the finished film. Anyone who has not read the books can watch without needing a detailed explanation of what comes next.
Why start with The Magician’s Nephew?
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first Narnia novel published, in 1950, and remains the best-known entry point. Lewis wrote The Magician’s Nephew five years later, but set it earlier in the fictional timeline. It answers questions about the beginnings of Narnia and the connections between that world and our own.
That makes Gerwig’s choice more interesting than another immediate retelling of the Pevensie children’s adventure. The familiar landmarks are still part of the mythology, but the new film has its own central friendship and a different kind of mystery. Its starting point is discovery rather than a battle to reclaim an established kingdom.
Gerwig has spoken about being captivated as a child by Lewis’s image of a lion singing a universe into existence. It is a wonderfully ambitious idea for cinema, and one that could easily be overwhelmed by effects. After the character-driven Lady Bird and Little Women, followed by the colourful spectacle of Barbie, the balance between intimacy and scale may be the most intriguing part of her approach.
Cast and music: familiar names in a new world
Alongside the two young leads, the announced cast includes Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough and Susan Wokoma. Not every character has been identified publicly, and that is probably for the best in a story built around surprise.
The trailer’s use of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven is striking. Its gradual build gives the images a sense of wonder and menace without relying on the sweeping orchestral music often associated with fantasy trailers. It is an introduction to Gerwig’s tone, not necessarily a preview of the film’s own soundtrack.
That soundtrack will feature an original score from Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who previously worked on Barbie, with George Drakoulias overseeing music supervision. How those musical choices sit alongside Aslan and the creation of Narnia is something the full film still has to reveal.
When can UK audiences see Narnia?
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew opens in cinemas on Friday 12 February 2027, with special IMAX-only previews beginning on Wednesday 10 February. Netflix has confirmed a worldwide theatrical release; exact UK screening times and ticket details will depend on individual cinemas.
It will then begin streaming on Netflix on Friday 2 April 2027, seven weeks after the main cinema opening. These dates and the release plan are set out in Netflix’s official film announcement. For anyone deciding whether to book a cinema seat or wait, the choice is unusually clear this far ahead.
Those planning to watch at home can also see our earlier report on Netflix’s UK subscription price changes, although plans and prices may change again before the film reaches the service.
The official Narnia trailer is available to watch on Netflix Tudum. It is a better introduction than trying to piece the film together from promotional stills — and it leaves the most important parts of the adventure unspoiled.
Tech Torque Verdict
Beginning with The Magician’s Nephew gives Gerwig a chance to show audiences a side of Narnia that previous major film adaptations left largely untouched. The Wood Between the Worlds, Digory and Polly’s friendship and the creation of Narnia provide plenty of material without leaning on nostalgia for the wardrobe.
There are risks, too. The scale of Lewis’s imagination is part of the appeal, but the story will need a human centre if its spectacular moments are to mean anything. The trailer suggests Gerwig understands that contrast; it cannot yet tell us whether the finished film gets it right.
What it does establish is a distinctive beginning, an intriguing cast and a cinema-first release worth paying attention to. February is still several months away, but Narnia already has a clearer identity than a straightforward remake would have offered.
