The White Witch has arrived in Narnia. Actor Emma Mackey is reteaming with Greta Gerwig after Barbie to play the evil queen in the upcoming adaptation of CS Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia books backed by Netflix.
Reportedly based on the sixth Narnia book The Magician’s Nephew, Gerwig will be writing as well directing the upcoming film. Mackey is taking over the baton from Tilda Swinton who played the iconic character in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). She is set to join Meryl Streep, who is in negotiations to play Aslan, the lion who is Narnia's guardian and guide for the entire community who reside in it. Earlier, Margaret Qualley was in talks to star as the White Witch.
The White Witch's real name is Jadis, is the main antagonist for The Magician's Nephew and the beloved Narnia book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She turns her enemies into statues and is infamous for putting Narnia in an eternal winter. The film is scheduled to debut in theatres on Thanksgiving Day in 2026 for two weeks before its OTT run—a rare move for the streamer—following Gerwig's request.
Gerwig, whose Barbie broke box office records in 2023, has been attached to the Narnia project since 2020 after earning critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for Lady Bird. Netflix acquired the rights to the beloved fantasy series in 2018 and aims to turn it into a major franchise.
Emma Mackey, widely recognized for her role in Netflix’s Sex Education, has secured major parts in several upcoming projects. She stars alongside Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega in JJ Abrams’ upcoming Warner Bros. feature, appears in Julia Ducournau’s Alpha—set to premiere at next month’s Cannes Film Festival—and takes on the lead role in James L. Brooks’ comedy Ella McCay, arriving in theaters on December 12.