Netflix has released the trailer for Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, a film directed by Greta Gerwig. The project adapts C.S. Lewis' sixth novel in The Chronicles of Narnia series. Following the box office success of Barbie, which earned nearly $1.5 billion, Gerwig selected this specific adaptation for the streaming platform. The trailer is set to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." It features a psychedelic visual style.
Gerwig has stated that she was inspired by 1960s-era David Bowie. She clarified, however, that the film will not be a musical. Beyond this inspiration, she has provided limited public commentary on the production details. The source novel, The Magician's Nephew, was published in 1955. Lewis originally wrote The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in 1950 without plans for further Narnia adventures.
The decision to write the prequel stemmed from an acquaintance's question about how a London lamppost ended up in Narnia's woodland. Lewis found it difficult to complete The Magician's Nephew. He wrote four other books in the series before finishing it. Previous adaptations of the series include a film franchise in the early 2000s that covered the first three novels. Those films experienced diminishing returns. By 2011, the film rights had expired. Initial plans existed to adapt the fourth novel, The Silver Chair, before the rights lapsed.