In an interview with the British film magazine Empire, Gerwig explained that she sought a performer who could convey both gravitas and childlike wonder, noting that Streep’s “depth without pretension, authority without dour seriousness” made her the ideal choice for the iconic lion.
Gerwig, who previously cast Streep as Aunt March in her 2019 adaptation of Little Women, said she wanted “someone over 70, with the wisdom of experience yet still able to marvel like a child, and one of the greatest actors of all time,” adding that the list of candidates was short.
The film, a prequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, follows siblings Digory and Polly as they discover the “Wood between the Worlds” and eventually stumble into Narnia. The story is based on C.S. Lewis’s first published Narnia book, The Magician’s Nephew, and will be produced by Netflix.
Production details reveal a shift in setting: Gerwig has moved the narrative’s backdrop from early‑20th‑century England to a 1950s Britain, while the visual design of the otherworldly realms draws on the glam aesthetic of the 1960s and 1970s. Early stills show a “colorful, sparkling” palette that reflects this retro‑rock influence.
Music will play a central role, with Gerwig citing rock icons such as David Bowie, Paul McCartney, David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant as sources of inspiration. She described the film as “a rock‑opera of cinema,” hoping the soundtrack will give audiences a sense that “everything will be alright.”
The ensemble cast also includes David McKenna, Beatrice Campbell, Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan and Ciarán Hinds, while Digory’s uncle – portrayed by Daniel Craig – entrusts the children with magical rings that set the adventure in motion.
Originally slated for a Thanksgiving‑weekend release in late November, the launch was moved to 12 February to give the film a standalone theatrical window and to accommodate the IMAX format, which Gerwig says will enhance the “grand, transportive” experience she envisions.