
Carey Mulligan in talks for key role in Greta Gerwig's Narnia movie
The 39-year-old actress is currently in talks to portray the ill mother of Digory Kirke, one of the two child protagonists in the fantasy tale, The Hollywood Reporter has said.
If she signs on to the movie, Mulligan will be joining a star-studded cast for Netflix's 'Narnia' film, which could include Meryl Streep as lion Aslan the Great, Daniel Craig as Digory's uncle and Emma Mackey as Jadis the White Witch.
Although Craig has been attached to the role of Digory's uncle, The Hollywood Reporter has said conversations are at a 'super early' stage, and the former 'James Bond' actor has not officially signed on yet.
Meanwhile, Mackey reportedly bested Charli xcx and Margaret Qualley for the role of the White Witch, both of whom had also been in contention for the part.
While 'Narnia' has attracted plenty of A-list talent, Netflix are currently searching for young actors to portray Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer.
The 'Narnia' movie will reportedly be an adaptation of author C.S. Lewis' 1955 novel 'The Magician's Nephew', which follows two children who stumble into strange worlds through magical rings and witness the creation of Narnia.
Along the way, they awaken an evil queen and must grapple with choices that shape entire realms.
As well as directing the movie, Gerwig, 41, is also set to write the screenplay.
Meanwhile, Mark Gordon, Amy Pascal and Vincent Sieber are to produce the picture.
In 2018, Netflix announced it would be making a new movie adaptation of Lewis' fantasy series of the same name, and signed Gerwig to direct the project two years later.
While updates on the 'Narnia' flick have been slow since then, it was recently reported that Gerwig had successfully convinced Netflix to give her film an extended run on IMAX screens globally on Thanksgiving Day 2026 (26.11.26) ahead of its release to Netflix on Christmas Day (25.12.26).
As well as an adaptation of 'The Magician's Nephew', Gerwig is also set to write and direct another project based on the fantasy series.
In a profile in The New Yorker, the 'Barbie' filmmaker said: 'It would have to be something that has some strange hook in me, that feels like it goes to the marrow.'
After it was confirmed Gerwig would be helming 'Narnia', the director said she had a reverence for the series, and wanted to treat Lewis' work with care.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, she said: 'I'm slightly in the place of terror because I really do have such reverence for 'Narnia'.
'I loved 'Narnia' so much as a child, [and] as an adult, C.S. Lewis as a thinker and a writer. I'm intimidated by doing this. It's something that feels like a worthy thing to be intimidated by.
'As a non-British person, I feel a particular sense of wanting to do it correctly … it's like when Americans do Shakespeare, there's a slight feeling of reverence and as if maybe we should treat it with extra care. It is not our countryman.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
New Netflix doco reignites co-stars' secret feud
For years, it seemed like Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper, who starred as trainers on The Biggest Loser for 12 seasons, shared an unbreakable bond onscreen. But, there was a different story unfolding behind the scenes. The dynamic duo took viewers by storm with their individual, unique way of coaching contestants on the beloved-turned-controversial NBC show between 2004 and 2013. While Michaels was known to give tough-love, Harper showed a much softer approach. Though their onscreen chemistry was undoubtedly a driving force for the show, things took an unexpected turn circa 2013. According to claims made in Netflix's explosive docuseries, Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, Michaels allegedly broke show rules by distributing caffeine pills to contestants. Shortly after the show's premiere last week, Michaels – who did not participate in the documentary – took to social media to refute this particular claim, plus many more. 'Here is an email chain with @bobharper – the Biggest Loser's producers – @drhuizenga's guy … who stayed on set with us and distributed the fat burners about which 'fat burners' / caffeine pills to purchase the contestants,' she wrote on Instagram, alongside screenshots of alleged emails from 2009. Michaels said this 'one email of many' shows that, 'Dr. Huizenga did approve caffeine pills on many seasons of Biggest Loser. Bob Harper not only knew about the caffeine pills, the 'stackers fat burner' were actually his suggestion.' Additionally, said Michaels, 'Caffeine was NEVER banned on The Biggest Loser. ' 'Wild how some folks still lie like it's 1985 before texts and email were a thing,' she added. When asked by The Guardian during a recent interview if he was involved in handing out caffeine pills, Harper said, 'Absolutely not.' Despite the onscreen camaraderie, Harper seemed to have lost touch with his TV partner after Michaels resigned from the show in 2014. Michaels claimed she resigned after former contestant Rachel Frederickson's dramatic weight loss during the season 15 finale caused a wave of concern. Less than three years later, Harper suffered a 'widowmaker' heart attack due to an undiagnosed genetic issue. The ordeal left him clinically dead. 'It was one of the hardest things I've ever gone through. I was dead on the gym floor for nine minutes,' he recalled in the documentary. In the documentary, Harper claimed Michaels seemed to have ghosted him and their friendship. 'How do I put this? People were always like 'You and Jillian have been so close', and I was like, 'Well, we were really close on television,'' he said. 'After I had my heart attack, she's the one person I never heard from. So, I mean, that to me spoke volumes.' 'We weren't besties, but we were partners on a television show for a very long time,' he told The Guardian. 'I would not expect Jillian Michaels to do anything other than what she wants to do,' he added. Responding to Harper's claims that she never reached out to him, Michaels shared an alleged screenshot of a text message she sent him in 2014. 'And, the last image is my second to last text ever to Bob Harper. Take from it what you will,' she wrote, alongside a screenshot of the alleged text. 'I really think it's s***ty of you to not even respond to my texts. It's this kind of thing that always makes me so disappointed my our [SIC] relationship,' the text message read. Shortly after Harper's heart attack, Michaels opened up to E! about what she believed to have been contributing factors and alluded to having lost touch. 'Knowing a little bit about Bob, I know that he does have a family history of it. I was there when he lost his mother to a heart attack – with him the night that she died. So there is a family history. 'I do also think that, you know, you're in the middle of a CrossFit workout and you're eating Paleo, it's not going to help … Personally, I'm not pro-Paleo. Everyone can just go crazy on me.' 'It's not a great combination with poor genetics,' she told us of his diet and CrossFit routine. 'Not that he has poor genetics, but if you have heart disease in your family …' she trailed off. Representatives for Harper and Michaels did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi welcome first child via adoption
Los Angeles: Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi adopted a daughter, the first child for the married couple, this American summer, they announced on Thursday (Friday AEST). 'We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy,' the couple wrote in a social media statement. No further details were released. Brown, 21, and Bongiovi, 23, were married in a private ceremony in May 2024. Representatives for Brown and Bongiovi did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment. Brown gained recognition for her starring role as Eleven in the Duffer brothers' sci-fi series Stranger Things. The fifth and final season will air this November and December, a culmination of nine years of the show's production. The British actor has pursued other acting and business ventures in that time, including the Netflix original Enola Holmes films and a Godzilla film. She even released a romance book in 2023. Bongiovi is the son of Jon Bon Jovi, founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi. Bongiovi debuted his own acting career as the star in Rockbottom, which released last year. Brown stressed the importance of family during the 2024 premiere of her Netflix film Damsel, where Bongiovi and his parents were in attendance. 'I'm just so lucky that they're here tonight and it just means so much to me,' Brown told The Associated Press then.

The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi welcome first child via adoption
Los Angeles: Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi adopted a daughter, the first child for the married couple, this American summer, they announced on Thursday (Friday AEST). 'We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy,' the couple wrote in a social media statement. No further details were released. Brown, 21, and Bongiovi, 23, were married in a private ceremony in May 2024. Representatives for Brown and Bongiovi did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment. Brown gained recognition for her starring role as Eleven in the Duffer brothers' sci-fi series Stranger Things. The fifth and final season will air this November and December, a culmination of nine years of the show's production. The British actor has pursued other acting and business ventures in that time, including the Netflix original Enola Holmes films and a Godzilla film. She even released a romance book in 2023. Bongiovi is the son of Jon Bon Jovi, founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi. Bongiovi debuted his own acting career as the star in Rockbottom, which released last year. Brown stressed the importance of family during the 2024 premiere of her Netflix film Damsel, where Bongiovi and his parents were in attendance. 'I'm just so lucky that they're here tonight and it just means so much to me,' Brown told The Associated Press then.