I Didn't Want a Greta Gerwig Narnia Movie… Until I Watched the Magician's Nephew Trailer
We didn't think the world needed a Narnia reboot, at least until the trailer for Greta Gerwig's The Magician's Nephew showed us how wrong we were.
The first trailer for Netflix's The Magician's Nephew has been released, and we're all getting a closer look at Greta Gerwig's 2023 Barbie movie. And aside from the two films being a bold and subversive take on an iconic property, they could hardly be more different. It's also clear that Netflix is going in a very different direction with the Narnia franchise compared to previous live-action films.
And as far as I'm concerned, that's great. Before today, I wasn't particularly enamored with the idea of Gerwig rebooting Narnia. But watching the trailer, that iconic Shaquille O'Neal meme comes to mind. I owe you an apology, Greta. I was not really familiar with your game.
Mind you, my relative disinterest in Gerwig's Narnia reboot was never a reflection of the director himself. He is easily one of the brightest new voices on the film scene today. She's proven she can handle semi-autobiographical indie comedies like The Francis and Lady Bird as well as blockbusters like Barbie. Like Ryan Coogler, he's a rare combination of a talented creator with compelling stories to tell and someone who can navigate the noisy studio system without losing his voice.
It's precisely because Gerwig is such an important voice in the industry that I found the Narnia news a little disappointing. After the huge success of Barbie, the world is Gerwig's oyster. He can deal with almost anything he wants. So why reboot the Narnia series of all things? Why move on to another studio project instead of finding and developing the next Lady Bird?
Granted, a big part of my problem here is my lack of attachment to the Narnia franchise itself. I have never been able to relate to Narnia in book or film form. It's just always too muffled and wrapped in religious allegory for my taste. Oddly enough, this never stopped me from being fascinated by Lou Grossman's wizarding books, which basically ask the question, "What would happen if you combined Hogwarts and Narnia and filled them with horned young adults?"
Looking at the trailer, it's clear that Gerwig sees something really powerful in the original source material.
So I admit that my previous disinterest in The Witch's Nephew is partly based on selfish reasons. I may not have found much to love in these books, but that doesn't mean the same is true of Gerwig. If she felt compelled to make this her next big movie project after Barbie, there was clearly a reason for it.
And looking at the trailer, it's clear that Gerwig really sees something powerful in the source material. The trailer makes a big, bold statement. It's immediately clear how different this reboot is from the Narnia projects that have gone before. Straight to the heart of what I think is the fundamental appeal of Narnia (and the Wizards, for that matter) - this desire for ordinary young people to escape their sad world and find something. Better on the other side.
Visually, the trailer is a real feast for the eyes. There are plenty of colors and no shortage of psychedelic fantasy images. The whole thing looks a lot like a trippy painting someone slapped on the side of a beat-up van in 1978. It's very interesting in a way that I would have never associated it with the Narnia franchise. I immediately want to see this movie, regardless of any 100-year-old fantasy franchise that may or may not be related.
How do you feel about The Wizard's Nephew after watching the trailer?
And you can't ignore the power of a good Led Zeppelin song. As we've seen from past trailers like 2011's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and 2017's Thor: Ragnarok , destroying a Zeppelin on top of a crazy montage of images is like a cheat code to appeal to jaded middle-aged viewers like me. Plus, you have to enjoy the irony that the famous rock band The Lord of the Rings Obsessed used as the soundtrack to Narnia instead.
I fully suspect that some hardcore Narnia lovers will be outraged by the trailer. It's clear that Gerwig isn't going for a 100% faithful adaptation of the book here. But that's exactly why I'm so fascinated by what we see. Gerwig eschews extreme precision in favor of creating an impression that speaks to him and his particular sensibilities. It looks like she's taking this opportunity to tell a Greta Gerwig-type story, just like the underweight Barbies did in years past.
Before today, I didn't particularly want a new Narnia movie. But the trailer proves how wrong I was. This movie has barely crossed my radar to become one of the most anticipated movies of 2027. Well done, Ms. Gerwig.
Jesse is an ethical staff writer at IGN. Let him lend you a machete by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.