First Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew trailer teases a multiverse of wonder

Greta Gerwig previewed the new film this morning in New York City, touting the physical sets of the production and the longest-ever theatrical window for a Netflix movie.

By Monica Castillo  |  October 13, 2026 | 2:11pm
Photo: Netflix
Film News Greta Gerwig
First Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew trailer teases a multiverse of wonder

C.S. Lewis’ books may have been the Harry Potter series of its day, stories full of magical realms just beyond the reach of everyday children, but once discovered, they entered into adventures beyond their wildest dreams. They were stories that stuck with Greta Gerwig since childhood when her parents first read them to her, and as she shared with an audience at an event for the trailer preview, she read them many times over since. 

At the sneak preview for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew in New York City this morning, Stephen Colbert and Gerwig were on hand to preview two behind-the-scenes featurettes alongside the trailer. The trailer itself was the star of the show, and clearly built to stir excitement, both for fans of the books and newcomers. It opens with the first slow chords of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven,” and a well-carved wardrobe featuring an apple tree, a nod of course, to the book and 2005 movie adaptation The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe that most people might remember. But then it shifts to two children (newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell) playing in a Blitz-damaged London, wondering about their curious neighbor Uncle Andrew (Daniel Craig), who affirms their suspicions that he is a magician. One of the children puts on a yellow ring that causes things to float, one of the first images of the magical things still to come in a montage full of shots of the lush green “wood between the worlds,” the White Witch (Emma Mackey) against the snow, a quick view of one of the children’s mother Mabel Kirke (Carey Mulligan), and a disco dress-clad baddie against a red glowing set, before a disembodied voice asks, “Have you ever seen a world born?” just as Aslan roars the new realm to life, sending colors to the edges of the screen and the logo arrives with a rock-fueled flair. 

In addition to the trailer, the first preview showed the impressive size of the practical sets, showcasing some of the talent in front and behind the camera in the London location with a view of the Tower Bridge, and later the set itself, which extends both to recreating the historical bombed-out remnants of the city of the 1940s and the fantastical sets of the magical realms.  The second set behind-the-scenes highlighted the skilled artisans at work building the sets, costumes, composers, and special effects, emphasizing the handcrafted aspects of the film. 

In conversation with Colbert, Gerwig shared that through her husband Noah Baumbach’s film A Marriage Story, she got to meet the Netflix team, and when news broke that the company acquired the rights to the series she cherished as a child, she caught up with Ted Sarandos and talked to him about it for 20 minutes before he offered, “Would you like to write the script.” Gerwig said ate many Turkish Delights and read and reread C.S. Lewis’ work, writing out the lines that “gave me goosebumps,” as part of her creative process. She was excited to share that Netflix is giving the film 50 days in theater, the longest theatrical run of in the company’s history. “I only know how to write for the big screen,” she said. 

Colbert asked Gerwig about the trailer itself, especially the song choice since “Stairway To Heaven” is generally not licensed. Gerwig said she chose it because it was “epic, it’s a narrative, it’s a spiritual journey.” She had to approach Jimmy Page and Robert Plant for permission for the song, and because they both enjoyed C.S. Lewis’ works, they let her use the song. Colbert also asked Gerwig about the story’s elements of faith and how Lewis’ Christianity may have influenced her, to which Gerwig answered that faith has always been a part of her work even as far back as Lady Bird, which was influenced by her time in Catholic school. “Film and faith have always gone hand in hand [for me],” she said. “It’s being together with people in community. Making a movie is an act of faith.” 

Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew opens February 12, 2027. 

 
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