Adapting C.S. Lewis’ beloved children’s book series The Chronicles of Narnia is no easy task, and certainly one that’s primed for some online controversy.

So it’s probably no surprise that the trailer (below) for Netflix‘s adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew — chronologically the first novel in Lewis’ seven-book series — is getting some strong reactions on social media.

The adaptation was already receiving some early pushback among conservative media figures before the trailer dropped given that the Christian allegory is being adapted by Barbie writer-director Greta Gerwig, who also made the sacrilegious-to-some decision to cast Meryl Streep as the voice of the franchise’s Jesus-figure, Aslan.

Now the Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew trailer has dropped in all its glittery glam rock glory, set to the tune of Led Zeppelin’s famously difficult-to-license “Stairway to Heaven,” and reactions are all over the place.

The most common pushback concerns the trailer’s psychedelic space-rock visuals, with many comparing the project to a Marvel movie. Some quips from the official YouTube video and across Reddit and X: “Narnia: Rangarok,” “They managed to Thor: Love & Thunder Narnia,” “Guardians of Narnia’s Galaxy,” “Aslan the Lion will return in Avengers: Doomsday.”

Many said they loved the trailer and that it surpassed their expectations.

“The trailer for The Magician’s Nephew is, hands down, the best trailer I’ve seen in years. They’re definitely leaning into the pagan side of Narnia.” Another: “Man people were preemptively fuming over this one but I recognize just about every scene and every line [from the book]. Looks to be a very faithful adaptation with a sort of rock opera twist.” And: “Greta Gerwig going full ‘Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal/Labyrinth + Chris Columbus’ Harry Potter + Led Zeppelin + blockbuster budget’ was not on my bingo card, but it looks fantastic.”

Some agreed that they liked the trailer — just not as a Narnia adaptation.

“Visually stunning trailer but nothing really jumped out to me indicating that this is a Narnia movie,” wrote one. And: “This might be the most conflicted I’ve ever felt about a trailer. It looks dope af and honestly like it’s going to have this ethereal awestruck quality to it. I just wish it wasn’t Narnia she was doing this with.”

Others just wholesale bagged on the trailer.

“Who’d have ever guessed that giving a legendary, beloved book series like The Chronicles of Narnia to modern Hollywood would result in a bizarre, disastrous fever dream interpretation with some of the worst looking CGI backgrounds ever put on film?” And: “This is a prime example of how something can lose its soul to CGI overuse …The visuals of Netflix’s butchering of Narnia literally looks like it was made with AI.” And: “I am extremely unimpressed. This is not Narnia. This is Thor: Love and Thunder and Barbie had a baby. They make the boy a coward, they make the girl the adventurer, and Aslan is supposed to be the pinnacle of masculinity.”

The cast includes David McKenna, Beatrice Campbell, Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, with Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough and Susan Wokoma. Netflix will release Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew in theaters and Imax on Feb. 12, 2027.

EXCLUSIVE: The Black List has named the six writers and projects chosen for its 2026 Writers Lab. They are Elton de Almeida (A Mark of Kin), Yasmin DeWinter (Guillaume), Scott Leddy (Nightwatch), Marcelle Pallais (One Last Summer), Alexander Seltzer and Kyle Jutkiewicz (Depths) and Emma Taylor Stock (Denial).

The program, now in its 13th year, provides creative mentorship and professional support to promising feature writers as they further develop their selected project during a weeklong workshop in Ojai, CA.

The Black List’s Annual Lab program supports two distinct cohorts: writers and filmmakers. The Writers Lab focuses on developing feature scripts to be sold in the studio system and/or used as voice samples. The Projects Lab, which will be announced in November, offers writer-directors the chance to develop a screenplay that they intend to direct.

During the Lab, each writer will develop their screenplay through peer workshops and one-on-one sessions with working professional screenwriters, including returning mentors Travis Braun (One Night Only), Stephany Folsom (Toy Story 4, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power), Katie Silberman (Set It Up, Don’t Worry Darling), Victoria Strouse (Seekers of Infintie Love, Finding Dory) and Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey, Bumblebee).

Black List Annual Lab alumna Savion Einstein (A Cuban Girl’s Guide To Tea and Tomorrow) will also join as a session mentor. After the lab concludes, the writers cohort will participate in a yearlong support program involving monthly meetings with screenwriters, agents, managers, producers, and executives.

“We’re excited to welcome the latest cohort of screenwriters to the Black List Lab fold. At a time when the industry can seem particularly challenging and harder than ever to break into, we’re thrilled to be able to support projects that make us excited to go to the movies. These writers are bringing distinctive voices, bold points of view, and stories that deserve to be heard to the Lab and we’re privileged to be able to give them space to take risks, challenge themselves, and build community with other writers, in Ojai and beyond,” said Megan Halpern, Black List SVP.

Submissions for the 2027 Labs are now open on the Black List website.

Previous Black List Lab alumni include Claire Ayoub (Empire Waist), Minhal Baig (We Grown Now), Tom Dean (Carolina, Caroline), Gia Gordon (Law and Order), Danny Hogan (The Pitt), Jimmy Keyrouz (Broken Keys), Dagny Looper (The Resort), Alexandra Qin (ThirstyGirl), Michelle Steffes (For When You Get Lost), and Jason Young (The Magic Flute).

Learn more about the 2026 Writers Lab projects, and the creatives behind them, below.

2026 Writers Lab Projects:

Elton de Almeida – A MARK OF KIN

Haunted by her family’s tragic past, a cunning scammer seeks revenge on the uncle who abandoned her decades ago — only to be trapped by a demonic curse that feeds off her bloodline.

Yasmin DeWinter – GUILLAUME

Paris, 1898. Two American brothers walk into a brothel. The others pulls a knife. Within the hour, they owe a madam five thousand francs they don’t have. Their ship sails at dawn. The elder just had a seizure in a piss-soaked allegy – and if anyone finds out, he loses his wife, his childen, and his name.

Scott Leddy – NIGHTWATCH

In the midst of an apparent nuclear attack on NATO and the US, a communications blackout with the President places the Defense Secretary in the hot seat on America’s Doomsday Plane, but with the minutes ticking down, a comms expert discovers an anomaly that could change everything.

Marcelle Pallais – ONE LAST SUMMER

A restless, sharp-witted teen aching for meaning and adventure escapes to a wealthy beach town, only to be pulled toward a charming boy and his family’s deadly secret. Adapted from NORTHANGER ABBEY by Jane Austen.