Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia The Magician’s Nephew’ Trailer Surpasses ‘Barbie’ in First-Week Views

When Greta Gerwig’s previous film debuted, it transformed a toy doll into a cultural phenomenon. ‘Barbie’ grossed over $1.4 billion and received a Best Picture nomination, setting an incredibly high standard for her next project. This time, she faces a unique challenge: adapting one of the most cherished fantasy series ever created.

Her upcoming film is ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’, Netflix’s adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s prequel, which stands as one of the streamer’s most ambitious projects with a reported budget of $280 million. Netflix plans a wide theatrical release on February 12, with IMAX sneak previews starting two days earlier and a streaming debut on April 2. This marks a significant shift for a company traditionally focused on home viewing.

The initial figures are in. The trailer for ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’ garnered over 481.3 million views within its first week, according to WaveMetrix data released after Netflix’s earnings call. This figure is nearly double the 240 million views that the ‘Barbie’ trailer achieved in the same timeframe.

It also outperformed other major releases. ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ attracted 281.6 million views in its opening week, while ‘Wonka’ received 237.2 million. ‘Project Hail Mary’ reached 400 million views in its first week, placing the new trailer at the forefront of these comparisons.

The trailer’s reach extended beyond YouTube. It trended at No. 1 on X and remained the top trending movie trailer on YouTube, causing the official NarniaFilm.com site to briefly crash due to high traffic. The surge even boosted the book sales, with ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ rising to No. 3 in the Children’s Classics category on Amazon’s Kindle Store.

Gerwig revealed the trailer on October 13 during an IMAX event at the AMC Lincoln Center in New York, where she discussed her ‘Barbie’ follow-up with Stephen Colbert. The trailer features Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’, marking the first time the band has allowed a sync license for the song to be used in a film or trailer, adding to the event-like feel of the footage.

The trailer hints at a psychedelic, rock ‘n’ roll interpretation of Lewis’s origin story. Daniel Craig portrays Uncle Andrew, while David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell play Digory and Polly, and Emma Mackey takes on the role of the White Witch. The cast also includes Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, and Meryl Streep, who voices Aslan, with Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt composing the score.

A Universe Begins. See how Narnia was created in Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, a film by Greta Gerwig – only in theaters February 12. https://t.co/jwxksCL0N7

— Netflix (@netflix) October 13, 2026

However, high view counts do not always equate to widespread affection, and reactions have been mixed. Some viewers praised the trailer as exceeding expectations and hailed it as one of the best in years, particularly applauding the depiction of Narnia’s creation. Others criticized the vibrant, CGI-heavy visuals, likening them to a Marvel film.

A poll conducted with over 4,000 respondents on NarniaWeb’s social media revealed that 46% felt more optimistic about the film after watching the trailer, while 35% felt less optimistic. Regarding Gerwig’s creative direction, 40% expressed mixed feelings, 32% disliked it, and 28% liked it. This indicates a notable disparity between viewership and conviction.

It’s important to note that trailer views do not directly predict box office success. One outlet pointed out that trailer metrics are not always a reliable indicator, although surpassing titles like ‘Barbie’ and ‘Wonka’ suggests that Netflix’s significant investment is capturing attention. Whether this attention translates into ticket sales remains to be seen.

For Netflix, the implications extend beyond a single film. This release marks the first Netflix project to receive a full theatrical window of over six weeks before streaming, and Gerwig has indicated that the release date was moved from November to 2027 to facilitate a global theatrical rollout. A strong opening could provide a blueprint for future large-scale projects.

Early indicators are promising, even as discussions about the film’s aesthetic continue. With the release still months away, the conversation is just beginning.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!