As if Snow White’s woke weirdness and feminist rewriting tanking a $300-million movie for Disney wasn’t warning enough, it looks like Netflix is gearing up for their own fatal film faux pas. According to early reports, the entertainment juggernaut is mulling over gender-swapping the role of Aslan from its upcoming adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and is reportedly considering Meryl Streep to provide the voiceover role of the iconic - and very much male - character.
The rumor has been picked up by multiple film review sites, all citing Nexus Point News, which reports the Oscar-winning Streep - known for her starring roles in The Devil Wears Prada, Mama Mia!, and Sophie’s Choice - has been offered the voice role of the famous lion in the film, which will be based - and very loosely, apparently - on the beloved classics by C.S. Lewis. “Aslan” was most recently voiced by Liam Neeson in the 2005 adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, along with the film's two sequels.
In the books, Lewis penned the Aslan character as a clear allegory for Jesus, with the lion serving as the “High King” of Narnia who guides the Pevensie siblings through their journey from shuttered-away children to Narnian royalty, and who famously offers his own life as a willing sacrifice to save one of the brothers, a move Lewis wrote to mimic Christ’s death on the cross and, later, his resurrection.
Related: 'Heigh-Ho' Turns 'Ho-Hum': 'Snow White' Flops With $43M Opening Weekend
Despite Aslan having never been anything but an unquestionably male role, Nexus Post News reports the Aslan character “will be female” in the upcoming Netflix adaptation of the story, which is being spearheaded by Barbie director Greta Gerwig.
Gerwig’s two-film reboot deal with Netflix will kick off with The Magician's Nephew, set to be released in IMAX theaters on Thanksgiving Day, 2026 in a rare silver screen showing for the typically online-only streaming service.
If these reports are true, it looks like I’ve got another film to not buy a ticket to.
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