Oscar® nominee Carey Mulligan arrives on the red carpet of the 96th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024. Credit/Provider: Nick Agro / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
Preview:
- Carey Mulligan is closing in on a role in ‘Narnia.’
- Greta Gerwig wrote and will direct the movie.
- Netflix is putting the movie in theaters.
‘Barbie’ director Greta Gerwig is deep into the casting stage for her ambitious latest project: an adaptation of the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ novel series.
Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer discover the magical world of Narnia through Digory’s uncle’s magic. Read the Plot
The ensemble is starting to come together, and now The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Carey Mulligan, seen in the likes of ‘Promising Young Woman’ and ‘Never Let Me Go,’ is making a deal to play a relatively small, but key role in the movie.
From the sounds of it, Mulligan is close to signing on, and she’d be the latest high-profile piece of casting, which is hardly surprising given Gerwig’s post-‘Barbie’ clout.
Related Article: Emma Mackey to be the White Witch in Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ Movie
What are the ‘Narnia’ novels?
2005’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
In case the various film and TV adaptations have passed you by (the TV series was largely on the BBC in the UK, but the movies were big fantasy productions by 20th Century Fox in an era when studios were looking to capitalize on the success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’), the ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ is a series of seven books by British author C.S. Lewis.
Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals.
It narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of the Narnian world. Except in ‘The Horse and His Boy,’ the protagonists are all children from the real world who are magically transported to Narnia, where they are sometimes called upon by Aslan to protect Narnia from evil. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ to its eventual destruction in ‘The Last Battle.’
Possibly the most famous tome in the set (and the one more normally adapted) is ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’
Then there’s Jadis, she’s a nasty sort known for freezing Narnia in an endless winter (where Christmas never comes –– boo! hiss!) and turning her enemies into statues. She’s the main antagonist of both ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ and ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.’ And in ‘Nephew,’ the young central characters accidentally unleash the dangerous sorceress upon early 20th century London.
What’s the story of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie?
‘Barbie’ Director/Writer Greta Gerwig attends a Photo Call at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Photo Credit: Caroline McCredie Photography.
Gerwig’s movie will adapt the sixth novel in the ‘Narnia’ series, the aforementioned ‘The Magician’s Nephew,’ which chronologically takes place first in the series. The novel tells the origin of Narnia and is centered on youngsters Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, who discover the magical world through Digory’s uncle’s magic.
Daniel Craig has been in talks to play Uncle Andrew, while Charli XCX had been linked to potentially playing Jadis –– the role that Emma Mackey has since landed.
Mulligan will play the very sick mother of Digory, while Meryl Streep is on board to voice Aslan, the heroic, magical lion of the books.
If Gerwig’s first ‘Narnia’ movie is a success, she may end up adapting the others.
The biggest development for the movie before casting started was that Gerwig had managed to swing an exclusive two-week Imax global run in 90 countries across 1,000 auditoriums in advance of the movie’s drop on Netflix.
That’s pretty much unheard of in terms of Netflix releases, which has been loathed to give even its biggest talents more than a cursory theatrical release, mostly preferring to drive subscribers to its servers. So it’s a big vote of confidence in the writer/director (but then, again, when you’ve made a billion-dollar hit like ‘Barbie,’ you can make other things happen.)
Where else can we see Carey Mulligan?
(L to R) Tom Basden as Herb McGwyer, Carey Mulligan as Nell Mortimer and Tim Key as Charles in director James Griffiths’ ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’, a Focus Features release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2025 All Rights Reserved.
Mulligan has enjoyed a successful career on screens big and small, following her one-two punch of a BBC series based on of Charles Dickens’ ‘Bleak House’ and Jane Austen movie adaptation of ‘Pride & Prejudice.’
Since then, she has made an impact in the TV likes of ‘Doctor Who,’‘Waking the Dead’ and, more recently, detective drama ‘Collateral.’
Her other movie gigs include ‘An Education,’‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,’‘Drive,’‘Shame,’ ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ and ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island.’
Mulligan has also enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with filmmaker Emerald Fennell since starring in ‘Promising Young Woman,’ popping up in a memorable role in the director’s ‘Saltburn.’
Coming up, she has animated adventure ‘Wildwood’ and a key role in the second season of Netflix comedy drama series ‘Beef.’
And further ahead, in more of a developmental state, is war drama ‘On the Other Side’ and ‘An Uncivil War,’ in which Mulligan would play journalist and social activist Gloria Steinem.
When will Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie be on screens?
Narnia will release in Imax on Thanksgiving Day 2026, so November 26th and debut on Netflix on Christmas Day 2026.
(L to R) Tilda Swinton and Skandar Keynes in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’ Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.