IMAX CEO: Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Is “Not Your Grandmother’s Narnia”, Will Feature Rock-Inspired Music
IMAX held its first Investors Day presentation in New York, where CEO Rich Gelfond shared new details about Netflix and Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew, scheduled for release next November. His most revealing comments centred on the film’s musical direction.
According to Gelfond, Gerwig’s Narnia will feature a contemporary, rock-influenced sound, with artists like Pink Floyd and The Doors cited as examples of the tone fans can expect. The film’s score is being composed by music producer Mark Ronson, who recently worked on Barbie. Producer Amy Pascal made a similar remark in 2024, when she infamously described the project as “all about rock and roll.”
This is a real blockbuster movie that’s being made for [IMAX and Netflix] and you know, I guess I do have to talk a little about why I’m so excited about it. This is not your mother’s or your grandmother‘s Narnia. The music in it is unbelievably contemporary music, which IMAX fans like. I’m not gonna say specifically, but things like Pink Floyd and The Doors. You know that kind of music which people go to see in IMAX.”
Attendees at the in-person event were shown a brief clip from Greta Gerwig, and Gelfond described visiting the enormous Cardington Studios set, where the project is being shot across multiple stages and locations.
The movie itself is being filmed at the largest sound stage in Europe. I went on the set where there were hundreds of people and multiple green screens and it’s filmed at multiple locations. You’re gonna see a clip in a second and if you can’t see how passionate Greta is about it, then you’ll have to wait to see the movie to see how awesome it is.”
Gelfond voiced strong confidence in the project overall, saying that Gerwig’s Narnia film — and IMAX’s partnership with Netflix — is “really going to change the world” and “create a cultural event.”
So this is one where, […] my team has to hold me back. Because I think, as I said before, that it’s really going to change the world. And I know that sounds like a lot of hyperbole, but Greta is making this movie for IMAX, and then fully understands that when word gets out about what this movie is, it’s going to create a cultural event.”
Gelfond also reiterated that The Magician’s Nephew will premiere exclusively in IMAX theatres, a decision he credited directly to Gerwig. The 28-day IMAX-only release window has drawn backlash from rival studios and exhibitors due to Netflix’s reluctance to adopt traditional theatrical runs.
What do you make of Gelfond’s comments? Head over to our Discussion Forum or Discord to break down all the implications!
I don’t know who Pink Floyd and The Doors are, but I DEEPLY dislike the idea of having rock and roll music in Narnia! I can’t conceive of a way in this would make sense. My hopes have been crushed yet again. Are they going to keep ANY of the aesthetic from the books? We already have a huge time change, we don’t need this too!
Man, I was kind of gratified when I heard about the IMAX thing because even though there are no IMAX cinemas near where I live, it’s nice to think of some people somewhere seeing scenes like the collapse of the palace in Charn or the creation of Narnia on as big a screen as possible. But if it means we have to have rock music, I’d rather it was on a small screen.
I am glad to hear that the Narnia movie was mentioned at the IMAX Investors event, because obviously we as fans want Narnia to get attention. And this movie seems like it’s a big investment and opportunity for IMAX. (How their financial deal works is a mystery to me, though.)
However, as it has been said, Netflix normally prioritises their streaming service, and doesn’t like theatrical releases. So I wonder how much the IMAX release will actually make in terms of money. For one thing, it’s going to need to be marketed much more than Knives Out 3. (Netflix’s recent theatrical release.)
As for the music, this is starting to sound a lot like a Gerwig’s Barbie and a lot less like Gerwig’s Little Women. More modern and less period piece. The result is yet to be seen and it could be great. Like, if you’d told me that Walden’s LWW would have electronic beats in the score, I wouldn’t have liked the idea. But it worked just fine, and added something nice to it.
I really dislike the idea of contemporary music being inserted into the film’s score. I’m not all that extra worried about the genre specifically, just any music to me seems like an immersion breaker.
It’s one thing if it’s for England, but I desperately hope there’s none in Narnia itself.
At first I was in high hopes of being able to see the next Narnia in the series. But it appears that they are now going to let Hollywood destroy everything that C.S. Lewis held so dear! That said, no, I will not be watching it on Netflix nor in theaters! I have a better use for my time than to watch something so beloved become perverted by the way of the world.
I can 100 per cent guarantee that Lion Witch Wardobe will feature Nirvana since the timeline pushes it to 1994-5.
Pink Floyd and the doors are a 1960’s band so not exactly modern. They were experimental artists. I actually think that if they can pull this off that it can work. But it’s gonna be a delicate balancing act. If u heard the soundtrack to clair obscur expedition 33 , a fantasy game, it has a balance of modern and contemporary music and it absolutely works. So yeah…..I am nervous but also excited
Why, though? I’d like to know why. Was it really because someone thought it particularly fits Narnia? Or rather, which is more likely, because of someone’s personal preference for rock music, or just trying to be “different” and “subversive”?
And no, it’s not going to change the world, no matter how great a movie it could be. The only chance of it changing the world is IF it’s so terrible and offensive that it starts a cultural revolution with people making clear they are fed up with classics being destroyed.
Featuring a bit of contemporary music here and there, I could abide. The Walden films did the same. But a rock SOUNDTRACK? Are they serious?
This feels a bit too much like the Streep situation but worse because we know it’s actually what they’re doing.
I still don’t get why they keep insisting on being as hip and “fresh” as possible. Do that with an original movie, not an adaptation for a beloved book that’s never been put to film before. It could be just another instance of executives talking things up a little too much, but right now it sounds like they’re letting their egos get in the way of making good art, and I think that attitude runs completely counter to what C.S. Lewis was all about.
I might be persuaded to still give this a chance, but only if we have good reason to believe it will be stellar in other ways.
It’s clear that Greta isn’t making Lewis’s Narnia; she’s making her own version of Narnia. She would have been better off making a post-modern take on elements of the story under a different name where it’s clear than the inspiration has come from Narnia, rather than saying it’s an adaptation of a beloved book.
People need to quit jumping to conclusions. She has never made a bad film. She has also loved Narnia since she was a child. And there have been multiple adaptations of this series; it’s time for a master filmmaker to take some risks with it. People being reactionary about this need to snap out of it. You haven’t seen the movie. Until you do, you cannot credibly judge it. No one really knows anything about the movie; this news, especially the way it is framed on this site, clearly feels designed to provoke a response. Like rage bait. Everyone needs to chill out and wait for the movie to come out.
Those bands listed are your grandmother’s era.
Hey Seth. Glad you’re looking forward to watching the final film — I am too 🙂
Not sure I understand your “rage-bait” comment though… the write-up is just direct quotes from Gelfond with some minor framing to help readers with context. I assure you that none of it was written to provoke a response.
I’d suggest that Gelfond’s comments, though unintended, actually come across as rage-bait on their own. I can’t think of a worse way to talk about a new movie with an existing fanbase than “this isn’t your mother’s _”… I’m sure Netflix and Gerwig would very much like Gelfond to stop talking as he’s clearly only causing PR headaches.
Hope to see you around after the films release to chat all about what we liked/disliked.
I really wish some people would stop mindlessly harping on Narnia fans for having negative responses to this kind of news. They absolutely have a right to be angry; Nothing this guy said screams Narnia. Just said the brand name a few times – and rock music, for some inexorable reason. “Not your grandmother’s Narnia” indicates a lack of respect and interest in the source material. I don’t blame fans one iota for being angry about this.
@Impending Doom, it’s so sad we’ve reached the point where quoting the producers sounds like trying to stir up rage. 🙁
Honestly, for me the only thing I need is that actual trailer/teaser because that itself could provide the context needed to explain the tone of the movie regarding how they are balancing certain factors we have observed being told to us here cause each evidence can be taken in many directions based on how each person interpret it. What Gelfond is saying is his interpretation of how he “as an observer” is seeing the process is going given how he has glimpse over some of the factors, but that interpretations may be different from another person who is observing it. He is the only one currently is basically mention this as the other individuals are very quiet about it. Like a survey, I prefer more inputs than a few to get the scope of things, which leads back to the “wait and see” component where I need context first before acting to it like teaser / trailer.
I know that there are apart of us who are distressed about this so if this information is overstimulating you while there barely information of how it would look like, it best to plug out emotionally speaking. Also, regarding about if how this production isn’t going of the expected “copy and paste” route where it has to exactly align or overlap to the books description setting or tone, it honestly best just AI the books description to animate how the book would look like in live action since we live in a day and age where AI can make the impossible details in the books possible just to ease the emotions.
Like I said and feel when someone adapts something like this, there will be certain things that would have to be adjusted to make sense of the route of storytelling they are making creatively speaking whether through tone and so forth. The expectations of a faithful adaptation is honestly depends on the beholder so discussing what the film “should have been ” is a nice way to cope with the information coming out but it does not resolve of the feeling of uncertainty given that there is no specific and actual, physical thing to grasps and analyze with as a whole.
It’s like what we are getting so far regarding the leaks are only the ingredients to make the “final dish” which is the film. The final dish on the surface based on how it smells or looks is an indicated trailer to tease what can be expected, but the final taste for how good it is depended on the individual to the product itself whether you love the dish as a whole of how the “flavors” are blended or you are picky about the taste cause you already have the pre-cognition to already to not like the product because you have been particular on certain ingredients beforehand.
That why if the dish isn’t finish so I can see and feel it before I taste it, I’m not going to question anything until the final product is done on an emotional perspective of things.
The right way to do Narnia would be to interleave hymn tunes throughout. So basically the opposite of…whatever this is.
@eaci, I thought C. S. Lewis despised hymns. (Of course, he also didn’t really like movies much, so maybe we don’t want to go down that path.)
If this movie stays true to the writings of C S Lewis then great. But if it deviates from the true meaning as the last productions of Narnia then it will fail. Hopefully with Netflix backing it , it will be produced correctly and be a success. I would really like to see all 7 of the books as movies since I’ve read them many times and to my grandchildren.
From Aslan being voiced by an Actress to a rock soundtrack. I’m out! I am officially boycotting these films! Total disrespect of the original source. I hope Netflix and this movie tanks big!
I think many fans of the book series have already known this for a while: we are clearly not their target audience, or maybe we don’t have a place in the audience at all. And if any of this pretentious nonsense has anything to do with the tone or content of the film itself, I should thank Mr. Gelfond for making it even easier to ignore this “cultural event” in the making.
Of course this isn’t your grandmother’s Narnia. This version no longer takes place “when your grandfather was a child.”
The idea of having more contemporary music reminds me too much of the recent A Wrinkle in Time adaptation, where the contemporary music was too distracting.
I still want to hold on to hope, but I’m slowly losing it. Every new piece of information is like a punch to the ribs. I don’t give a damn that Gerwig is making Narnia! I want to see The Magician’s Niece because of Narnia, not because of Greta Gerwig! These pseudo-euphorias about respect for the original are nothing more than eyewash—such assurances were also made in the case of The Witcher and Rings of Power. When I read these pronouncements about the project’s uniqueness, I got the opposite impression. Rock and Roll in Narnia? You might as well replace the Narnian lampost with Sauron’s tower—it also glows! I’m waiting for the film, but my hopes for a good adaptation fade with each new piece of information.
Yuck. Lewis would have a lot to say about this. And it might read a little like That Hideous Strength.
I love Narnia books and all 3 movies they have theirs own special magic into it, I’m tired of people being so square about things and if they are going to modernize it I will embrace it because to be realistic it’s 2025 and nowadays mentally is beyond different, people needs to understand that books are books and movies are movies as long as they are made with quality otherwise don’t do anything, and if this is what it takes to see all 7 books turn into movies and possible spin off and tv series I’ll take it
@holly etchison, you hit the nail on the head. Everyone, this is over.
Mark Ronson is the composer. Epic classical (think Lord of the Rings) was never the direction this was going to go. The musical direction shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who has paid attention to music over the last 25 years.
As for the film itself…I prefer to approach things with an open mind. I’m not particularly worried about it with Gerwig running the movie. It will be different than previous adaptions, but it will likely still be good…and since no one has adapted Magician’s Nephew before, there’s not really anything to compare it to.
No movie is worth stressing out over.
Clive, Prince Caspian didn’t have Calormen – Miraz and his band were Telmarines.
This sounds amazing. Can’t wait to see this film.
Well here we go. Another dumpster fire of a movie. C.S. Lewis would never allow his works to be distorted like this. Its disgusting
The Narnia books changed the world if you get anything from this its because a gifted writer new that modern people would need to see and experience the magical medival writing traditions. Changing the timeline and messing with a time period classic will ruin it. You are way to prideful to take someone else genius and try to make it your own. If you were a genius yourself you would either humbly respect another’s work by honoring their writing OR you would be smart enough to write your own genius work.
I dont want my kids heads turned by your distortion so they have all been reading the truly magnificent works for themselves
My main thought on reading this is to start thinking about where the closest IMAX theater is. I want to see this movie.
As for the music, it can be done well, or it can be done poorly. It makes no sense to prejudge this. What I would find upsetting would be an adaptation by someone who doesn’t understand the story, and I have read nothing that would make me suspect that.
Fantasy is dead. Nothing can be taken seriously anymore. Everything has to be in modern modes of speaking or feature heavy comic relief and sarcasm. Scenes can no longer breathe in movies or video games. Fantasy has just become an aesthetic. Stripped of any true adventurous wonder.
[MODERATED REMOVED] Zero respect for such “creatives”
Whatever I think about the movie’s use of music, I wish they would leave the timeline intact. All the other characters appear as adults in the unadapted films (except The Silver Chair) and so could be brought back for final filming. It would be great to see them again in The Horse and His Boy and The Last Bsttle.
Pink Floyd and the Doors, later 60s, much heavier music than I have ever liked. Pink Floyd is still played regularly (‘The Wall’ anyone?), and each new generation discovers The Doors. But they shouldn’t be discovering these bands or their ilk in Narnia!
And it does NOT fit into the early days of Rock &Roll in the mid 50s.
I have no plans to take out another subscription to Netflix.
Hot take (maybe?)
Imax is cool and all, but I want to see Narnia. I want to be able to watch it for years to come at home. Narnia is home in some sense for me. LWW and PC is what Narnia is to me. I’m actually kinda sad and keep loosing more and more hope that it will stay anywhere close to the books.
I’ve had to adjust my expectations for this movie, but that’s okay. Different does not mean bad.
The creation of Narnia is going to be THE challenge of the film. Slo-motion with ethereal singing is cliche … I am actually more excited about this scene now.
Also, the constant dramatic disparagement from some of Greta’s creativity, technical abilities, or even morals is embarrassing.
The idea of using rock music doesnt really fit the setting of Narnia and why is Aslan a male Lion who supposed to represent Jesus voiced by a female actress? What concerns me is that they are trying to modernise the story and ignore the brilliance of the stories written by CS Lewis himself? I liked some of what Disney done in making the 3 Narnia films but the BBC films are much closer to the orginal storylines. I know they have to have some creative influence so they are not the same as the other films released. Im just worried that this series is going edgy and [MODERATAOR REMOVED]. Which it doesnt need to be, its more likely to put people off from watching it.
This is D.O.A. and I had hoped that they would have taken into consideration the stuff that came before it following the themes. [MODERATOR REMOVED] And it’s unfortunate that we only received 2 good narnian movies and it seems that all we will ever have.
When this film franchise news first broke, I was excited. But the more info released (along with the set pics) and more I read about it the more I’m convinced it’s going to be yet another terrible attempt to bastardize a beloved classic.
Now, I liked Gerwig’s Little Women, it took its own spin on the book but was faithful to the characters and spirit of the story, I’d argue more faithful than previous adaptions that somehow got the characters wrong. But I’m not a fan of some of her other films, because they feel like a statement rather than a story. I’m sorry to see that her take on Narnia seems to be following the latter and not the former.
Perhaps, this will finally prove Andrew Adamson’s good intentions and why fans should have rallied behind that version instead of complaining. Because next to what this is shaping up to be, his films The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe and Prince Caspian are starting to look like the biggest tragedy of a cancelled film franchise ever. Honestly, even the less impressive Dawn Treader seems incredible by comparison.
I will miss Harry Gregson-William’s iconic score that accompanied Disney’s movies. 🙁 To me, fantasy movies have to have that big, orchestra feel. I think it takes you out of this world and connects you into a world where bravery and sacrifice mean more than the latest technology. The Walden Media Narnia movies will always be my favorites when it comes to score, outside of Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit by Warner Bros. Wish we could see that appear in Narnia again.
Not Your Grandmother’s Narnia… a little sprinkle of chronological snobbery, just what Lewis would’ve wanted 🙂
I sense a trailer coming…
One would think that Pink Floyd and The Doors would very literally make it your grandparents’ Narnia. Nearly sixty years ago.
I had high hopes for Magician Nephew, I got soooo excited and couldn’t wait to see it. Every time I hear about a new detail the more I don’t even wanna watch. Aslan is supposed to be male who represents Jesus and now being played by a woman. Yes, Meryl Streep is a very great actress (in my opinion) BUT NOT as Aslan who should ALWAYS be a male. The era is supposed to be in 1880’s or around there because Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is supposed to be around 1940′ with World War 2 looming over them.
I just wanted to say I agree with what Just Jill said about how Gerwig’s Little Women was creative but was also true to the book, more than your average adaptation in some ways, and that it’s too bad her Narnia adaptations don’t seem to be going that route.
I saw this news last night, but needed time to think.
But after some reflection, I am truly disappointed.
I think we may have a 5% chance of an actual faithful adaptation at this point. Literally all of the news that we’ve gotten, most of it has been mostly negative/seemingly disrespectful of the lore/world/author.
Some of it is not confirmed.
Some of it is.
But the reality is, Greta Gerwig is a poor choice for Narnia. I wanted to give it a benefit of the doubt. But the odds are that Greta will make a Greta Gerwig film, with the name “Narnia” stamped on it. But not an actual Narnia film.
I want to be wrong.
I hope I am.
But at this point, I’m seriously reconsidering even seeing it in theaters.
But perhaps, more positive news down the line will change my mind.
But the odds are very much not in our favor.
They are going to ruin Narnia! So sad.
Sigh. And another one bites the dust. This breaks my heart a bit. I’m sure it will have its fans, but boy. This is the exact opposite approach I think a vast majority of fans who love this series would want.
Also, judging by a lot of the comments, I fear this will be the first time in the Narnia fandom we might see some serious in-fighting. Kudos to the admin team, as always, for their passion and kindness.
The whole project sounds terrible and I’m sure Lewis is rolling in his grave. It’s meant to be a slap in the face to anyone who believes in what Lewis believed in.
I think maybe he has gotten criticism from his peers from working on a older children’s book and is trying to hype it. Like, maybe people were telling him because of the success of other Greta Gerwig movies that Narnia was beneath her scope, so he says it’s not your mother’s or grandmother’s Narnia.
But this really hits the wrong way if you had a parent read the books to you as a child.
I do appreciate them talking about their goals for the series because Netflix has been so quiet. I don’t know how one film will change the world but it is good to aim for goals. Rock music is cool in things like Bill and Ted, and electric guitars can make some really unusual sounds. I don’t think it fits Narnia well, but who knows what the composer may actually do with it.
I do want to point out that someone may be trying to offend fans of fantasy on purpose. There’s supposedly a leak that in the new Harry Potter show, that the main villain is going to be portrayed as a woman. This is a bit in the same vein as the Aslan rumor because in HP, Harry’s mom dies trying to sacrifice herself in the place of Harry and this later physically protects him in various ways. The villain basically represents death or Satan in the books with how obsessed he is with destroying lives and trying to make himself immortal and most powerful. So if Netflix makes both Aslan and Voldemort women, basically because of Harry’s mom Lily Potter representing good and Jadis representing the evil Digory brought to Narnia, I’m concerned this will be used to blame women for evil, or depict evil as only a female problem that good women must die to solve. Like, it’s not as much of an issue in Potter because Harry is the one to finally defeat Voldemort in the end, but in Narnia Aslan is the one who chooses to sacrifice himself to save Edmund. I’m not explaining this well because I was awake all night at work, but it is something that I noticed. That if the main depictions of good and evil in stories are all women, it makes it seem that women are responsible for solving everything and blamed when we don’t. But we really all need to work together in defeating evil in our lives, and we can’t just blame the other gender.
I love rock. My favorite artist is Paramore, but I’d be skeptical of having them score the chronicles of Narnia, despite how much I love them.
Maybe we want this to be “pur grandmother’s narnia”. Maybe we love it because it is good, and therefore does not need to be changed.
Maybe we love it because it can be calm, and quiet, and pensive, and thoughtful. And it can have meaning more than it has action.
I told you it was going to be subversive crap [MODERATOR REMOVED] just like with Barbie. I. Called. It. This is coming from an industry which in its current state hates everything about Narnia, from its cast, themes and aesthetics. They were given a story which had not been adapted yet, which someone with a brain would think “we should play it safe and not alienate the guaranteed audience of you know, people who like the book” [MODERATOR REMOVED] and they’re either going to kill this franchise before it gets a sequel, honestly thank the Lord for that too.
I don’t understand what is the problem with my grandma’s Narnia. I find that statement offensive. There is only one Narnia and that is C S Lewis’s Narnia and it is timeless.
I’m a 6th grade teacher in Los Angeles and been reading The Magician’s Nephew and the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe for the last 20 years to my students. I am definitely disappointed with a female playing Aslan, and with the time period being changed, also not sure why they didn’t get a very tall beautiful intimidating woman with black hair to play Jadis. That being said I will give the new movie a genuine opportunity to win my support. I once did a Narnia play with contemporary music and it worked beautifully, so yes it’s possible.
I wonder if Gerwig is treating this as an epic fantasy in the vain of something like Dune. Some Pink Floyd is not far off from that soundtrack, and is certainly “epic”. There are lots of ways to faithfully adapt Narnia. I don’t think this is obviously some big deviation.
Wow. This is severely disappointing. Every time you want to give them a chance, they slap you in the face. This movie will not be Narnia. I don’t think Narnia fans should give this movie their support. I feel like it’s a figurative lure by the White Witch. Wait for a faithful production. Wait for Aslan.
Disney changed Caspian age to set up a romance between Susan and him, Now their going to change the music maybe let C.S.Lewis’s stories be the story they are beautiful. As is the music, family learning and discussing lessons happen stop changing past stories just learn to past them down to the next generation with love and respect for the artists. I know all would love to see them done. Many have been made many have failed. To be perfectly honest out of all the ones I’ve seen BBC has everyone beat even with the puppets and I believe this book is covered in the 4 cd set but on the other hand just read the books they are amazing.
“Evil cannot create. It can only corrupt and pervert.”
The only thing that will really happen here will be a corruption and perversion of the original books. Why are we expecting a wonderful adaptation when most other adaptations these days are terrible, let alone looking at what Netflix does to shows and movies?
Man… this does not sound like it will be good. Narnia does not need updating, and it certainly does not need a rock-music vibe. The disconnect between what makes these books special and what the director wants to put to screen is staggering.