Meryl Streep to voice Bowie-inspired Aslan in Greta Gerwig's Narnia

Meryl Streep will voice Aslan in Greta Gerwig's Narnia film, with David Bowie shaping the character's look and the film's spirit.

Gerwig confirmed the casting to Empire in a cover story published on 17 September, as reported by Variety. She said Bowie inspired both the appearance of Aslan and the essence of the whole production.

Gerwig said she wanted the voice actor to be older than 70. Streep fits the brief. Aslan is depicted with multicoloured eyes and a red-striped face, according to Variety.

She wants the film to feel "big and transporting" and like a "rock opera", a story told on a large scale through music. Gerwig described Narnia as a world sung to life by Aslan. That puts song at the centre of the creation story, not just in the background.

Music runs wider than Bowie. Gerwig also cited The Who as an inspiration for the film, according to Empire. Empire has put the production on two covers for Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, as revealed in its cover preview.

The film adapts The Magician's Nephew, the prequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It follows children Digory and Polly at the start of the Narnia story, Netflix explains in its Tudum guide.

Daniel Craig plays the uncle who hands Digory and Polly a magical ring that opens the way to other worlds. The cast also includes David McKenna, Beatrice Campbell, Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan and Ciarán Hinds.

Narnia: The Magician's Nephew will open in theatres on 12 February 2027, then arrive on Netflix on 2 April, according to Variety. That seven-week gap is the theatrical window, the period when cinemas show a film before it reaches streaming. The film was previously slated for Thanksgiving 2026.

What makes this stand out is the combination. A veteran stage and screen voice leads a fantasy built around singing, with Bowie and classic rock shaping its sound and image.