Liam Neeson, the voice of Aslan in the original Walden Media trilogy of The Chronicles of Narnia, was recently surprised to learn that Greta Gerwig is rebooting the franchise—and that Meryl Streep has been cast to take over his iconic role.
The discovery occurred during a press tour for Neeson’s upcoming film, The Mongoose. When asked by ScreenRant about the new production, Neeson admitted he had been completely in the dark regarding the Netflix project. “This is news to me,” Neeson said, reacting to the revelation of Streep’s involvement.
Despite his surprise, Neeson offered an endorsement of Streep’s casting, specifically referencing the character’s well-known status as a Christ-analogue in C.S. Lewis’s literature. “If you’re going to make Christ a lady, nobody better than Meryl,” Neeson remarked, according to reporting from World of Reel.
The upcoming film, titled Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, marks a significant stylistic departure for the franchise. Director Greta Gerwig has described her vision for the project as a “rock opera” style production.
While Neeson was unaware of the film’s progress, the project has been in development for several years.
The production features a star-studded ensemble alongside Streep. The confirmed cast includes Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, and Beatrice Campbell. The film is currently positioned as one of Netflix’s most ambitious theatrical and streaming ventures to date.
According to UNILAD, the release schedule for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is already set. The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters for a wide release on February 12, 2027, followed by its debut on the Netflix streaming platform on April 2, 2027.
Neeson’s original portrayal of Aslan spanned three films between 2005 and 2010, including The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. His “real-time” discovery of the reboot highlights the scale of Gerwig’s new direction, which moves away from the traditional fantasy aesthetics of the previous films in favor of a more stylized, musical approach.
