Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' to Feature in Greta Gerwig's Narnia Film After 55 Years
The iconic song, long withheld from screen use, will appear in Netflix's adaptation of 'The Magician's Nephew' after Gerwig's personal appeal to band members.
For the first time in 55 years, Led Zeppelin has permitted the use of their seminal song "Stairway to Heaven" in a film adaptation. The legendary track will be featured in Greta Gerwig's upcoming Netflix production of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew."
Gerwig, known for her recent success with "Barbie," reportedly screened an early cut of the film for Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. According to Gerwig, their emotional response to the footage, coupled with a shared "love" for author C.S. Lewis, convinced them to break their long-standing policy against using the song in any visual media. The decision was shared by Gerwig during an appearance on a US talk show.
While some Led Zeppelin songs have appeared in films, "Stairway to Heaven" has remained notably absent. A memorable pop culture reference to this exclusivity occurred in the 1992 film "Wayne's World," where the titular character attempts to play the song in a music store, only to be met with a sign stating, "No Stairway To Heaven."
"The Magician's Nephew," based on the first book published in C.S. Lewis's Narnia series and considered an origin story for the fantasy world, is set for a February 2027 cinema release. Gerwig wrote and directed the adaptation.
However, the film's initial promotional efforts have drawn mixed reactions from fans. The first trailer, which premiered to select press and influencers in a New York IMAX theater, has been met with criticism online. Many viewers expressed disappointment with the visual effects, describing the CGI as "awful" and "spectacle slop." Some fans drew comparisons to Marvel movies, with one X user posting, "Aslan the Great Lion will return in Avengers: Doomsday." Concerns were also raised about perceived deviations from the source material, including character portrayals and the casting of a female voice actor for the character of Aslan.
Despite the criticism, some fans urged for patience, suggesting that judgment should be reserved until the film's release. The trailer itself generated strong emotional responses, with Gerwig reportedly moved to tears seeing her work on the big screen.
