Greta Gerwig’s Netflix Narnia reboot is drawing Christian backlash after casting Meryl Streep to voice the Christ-like lion Aslan, a choice critics say abandons C.S. Lewis’s intent. The fight centers on a simple fact from the books: Aslan is a male lion written as a clear stand-in for Jesus Christ. When Netflix and director Greta […] The post Greta Gerwig draws Christian backlash for casting Meryl Streep as Narnia’s Christ-figure Aslan appeared first on American Almanac .
Greta Gerwig’s Netflix Narnia reboot is drawing Christian backlash after casting Meryl Streep to voice the Christ-like lion Aslan, a choice critics say abandons C.S. Lewis’s intent. The fight centers on a simple fact from the books: Aslan is a male lion written as a clear stand-in for Jesus Christ. When Netflix and director Greta Gerwig moved to put Meryl Streep in that role, faith-minded viewers and industry veterans pushed back hard. A Change.org petition that started Friday demands Netflix replace Gerwig on future Narnia films. The complaint is not about Streep’s talent. It is about rewriting a Christ figure for modern Hollywood fashion. Fox News reported that Ned Lott, the casting and voice director who helped choose Liam Neeson…Open
What is the theological significance of Aslan as described by Dr. Ted Baehr?
Dr. Ted Baehr explains that the books have grown significantly in reach and that most readers understand Aslan as a Christ figure. He notes that in the context of the Revelation, Christ is depicted as a male figure who is "fully God and Holy man." Baehr warns that by changing the character's gender, the production risks losing a large portion of the Christian audience who view the character as an uncompromised symbol of Jesus.
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How did Greta Gerwig describe her criteria for casting the role of Aslan?
Gerwig stated that she wanted a performer who was "profound but not pretentious," possessed "gravitas but not morose self-seriousness," and could show both "depth and pathos as well as joy and delight." She specifically sought an actor older than 70 who had a "wisdom of experience" but also the "capacity of fresh wonder, like a child." While Meryl Streep meets the age and prestige requirements, she does not meet the gender of the character as written by Lewis.
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What are the planned release dates for Greta Gerwig’s "Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew"?
The film "Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew," based on C.S. Lewis’s 1955 novel, is scheduled to have an IMAX theatrical window starting on February 12, 2027, followed by a release on Netflix on April 2, 2027.
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What actions have been taken by fans and critics in response to the casting of Meryl Streep as Aslan?
In response to the casting choice, a Change.org petition was started on a Friday demanding that Netflix replace Greta Gerwig as the director of future Narnia films. Fans and industry veterans have pushed back against what they describe as rewriting a Christ figure for modern Hollywood fashion, with some arguing there is "no conceivable reason" to cast a female as Aslan unless the goal is to deliberately subvert the original work.
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What specific arguments did Ned Lott make regarding the importance of the voice for the character of Aslan?
Ned Lott, the casting and voice director for the 2005 film "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," stated that he treated the role of Aslan with the same level of care as a studio treats the voice of God or Jesus. He emphasized that the integrity of the books and the author's design were the primary considerations, which is why the team chose Liam Neeson in 2005. Lott argued that Gerwig’s current approach represents a "different philosophy" because it moves away from matching the voice to the specific character and integrity established by C.S. Lewis.
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Why is the casting of Meryl Streep as the character Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s Netflix Narnia reboot causing controversy among Christian viewers?
The controversy stems from the fact that in C.S. Lewis's original books, Aslan is a male lion written as a clear stand-in for Jesus Christ. Critics and faith-minded viewers argue that casting a female actress like Meryl Streep to voice the character abandons the integrity of the source material and the author's original intent. Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide, noted that because Aslan is a Christ figure, changing the voice to a female one could alienate between 110 to 140 million Christians who recognize the theological significance of the character.
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