Greta Gerwig Finally Talks Narnia
Door Jam: March 23, 2026
In May 2024, Greta Gerwig spoke with a French news outlet about adopting Narnia. Almost two years later, with the film set to release in eight months, Gerwig has finally spoken publicly again about her upcoming adaptation.
What has remained consistent over the past two years has been the reverence with which she speaks of Lewis and the series.
Gerwig appeared via video at the Next on Netflix event in Hollywood and shared some thoughts on the film, via NarniaWeb. According to the Los Angeles Times, she said:
“It’s all very under wraps right now, but it’s something that I’m just so thrilled about because it was the book of my childhood. It was the book series that I loved, and I lived through, and I spent so much time imagining myself inside of Narnia. It’s been a joy and an honor to be the person who gets to imagine this universe.”
According to Goldderby, Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said, “I don't think there is a bigger fan of that book series than Greta.”
This has seemingly been the case for her since childhood. In 2024, the last time she spoke about the adaptation, Gerwig told Augustin Trapenard of Brut:
As a writer and a thinker, C.S. Lewis is so rich and he’s so erudite. He’s written so much about different things that there’s a lot to dig into, and I find myself — it sounds maybe mystical — but it’s like you have a collaborator, and the collaborator is both C.S. Lewis and who I was when I was eight.
And so you’re always checking in with your child and this person who you’ve never met and you’re not going to be able to meet.
As I’ve repeatedly said, every time I hear Gerwig speak about Narnia, I’m encouraged. But she’s not the only one talking about the movie.
At the same event, Netflix film chairman Dan Lin teased a “rock and roll” take at the Netflix event, according to Variety senior writer Matt Donnelly. Similarly, in 2024, producer Amy Pascal said Gerwig’s Narnia would be a “very new take. It’s all about rock and roll.”
As someone who has read and loves the Narnia books, Gerwig has felt as if she is collaborating with Lewis on the project, at least in terms of reading his writing outside of Narnia and bringing that perspective to the film.
Others involved with the project—from a producer to the studio head to the IMAX CEO—believe Gerwig has created some new and different take on Narnia. We don’t know their familiarity with Lewis’ writing in general or Narnia specifically.
Maybe the others don’t realize how relevant and modern Lewis could be, despite writing in the midcentury about the early 1900s, so they assume a faithful version must be a radical departure. Maybe I’m grasping at straws, hoping Gerwig will give us a story that is faithful to Lewis.
As it has been throughout this process, only time will tell.
Not Safe But Good
C.S. Lewis quote of the week
“I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.”
Puddleglum in The Silver Chair
This is one of the quotes to make the Just Four in the 2026 Narnia Madness. Later this week, we’ll vote in the championship matchup for the greatest Narnia quote.
Tumnus’ bookshelf
Books by or about Lewis or Tolkien
The World’s Last Night and Other Essays is a great collection of seven Lewis essays, including “Screwtape Proposes a Toast” and “Religion and Rocketry.”
The World’s Last Night and Other Essays by C.S. Lewis: $4.99 (52.4% off)
Tales From The Perilous Realm: A Classic Fantasy Anthology of Poetry, Short Stories, and Fairy Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien: $1.99 (85% off)
Behind the Wardrobe
Sneak peek at the bonus articles
Meryl Streep is part of Narnia, but will she voice Aslan?
Ranking Narnia adaptations, even some you’ve never heard of
Top philosopher on one of Lewis’ most acclaimed novel
Frodo actor Elijah Wood gives an update on his reading The Lord of the Rings
One of the most iconic Lord of the Rings movie quotes was changed from Tolkien’s original
And more!
