Gerwig Casts Meryl Streep as Aslan in Netflix Narnia Film

Director Greta Gerwig has cast Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan in her upcoming Netflix adaptation of C.S. Lewis's "The Magician's Nephew," marking a significant creative choice for the first film in her planned "Chronicles of Narnia" series. The casting, confirmed in a cover story for Empire magazine, sees Streep take on the role of the mythical lion previously voiced by Liam Neeson in earlier film adaptations. Gerwig explained her selection criteria, stating she sought an actor who was "profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness." She added that she wanted someone who could communicate "depth and pathos as well as joy and delight," was over 70 to bring "wisdom of experience," yet possessed "the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child." Gerwig concluded that the list of actors meeting these requirements, including being "one of the greatest actors to ever do it," was "not a long one." The film, titled "Narnia: The Magician's Nephew," is a prequel to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and follows the creation of Narnia. It is scheduled for a theatrical release on February 12, 2027, before streaming on Netflix from April 2, 2027.