Narnia’s Next Star: Shaken Not Stirred
Door Jam: March 17, 2025
The Door Jam is a place to squeeze in articles about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, their work, adaptations of their fantasy worlds, news from other franchises, and interesting articles. Unless otherwise stated, I’m not endorsing (or criticizing) any of these but merely sharing them with you.
This week’s top story is reports that Greta Gerwig is looking to land Daniel Craig, the former James Bond himself, for a role in Narnia.
Deadline reported this week that Gerwig has offered Daniel Craig a role in her upcoming Narnia adaptation. The sources indicated that nothing has been finalized, but “he does hold the offer.”
Following those reports, What’s On Netflix added further information from their sources:
We understand that Craig is being eyed as one of the key names on the table to play Uncle Andrew Ketterley. Andrew is described as Digory Kirke’s eccentric and morally ambiguous uncle.1 He is one of the main antagonists of The Magician’s Nephew, which we’re told is what Greta Gerwig will adapt first. Andrew is both a magician and an alchemist who, in the books, tricks Digory’s friend into entering another world. One of his experiments inadvertently brings Jadis, the White Witch, to London, causing chaos.
Craig would certainly make a great Uncle Andrew, if Gerwig is adapting The Magician’s Nephew. I could also see (or hear) him as the voice of Aslan, which would work for both The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
This would be a return to a high-profile Netflix project for Craig, as he starred in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, one of the few movies from the streamer to get even a modest theatrical run. He’s also set to return as Benoit Blanc later this year in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
Craig is probably most known for his five movie run as 007 agent James Bond from 2006 to 2021.
The targeting of Craig, the Imax deal, and other news that we’ll discuss in the paid section below indicates that Netflix, in addition to Gerwig, is treating Narnia like a major project.
Sources:
Be a Narnia Madness Winner
Each week during our Narnia Madness bracket to determine C.S. Lewis’ greatest fiction work, I’m asking two questions for the chance to win some prizes. The first two weeks could only spark guesses. Next week will be more like trivia that you can find out.
One grand prize winner will receive a copy of one book from the bracket of their choosing and a free one-year paid subscription to The Wardrobe Door, and 10 runner-ups will receive a free one-month paid subscription to The Wardrobe Door.2
To enter, email me your guesses to WardrobeDoor@gmail.com or send me a message on Substack for these two questions:
From which book in the bracket do I have a framed quote in my office?
Besides our read-along focus of The Silver Chair, which book from the bracket am I re-reading currently?
Everyone, including those who submitted guesses to questions already, can participate but only one entry per week. Email your guess to WardrobeDoor@gmail.com or send me a message on Substack. Every correct guess for either question submitted before March 19 counts for one entry. I’ll announce the contest winners on April 2, the same day the tournament winner is revealed.
Not Safe But Good
C.S. Lewis quote of the week
We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.
Tumnus’ bookshelf
A book by or about C.S. Lewis
We discussed Fred Paxford as Lewis’ gardener and inspiration for Puddleglum in our recent read-along of The Silver Chair. One collection from Lewis that we would not have without Paxford is The Dark Tower and Other Stories.
Many of the manuscripts in this collection were saved by Walter Hooper after Paxford stopped Warnie Lewis from burning all his brother’s papers and notebooks after C.S. Lewis died. Hooper came and rescued numerous writings including the unfinished The Dark Tower, a potential sequel to Out of the Silent Planet, and other short stories.
Behind the Wardrobe
Sneak peek at the bonus articles for paid subscribers
In the bonus section, you can hear one of the rare recordings of Lewis still in existence, see how Netflix may be planning to make Narnia unique among their projects, a new C.S. Lewis exhibit in a Washington D.C. museum, a Lewis center opens at a Christian university, calls for Tolkien to be canonized by the Catholic church, why Tolkien disliked Disney, a Middle-earth style March Madness bracket, and more.
