Should Christians Be Concerned About Netflix and Greta Gerwig’s “Rock n’ Roll’, Gender-Swapping Chronicles of Narnia Adaptations?
For many Christians, The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis are cherished and beloved stories that thrill with their imaginative fantasy and edify with their deep theological foundation. Despite initial excitement toward the announcement that Netflix is rebooting movie adaptations of the stories (beginning with The Magician’s Nephew in 2027), that optimism has been tested by surprising rumors about the new vision for Narnia and, more specifically, for Aslan. This week, as the marketing campaign for the new films begins to roll out, many of those rumors have now been confirmed.
With initial images of the production releasing online, a reveal of the new title font, and a focus piece in Empire magazine, fans now have a better picture of what to expect from director Greta Gerwig’s radically divergent new vision. With declarations of a “rock n’ roll” tone inspired by David Bowie, and that Aslan will now be voiced by a woman (actress Meryl Steep), many Christians and fans of C. S. Lewis’ timeless stories are understandably concerned.
Final judgement of Greta Gerwig’s bold and unexpected vision should be reserved until after audiences have had the opportunity to see the story on the big screen next year, but there are several elements of the initial reveal that point toward an adaptation that seems increasingly unlikely to be faithful to the theological heart of Lewis’ books.
Check out our discussion below breaking down the recent revelations, and why Christians have reason to be concerned.
