Greta Gerwig talks casting Meryl Streep in ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’

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Greta Gerwig attends the “Jay Kelly” Headline Gala at the 69th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on October 10, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI)

Greta Gerwig is sharing some insight into her upcoming Chronicles of Narnia adaptation, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.

In a new cover story with Empire, the writer/director explains why she cast Meryl Streep to voice Aslan, the mythical lion and creator of the Narnia world.

“I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness. Someone who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight,” Gerwig tells Empire.

She adds, “I wanted someone who was older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child. And also to be one of the greatest actors to ever do it. That list is not a long one.”

Gerwig also tells the mag that she wanted her adaptation to have the feel of a rock opera, inspired by the feeling she got listening to music by David Bowie, Paul McCartney and others.

“Narnia is literally a world made out of music,” she says. “It is a world sung to life by Aslan, and rock ’n’ roll to me felt like a world made out of music.”

Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew hits theaters Feb. 12, 2027, and Netflix on April 2, 2027. In addition to Streep, it stars newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell alongside Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Daniel Craig.