Emma Mackey Undergoes a Stunning Transformation as the White Witch in Greta Gerwig’s New Narnia Film

Emma Mackey looks almost unrecognisable in the first trailer for Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated fantasy adventure, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. Best known for Sex Education and Barbie, Mackey takes on the role of Jadis, the powerful figure who will become Narnia’s infamous White Witch.

The newly released trailer offers a first glimpse of Mackey in a dramatic all-white costume, complete with a silver crown, signalling a striking new interpretation of a character previously played by Tilda Swinton in the Chronicles of Narnia film trilogy.

Based on C. S. Lewis’s beloved 1955 novel, the film explores how the magical world of Narnia first came into existence. It is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on February 12, 2027, before streaming on Netflix from April 2, 2027.

What Happens in Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew?

Unlike the familiar story of children discovering Narnia through a wardrobe, The Magician’s Nephew takes audiences back to the origins of the fantasy world, long before the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

The story follows Digory, played by David McKenna, and his neighbour Polly, portrayed by Beatrice Campbell. Their adventure begins when Digory’s uncle Andrew, an amateur magician played by Daniel Craig, gives them a mysterious magical ring.

Andrew believes he has discovered a way to travel between different worlds. The children soon find themselves exploring strange and extraordinary places, including the Wood between the Worlds, which introduces them to the wider magical universe.

The trailer opens with Andrew telling the children, “sometimes one story is the beginning to all the others,” before presenting the ring as the key to their journey.

Although many plot details remain under wraps, the preview establishes the film’s central premise: an adventure that reveals how Narnia began and introduces the forces that will shape its future.

Emma Mackey’s Jadis Offers a New Take on the White Witch

One of the most striking moments in the trailer is the first look at Mackey as Jadis. Dressed in an elaborate white ensemble and wearing a silver crown, the actress cuts a very different figure from her previous screen roles.

Jadis is a pivotal character in the history of Narnia, and the film explores her place in the world’s creation. The role also gives Mackey the opportunity to step into a major fantasy franchise, following her appearance in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.

Tilda Swinton famously portrayed the White Witch in the earlier Chronicles of Narnia films, making Mackey’s interpretation a natural point of interest for audiences familiar with the franchise.

A Star-Studded Cast Led by Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep

Mackey is part of an ensemble that brings together established Hollywood names and two young leads.

David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell play Digory and Polly, while Daniel Craig appears as Uncle Andrew. Carey Mulligan joins the cast as Digory’s mother, Mabel, and Meryl Streep voices Aslan, the great lion at the heart of Narnia’s mythology.

The supporting cast also includes Ciarán Hinds, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough and Susan Wokoma.

With Gerwig directing and adapting Lewis’s story for the screen, the production brings together a high-profile cast for the first film adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew.

Greta Gerwig Brings Narnia’s Origins to the Big Screen

Gerwig, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind Barbie and Little Women, takes on a story that serves as the chronological beginning of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, despite being the sixth book published in the series.

The official synopsis describes the film as a sweeping adventure inviting audiences to experience the creation of Narnia for the first time on screen.

The adaptation marks a new chapter for the franchise, shifting the focus away from the children’s discovery of an already-existing magical kingdom and towards the events that brought that world into being.

For longtime readers, the film offers a chance to revisit the foundations of Lewis’s fantasy universe. For newcomers, it provides an entry point into Narnia’s mythology without requiring prior knowledge of the earlier films.

When Will Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew Be Released?

Netflix has confirmed that Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will arrive in cinemas on February 12, 2027, followed by its Netflix debut on April 2, 2027. The film will also have IMAX-only preview screenings beginning on February 10, 2027.

With Mackey’s dramatic transformation as Jadis, Daniel Craig’s role as the magician Uncle Andrew and Meryl Streep voicing Aslan, the film is shaping up to be a major new interpretation of Lewis’s classic fantasy.

The first trailer offers only a glimpse of the adventure ahead, but it has already introduced audiences to a different side of Narnia — one that explores the origins of its magic, the arrival of its future White Witch and the beginnings of a world that has captivated readers for generations.