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“One Large Humiliation Ritual”: Female Director Hit With Religious Backlash Over Fantasy Adaptation
Greta Gerwig’s reboot of the Narnia franchise is under fire after she revealed an unexpected inspiration for her take on the source material.
C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia novels have previously been adapted into three live-action films, released between 2005 and 2010. After years of languishing in development hell, plans for a new adaptation moved forward when Gerwig joined the project in 2023.
Highlights
- Greta Gerwig’s Narnia reboot is facing backlash over her creative vision.
- A surprising inspiration behind the fantasy adaptation has drawn criticism.
- The reboot earlier stirred controversy among fans over one key casting choice.
Following the critical and commercial success of Gerwig’s Barbie, the Narnia reboot became one of the most anticipated upcoming movies. However, the hype quickly gave way to backlash as audiences reacted to Gerwig’s vision for the reboot.
“This is just one large humiliation ritual,” one person said on X.
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Greta Gerwig reveals unexpected inspiration behind Narnia reboot
On September 17, 2026, Empire magazine unveiled the cover of its September 24 issue, featuring an exclusive first look at Greta Gerwig’s Narnia reboot.
Officially titled Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, the film adapts C. S. Lewis’ 1955 novel of the same name. The first look included a glimpse of Aslan, the talking lion who serves as a central figure in the fictional world of Narnia.
Another image showed Emma Mackey as Jadis alongside child protagonists Digory Kirke (David McKenna) and Polly Plummer (Beatrice Campbell) as they explore the magical land.
Speaking to the publication, Gerwig, who began her career as an actress before becoming a director, discussed the inspirations behind her adaptation beyond Lewis’ best-selling novel.
First look at Greta Gerwig’s ‘NARNIA: THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW’.
In theaters February 12, 2027.https://t.co/2cO9WpDsZWpic.twitter.com/kLcKSbgpp1
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 17, 2026
As she did with Barbie, which became the highest-grossing film directed solely by a woman, she drew inspiration from her love of music.
“I wanted a rock opera. I wanted it to be big and transporting,” she said.
Gerwig explained that while the film wasn’t exactly a musical, her vision drew on British rock music from the ’60s and ’70s, including the work of musicians such as David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and David Gilmour.
“Narnia is literally a world made out of music. It is a world sung to life by Aslan, and rock ’n’ roll to me felt like a world made out of music,” she added.
Narnia reboot draws religious backlash after Greta Gerwig’s comments
On X, the first-look images drew mixed reactions, with some users criticizing the visual aesthetic Gerwig chose for Narnia and Emma Mackey’s appearance as Jadis.
Others were more concerned about Gerwig’s comments, arguing that her vision starkly contrasted with Lewis’ original story, which many interpret as being tied to Christian theology.
In the books, Aslan serves as a messianic figure whose demise and resurrection draw parallels with Jesus Christ. As a result, some users accused Gerwig of misrepresenting the source material, which they viewed as a retelling of the biblical story of Genesis.
“They present to you the metaphor that God/Jesus created the world with a song. And the first thing you think of is rock or David Bowie instead of perhaps the Gospel?” one person asked.
A second person wrote, “Just because Aslan is connected to Jesus doesn’t mean you get to turn Narnia into Jesus Christ Superstar.”
“The sole purpose of this project is to subvert: to hijack something deeply Christian and lobotomize it of its Christianity,” added another.
Despite the religious backlash, several other users noted that while the source material has strong Christian interpretations, it is ultimately a fantasy story.
They also pointed out that while Lewis acknowledged the parallels with Christian theology, he insisted that the books were not allegorical. Instead, he described them as “supposition,” meaning he was imagining what Christianity might look like if its central ideas existed in a different world.
Greta Gerwig explains her decision to cast Meryl Streep in key role
Gerwig’s involvement with the reboot was first reported in July 2023, while casting was underway by January 2025. In early April 2025, the project drew criticism after reports emerged that Meryl Streep was in talks to voice Aslan.
Liam Neeson previously voiced Aslan in the film adaptations. Given the character’s parallels with Jesus, reports of Streep’s casting drew backlash online.
“They’re gender swapping Aslan. Why?” one X user reacted at the time.
Another wrote, “Idiotic casting typical of Hollywood these days.”
Gerwig officially confirmed Streep’s casting in the interview, explaining that she chose the three-time Oscar winner because she considers Streep “one of the greatest actors.”
“I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness.”
Gerwig added that she wanted someone older than 70 to represent the character’s wisdom, but also needed someone “who could communicate depth and pathos” as well as “joy and delight.”
The Magician’s Nephew is scheduled to release in theaters on February 12, 2027, before arriving on Netflix on April 2, 2027.
“This is absolute garbage”: Netizens are divided over Greta Gerwig’s vision for the Narnia reboot
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Bailey 1 hour ago
All there outraged "Christians" need to stop clutching their pearls and actually read the books they are supposedly so upset are being adapted. Lewis used Christianity stories as a base, but he also integrated folklore and myths, as well as making things up himself. The magicians nephew is a prequal to the other books. Aslan is a parallel to Jesus in Witch and the Wardrobe, however this story is more aligned to the book of genesis, with Aslan being like a God, bringing Narnia into existing. There are themes of Genisis, but it is a very different story (plus someone really needs to point out to them that Christians are not the only ones who use the old testimont...)
Becky Samuel 39 minutes ago
We heard the same whiny trashing of the Barbie movie before it released, and for reasons no more sensible.
Bailey 1 hour ago
All there outraged "Christians" need to stop clutching their pearls and actually read the books they are supposedly so upset are being adapted. Lewis used Christianity stories as a base, but he also integrated folklore and myths, as well as making things up himself. The magicians nephew is a prequal to the other books. Aslan is a parallel to Jesus in Witch and the Wardrobe, however this story is more aligned to the book of genesis, with Aslan being like a God, bringing Narnia into existing. There are themes of Genisis, but it is a very different story (plus someone really needs to point out to them that Christians are not the only ones who use the old testimont...)
Becky Samuel 39 minutes ago
We heard the same whiny trashing of the Barbie movie before it released, and for reasons no more sensible.
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