Greta Gerwig on Meryl Streep as Aslan in Narnia Film

Director Greta Gerwig revealed her reasons for casting Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan in her upcoming adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.

In an interview with Empire magazine, Gerwig described her search for an actor who possessed "profundity but not pretension," "gravitas but not morose self-seriousness," and the ability to convey "depth and pathos as well as joy and delight." She also sought someone "older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child. And also to be one of the greatest actors to ever do it." Gerwig noted that few actors fit these specific requirements.

Gerwig envisions the adaptation as a rock opera, drawing inspiration from artists like David Bowie and Paul McCartney. "Narnia is literally a world made out of music," Gerwig told the magazine. "It is a world sung to life by Aslan, and rock ’n’ roll to me felt like a world made out of music."

Narnia: The Magician's Nephew is scheduled for theatrical release on Feb. 12, 2027, and will stream on Netflix on April 2, 2027. Streep voices Aslan alongside cast members Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Daniel Craig, David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell.