ON FILM: Can a secular interpretation of Christian-inspired literature be blasphemous? Why we’re okay with some creative liberties of beloved stories and not others.
From Meryl Streep voicing Aslan to a David Bowie-inspired “rock opera,” new details emerging from Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew have fans voicing dismay over the upcoming film.
News of Gerwig’s interpretation of the classic fantasy book spread in late September following the release of excerpts from an interview given to Empire magazine.
Online responses from fans of the Narnia series were swift and less than enthusiastic.
“To cast Meryl Streep as Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s Narnia is a slap in the face to the genius of Lewis, but also a deliberate mockery of Christianity that is 100% intentional,” Catholic commentator Isabel Brown wrote on X. She added: “Makes me wonder what else they’ll mock about this Christian story …”
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, set for theatrical release on Feb. 12, 2027, is the fourth film to be both written and directed by Gerwig, known for her Oscar-nominated films Lady Bird, Little Women and Barbie.
It will also be the first film adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew, the sixth book in Lewis’
