Emma Mackey Cast as White Witch in Netflix’s Narnia Adaptation

Hollywood, CA

British actress Emma Mackey has been cast as the White Witch, Jadis, in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ fantasy novel series, The Chronicles of Narnia. This highly anticipated film, backed by Netflix, is set to begin filming later this year and will adapt the sixth book, The Magician’s Nephew.

Gerwig, known for her work on the hit film Barbie, wrote the script and will direct the project. Mackey’s casting follows months of speculation, during which other actresses, including Charli XCX and Margaret Qualley, were rumored for the role.

Netflix did not comment on the matter, but sources indicate that Mackey was chosen from a competitive pool of candidates. Jadis serves as the primary antagonist in both The Magician’s Nephew and the most famous book of the series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In these stories, she plunges Narnia into an eternal winter and transforms her enemies into stone.

Mackey’s casting continues her rapid rise in Hollywood. She gained fame from the Netflix series Sex Education and took part in the ensemble cast of Death on the Nile, released by 20th Century Studios. Recently, she starred in the biopic Emily, receiving nominations for two British Independent Film Awards.

Joining Mackey in this adaptation is Meryl Streep, who is in talks to voice Aslan, the central lion character in Narnia. Additionally, Netflix plans to give the film a two-week IMAX theatrical release in late 2026, a unique approach for the streaming service.

This adaptation marks the first significant progress in bringing Narnia back to the big screen since Netflix acquired the rights to Lewis’ series in 2018. After some delays, development resumed in early 2025 with reports of Streep’s involvement and a projected July start date for filming.

Mackey is also slated to appear at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival for her role in the movie Alpha, directed by Julia Ducournau. With multiple projects on the horizon, her casting as the iconic villain in the Narnia franchise suggests an exciting new direction for the series.