Greta Gerwig's reboot of "The Chronicles of Narnia" could become the most expensive film in Netflix's history. According to journalist and insider Matthew Belloni, the production budget for "Narnia: The Magician's Nephew" has already exceeded $320 million.
Currently, the record among Netflix projects belongs to the Russo brothers' "The Electric State" starring Chris Pratt. The film's production, by various estimates, cost the service approximately $320 million. This is followed by Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman" with a budget of about $225 million, as well as "Red Notice" and "The Gray Man," each costing Netflix approximately $200 million. Against this backdrop, the new "Narnia" is approaching the level of full-fledged mega-blockbusters like Disney's biggest projects.
If we consider production budgets without accounting for marketing and associated costs, Gerwig's film will be alongside "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Fast & Furious 10," whose production budgets are usually estimated at approximately $325 million and $340 million respectively. However, the actual costs for such blockbusters are often significantly higher due to marketing, reshoots, and production delays, which can add hundreds of millions of dollars to the project's cost.
Against this backdrop, it becomes clearer why Netflix decided for the first time to give the film a full global theatrical release. It was previously announced that "Narnia: The Magician's Nephew" will be released in cinemas on February 12, 2027, and will have a 49-day theatrical window before its streaming release. The company likely hopes to at least partially recoup such massive investments through theatrical box office receipts.
The film is based on C.S. Lewis's book "The Magician's Nephew." It is a prequel to the entire series, telling the story of Narnia's creation and Aslan's origin. However, the adaptation's setting, according to leaks, will be moved from the Victorian era to the 1950s.
The cast includes Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, and Meryl Streep, who is rumored to voice Aslan. The main child roles are played by David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell. The music for the film is being written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who previously worked with Gerwig on "Barbie."