Ben Barnes Officially Addresses Netflix's Narnia Reboot & Magician's Nephew Start

Published Nov 3, 2026, 3:41 PM EST Grant Hermanns is a TV News Editor, Interview Host and Reviewer for ScreenRant, having joined the team in early 2021. He got his start in the industry with Moviepilot, followed by working at ComingSoon.net. When not indulging in his love of film/TV, Grant is making his way through his gaming backlog and exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends. EXCLUSIVE: Ben Barnes already has some very glowing thoughts on Narnia: The Magician's Nephew. Barnes memorably got his first major start in the world of acting by starring as Prince Caspian in the aptly-named adaptation of C.S. Lewis' 1951 Chronicles of Narnia sequel, in which he and the Pevensie siblings sought to reclaim the throne of King from his corrupt uncle. He later returned for 2010's The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, in which Caspian, Edmund, Lucy and their cousin Eustace journeyed to save seven lost lords from a mysterious evil entity. After years of attempts to get a fourth film off the ground, the rights for Lewis' franchise eventually returned to his estate and were acquired by Netflix, with Greta Gerwig inking a two-movie deal beginning with Narnia: The Magician's Nephew. Set for a February 2027 release, the new film starts by adapting the first chronological novel, in which young friends Digory and Polly find themselves pulled into an adventure through the multiverse by the former's uncle. On the heels of the first trailer's record-setting release, ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns interviewed Ben Barnes for The Institute season 2, during which the conversation shifted to asking about Netflix's Narnia reboot. The former franchise star beamed as he expressed that "the trailer looks great," and that he is "always a fan of directors who are real visionaries" and who have "clear ideas about what they want to do." Barnes went on to praise Gerwig's decision to start with The Magician's Nephew for her Narnia franchise, calling it a "brilliant idea," and expressing his excitement about the cast she's put together and seeing "what she will do going forward": Ben Barnes: I think she's got a great eye for casting. I loved Emma Mackey in Sex Education, I thought she was brilliant. Obviously, Daniel Craig's brilliant in everything. So, yeah, I'm really excited to see it. Those stories are beautiful, but also, every generation needs to reinterpret things, and pull out of stories what seems visceral and important, and present it in a way that is visually exciting, and I think we can rely on her to do that. Prior to the rights expiring and reverting to Lewis' estate, Walden Media had plans for a fourth Chronicles of Narnia movie adapting the fourth novel, The Silver Chair, with Life of Pi's David Magee set to pen the script for the sequel. However, no casting or directing details were ever made clear about the film, namely whether Will Poulter would reprise his role as Eustace, or Barnes as Caspian, given the novel's Narnia story takes place 70 years after The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and has the character as an older man. Ever since the film's initial announcement, Barnes and the rest of his fellow Chronicles of Narnia co-stars have frequently been asked their thoughts on Netflix's Magician's Nephew reboot, all of which being that of support for the film. In particular, the group all stated their confidence and blessing in Gerwig's vision for the film, with original Susan actor Anna Popplewell recently sharing at Comic Con Brussels that she was thrilled by the different look and style the Oscar winner showcased in the first trailer. Interestingly, one star who only just learned about Narnia: The Magician's Nephew was that of Liam Neeson, voice of Aslan in the Walden Media-produced original trilogy. Presented with the information during a recent interview with ScreenRant, the Oscar nominee expressed surprise at the new film's impending release, though chuckled as he stated that "if you're going to make Christ a lady, nobody better than Meryl [Streep]." Scratch & Peek Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible. With multiple votes of confidence and early excitement from the franchise's original star, longtime fans of the series can hopefully put some similar credence into Gerwig's vision for Narnia: The Magician's Nephew. Plus, with Netflix setting the film as its first true venture into wide theatrical releases and major IMAX showings, the new reboot is certainly shaping up to be as bold and large-scale as its predecessors. Release Date February 12, 2027 Director Greta Gerwig Writers Greta Gerwig Cast David McKenna Digory Kirke Beatrice Campbell Polly Plummer Carey Mulligan Mabel Kirke Adapted from the sixth book in C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia saga, The Magician's Nephew follows the universe-hopping misadventures of Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer as children, long before the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.