Meryl Streep to play Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’
It has just been revealed that Meryl Streep is in talks to star as Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia series for Netflix.
Gerwig is no stranger to adapting beloved childhood books, having directed Little Women in 2020, which earned several Oscar nominations and one win for ‘Best Costume Design’.
Streep starred as Aunt March in Little Women, but now she is set to play Aslan, according to Nexus Point News, although it is yet to be officially confirmed. The lion, who was voiced by Liam Neeson in the 2000s trilogy, is a Jesus-like figure who plays a large role in the series.
Meanwhile, there have been rumours circulating which suggest that Daniel Craig will star in the film, while Charli XCX is potentially going to play The White Witch, a character previously portrayed by Tilda Swinton.
The incredibly successful 2000s trilogy began with an adaptation of C.S Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but Gerwig’s movies are set to begin with the sixth book, The Magician’s Nephew, which explores the origins of Narnia.
Gerwig’s previous project was Barbie, which saw her become the highest-grossing female director of all time when the movie raked in over $1 billion at the box office. Her first Narnia project is set for Netflix, although it is reportedly getting a two-week run in IMAX theatres during the Thanksgiving season in 2026.
The filmmaker is signed on to direct two Narnia movies so far, and talking to BBC Radio 4, she previously discussed her simultaneous excitement and nervousness to bring the project to life: “I’m slightly in the place of terror because I really do have such reverence for Narnia. I loved Narnia so much as a child. As an adult, C.S. Lewis is a thinker and a writer. I’m intimidated by doing this. It’s something that feels like a worthy thing to be intimidated by.”