Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ Is Reportedly in Deep Trouble at Netflix: Brutal Test Screening, Emergency Reshoots and a Studio Scrambling to Save Its Biggest Bet
Few fantasy properties carry as much weight as C.S. Lewis’s Narnia. Netflix acquired the rights to the books back in 2018, and it has spent years building toward a new screen version. Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’ is the centerpiece of that plan.
The stakes are enormous. It is Gerwig’s first film since ‘Barbie’, and Netflix is giving it a full wide theatrical release in IMAX and standard theaters, a first for the streamer. The reported budget is $280 million, which would make it one of Netflix’s most expensive films ever.
That is why a new report is turning heads. According to The InSneider, the newsletter from Hollywood scooper Jeff Sneider, insiders at Netflix reportedly consider the film awful and a genuine problem. It also claims the production has gone through reshoots amid those concerns. Netflix has not confirmed any of it.
One source who attended a summer test screening reportedly compared the movie to Disney’s 2018 ‘A Wrinkle in Time’, another big-budget fantasy adaptation that reportedly lost close to $100 million. Another attendee described the room falling into a stunned silence when the lights came up. That reaction reportedly helped prompt Netflix to order reshoots.
The report also points to trouble behind the scenes. Gerwig has reportedly had outside help in the editing room, with an experienced editor or director, possibly both, quietly brought in. Her previous films credited Nick Houy as the sole editor, but ‘Narnia’ lists 3 editors, with Wyatt Smith and Andrew Weisblum joining him.
There is also reported friction between Gerwig and Netflix film chief Dan Lin. The report landed on the same day Netflix went through a round of layoffs, with film executive Doug Belgrad reportedly out.
The reshoot talk didn’t start this week. In early August, Sneider reported that screenings of an unfinished two-hour cut had underwhelmed Netflix executives. Netflix, not Gerwig, was said to be the one asking for the extra work.
That screening reportedly took place in Paramus, New Jersey, and featured incomplete visual effects. Additional filming was reportedly scheduled in London. Reports have conflicted over whether the new work amounts to routine additional photography or more significant reshoots.
A Universe Begins. See how Narnia was created in Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, a film by Greta Gerwig – only in theaters February 12. https://t.co/jwxksCL0N7
— Netflix (@netflix) October 13, 2026
The film was originally slated for an IMAX release around Thanksgiving. Deadline reported that it moved to February 12, 2027, after a cast member’s injury delayed production by 6 weeks. That shift opened the door to a full theatrical window, with IMAX previews on February 10 and a Netflix debut on April 2.
Sneider has offered a different angle. He claimed the move was partly driven by quality concerns, since Netflix believed a fall release would fuel awards-season speculation that executives didn’t think the film could meet. A February date would sidestep that conversation entirely. He also speculated that Gerwig may not return for a sequel, even though she is contracted to write and direct at least 2 Narnia films.
The timing is awkward. Netflix released the first trailer on October 13, premiering it at an IMAX event in New York. It offers a first glimpse of Meryl Streep voicing Aslan and a psychedelic take on the creation of Narnia, set to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”. Daniel Craig and Emma Mackey also star, alongside Carey Mulligan and Ciarán Hinds.
Reactions have been split. Variety called the footage dazzling, and IndieWire praised its exuberant approach, while others noted the trailer racked up thousands of dislikes online. Gerwig has told Empire she wanted a rock opera for Narnia, so the bold swing is clearly intentional.
It’s worth keeping some perspective. The claims rely on anonymous sources, and the test screening involved an unfinished cut. As one outlet pointed out, the final quality of the movie can’t be judged from secondhand accounts.
Still, with this much money on the line, every rumor will be scrutinized. Netflix has bet big on both Gerwig and Narnia, and the next few months will show whether the reported problems get fixed in post.
Do you think Greta Gerwig’s Narnia will be a hit?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
