Yes — in Narnia’s internal chronology, The Magician’s Nephew comes before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The difference is that C. S. Lewis published the stories in another sequence: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe arrived first in 1950, while The Magician’s Nephew was not published until 1955. That distinction between story chronology and publication order explains why Greta Gerwig’s new film can serve as the beginning of the story without adapting the first book that was originally released.
Where The Magician’s Nephew fits in Narnia’s story
The Magician’s Nephew is an origin prequel. Its events take place before the Pevensie siblings’ adventures and are tied to the creation of Narnia, the beginning of travel between worlds, and elements that later appear in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Netflix/Tudum describes Greta Gerwig’s film as a story about the creation of Narnia and says the book leads into the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
So if the question is “which story happens first?”, the answer is The Magician’s Nephew. If the question is “which book did readers encounter first?”, the answer changes to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Chronology vs. publication order: all seven Chronicles of Narnia
The two sequences have coexisted for decades. The official C. S. Lewis website records both the original release order and the chronological order. Lewis suggested that chronology could be an easy way to read the series, while also indicating that the order was not an absolute issue. To understand where Gerwig’s film sits, the key is to keep the two criteria separate.
| Position | Story chronology | Original publication order |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Magician’s Nephew (1955) | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) |
| 2 | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) | Prince Caspian (1951) |
| 3 | The Horse and His Boy (1954) | The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952) |
| 4 | Prince Caspian (1951) | The Silver Chair (1953) |
| 5 | The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952) | The Horse and His Boy (1954) |
| 6 | The Silver Chair (1953) | The Magician’s Nephew (1955) |
| 7 | The Last Battle (1956) | The Last Battle (1956) |
The years in the table are publication years, not dates when the fictional events occur. That distinction clears up a common confusion: The Magician’s Nephew is first in the timeline, but it was the sixth of the seven books to be published.
Why starting the new Narnia with The Magician’s Nephew makes sense
Netflix and Greta Gerwig’s choice places the new adaptation at the earliest point in the chronology. According to the official material, this is the first adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew, and the film presents the origin of Narnia. That allows a new film series to introduce the world from its creation rather than immediately repeating the entry point used by earlier adaptations of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
That does not make The Magician’s Nephew the first book published, nor does it confirm that the next film will necessarily be The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In Netflix’s announcement updated on September 16, 2026, the company details the release of The Magician’s Nephew but does not lay out a complete sequence of future adaptations.
Confirmed release dates for Greta Gerwig’s film
The official schedule has three distinct stages. For viewers planning when to watch, the difference between IMAX previews, the wide theatrical release, and streaming matters.
| Date | Where | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| February 10, 2027 | IMAX | Special sneak previews begin, exclusively in IMAX. |
| February 12, 2027 | Theaters | Wide global theatrical release, including IMAX. |
| April 2, 2027 | Netflix | The film premieres on streaming. |
Netflix also confirms Greta Gerwig as screenwriter and director. David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell lead the younger cast, alongside announced names including Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, Daniel Craig, Meryl Streep, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough, and Susan Wokoma.
So which order should you use before the movie?
It depends on what you want from the series. If you want to follow events in the universe’s internal sequence, start with The Magician’s Nephew and continue with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. If you want to reproduce the discovery experienced by the original readers, publication order begins with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and does not reach The Magician’s Nephew until the sixth volume.
For Greta Gerwig’s film, the essential reference is simple: it begins at the chronological start of Narnia. IMAX previews are scheduled for February 10, 2027, the wide theatrical opening for February 12, and the Netflix release for April 2, 2027.
