Greta Gerwig's 'Narnia: The Magician's Nephew' Trailer Sparks Fan Uproar

The first trailer for Greta Gerwig's adaptation of C.S. Lewis's "The Magician's Nephew" has been met with a polarized response from fans, with many criticizing its heavy reliance on CGI and likening its aesthetic to modern superhero films.

Netflix and Gerwig, who previously directed "Barbie," unveiled the trailer at an event in New York on Tuesday. The film, slated for a February 2027 cinema release, is the first screen adaptation of Lewis's earliest Narnia chronicle, serving as an origin story for the magical world.

Upon its release on YouTube, the trailer prompted a flood of reactions. Many viewers expressed disappointment, with comments on YouTube and social media platforms describing the visuals as "spectacle slop," "CGI SLOP," and a "bizarre, disastrous fever dream." Some felt the adaptation strayed too far from the "down-to-earth feel" of the original stories.

"Who'd have ever guessed that giving a legendary, beloved book series like The Chronicles of Narnia to modern Hollywood would result in a bizarre, disastrous fever dream interpretation with some of the worst looking CGI backgrounds ever put on film?" one user commented. Others lamented the perceived overuse of CGI, with one stating, "This is a prime example of how something can lose its soul to CGI overuse…The visuals of Netflix's butchering of Narnia literally looks like it was made with AI."

Comparisons to the Marvel Cinematic Universe were frequent, with fans pleading, "Please don't Marvel my Narnia." Some suggested alternate taglines like "Aslan the Great Lion will return in Avengers: Doomsday" and "Narnians of the Galaxy."

Concerns were also raised about character interpretations. One YouTube comment noted, "This is Thor: Love and Thunder and Barbie had a baby. They make the boy a coward, they make the girl the adventurer, and Aslan is supposed to be the pinnacle of masculinity." This sentiment was echoed by those who felt the adaptation might disregard the core messages of Lewis's work.

The casting of Meryl Streep as Aslan, the iconic male lion, also drew criticism, with some labeling it a "woke gender swap" and suggesting it strips away the Christian themes central to the Narnia narrative. Liam Neeson previously voiced Aslan in the film trilogy released from 2005 to 2010.

However, not all reactions were negative. A segment of viewers found the trailer intriguing, praising its surreal visuals and the ambitious adaptation of "The Magician's Nephew." "The trailer is, hands down, the best trailer I've seen in years. They're definitely leaning into the pagan side of Narnia," one fan observed. Another agreed, stating, "Magician's Nephew, my favorite book in the series, is so surreal that i thought it would be impossible to adapt to film. but holy christ these visuals are stunning and suitably surreal."

Gerwig herself expressed emotional satisfaction with the trailer, describing it as "fantastic" and a realization of a childhood dream. She explained her creative process, emphasizing the importance of designing films for the theatrical experience, a sentiment echoed by Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Gerwig also shared that David Bowie was an inspiration for her interpretation of Aslan and the film's overall tone. The director sought an actor with "profound but not pretentious" qualities, a "wisdom of experience," and a "capacity of fresh wonder," which she found in Streep.

The trailer featured Daniel Craig's uncle Andrew teaching Digory Kirke (David McKenna) and Polly Plummer (Beatrice Campbell) about magic, leading to their transportation to a new realm. The visuals included glittering lands, flying horses, and brief glimpses of Emma Mackey as The White Witch and Meryl Streep as Aslan. The soundtrack prominently featured Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," a song Gerwig secured permission to use after impressing Robert Plant and Jimmy Page with her film.