Can Meryl Streep provide Aslan's deep voice?

Netflix remains silent, as online chatter continues about the future of Narnia

As Oscar Wilde once quipped: “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”

This doctrine evolved into a famous quotation that is often attributed to P.T. Barnum, the 19th century circus magnate: “There is no such thing as bad publicity.”

This may or may not explain the Kingdom of Netflix silence about the question that online armies keep asking: “Is the new Narnia series going to gender-swap Aslan or not?”

The most accurate answer has not changed, in the weeks since this original Deadline website report: “Meryl Streep In Talks To Play Aslan In Greta Gerwig & Netflix’s Narnia Movie.”

Oscar winner Meryl Streep is in talks to play Aslan the Great Lion in Greta Gerwig in Netflix’s Narnia movie, we have confirmed with sources. …

Nexus Point News was first with the Streep talks and also reported that the film will adapt the sixth novel in the Narnia series, The Magician’s Nephew, which chronologically takes place first in the series. The novel tells the origin of Narnia and is centered on Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, who discover the magical world through Digory’s uncle’s magic. The site reports that Aslan will be female in the Gerwig adaptation. We haven’t had those plot details confirmed yet.

There is some news from Netflix Narnia, but it is not news that answers the question that continues to dominate online discussions.

Nevertheless, there is this recent Radio Times headline: “Sex Education star cast as Narnia's White Witch in Greta Gerwig's movie.” Here’s the opening of that news report (and note the background information woven into this):

BAFTA winner Emma Mackey (Sex Education) has reportedly bagged the role of the White Witch in Netflix’s Narnia movie from filmmaker Greta Gerwig.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mackey will join Meryl Streep, who is in talks to play Aslan, and Daniel Craig, who is set to star as the uncle of Digory Kirke.

It’s understandable that negotiations with Streep could take some time, before the Hollywood legend signs a contract.

In the meantime, the bad publicity rolls on and on. Why has this issue not been clarified by Netflix officials, even with a response that resembles a non-denial denial?

In terms of basic economics, here is the big question, as noted in my first podcast and post on the topic (“Let Aslan first be shaved!”):

… Clearly the Netflix Narnia dream is to create a profitable franchise that can compete with the large, longform products being produced in a post “Game of Thrones” streaming era. But Narnia would — like the upcoming long-form reboot of Harry Potter — appeal to entire families. We are talking about one of the most popular works of fiction, ever, for children and their parents.

The bottom line: I searched for an updated figure on the global sales numbers for “The Chronicles of Narnia” series and the best estimate I could find was 120 million. Millions of copies sell, year after year, 70 years after the publication of the finale, “The Last Battle.”

What are the stakes here?

And also:

Think of this purely in financial terms. Who is trying to prevent “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” from turning into a train wreck along the lines of the 2025 Snow White 2.0? Or, I would add, the tragedy (speaking as a LOTR nerd) that “The Rings of Power” became for its Prime funders?

Ah, at this point I need to make a correction, don’t I?