Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Trailer Divides Fans Over CGI and the Fantasy’s Original Magic

The first trailer for Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew arrived in October 2026, giving audiences their first extended look at Netflix’s new adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s fantasy world and prompting discussion about its visual style.

Released on 15 October, the trailer introduces the story behind Narnia’s creation, adapting Lewis’s 1955 novel The Magician’s Nephew. Rather than beginning with the familiar wardrobe story, the film travels further back to follow Digory and Polly as they encounter magical worlds and witness the origins of Narnia.

The preview has attracted attention for its large-scale imagery, fantastical settings and use of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”. Some viewers have welcomed the ambition and the opportunity to see the story presented on a cinema-sized canvas, while others have questioned whether the computer-generated imagery and overall tone capture the atmosphere they associate with Lewis’s books.

That debate is common when a much-loved fantasy receives a new adaptation. Digital effects can create worlds, creatures and transformations that would be difficult to stage practically, but audiences also judge whether those effects feel convincing and whether the visual spectacle serves the story.

Watch the trailer:

Gerwig, who wrote and directed the film, has spoken about her long-standing connection to the Narnia books. The cast includes David McKenna as Digory and Beatrice Campbell as Polly, alongside Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep, who voices Aslan.

The film is planned as a major theatrical release before its arrival on Netflix. It is scheduled to open in cinemas worldwide, including IMAX, on 12 February 2027, with special IMAX previews beginning on 10 February. Its Netflix streaming release is set for 2 April 2027.

That release strategy gives audiences an opportunity to experience the fantasy on a large screen before watching it at home. It also places the film among Netflix’s more ambitious theatrical projects.

The trailer is only an early look at the finished film, so viewers will have to wait for the full release to judge how its visual effects, performances and storytelling work together. For now, the divided response shows how strongly audiences feel about the world Lewis created and how much expectation surrounds a new version of it.