The best adaptations don’t just retell; they argue, they add, they breathe. Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew has signaled its intent with a deceptively small casting note: newcomer Avar Jager has joined the film as “Polly’s sister 3.” A minor role on paper, but a major clue in practice.
In C.S. Lewis’s 1955 novel, Polly’s family barely exists beyond a line or two. They’re scaffolding, not characters. By giving Polly siblings—by naming them, even—Gerwig is already expanding the domestic world that shapes her heroine. It’s not spectacle; it’s groundwork.
Why a Sister Matters
Gerwig’s films have always been about the ecosystems women grow up in—messy, tender, defining. Lady Bird, Little Women, Barbie: each one insists that the private world is as dramatic as the public one. So when she adds sisters to Polly’s household, she’s not padding runtime. She’s reframing the leap into Narnia.
Instead of escaping a blank backdrop, Polly will be leaving behind a textured, lived-in reality. That makes her journey into the Wood Between the Worlds more than a plot device. It becomes a choice, weighted with relationships and consequences.
A Cast That Feels Like Family
This detail sits atop a foundation that’s already formidable. Emma Mackey, Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan, and Meryl Streep (voicing Aslan) form a cast that could headline three different prestige dramas. The reunions are telling: Mackey returns after Barbie, Streep after Little Women. Gerwig is building not just a cast, but a trusted creative circle.
Craig’s involvement is especially tantalizing. He’s an actor who can radiate menace and fragility in the same breath. If he is Uncle Andrew—the bumbling magician who sets the story in motion—it’s a role that could tilt darker, stranger, more tragic than past versions.
Resetting the Franchise
The original Narnia films—The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Prince Caspian (2008), Voyager of the Dawn Treader (2010)—earned nearly $1.6 billion worldwide. But momentum fizzled. By starting with The Magician’s Nephew, the creation story of Narnia itself, Gerwig isn’t continuing a franchise. She’s rebooting its DNA.
This is the cosmic origin: the birth of Aslan’s world, the planting of the lamppost, the first clash between innocence and corruption. It’s myth, not sequel. And in Gerwig’s hands, myth is never abstract—it’s personal.
The Small Threads That Make Worlds Real
Fantasy lives or dies on detail. Lewis wrote with fable-like speed; Gerwig slows down, asking: who is Polly before she touches magic? What does her ordinary world look like, and what does she risk by leaving it?
That’s why a sister matters. Because the leap from one world to another only resonates if we understand both. By fleshing out Polly’s home, Gerwig isn’t betraying the book—she’s excavating its silences.
The Road to Release
Produced by Amy Pascal, Mark Gordon, and Vincent Sieber, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is set for a theatrical release on November 26, 2026, before streaming on Netflix. Circle the date. This isn’t just another fantasy revival; it’s a filmmaker with a point of view reshaping a beloved myth.
A sister may seem like a footnote. But it’s often the smallest, most human threads that make a fantasy world breathe.
What You Should Know About Gerwig’s Narnia
- The Newcomer’s Role: Avar Jager joins as “Polly’s sister 3,” expanding the heroine’s domestic world beyond the novel’s margins.
- A Trusted Circle: Emma Mackey and Meryl Streep reunite with Gerwig, signaling a collaborative, actor-driven environment.
- Prequel Advantage: By adapting The Magician’s Nephew, the film resets the franchise with Narnia’s creation story.
- Theatrical First: Confirmed for a big-screen release on November 26, 2026, before heading to Netflix.
FAQ
Is Gerwig changing the story of The Magician’s Nephew?
Not changing—expanding. Adding Polly’s sisters deepens her social world, a move consistent with Gerwig’s focus on relationships.
Why start with The Magician’s Nephew instead of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe?
It’s the genesis story. Beginning here gives Gerwig a clean slate, free from direct comparison to the earlier films.
What does Daniel Craig’s casting suggest?
Craig’s intensity hints at a Narnia that won’t shy away from darker edges beneath the wonder.
Will this connect to the old Narnia films?
No. This is a fresh adaptation, with a new cast and creative team, designed for a new generation.
