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Gerwig’s Narnia Swaps C.S. Lewis for Woke Reinvention

Gerwig’s Narnia Swaps C.S. Lewis for Woke Reinvention

Last updated on: September 19, 2026 at 7:25 pm by Monsignor Eric Barr, STL

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Gerwig’s Narnia Swaps C.S. Lewis for Woke Reinvention 2026-09-19T19:25:10-05:00 Monsignor Eric Barr, STL

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The New Narnia Movie–The Resurrection of ‘Woke’

Everybody has been anxiously awaiting the new Narnia movie–The Magician’s Nephew. We should be ecstatic, but it looks like all we are going to get is The Resurrection of ‘Woke’. As Ricky Ricardo would say, “Lucy, you got some ‘splainin’ to do!” That’s what I’d also say to Greta Gerwig, the Director of the new Chronicles of Narnia movie, “The Magician’s Nephew “.

Let’s hope I’m wrong, but from what I’m seeing and what I’m hearing, I’m not. The director is not just changing a few things from the book; she’s changing a lot. First, the story is supposed to take place at the turn of the century. Greta has moved it up to the 1950s, totally messing up the timeline for all the other books and possible movies. And if you mess up the timeline in the Chronicles of Narnia, you will also mess up the plot.

A Gender-bending ‘Woke’ Aslan

She’s also decided to have a gender-bending Aslan, the Jesus figure in the entire series. Maybe she’ll picture him/her as a lioness with a mane, but for sure she’s having Meryl Streep do Aslan’s voice. Wasn’t Morgan Freeman available, or Liam Neeson, who did the original? Probably they were, but that would not give Greta a chance to make a statement, a ‘woke’ statement. As one might say in corrupted French, “What a four paw!”

She says she wanted an actor over seventy who could convey wisdom, profundity, joy, and childlike wonder, and she regarded Streep as one of the few actors capable of it. She is also explicitly bringing a David Bowie/rock-opera aesthetic to Narnia because Aslan sings the world into existence. If you look at the Empire photo facsimile, the lion has heterochromatic eyes just like Bowie.

Here’s the problem. The author of the books, C. S. Lewis, was very clear that the Lion didn’t just stand for Jesus. In Narnia, Aslan is Jesus Christ and, of course, would be male with a male voice. Lewis would be appalled at what Gerwig is doing. This is a blasphemous slap at all Christians. What if Muhammad was portrayed as female? Do you think Gerwig would get away with that? Absolutely not! Try the same experiment with Muhammad and watch how suddenly Hollywood rediscovers the virtues of religious sensitivity. But apparently it’s OK to do that with our Lord and

Savior Jesus Christ. And what’s going to be most despicable are all the Hollywood elites and movie critics and even probably some famous Christians who will defend this as OK.

Daniel Craig as Uncle Andrew… or Doctor Who?

Daniel Craig is a great actor, but they dress him up as Doctor Who instead of Uncle Andrew from the novel, The Magician’s Nephew. Perhaps we can make a justification for this portrayal of him, but not for the character portrayal of Jadis the White Witch. Emma Mackey portrays the White Witch as a Liza Minnelli knockoff, wearing aluminum scales in a Cabaret outfit. How ludicrous! By doing that, Gerwig changes the character of the witch, who is truly terrifying, who destroyed her whole world, and now wants to do the same to another, namely ours! Greta takes a destroyer of worlds and turns her into cabaret.

The White Witch: “Come to the Cabaret!

The White Witch bursting into song dressed in aluminum scales and boots probably isn’t going to happen. Boots and scales–yes! A musical number–probably not, and that’s unfortunate since the director has already pretty much ruined the movie. Gerwig hasn’t merely adapted Lewis. She seems determined to leave her fingerprints on practically everything she touches. At some point you have to ask: are we still adapting C. S. Lewis, or are we watching Greta Gerwig use C. S. Lewis to make a Greta Gerwig movie?

I don’t think Greta Gerwig can redeem herself after making these humongous mistakes. But what’s even worse is that a wonderful classic novel and series is going to be twisted into a parody of what it is supposed to be: a redemptive story in the midst of a struggle of good against evil. What a shame and what a missed opportunity.

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