Well, well, well! It seems like Greta Gerwig has found her White Witch for her upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia movie for Netflix. She’s a Barbie! And she pretty much looks like Margot Robbie — but she’s definitely not her. She is none other than Sex Education fame, Emma Mackey.
Yup, the on-screen Maeve, Emma Mackey, has been cast as Jadis the White Witch in Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia project for Netflix. This may come as a shock to many in the Narnia fanbase, given that her predecessor, Tilda Swinton, was much older when she portrayed the character in Disney’s 2005 feature adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Considering Mackey’s current age, it seems like she may bring out a younger version of Jadis — something that would be interesting to see.
In C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books, Jadis is depicted as an ageless being with a past that includes the destruction of the ancient land of Charn. Despite being stated to be over 1,000 years old at her death, the casting of Emma Mackey opens up the possibility of her featuring in all the planned Narnia movies.
Mackey’s selection makes sense if Greta and her team decide to adapt Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew first, as this novel depicts the origins of Narnia and its events take place in Narnian Year 1. In Narnian time, approximately 1,000 years pass between the events of The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — meaning the events of the latter novel occur in Narnian Year 1000.
While The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first Narnia book published, The Magician’s Nephew tells the story of Narnia’s creation and the origins of key elements like the White Witch and the lamp-post, placing its events at the very beginning of Narnian history.
Jadis is a key character in The Magician’s Nephew, which details her history as the destroyer of Charn, her awakening by Digory and Polly, her introduction to the nascent world of Narnia, her conflict with Aslan, and her eventual establishment as the malevolent power in the north.
Therefore, Mackey’s casting strongly suggests that Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia film might adapt this prequel story, exploring the origins of the iconic villain.
There’s no denying that Emma Mackey will have to give her all to match the performance of Tilda Swinton. She’s a great talent and has already displayed her acting prowess in Netflix’s Sex Education and films like Death on the Nile and Emily, for which she won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2023. Let’s see how well she handles Jadis the White Witch in Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movie. Stay tuned for more updates.
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