Summary
- Netflix has released the first trailer for Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.
- The film opens in theaters on February 12, 2027, with IMAX previews beginning February 10.
- Seamus McGarvey is the cinematographer and Paul Franklin supervises visual effects.
- The film arrives on Netflix on April 2, 2027.
Greta Gerwig is reopening the gateway to Narnia, this time not through the wardrobe but at the beginning of the world itself. Netflix has released the first trailer for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, the first film adaptation of C. S. Lewis’s novel, together with the confirmed theatrical, IMAX and streaming release plan.
The trailer introduces Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, two young protagonists who travel to other worlds through Uncle Andrew’s magical rings. Along the way we meet Jadis, the future White Witch, and Aslan as the story moves toward the creation of Narnia.
Greta Gerwig’s Narnia is being built for the big screen
The major news is not only the arrival of the trailer. The film is receiving an unusually substantial theatrical run for a Netflix production: IMAX-only sneak previews begin on February 10, 2027, followed by the worldwide theatrical release on February 12. It arrives on Netflix later, on April 2, 2027.
The new schedule also supersedes the production’s earlier date. In a list of the films that were among the most anticipated for 2026, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew was still listed for November 26, 2026. Netflix’s official schedule now places it firmly in 2027.
Gerwig herself describes the film as a work she wants audiences to experience in theaters. Netflix will handle domestic distribution, while Sony Pictures Entertainment will distribute the film outside North America.
Seamus McGarvey on cinematography, Paul Franklin on VFX
For image-makers, the creative team is particularly notable. Cinematography is by Seamus McGarvey, ASC, BSC, whose credits include Atonement and The Avengers. James Chinlund is production designer, while Jacqueline Durran is costume designer.
Visual effects are supervised by Paul Franklin, a two-time Academy Award winner for Inception and Interstellar, with Barry St. John serving as visual effects producer. Neal Scanlan is creature effects creative supervisor and Michael Eames is animation supervisor. The lineup suggests a production treating its fantasy world as a combination of cinematography, production design, creature work and animation rather than simply a VFX exercise.
Music is also central to the identity revealed by the trailer. The original score is by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who previously collaborated with Gerwig on Barbie, while the trailer uses Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.”
An origin story instead of another trip through the wardrobe
The Magician’s Nephew was published in 1955 and functions as an origin story for Narnia. The new film therefore does not restart with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; it goes back to the birth of the world, Aslan and the origins of the White Witch.
David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell lead the cast. They are joined by Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, Daniel Craig, Meryl Streep, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough and Susan Wokoma. Gerwig both wrote the screenplay and directed the film.
What we think
The most interesting part of this first look is that Netflix is not positioning Narnia as simply another expensive streaming title. IMAX previews, a worldwide theatrical launch and the gap before its Netflix debut make the big-screen experience part of the project’s strategy.
For image-makers, the names behind the camera matter as much as the cast. McGarvey, Franklin, Scanlan, Chinlund and Durran bring substantial experience across cinematography, VFX, creature work, production design and costume. The trailer already suggests a Narnia built from physical environments, designed worlds and digital spectacle while embracing a deliberately stylized visual identity.
The real question is whether that scale will serve Lewis’s sense of wonder or overwhelm it. A trailer cannot answer that. What is already clear is that Gerwig and Netflix are treating the film as a theatrical event rather than merely another addition to a streaming catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
When is Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew released?
IMAX sneak previews begin on February 10, 2027. The film opens worldwide in theaters on February 12, 2027 and arrives on Netflix on April 2, 2027.
Who is the cinematographer?
Cinematography is by Seamus McGarvey, ASC, BSC.
Is it a remake of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?
No. It is the first film adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew and tells the story of Narnia’s creation.
