A new leak from the set of the upcoming Narnia film has given us the first look at Emma Mackey’s The White Witch Jadis. It's an exciting look into the newest adaptation.
In the clip shared by UnBoxPHD on X, the stunt double is shown with an edgy brunette wig and a short silver dress that resembles chain armor. In one image, it looks like a small child is riding in front of her on the horse. This is the first glimpse we have had of Jadis in the upcoming Greta Gerwig production.
It’s unknown which scene is being filmed, but it could be an update on the moment that Jadis takes control of her chariot in the London streets. She is jeered at for her inappropriate clothing, as in that era, women would not be seen in such a skimpy outfit. Whether this has been updated, or her chariot and costume will later be added, is yet to be known. While The Magician’s Nephew is the sixth of seven books in the Narnia series, it’s set first chronologically. This shows Jadis before she became The White Witch, many readers remember from the fantasy series.
It’s not yet clear if the photos show the full costume, a dry run or if the rest will be CGI’d in. Currently, The White Witch’s costume looks more like a 70’s disco outfit than a terrifying fantasy witch. Comments have compared Jadis’ new glam rock look to comedian and Bake Off host Noel Fielding, whilst others say she looks like a bad Halloween Xena the Warrior Princess. Could this disco punch Jadis indicate the direction of this upcoming Netflix film?
The streets of London have been full of people in vintage costume as Greta Gerwig’s Netflix adaptation of the C.S Lewis classic takes place. Earlier images shared on Reddit have seen the children playing Diggory and Polly playing in the streets of London. Judging by these sneaky on set photos, the setting of the story has been moved from the original 1900s to the 1950s.
These photos and the change in era have not been a popular choice. The conservatism of 1900s London played a huge role in The Magician’s Nephew, so fans on the Narnia subreddit were quick to air their scepticism about the 1950s update. Like many recent adaptations, fans of the original books wondered why bother taking on a beloved IP if you are going to make such drastic changes.
By moving the setting to the 1950s, it would mean the events of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe would take place in the 1990s. Key moments in this story are connected to the wartime background it's set in. That would be hard to replicate with the updated timeline. The Magician's Nephew follows two children caught up in a travel experiment between two worlds. Narnia is one of the many universes available to the children. This film explains The White Witch’s backstory, the lamp post and how Narnia came to be. So far, this story has only been adapted as a manga and a radio play, never on-screen.
The news of Mackey’s casting was announced earlier this year. The antagonist was last played on film by Tilda Swinton in 2005’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Gerwig is writing and directing The Magician’s Nephew for the streamer, the sixth book on Lewis’ fantasy series.
The project is currently slated to open in IMAX on Thanksgiving Day 2026. It’s expected to land on Netflix during the Christmas period of the same year.