English
Liam Neeson has given his full support to Meryl Streep taking on the role of Aslan in the upcoming Netflix film Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. However, the actor admitted he had no idea the project even existed before a journalist told him about it.
Neeson voiced the iconic lion in the original Chronicles of Narnia film trilogy. During a recent interview with ScreenRant, he learned about the new adaptation for the first time. When asked whether he had seen the trailer, Neeson replied simply: “I’m sorry, this is news to me.”
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Neeson Reacts to Streep’s Casting
After ScreenRant informed Neeson that Streep would voice Aslan in the reboot, he responded with good humor. “Meryl is playing Jesus Christ?” he said. “Well, if you’re going to make Christ a lady, nobody better than Meryl.” The comment reflects how Aslan is widely understood as a Christ-like figure in C.S. Lewis’s original stories.
Director Greta Gerwig chose Streep deliberately and carefully. She told Empire magazine that she wanted an actor with deep gravitas but without self-importance. “I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious,” Gerwig said. She also specified that she wanted the actor to be older than 70, bringing wisdom and experience to the role. At the same time, she wanted someone capable of expressing childlike wonder and joy. “That list is not a long one,” she added.
A Bold New Vision for Narnia
Gerwig’s interpretation of Aslan takes a visually striking approach. In this version, the lion has multicolored eyes and a red-striped face. Gerwig cited David Bowie as a key source of inspiration for both the character’s look and the film’s overall tone.
She described the movie as “big and transporting,” comparing its feel to a “rock opera.” That ambition signals a significant departure from the more traditional style of the earlier film series.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew opens in theaters on February 12, 2027. It will then stream on Netflix from April 2, 2027. The film marks Gerwig’s first major fantasy project and brings together a high-profile creative team around one of literature’s most beloved stories.
