Narnia is finally returning to the screen, but the story begins long before Lucy Pevensie ever discovered the wardrobe. Netflix’s first trailer for Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew offers a glimpse into the origins of C. S. Lewis’s magical world, introducing mysterious new locations, a terrifying version of Jadis and an unforgettable first look at Aslan.
Released on October 13, 2026, the trailer has generated excitement among fantasy fans, particularly because it adapts a book that explains how Narnia came into existence. With Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” accompanying the footage, the preview feels less like a conventional fantasy teaser and more like an invitation into another universe.
But some of its most interesting moments carry deeper meaning for readers of the original novel.
The Wardrobe Is a Nod to Narnia’s History
The trailer opens with an image that longtime fans will immediately recognize: a wooden wardrobe.
It is an unmistakable reference to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the story that introduced millions of readers to Narnia. However, the new film moves backward in the fictional timeline, exploring events that take place before the Pevensie children arrive in the enchanted land.
That opening image creates an intriguing connection between the two stories. The wardrobe is not simply a symbol of magical adventure; it also represents the legacy of a world whose origins are finally being brought to the screen.
The film is based on The Magician’s Nephew, published in 1955. Although it appeared after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the novel explains how the magical world began.
Digory and Polly Discover the Wood Between the Worlds
The trailer introduces Digory Kirke, played by David McKenna, and Polly Plummer, played by Beatrice Campbell. Their adventure begins in wartime London, where they discover the unusual experiments of Digory’s Uncle Andrew, portrayed by Daniel Craig.
Uncle Andrew’s magic rings carry the children away from their familiar world into the Wood Between the Worlds.
It is one of the strangest scenes in Lewis’s novel. The Wood is not just a forest, it is a door between worlds.It has this almost dreamlike quality to it — with its silent ambiance and enigmatic pools — as if the kids have entered a space where the normal rules of reality are suspended.
The trailer’s lush greenery and strange landscapes appear to capture that sense of discovery. It also establishes an important idea: Narnia is not the only world that exists, and reaching it is only the beginning of the adventure.
Emma Mackey’s Jadis Could Be the Film’s Darkest Character
One of the trailer’s most striking reveals is Emma Mackey as Jadis, the sorceress who later becomes known as the White Witch.
Audiences familiar with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe already know her as a powerful and dangerous figure. However, The Magician’s Nephew explores her earlier history, including her connection to the ruined world of Charn.
The trailer shows glimpses of a devastated landscape and presents Jadis as a formidable presence who can bring supernatural chaos into the human world.
Her appearance is particularly interesting because this story gives viewers a chance to understand where the White Witch came from before she became Narnia’s feared ruler.
Will the film make her more sympathetic, or will it focus on the ambition and destructive power that define her character? The trailer leaves that question open, but Mackey’s dramatic screen presence suggests that Jadis will be one of the adaptation’s major highlights.
Aslan’s Arrival Hints at a Spectacular Creation Scene
The most important moment may be the appearance of Aslan, voiced by Meryl Streep.
In the original novel, Narnia is created through Aslan’s song. His music brings the world to life, with the landscape and its creatures emerging from darkness as the mysterious new land takes shape.
The trailer offers a cosmic glimpse of the great lion surrounded by stars, hinting at the scale of the sequence.
This is a different kind of fantasy spectacle from a traditional battle or chase. The central event is the birth of an entire world, making Aslan’s role essential to the film’s emotional and visual identity.
For readers who have imagined this scene for decades, seeing it brought to life could be one of the most anticipated parts of the movie.
Why Does the Trailer Use “Stairway to Heaven”?
The choice of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” is one of the preview’s biggest talking points.
The song gives the trailer a gradual, almost spiritual build as Digory and Polly move from an ordinary London setting toward increasingly extraordinary discoveries.
Greta Gerwig personally approached Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant and Jimmy Page to request permission to use the track. According to Netflix’s announcement, the band had never previously licensed the song for a film trailer.
The choice also reflects the story’s themes of temptation, discovery and the consequences of taking different paths. Gerwig has described the film as a spiritual journey, making the song’s progression a natural fit for the material.
Rather than relying entirely on a traditional orchestral fantasy score, the trailer uses a familiar rock classic to give Narnia a fresh identity.
How Closely Will the Film Follow the Original Book?
The trailer includes several recognizable elements from Lewis’s story: the magical rings, the Wood Between the Worlds, Jadis and the creation of Narnia.
At the same time, Gerwig appears to be approaching the material with her own cinematic style. The dramatic imagery, the London sequences and the emphasis on cosmic scale suggest a production designed to work as a large-screen fantasy adventure.
That does not necessarily mean the film will abandon the book. Adaptations often adjust pacing and presentation to make a story work in a different medium.
For now, it is worth distinguishing between what the trailer confirms and what fans may be hoping to see. Details about particular scenes, character changes and the film’s ending remain unknown.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew Release Date
The film is written and directed by Greta Gerwig and features David McKenna, Beatrice Campbell, Emma Mackey, Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds and Meryl Streep.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is scheduled to arrive in IMAX and cinemas worldwide on February 12, 2027, with special IMAX previews beginning February 10. It will then stream on Netflix from April 2, 2027.
The trailer has already offered a promising look at the film’s visual ambition, but its greatest appeal may be the story itself. Instead of revisiting a familiar adventure, audiences will discover how that adventure became possible in the first place.
If Gerwig can capture the wonder of Lewis’s original novel while making the creation of Narnia feel genuinely extraordinary, this could become a defining new chapter for the franchise.
