{"id":52934,"date":"2026-10-15T10:49:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T14:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=52934"},"modified":"2026-10-15T10:49:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T14:49:14","slug":"greta-gerwig-unveils-narnia-trailer-opens-up-about-c-s-lewis-christian-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/10\/greta-gerwig-unveils-narnia-trailer-opens-up-about-c-s-lewis-christian-faith.html","title":{"rendered":"Greta Gerwig Unveils \u2018Narnia\u2019 Trailer, Opens Up About C.S. Lewis\u2019 Christian Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_52937\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52937\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2026\/10\/Narnia-02_credit-Netflix-YouTube-Inset-DFree-Shutterstock.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52937\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2026\/10\/Narnia-02_credit-Netflix-YouTube-Inset-DFree-Shutterstock.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52937\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Netflix \/ YouTube | Inset: DFree \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Director Greta Gerwig is bringing The Chronicles of Narnia back to the big screen, saying C.S. Lewis\u2019 Christian faith and imagination played an important role in bringing the beloved fantasy world to life.<\/p>\n<p>The Barbie director unveiled the first trailer for Netflix\u2019s upcoming film, Narnia: The Magician\u2019s Nephew, at a special IMAX event in New York City, underscoring the news with a discussion of her lifelong connection to Lewis\u2019 books and the spiritual themes behind them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t remember a time when I didn\u2019t know the books,\u201d Gerwig told Colbert, describing the stories as \u201ca part of the DNA of who I am. \u2026 These books created me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The trailer offered audiences their first look at Gerwig\u2019s vision of Narnia, including the young adventurers Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, the evil White Witch and the magical world that has captivated generations of readers.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gDJ-ini7fF0?si=RDblQbsPrGgTj8-i\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>One of the trailer\u2019s biggest moments came near the end. The outline of Aslan, the great lion who represents Jesus Christ in Lewis\u2019 stories, appeared before the children.<\/p>\n<p>Gerwig said her love for Narnia began in childhood. Growing up without a television, she recalled her parents making an exception so she could watch the BBC\u2019s adaptation of Lewis\u2019 books.<\/p>\n<p>That childhood fascination became a major filmmaking project in 2020, when Gerwig began writing the screenplay and drew inspiration from passages in Lewis\u2019 books that gave her \u201cchills.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt started from my complete love of these books,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n<p>Gerwig also immersed herself in Lewis\u2019 Christian writings, including Mere Christianity and Surprised by Joy, his spiritual autobiography.<\/p>\n<p>She also traveled to Oxford, Cambridge and Belfast, Northern Ireland, to better understand the man whose faith shaped the world of Narnia.<\/p>\n<p>When Colbert asked about the influence of Christianity on her filmmaking, Gerwig recalled singing in her church choir as a child.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFilm and faith have always gone hand in hand,\u201d she said, reflecting on the importance of community in both her personal life and creative work.<\/p>\n<p>Lewis, who died in 1963, remains one of Christianity\u2019s most influential writers. His seven-book Chronicles of Narnia series is celebrated for its biblical symbolism, particularly Aslan, whose character reflects the sacrifice, resurrection and divine authority of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n<p>The Magician\u2019s Nephew explores the creation of Narnia and the entrance of evil into its world. It gives Gerwig an opportunity to introduce audiences to the spiritual foundations of Lewis\u2019 fictional universe.<\/p>\n<p>However, the upcoming adaptation has already <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/09\/meryl-streep-as-aslan-sparks-christian-backlash-over-netflixs-narnia.html\">sparked controversy<\/a> among some Christian fans over reports that Meryl Streep will voice Aslan, with critics arguing that casting a woman as the Christ-like lion could weaken the character\u2019s theological symbolism.<\/p>\n<p>The families of Lewis\u2019 stepsons, David and Douglas Gresham, defended Gerwig and praised her commitment to the original stories.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHer lifelong love of C.S. Lewis is apparent to everyone involved with this film,\u201d the families said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the debate, Gerwig hopes the film will preserve the wonder that made Lewis\u2019 books so meaningful to her.<\/p>\n<p>She wants audiences to \u201claugh, cry, feel like they\u2019ve been on an epic adventure\u201d and leave inspired by the experience.<\/p>\n<p>Narnia: The Magician\u2019s Nephew is scheduled to begin IMAX previews on February 10, 2027, before opening in theaters on February 12 and arriving on Netflix on April 2.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Director Greta Gerwig is bringing The Chronicles of Narnia back to the big screen, saying C.S. Lewis\u2019 Christian faith and imagination played an important role in bringing the beloved fantasy world to life. The Barbie director unveiled the first trailer for Netflix\u2019s upcoming film, Narnia: The Magician\u2019s Nephew, at a special IMAX event in New&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":52937,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Greta Gerwig Unveils \u2018Narnia\u2019 Trailer, Opens Up About C.S. Lewis\u2019 Christian Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Greta Gerwig reveals how C.S. 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