Despite creating many beloved original series, Netflix still hasn’t found a movie franchise with staying power. Zack Snyder’s attempts, Army of the Dead and Rebel Moon, had no legs. The Knives Out series has enjoyed success, but Netflix only picked up distribution after the first one was a hit. And while The Electric State recently stretched the limits of how much money could be spent on a title, the end result was lambasted by critics and largely ignored by viewers.
Netflix is now betting big on a huge fantasy adaptation that seems strong on paper. It sports legendary source material, a proven blockbuster director, an upcoming theatrical release, and an ever-growing cast of all-stars. Netflix, in fact, seems so serious about its casting process that a tiny role has just been handed to a major star.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Promising Young Woman’s Carey Mulligan is in talks for a role in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series. Unlike the previous Disney movies, which adapted the series in the order it was published, Gerwig is working chronologically, meaning the first of the planned eight movies will be based on The Magician’s Nephew, which Lewis wrote sixth, but is about the founding of Narnia.
Mulligan will reportedly play Mabel Kirke, the mother of young protagonist Digory Kirke. She’s chronically ill, forcing her and Digory to move in with Digory’s uncle, the title magician. She plays a small role in the novel, as her sickness keeps her bedridden, but at the end, Digory brings her a golden apple that cures her. Mabel Kirke was inspired by Lewis’ own mother, who passed when he was young, but gets a happier ending in his writing.
Mulligan joins an already stacked cast including Daniel Craig as Uncle Andrew, Mabel’s brother and the eponymous magician, Meryl Streep as the iconic lion Aslan, and Emma Mackey as Jadis the White Witch. Mulligan is a curiously high-profile actor for such a minor role; maybe she’s just doing Netflix a favor for a quick paycheck, but maybe Gerwig has some revisions to the relatively slim story in mind. Gerwig is currently slated to write and direct the first two Netflix Narnia movies, and they’ll receive an exclusive IMAX release window.
The first movie, just titled Narnia, is scheduled for release in late 2026, so we should see the rest of the cast take shape soon. And if a star as big as Mulligan is on board for a role that more or less consists of lying in bed, there’s no telling who else may be next to sign on.
