Charli XCX could be antagonizing some Pevensie children on the big screen in 2026.
According to Deadline, the Grammy-winning pop singer is being eyed to join Netflix‘s The Chronicles of Narnia reboot film, which is being written and directed by Greta Gerwig (Barbie). While no deal is in place yet, the role Netflix and Gerwig want Charli XCX to play is none other than Jadis/The White Witch.
The Narnia villain was previously brought to life on the big screen by acclaimed actor Tilda Swinton across Walden Media’s three live-action movies, which adapted the C.S. Lewis novels The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Swinton’s performance as the White Witch came in at #15 on our Top 100 list of the Greatest Disney Villains.
Netflix Has Been Trying to Make a Narnia Movie Since 2018
After Walden Media lost the rights to The Chronicles of Narnia, Netflix signed a deal with The C.S. Lewis Company in 2018 to develop films and television series based on all seven books in the high-fantasy children’s series. Seven years later the streamer still has nothing to show, although not for a lack of trying.
Gerwig has been attached to write and direct at least two Narnia films since late 2022, with her involvement in Netflix’s reboot confirmed in July 2023, following the critical and commercial success of her last directorial effort, Warner Bros.’ Barbie.
There has been no word yet on which Narnia novel Gerwig intends to bring to the big screen, although Jadis/The White Witch is only prominently featured in two books: The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I would bet that Gerwig adapts the former since the latter would instantly be compared to the 2005 Walden Media/Disney adaptation.
Unlike most Netflix movies, Gerwig has successfully managed to secure a two-week IMAX global run in 90 countries across 1,000 auditoriums for her Narnia reboot in advance of the movie’s debut on the streaming service. The untitled Narnia movie will be released in IMAX on Nov. 26, 2026, before streaming on Netflix beginning Dec. 25, 2026.
How do you feel about Charli XCX succeeding Tilda Swinton as the White Witch?
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