Backlash continues over the casting of actress Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan, the Christ-like lion in Netflix's upcoming adaptation of C.S. Lewis's "Narnia." The controversy has prompted an online petition demanding that director Greta Gerwig be replaced for future films in the series.
The petition, titled "Demand Netflix to replace director of the Narnia films," was launched on Change.org on Friday. It follows negative reactions from some Christian fans and critics who object to a woman voicing a character Lewis explicitly presented as an allegory for Jesus Christ. The film, "Narnia: The Magician's Nephew," is written and directed by Gerwig, known for "Barbie," and is based on the 1955 novel, which is the first story chronologically in "The Chronicles of Narnia" series.
Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide, expressed confusion over the decision. Baehr previously served as president of the Episcopal Radio-TV Foundation, which helped produce the 1979 animated adaptation of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." In an interview with Fox News Digital, he noted that most readers understand Aslan as a male Christ figure. He argued that changing the voice could alienate a significant portion of the audience.
"It's going to alienate a lot of Christians," Baehr said. He estimated that while the film might still succeed commercially, it could lose an audience of 110 to 140 million Christians who might choose not to see it because of the casting choice. Baehr stated that he spoke briefly with Gerwig, who told him her version was her favorite of previous adaptations and that she approaches the material from a different perspective.
Gerwig, who has identified as a Unitarian Universalist, explained her casting rationale to entertainment site Empire. She described her vision for the film as a "rock opera" and sought an actor who was "profound but not pretentious" and possessed "gravitas but not morose self-seriousness." She specified that she wanted someone over 70 years old to bring wisdom and experience, while also retaining the capacity for fresh wonder. Streep fits these criteria as one of the most acclaimed actors in history.
Ned Lott, a casting director who worked on the 2005 film "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," also voiced skepticism. Lott recalled that casting Aslan was treated with extreme care to match the integrity of the books. He described a moment where he listened to a radio trailer for "Kingdom of Heaven" and recognized Liam Neeson's voice as perfect for the role. Neeson went on to voice Aslan in three films.
Lott acknowledged that voice actors can use pitch shifting and EQ settings to mask gender differences, and that men have successfully voiced female characters for comedic effect. However, he said he was puzzled by this specific choice. "It just seemed like a choice that we would have not made back in 2005 because we understood the integrity of the books," Lott told Fox News Digital. He suggested that while there is likely an artistic reason for Streep's casting, it represents a different philosophy than what was employed in previous adaptations.
The film is scheduled to open in theaters on Feb. 12, 2027, with a streaming release on Netflix set for April 2, 2027. Fox News Digital reached out to Gerwig's agent at Creative Artists Agency and Netflix for comment but did not receive a response before publication.