Liam Neeson, who voiced Aslan in all three Walden Media Narnia films, has learned on camera that Meryl Streep is taking over the lion in Greta Gerwig’s The Magician’s Nephew. According to IGN, he didn’t know the film was being made at all, and his deadpan response has gone viral.
In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant, Neeson was asked whether he’d seen the new trailer. He answered that it was news to him. When the interviewer told him Streep was voicing Aslan, he asked whether she was “playing Jesus Christ”, then decided that if the studio was going to make Christ a lady, nobody was better suited than Meryl. IGN reports he followed it with a broad smile. ScreenRant’s clip of the exchange is where most people have seen it.
Neeson’s Christ reference isn’t a stretch. Aslan is widely read as a Christ allegory in C.S. Lewis’s books, which sacrifices himself and returns, and that reading is why Streep’s casting has stirred such strong opinions. The reaction online has split too: IGN notes some viewers took Neeson’s smile as forced, while others praised him for handling the surprise diplomatically.
There’s also a personal angle. NarniaWeb notes that Neeson and Streep starred together in the 1996 film Before and After and have stayed close friends. That may explain why his answer lands as a compliment rather than a complaint.
For the film itself, Streep’s role is now official. Deadline reports she will voice Aslan after months of rumour, and the first trailer, set to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”, shows the lion forming out of cosmic dust. Netflix says the film opens in theatres on February 12 and arrives on Netflix on April 2, and its Tudum page lists Emma Mackey, Daniel Craig and Streep among the cast. The film was originally due over Thanksgiving weekend 2026 before it moved to its wide theatrical release in February 2027.
When does Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew come out?
Netflix lists a theatrical release on February 12, 2027, followed by streaming on April 2. Check local cinema listings for your market, as we haven’t seen confirmed regional dates.
Who else is in the cast?
Netflix’s Tudum page names newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell alongside Emma Mackey, Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep. Greta Gerwig wrote and directed the film.
