Netflix’s first trailer for Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s The Magician’s Nephew has triggered intense online division, with social media users clashing over its glam rock aesthetic and the decision to soundtrack the fantasy realm with Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.”
The Bottom Line
- Greta Gerwig’s Narnia adaptation kicks off with prequel The Magician’s Nephew rather than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
- The debut trailer relies on a glam rock aesthetic backed by Led Zeppelin, splitting fan opinion sharply across social media platforms like X.
- The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on February 12 before landing on Netflix for streaming subscribers on April 2.
Greta Gerwig Tackles the Narnia Prequel
The cinematic journey into C.S. Lewis’s beloved fantasy universe is taking an unconventional route. While the author famously launched The Chronicles of Narnia series with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 1950 before publishing the prequel The Magician’s Nephew five years later, Gerwig has chosen to arrange the cinematic adaptations in strict chronological order. As noted in reports by The Independent, this means the very first film will adapt the origin story of how Narnia came to be.
Anyone who defends this slop should be ashamed. They have disgraced CS Lewis. His family should be ashamed to sell out like this. Netflix destroys everything that is good.
The stylistic execution of that origin story, however, has proven deeply contentious. Rather than opting for traditional orchestral fantasy scoring typical of past studio iterations, the trailer leans heavily into a distinct glam rock aesthetic. The choice to pair sweeping cosmic visuals with Led Zeppelin’s iconic rock anthem immediately fractured the fandom.
Social Media Clashes Over the Soundtrack Choice
Reactions on X broke down into polarized camps almost immediately after the footage dropped. Detractors slammed the artistic direction as an affront to the source material. One user wrote, “Anyone who defends this slop should be ashamed. They have disgraced C.S. Lewis. His family should be ashamed to sell out like this. Netflix destroys everything that is good.” Another added, “Made by a monster who doesn’t care about source material. Movie looks like crap. Congrats Netflix, another movie that disrespects the source material.”
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Conversely, defenders of the project welcomed the bold creative swing. One user praised the structural choice, writing, “Starting the whole cinematic run with the actual origin story instead of jumping straight back to Wardrobe is the ultimate dream for book purists.” Another defended the director’s vision, noting, “Gerwig is an exceptionally talented film-maker. The aesthetic quality of the trailer is impressive. If all the trailers strike this note, it will be hard for all but the most resolved audiences to resist watching. Personally, I enjoy the cosmic rock aesthetic.”
The Filmmaker’s Vision and Release Timeline
For Gerwig, bringing this specific narrative to the screen represents a deeply personal milestone. In an official statement accompanying the trailer rollout, the filmmaker reflected on discovering the series during childhood and falling in love with the concept of a cosmic lion singing the world of Narnia into existence. “It is the honor of a lifetime to be asked to imagine it into being,” Gerwig stated, expressing gratitude to partners Netflix and IMAX.
Made by a monster who doesn't care about source material. Movie looks like crap. Congrats Netflix, another movie that disrespects the source material. Same company that promoted Cuties so not suprised
| Release Milestone | Date | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Theatrical Debut | February 12 | IMAX and Theaters |
| Streaming Premiere | April 2 | Netflix |
If this initial installment performs well with audiences, Gerwig intends to adapt further novels from the seven-book series. The rollout strategy utilizes a dual-window approach, giving audiences a chance to experience the cosmic rock aesthetic on the big screen before the film arrives on the streaming platform.
