NEW YORK ‒ Greta Gerwig is bringing a rock ‘n’ roll spirit to “The Chronicles of Narnia.”
In the eye-popping first trailer for “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew” (in theaters Feb. 12, 2027), the “Barbie” filmmaker transports viewers to the fantastical realm of C.S. Lewis’ classic children’s book series, filled with Technicolor pools, verdant canopies and a glittery, Bowie-esque witch named Jadis (Emma Mackey
).In the trailer’s electrifying final moments, children Digory (David McKenna) and Polly (Beatrice Campbell) are introduced to the almighty lion Aslan (voiced by Meryl Streep). Set to the scorching guitar licks of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” the cosmic, nebulous creature quite literally explodes into his fierce mammal form.
Hours before
the trailer debuted online Oct. 13, Gerwig sat down for a conversation with former late-night host Stephen Colbert at the AMC Lincoln Square IMAX theater. She explained why she wanted to introduce the first look at “Narnia” with an iconic Led Zeppelin rock ballad.
"It's this epic song," Gerwig said before an audience of journalists and influencers. Much like this story, "it's about a spiritual journey, the path of enlightenment" and the false paths you can go down.
In the past, the band has famously refused to license "Stairway to Heaven" for movies.
"They had not let it be used for anything," Gerwig explained. But she met with singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page, and "I was so moved that they allowed me to use this song." Not only did they understand "the heart" of the film, but also, "they love C.S. Lewis."
Before the screening, guests were treated to a pre-show playlist of Bowie, the Rolling Stones, and Todd Rundgren − a further taste of the hard-rock and psychedelic sensibilities that Gerwig is infusing into the beloved property.
Published in 1950, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” was technically the first novel in Lewis' seven-book “Narnia” series. “The Magician’s Nephew,” published in 1955, serves as a prequel, which is why Gerwig wanted to start with this installment.
Speaking to Colbert, Gerwig recalled how she first fell in love with the “Narnia” books and BBC miniseries as a young girl. Growing up, she would venture to the back of her parents’ wardrobe in wonderment: “You believe that maybe on the other side is this snow-covered world that needs you.”
When she discovered decades later that Netflix had the rights to “Narnia,” she cornered CEO Ted Sarandos at a party and pitched him on why it’s a story about "good and evil" and the “life and death of the universe." He asked her whether she wanted to adapt “The Magician’s Nephew,” and she started her first draft in 2021.
Colbert teased that he recently saw a cut of the movie, which he praised as both “visually spectacular” and “emotionally overwhelming.” As a writer and director, Gerwig is known for grounding her films in deep empathy for her vividly detailed characters, as seen in “Mistress America,” “Frances Ha” and “Little Women.”
She hopes to bring that same humanity to the friendship between Polly and Digory, which feels both intimate and “as vast as the universe.”
“I only know how to make personal things,” said Gerwig, wearing a silver Aslan pin crafted from the film's celluloid. “If it’s in the heart, it can be huge and it can be small.”
In preparing for the movie, Gerwig said she ate “a lot of Turkish delight” – a nod to the enticing confection in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” But she also tried to understand the “interior life” of Lewis by re-reading his 1955 autobiography “Surprised by Joy” and visiting many of his familiar haunts in England.
Lewis was an influential Christian novelist and scholar, and biblical themes are interwoven throughout the “Narnia” series. Gerwig says that faith has “been a thread through all of my work,” going back to 2017’s “Lady Bird,” which is loosely inspired by her teenage years at a Catholic school.
“Film and faith have always gone hand in hand,” said the four-time Oscar nominee, adding that people congregate at movie theaters in the same way they do churches.
“Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew” co-stars Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan and Ciarán Hinds, with Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt co-composing the score. During production, Gerwig hung a sign over her door reading “a safe space for stupidity,” encouraging her collaborators to bring their “wildest ideas to the fore."
“This book is about creation” and “a lion singing a world to life,” Gerwig said. “You need to give people permission” to use their imaginations – including the audience.
When moviegoers leave the theater, “I hope they want to make something: a song or a cake or a film or a painting,” Gerwig added. “Making something is an act of hope.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Greta Gerwig reveals how she wooed Led Zeppelin for 'Narnia' trailer
