Greta Gerwig has officially cast Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan in her upcoming adaptation of“The Magician’s Nephew,”the first book in C.S. Lewis’Chronicles of Narnia. The news ends more than a year of speculation, but it also kicked off a debate, because some evangelical Christians are unhappy with both the casting and Gerwig’s comment that she drew inspiration from David Bowie for her vision of the lion.
Gerwig explained her thinking simply: she wanted someone profound but not pretentious, with gravitas but not self-seriousness, ideally over 70, someone who still carries a child’s sense of wonder. That description points pretty directly at Streep. Fans of the books also know that in“The Magician’s Nephew,”Aslan doesn’t just speak. He sings Narnia into existence, which makes the musical and Bowie-adjacent inspiration a lot less random than it first sounded.
This isn’t the first time Aslan has been voiced on screen. Liam Neeson played the role in the 2005-2010 films. But this version comes with a bigger spotlight and a bigger conversation attached, blending celebrity news, faith, and a culture-war debate all in one casting announcement. Where do you land on Meryl Streep as Aslan?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.