Liam Neeson Approves Meryl Streep as Aslan in Narnia
Liam Neeson is giving his blessing to a casting swap in the fantasy franchise.
A Surprising Encounter
Liam Neeson offered his seal of approval to Meryl Streep as she prepares to voice the lion Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, ScreenRant reported.
Neeson, who previously voiced the character in Disney’s The Chronicles of Narnia films between 2005 and 2010, admitted he was initially unaware of the casting change when approached by a reporter.
The Reaction to a Female Aslan
When informed that Streep is taking on the role of the great talking lion, who serves as Narnia’s creator in C.S. Lewis’s literary series, Neeson responded with humor and endorsement.
Watch Liam Neeson learn about Meryl Streep voicing Aslan in Greta Gerwig's new Narnia adaptation in real time! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/fgPmvtyPE8
“Meryl is playing Jesus Christ? Well, if you’re going to make Christ a lady, nobody better than Meryl,” Neeson said.
Director Greta Gerwig’s Strict Criteria
Gerwig previously confirmed her plans to adapt Lewis’s books for Netflix in 2023. Streep subsequently became attached to the role of Aslan last April.
In casting the role, Gerwig sought an actor possessing specific qualities. “The list is not a long one,” Gerwig told Empire when describing her search for someone profound yet unpretentious, with gravitas and an ability to communicate depth alongside joy and delight.
“I wanted someone who was older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child,” Gerwig added. “And also to be one of the greatest actors to ever do it. That list is not a long one.”
Looking Back at Neeson’s Tenure
Neeson’s tenure as Aslan spanned three films: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian in 2008, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010.
The Road to the Big Screen
The Magician’s Nephew is scheduled to premiere in theaters on February 12, serving as the sixth book in the series written by Lewis but chronologically the first, detailing the creation of Narnia a thousand years before the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
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