2006’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ succeeded thanks to the sheer star power of its cast and a sharp script from Aline Brosh McKenna that spotlighted workplace comedy in the rarified air of a luxury fashion magazine. So what does that world look like these days? As you might expect, struggling legacy media, the rise of AI and our main characters reflecting on changed circumstances in their lives. But can it channel the charisma of the original?
With McKenna once again drawing (even more loosely this time from Lauren Weisberger’s original source novel), the screenplay has plenty of Miranda Priestly Zingers and some –– pun entirely intended –– blunt putdowns. And while the story feels rushed in places, it at least has something on its mind beyond the fashion world.
David Frankel, meanwhile, does a workmanlike job on keeping things (mostly) light and fun, and the new movie feels of a piece with the original.
Though Hathaway’s Andy can still come across a little bland, the actor’s innate charm helps keep her watchable. But we all know we’re here for Streep, Tucci and Blunt, and they certainly deliver.
Around the main foursome, the supporting cast is solid –– Rachel Bloom steals scenes as Andy’s book publisher pal, while Justin Theroux is good value as billionaire, Benji Barnes, Emily’s current beau.
Though it occasionally falls into the trap of rehashing old storylines (perhaps that’s a nod to the cycling of fashion trends) and rarely rises above the level of serviceable sequel, this second visit with Miranda, Andy and the rest still offers plenty for fans who have wanted to see these characters back on screens.
Twenty years on, Miranda (Meryl Streep), Andy (Anne Hathaway), Emily (Emily Blunt) and Nigel (Stanley Tucci) return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine.
Pixar has had a rough go of it for a few years, with the legendary Disney-owned animation studio not only still suffering from the box office aftermath of COVID but also dealing with some quality control issues. Yet the new Pixar original feature, ‘Hoppers,’ feels like the most fun the studio has had in a long time.
Dizzyingly paced (sometimes too much so), full of heart and warmth, often laugh-out-loud funny, and gorgeous to look at, ‘Hoppers’ doesn’t always work and is a little too long and frenetic, but it’s still a joyful entry from this fabled company and a visual treat. It feels in a way like Pixar getting a little weirder and crazier, but still retaining its signature style.
Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda) is a 19-year-old animal lover who is constantly getting in trouble for freeing animals from her college, Beaverton University. She’s also trying to get signatures on a petition to stop the construction of a new freeway spearheaded by Beaverton mayor Jerry Generazzo. The final portion of the beltway is slated to plow right through a serene, peaceful, wildlife-filled glade and pond where Mabel has gone for years – until recently with her late grandmother – to find calm and tranquility as the world fills her with rage and despair.
When Mabel learns that her college professor (Kathy Najimy) has created a technology that allows human minds to ‘hop’ into robotic animals, she seizes the opportunity by hopping into a robot beaver and heading for the glade, where she is able to communicate with the other animals – including the well-meaning but naïve beaver ruler, King George (Bobby Moynihan) and rally them to fight back against the mayor and his plan. But even as Mabel and George learn to trust each other, other species of animals are plotting a far more ruthless way to deal with the human threat to their habitat.
‘Hoppers’ packs a lot into its 105-minute runtime – almost too much at some points. Its moments of quiet reflection and beauty (most of them in flashbacks to Mabel and her grandmother sitting in the glade) are often left in the dust by the frenetic, busy-busy style of modern animation that seemingly dominates even a stylistic giant like Pixar. But much of it is also quite hilarious as well – particularly in Mabel’s interactions with the other animals and the dynamics between the various species – and that hectic pace also helps the film move along at a steady clip that rarely drags.
It’s also, in the end, quite poignant. There is an obvious environmental message here, but more importantly, there is a running theme of intelligent, empathetic beings of all kinds – whether they’re humans or animals – learning to have faith in and cooperate with each other, even if their goals are vastly different at first. Mayor Jerry is not necessarily the bad guy here (although to be sure, there is also a megalomaniacal villain who amounts to little more than a brat throwing a major tantrum), anymore than Mabel is a perfect heroine. Seeing things through other’s eyes, suggests ‘Hoppers,’ allows us to better understand each other and find ways to work together.
All this is set amidst top-shelf Pixar designs and animation, which bring the animals (real and robotic), the humans, and the setting to three-dimensional, textured, wonderfully detailed life. Yes, the film can be overstuffed (particularly during the third act, which throws a lot at the viewer), but this is a world that viewers of all ages will enjoy spending time in.
Director Daniel Chong balances lesser-known voices and comedic actors here with the presence of luminaries like Meryl Streep and Jon Hamm. Streep’s work amounts to not much more than an extended cameo, while Hamm does his slick best as the ambitious yet not entirely heartless mayor of Beaverton. Also notable are Dave Franco as Titus, the future (and bad-tempered) Insect King, and Kathy Najimy as the kindly Dr. Sam.
Yet it’s Piper Curda and Bobby Moynihan who carry most of the film as Mabel and King George, respectively, and their voices display charisma, comic timing, and plenty of warmth. As a character, Mabel is perhaps unevenly drawn (no pun intended), not quite negotiating her traits of compassion and anger, but Curda still gives her personality, energy and empathy. Moynihan does the same with George, as the beaver evolves from somewhat of a guileless figurehead into a staunch, courageous defender of his world.
As ‘Hoppers’ races toward its conclusion, there’s that sense we mentioned that the filmmakers are throwing everything they can think of into the story – almost losing control of it in the process. But luckily it all comes together in an ending that’s sweet, relevant, and important. And what comes in the previous 95 minutes or so offers a lot to relish as well.
Most importantly, ‘Hoppers’ shows that Pixar itself is still capable of generating new, original animated stories – especially in an era where corporations like Disney are more and more reliant on revisiting proven IP (Pixar’s next release, after all, is ‘Toy Story 5’). Whatever its flaws, ‘Hoppers’ is wildly imaginative, emotionally rich, and thematically powerful – and we’re glad that Pixar can still deliver that.
Animal lover Mabel uses a new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. Once in the animal world, Mabel rallies species of all kinds to face smooth-talking local mayor Jerry Generazzo, whose planned freeway may destroy their habitat.
With David Frankel back as director and writer Aline Brosh McKenna once again working from Lauren Weisberger’s novel source, it’ll be interesting to see how the characters have moved forward in the (gulp) 20 years since the first film.
The first movie saw the ambitious yet occasionally overwhelmed Andy Sachs (Hathaway) taking on the role of junior assistant to the powerful Miranda Priestly (Streep), editor-in-chief of a high-profile fashion magazine.
The sequel follows Priestly as she navigates her career amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing and as she faces off against Blunt’s character, now a high-powered executive for a luxury group with advertising dollars that Priestly desperately needs.
From the looks of the trailer, Priestly is just as imperious as ever –– but is her attitude towards everyone just her usual shade or is she struggling with memory issues?
When will ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ be in cinemas?
(L to R) Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5. Photo: Disney/Patrick Harbron.
Launching on Hulu on September 9th with the first three episodes (seven more debut once weekly), ‘Only Murders in the Building’ returns for a fifth season of mysterious death, quirky characters and, this time at least, the intersection of old mob ways with New York’s modern powerbrokers.
Steve Martin in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5. Photo: Disney/Patrick Harbron.
For the last few years, ‘Only Murders in the Building’ has been a reliable provider of murder mystery mixed with the vaudeville comedy of Steve Martin and Martin Short, plus a side of eye-rolling millennial reactions from Selena Gomez. The combination has worked extremely well, providing confounding cases and lots of laughs.
The question is, however, does the fifth season do enough to differentiate itself from what has gone before, or should we be happy that we’re getting more of the same if it’s still entertaining?
Script and Direction
Renée Zellweger in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5. Photo: Disney/Patrick Harbron.
There remains a lot to like about ‘Only Murders’ –– the scripts remain witty and the central mystery thorny –– in this case, the death of longtime doorman Lester (Teddy Coluca).
Yet there are some problems with the season this time around –– it’s just not as fresh as it usually feels. The new characters are fine, but compared to previous examples of guest casting, they just don’t have the same amount of zing.
The show’s direction remains on point –– but with the focus on the Arconia once more (even given some new locations discovered), there’s only so much you can do to keep it interesting.
Cast and Performances
Christoph Waltz in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5. Photo: Disney/Patrick Harbron.
Martin, Short and Gomez are still great in the lead roles; the issue is that much of what they get to do here is a variation on previous work.
Naturally, Martin has some funny physical business, Short gets to be extra in all ways, and Gomez is still the best at a blend of vulnerability and heart, plus her ability to side-eye her older companions.
Of the new faces this year, Logan Lerman makes the most impact as a young billionaire, while the likes of Christoph Waltz and Renée Zellweger don’t get as much to, but have fun with their roles.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Selena Gomez and Logan Lerman in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5. Photo: Disney/Patrick Harbron.
‘Only Murders in the Building’ is definitely starting to show its age –– the concept only has so much flexibility in it.
It’s still a very fun show to watch, but its best days may now be behind it.
‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5 receives 65 out of 100.
Tea Leoni in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5. Photo: Disney/Patrick Harbron.
What’s the plot of ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5?
After their beloved doorman, Lester (Teddy Coluca), dies under suspicious circumstances, Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) refuse to believe it was an accident. Their investigation plunges them into the shadowy corners of New York and beyond — where the trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters, and the mysterious residents of the Arconia.
The trio discovers a deeper divide between their storied city they thought they knew and the new New York evolving around them — one where the old mob fights to hold on as newer, even more dangerous players emerge.
Who stars in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5?
And on the returning side of things, two more cast members from the original movie will be back: Tracie Thoms, will reprise her part as Lily, the handbag-loving best friend of Hathaway’s Andy Sachs, and Tibor Feldman is on to once again play Irv Ravitz, the chairman of Runway’s parent company Elias-Clark.
(L to R) Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Adapted by Aline Brosh McKenna from Lauren Weisberger’s novel and directed by David Frankel, the original follows Andy Sachs (Hathaway), a recent journalism graduate who moves to New York City and lands a job as a junior assistant to Miranda Priestly (Streep), the powerful and demanding editor-in-chief of high-fashion magazine Runway, with Blunt as Emily, Priestly’s primary aide.
Andy initially struggles with the high-pressure environment and Miranda’s relentless demands but gradually adapts, gaining confidence and style. As she becomes more involved in her work, she faces personal challenges, including a strained relationship with her boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier), and ethical dilemmas about the fashion industry’s values.
The movie was a hit, earning close to $125 million in the US and more than $326 million worldwide. Streep was nominated for an Oscar along with costume designer Patricia Field.
What would the new movie be about?
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in 2006’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada .’
With the cast all back for this one, the sequel’s plot would reportedly pick up the story with Priestly still the head of Runway, but the magazine has endured the financial headwinds of contemporary publishing and is in a diminished state.
Blunt’s one-time assistant would now be an executive at a luxury brand conglomerate that advertises with Runway.
Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Grenier won’t be back, but we do know that Branagh will be playing Miranda Priestly’s husband, which as anyone who has seen the first film knows, is not an easy gig given the hard-charging, perfectionist character’s style.
Behind the scenes, McKenna has written the new script and Frankel is once again calling the shots.
What else is happening in the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ world?
Anne Hathaway in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
In addition to the sequel, a musical adaptation with an original score by Elton John, is playing in London’s West End.
Novak’s work has been more behind the scenes of late, though he did have a role in TV series ‘Poker Face’ this year, and he’s a contributor to a documentary about comedian Mitch Hedberg.
Kenneth Branagh is the first new addition to the cast of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’.
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci are all back for the sequel.
Writer Aline Brosh McKenna and director David Frankel are also returning.
The last time we reported on the sequel to 2006 comedy drama ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ it was still lurking in development, without a full commitment from the cast to return.
As per the Instagram post below, the sequel is now in production, meaning that it’ll be on screens next year, just in time for the 20th anniversary of the original.
(L to R) Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Adapted by Aline Brosh McKenna from Lauren Weisberger’s novel and directed by David Frankel, the original follows Andy Sachs (Hathaway), a recent journalism graduate who moves to New York City and lands a job as a junior assistant to Miranda Priestly (Streep), the powerful and demanding editor-in-chief of high-fashion magazine Runway, with Blunt as Emily, Priestly’s primary aide.
Andy initially struggles with the high-pressure environment and Miranda’s relentless demands but gradually adapts, gaining confidence and style. As she becomes more involved in her work, she faces personal challenges, including a strained relationship with her boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier), and ethical dilemmas about the fashion industry’s values.
The movie was a hit, earning close to $125 million in the US and more than $326 million worldwide. Streep was nominated for an Oscar along with costume designer Patricia Field.
What would the new movie be about?
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in 2006’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada .’
With the cast all back for this one, the sequel’s plot would reportedly pick up the story with Priestly still the head of Runway, but the magazine has endured the financial headwinds of contemporary publishing and is in a diminished state.
Blunt’s one-time assistant would now be an executive at a luxury brand conglomerate that advertises with Runway.
Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Grenier won’t be back, but we do know that Branagh will be playing Miranda Priestly’s husband, which as anyone who has seen the first film knows, is not an easy gig given the hard-charging, perfectionist character’s style.
Behind the scenes, McKenna has written the new script and Frankel is once again calling the shots.
What else is happening in the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ world?
Anne Hathaway in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
In addition to the sequel, a musical adaptation with an original score by Elton John, is playing in London’s West End.
That one follows an airman whose reconnaissance mission over Soviet territory goes awry, forcing him to crash-land and survive in Russian wilderness while evading capture or rescue.
It also stars Ryan Reynolds and Maria Bakalova, and is reportedly going to be released in September, though there has been little promotion for it so far.
Finally, there is a movie, currently called ‘Atonement’ (which may change given the slightly well known 2008 drama), which sees a troubled marine seeking to reconcile with the survivors of an Iraqi family he and his unit fired on back in 2003, that one, with Reed Van Dyk in the director’s chair, is in pre-production.
When will ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ be in theaters?
The sequel is currently scheduled for a May 1st, 2026 release, which should make fans of the original, who have anticipated a follow-up, happy.
(L to R) Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Disney and Marvel have shifted the release dates for the next two ‘Avengers’ movies.
‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ are moving from their May slots to December premieres.
Dates for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘The Dog Stars’ were also confirmed.
Turns out, making two giant ‘Avengers’ movies back to back is going to take a little longer than originally thought.
Disney and Marvel have announced that the next two team-up films from the comic book behemoth are now set to arrive a little later in theaters than originally planned –– ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is shifting from a planned May 5th, 2026 slot to December 18th, 2026.
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Likewise, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ will now decamp from a May 5th, 2027 release date to –– you guessed it! –– December 18th that year.
Clearly, directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo have decided the new movies will require some more work than they figured. Which honestly, is no bad thing –– better to wait and get it right in the hopes of an ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’-level success, than pump out something quickly.
The sprawling cast for at least the first movie (we’re expecting several to appear in both) was first announced in a viral video Marvel put online showing director’s chairs with the actor’s names on them.
Simu Liu will return as Shang-Chi, a character who really has deserved a sequel before now. And Danny Ramirez, who was introduced as Joaquim Torres in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and reprised the role in February’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ will show up as the new Falcon.
Finally, because you can’t really have ‘Doomsday’ without Doom, Robert Downey Jr. is making his big MCU return, this time playing classic ‘Fantastic Four’ villain Doctor Doom.
We’re sure more cast will be announced before ‘Doomsday’ arrives, but Disney has more time to get the message out.
“We’re very close with Kevin [Feige] and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars,’ so this one made sense.
What other movie release dates were announced?
Director James Cameron at D23 2024 presenting ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo: Disney.
In a Thanos-like snap, three Marvel dates have disappeared from the calendar completely. The place holders for February 13th, 2026, November 6th, 2026, and November 5, 2027, have all been removed from Disney’s calendar, pointing towards the result of Marvel’s commitment to quality over quantity.
It wasn’t all Marvel changes –– Disney also confirmed the dates for some of the movies headed our way via its 20th Century Studios, including Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic thriller ‘The Dog Stars,’ starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin. That one will be released on March 27th, 2026.
Then there is sequel ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ which will see the return of Meryl Streep‘s imperious magazine editor Miranda Priestly as she navigates the challenges of the declining print industry. The comedy drama sequel is due on May 1st, 2026.
From the sounds of it, Mulligan is close to signing on, and she’d be the latest high-profile piece of casting, which is hardly surprising given Gerwig’s post-‘Barbie’ clout.
2005’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
In case the various film and TV adaptations have passed you by (the TV series was largely on the BBC in the UK, but the movies were big fantasy productions by 20th Century Fox in an era when studios were looking to capitalize on the success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’), the ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ is a series of seven books by British author C.S. Lewis.
Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals.
It narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of the Narnian world. Except in ‘The Horse and His Boy,’ the protagonists are all children from the real world who are magically transported to Narnia, where they are sometimes called upon by Aslan to protect Narnia from evil. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ to its eventual destruction in ‘The Last Battle.’
Possibly the most famous tome in the set (and the one more normally adapted) is ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’
Then there’s Jadis, she’s a nasty sort known for freezing Narnia in an endless winter (where Christmas never comes –– boo! hiss!) and turning her enemies into statues. She’s the main antagonist of both ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ and ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.’ And in ‘Nephew,’ the young central characters accidentally unleash the dangerous sorceress upon early 20th century London.
What’s the story of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie?
‘Barbie’ Director/Writer Greta Gerwig attends a Photo Call at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Photo Credit: Caroline McCredie Photography.
Gerwig’s movie will adapt the sixth novel in the ‘Narnia’ series, the aforementioned ‘The Magician’s Nephew,’ which chronologically takes place first in the series. The novel tells the origin of Narnia and is centered on youngsters Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, who discover the magical world through Digory’s uncle’s magic.
Daniel Craig has been in talks to play Uncle Andrew, while Charli XCX had been linked to potentially playing Jadis –– the role that Emma Mackey has since landed.
Mulligan will play the very sick mother of Digory, while Meryl Streep is on board to voice Aslan, the heroic, magical lion of the books.
If Gerwig’s first ‘Narnia’ movie is a success, she may end up adapting the others.
The biggest development for the movie before casting started was that Gerwig had managed to swing an exclusive two-week Imax global run in 90 countries across 1,000 auditoriums in advance of the movie’s drop on Netflix.
That’s pretty much unheard of in terms of Netflix releases, which has been loathed to give even its biggest talents more than a cursory theatrical release, mostly preferring to drive subscribers to its servers. So it’s a big vote of confidence in the writer/director (but then, again, when you’ve made a billion-dollar hit like ‘Barbie,’ you can make other things happen.)
Mulligan has enjoyed a successful career on screens big and small, following her one-two punch of a BBC series based on of Charles Dickens’ ‘Bleak House’ and Jane Austen movie adaptation of ‘Pride & Prejudice.’
Mulligan has also enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with filmmaker Emerald Fennell since starring in ‘Promising Young Woman,’ popping up in a memorable role in the director’s ‘Saltburn.’
Coming up, she has animated adventure ‘Wildwood’ and a key role in the second season of Netflix comedy drama series ‘Beef.’
And further ahead, in more of a developmental state, is war drama ‘On the Other Side’ and ‘An Uncivil War,’ in which Mulligan would play journalist and social activist Gloria Steinem.
When will Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie be on screens?
Narnia will release in Imax on Thanksgiving Day 2026, so November 26th and debut on Netflix on Christmas Day 2026.
(L to R) Tilda Swinton and Skandar Keynes in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’ Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ Franchise:
(Left) Emma Mackey in season 1 of ‘Sex Education’. Photo: Jon Hall/Netflix. (Right) Tilda Swinton as the White Witch in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’. Photo: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Preview:
Emma Mackey will be Jadis, ‘Narnia’s White Witch.
Greta Gerwig is directing the movie.
The movie has scored a rare theatrical release from Netflix for 2026.
Like the titular kingdom itself, details on the ‘Narnia’ movie planned by Greta Gerwig are slowly starting to drip out, as the information freeze begins to thaw.
It’s the first properly confirmed –– if not officially announced yet –– piece of casting, but there have been plenty of rumors in the past; the likes of Natalie Portman, Daisy Ridley, Brie Larson, and Selena Gomez have all shown interest in Gerwig’s project, and the director talked to recent ‘Anora’ Oscar winner Mikey Madison about a role.
2005’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
In case the various film and TV adaptations have passed you by (the TV series was largely on the BBC in the UK, but the movies were big fantasy productions by 20th Century Fox in an era when studios were looking to capitalize on the success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’), the ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ is a series of seven books by British author C.S. Lewis.
Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals.
It narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of the Narnian world. Except in ‘The Horse and His Boy,’ the protagonists are all children from the real world who are magically transported to Narnia, where they are sometimes called upon by Aslan to protect Narnia from evil. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ to its eventual destruction in ‘The Last Battle.’
Possibly the most famous tome in the set (and the one more normally adapted) is ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’
As for Jadis, she’s a nasty sort known for freezing Narnia in an endless winter (where Christmas never comes –– boo! hiss! etc.), and turning her enemies into statues. She’s the main antagonist of both ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ and ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.’
What’s the story of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie?
‘Barbie’ Director/Writer Greta Gerwig attends a Photo Call at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Photo Credit: Caroline McCredie Photography.
Gerwig’s movie will adapt the sixth novel in the ‘Narnia’ series, the aforementioned ‘The Magician’s Nephew,’ which chronologically takes place first in the series. The novel tells the origin of Narnia and is centered on youngsters Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, who discover the magical world through Digory’s uncle’s magic.
If Gerwig’s first ‘Narnia’ movie is a success, she may end up adapting the others.
The biggest development for the movie before casting started was that Gerwig had managed to swing an exclusive two-week Imax global run in 90 countries across 1,000 auditoriums in advance of the movie’s drop on Netflix.
That’s pretty much unheard of in terms of Netflix releases, which has been loathed to give even its biggest talents more than a cursory theatrical release, mostly preferring to drive subscribers to its servers. So it’s a big vote of confidence in the writer/director (but then, again, when you’ve made ‘Barbie,’ it buys you some clout.)
Where else have we seen Emma Mackey?
Emma Mackey in season 1 of ‘Sex Education’. Photo: Jon Hall/Netflix.
Mackey, as mentioned before, broke out big playing Maeve Wiley in ‘Sex Education,’ which was a big hit on Netflix and ran between 2019 and 2023.
Since then, she’s exploded into the movie sphere, with the likes of ‘Death on the Nile’ and Emily.
But perhaps most pertinent to this latest job is her role as one of the Barbies in Gerwig’s 2023 smash hit named for the doll.
Coming up, Mackey has indie dramas ‘Hot Milk’ and ‘Alpha’ and will also be seen in James L. Brooks’ new political comedy ‘Ella McCay,’ playing the title character.
(Left) Meryl Streep at the 90th Academy Awards. Photo: Ross Costanza Photography. (Right) Aslan from 2005’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
Preview:
Meryl Streep is reportedly in talks to voice Aslan for the new ‘Narnia’ movie.
Greta Gerwig is directing the first of potentially two movies.
Daniel Craig and singer Charli XCX have been rumored for the cast.
When you make ‘Barbie,’ a movie that is as financially successful, award-rewarded and zeitgeisty enough to both dominate the pop cultural consciousness and spawn a portmanteau name with a wildly different film (that would be “Barbenheimer, with fellow summer 2023 release ‘Oppenheimer’), you can, at least as far as the studio system allows, make what you want.
So it has proved with writer/director Greta Gerwig, who decided that she’d parlay her ‘Barbie’ triumph into pushing forward with the two ‘Narnia’ movies that she’d agreed to make for Netflix even before ‘Barbie’ was a thing, with the streaming service having announced plans in 2018 to adapt C.S. Lewis’ fantasy tomes ‘The Chronicles of Narnia.’
Her first (more details below) has now clearly reached the casting stage, and according to Nexus Point News (with confirmation arriving via Deadline) no lesser actor than Meryl Streep is in talks to play Aslan the Great.
Aslan is the lion character (usually male, but who wouldn’t want Streep to take it on?) who acts as a wise guide to the human characters, and famously at one point sacrifices their life for the good of Narnia (not least because the entire saga is a honking great Christian metaphor, with Aslan essentially a furry Jesus).
Deadline cautions that Streep’s negotiations have yet to reach the offer stage, so she may not end up in the role.
But she joins a list of rumored actors that grows more eclectic and interesting by the day. While the likes of Natalie Portman, Daisy Ridley, Brie Larson, and Selena Gomez have all shown interest in Gerwig’s project, and the director talked to recent ‘Anora’ Oscar winner Mikey Madison about a role, the closest pair discussed so far have been Daniel Craig and singer Charli XCX.
Nothing is set in stone (table –– little in-joke for the Narnimaniacs) yet, but it certainly appears to be moving along.
What are the ‘Narnia’ novels?
2005’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
In case the various film and TV adaptations have passed you by (the TV series was largely on the BBC in the UK, but the movies were big fantasy productions by 20th Century Fox in an era when studios were looking to capitalize on the success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’), the ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ is a series of seven books by British author Lewis.
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Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals.
It narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of the Narnian world. Except in ‘The Horse and His Boy,’ the protagonists are all children from the real world who are magically transported to Narnia, where they are sometimes called upon by Aslan to protect Narnia from evil. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ to its eventual destruction in ‘The Last Battle.’
What’s the story of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie?
‘Barbie’ Director/Writer Greta Gerwig attends a Photo Call at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Photo Credit: Caroline McCredie Photography.
According to Nexus Point News, Gerwig’s movie will adapt the sixth novel in the ‘Narnia’ series, the aforementioned ‘The Magician’s Nephew,’ which chronologically takes place first in the series. The novel tells the origin of Narnia and is centered on youngsters Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, who discover the magical world through Digory’s uncle’s magic.
Craig, per Deadline, has been in talks to play Uncle Andrew, while Charli XCX has been linked to potentially playing antagonist Jadis, The White Witch.
The biggest development for the movie before casting started was that Gerwig had managed to swing an exclusive two-week Imax global run in 90 countries across 1,000 auditoriums in advance of the movie’s drop on Netflix.
That’s pretty much unheard of in terms of Netflix releases, which has been loathed to give even its biggest talents more than a cursory theatrical release, mostly preferring to drive subscribers to its servers. So it’s a big vote of confidence in the writer/director (but then, again, when you’ve made ‘Barbie,’ it buys you some clout.)
So, when will Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie be on screens?
Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Tour, Sydney Australia 2023. Photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Contact: jade.perry@nbcuni.com.
Narnia will release in Imax on Thanksgiving Day 2026, so November 26th and debut on Netflix on Christmas Day 2026.
In its current slot, it’ll follow another popular book adaptation, this time the latest prequel to Suzanne Collins ‘Hunger Games’ series, ‘Sunshine on the Reaping,’ due on November 20th that year. Around the same time is an untitled Warner Bros. movie and the usual Thanksgiving release for a Disney animated title, which lands on November 25th.
Let the battle for screens commence!
(L to R) Tilda Swinton and Skandar Keynes in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’ Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ Franchise:
