Director Greta Gerwig recently revealed how she secured one of rock music’s most heavily guarded tracks for the first official trailer of her upcoming film, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. During a special trailer presentation hosted by Stephen Colbert at the AMC Lincoln Square IMAX theater in New York City, Gerwig explained the process behind obtaining permission to use Led Zeppelin’s iconic 1971 classic, “Stairway to Heaven.”
Securing the track was a major coup. Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant and Jimmy Page have historically been extremely reluctant to license their music for movies and television shows. According to Gerwig, she personally met with both musicians to present her vision for the adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ 1955 fantasy prequel.
“They did it because they saw the heart in the story,” Gerwig shared with the audience. She noted that the legendary artists understood her deep-rooted appreciation for the original source material. Both Gerwig and Colbert agreed that the track fit the cinematic preview seamlessly. The director pointed out that the song’s thematic elements mirror the spiritual journey and profound choices faced by characters in the story.
The Creative Vision Behind Netflix’s Narnia Adaptation
The newly released trailer offers fans their first substantial look at the creation of Narnia, long before the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The footage opens in London before transitioning into a vibrant fantasy world where children discover realities beyond their own. The cast features David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell as young explorers Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer. They star alongside Daniel Craig as Digory’s eccentric Uncle Andrew, Emma Mackey as the future White Witch Jadis, and Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan.
Gerwig recalled that her fascination with C.S. Lewis’ universe began in her childhood. She was specifically captivated by the imagery of a cosmic lion singing the world into existence. When she initially approached Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos about the project, she emphasized her commitment to theatrical presentation. Sarandos ultimately encouraged her to approach the project with cinematic grandeur, telling her to “make the movie for the biggest screen you can imagine.”
Theatrical Release and Streaming Schedule
Netflix is rolling out Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew with a unique distribution strategy, marking its biggest theatrical release plan to date. The fantasy epic is scheduled to arrive in IMAX and traditional theaters worldwide on February 12, 2027. Exclusive IMAX sneak previews will kick off two days earlier on February 10.
Following a 49-day exclusive theatrical window, the movie will make its streaming debut on Netflix globally starting April 2, 2027. The production features an original musical score composed by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who are reuniting with Gerwig following their collaborative work on the box-office phenomenon Barbie.
