After 16 years, Liam Neeson is handing off one of literature’s most iconic characters. The Oscar nominee, who voiced Aslan in Disney’s The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy (2005–2010), recently shared his approval of Meryl Streep taking over the role in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.
When a ScreenRant reporter informed Neeson of the casting, he initially admitted, “I’m sorry, this is news to me.” Upon learning that Streep would be voicing Aslan—the great talking lion responsible for Narnia’s creation and depicted as the fictional land’s Christ figure—Neeson responded positively. “Meryl is playing Jesus Christ? Well, if you’re going to make Christ a lady, nobody better than Meryl,” he said, according to Deadline.
Gerwig, who wrote and directed the adaptation, explained her reasoning for the casting choice. “I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness,” she told Empire. “Someone who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight.”
The director added that she sought an actor over 70 to bring “wisdom of experience” while maintaining “the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child.” Gerwig emphasized that finding someone meeting all these criteria—particularly someone who is “one of the greatest actors to ever do it”—left a very short list of candidates.
The Magician’s Nephew, based on C.S. Lewis’ sixth book in the series, is chronologically the first installment of The Chronicles of Narnia. It follows Aslan’s creation of Narnia, set a thousand years before the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The film is scheduled to premiere on February 12 in theaters.
In 2023, Gerwig confirmed she was adapting Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia books for Netflix. Streep became attached to the role of Aslan last April. Neeson previously voiced Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008), and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010).
Key facts
- Meryl Streep is voicing Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, premiering February 12
- Liam Neeson voiced Aslan in Disney’s three Narnia films from 2005 to 2010 and approved the casting
- Gerwig sought an actor over 70 with gravitas, wisdom, and the ability to convey both depth and joy
- The Magician’s Nephew is chronologically the first story in The Chronicles of Narnia, set 1,000 years before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe