•The first trailer for Netflix’s The Magician’s Nephew has arrived, offering a closer look at director Greta Gerwig’s follow-up to 2023’s Barbie. The teaser presents what appears to be a bold, subversive take on the iconic fantasy franchise, marking a stark departure from both previous live-action adaptations and Gerwig’s own blockbuster.
The trailer immediately establishes how different this reboot is from any Narnia project that has come before, cutting straight to what many see as the fundamental appeal of the source material: the desire for ordinary youngsters to escape their humdrum world and find something better on the other side. Visually, it leans into psychedelic fantasy imagery with abundant color, evoking a trippy 1978 van painting.
The piece also highlights the power of its soundtrack, noting that Led Zeppelin’s music—playing over a frenetic montage—serves as an ironic choice given the band’s notorious Lord of the Rings obsession and their use in past trailers like 2011’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.
The author acknowledges that hardcore Narnia fans may take umbrage at the trailer, as Gerwig is clearly not opting for a 100% book-faithful adaptation. Instead, she appears to be using the franchise to tell a distinctly personal story, much as she did with Barbie and Little Women.
The writer admits prior skepticism was rooted partly in his own lack of attachment to the Narnia books, which he found too stuffy and steeped in religious allegory. But after seeing the trailer, he now considers the film one of his most anticipated for 2027.
I fully suspect some hardcore Narnia lovers will take umbrage at the trailer… Gerwig is forgoing strict accuracy in favor of building a take that speaks to her and her particular sensibilities.
Jesse Schedeen, IGN
The Magician’s Nephew is scheduled for release in 2027.
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