To say that recent casting rumors for the upcoming Narnia movie on Netflix have been a roller coaster ride for fans is a bit of an understatement. Whether it was rumblings of a pitch perfect choice (Daniel Craig), a choice that makes older fans scratch their heads and ask “who” (Pop-star Charli xcx), and a certain casting rumor that shall not be mentioned due to the controversial nature of said choice, it’s becoming increasingly hard for fans to really feel much excitement about the project overall.
After months of speculation and discussion, we finally have our first principal cast member announced. Contrary to previous rumors, The White Witch Jadis will not be played by pop-star Charli xcx.
As per an official announcement from The Hollywood Reporter, British-French actress Emma Mackey, best known for her roles as Jacqueline de Bellefort in Sir Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, Emily Brontё in the biopic Emily, and Physicist Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, has been cast in the role of Jadis the White Witch for the upcoming film. Along with Charli xcx, other actresses considered or rumored for the role included The Substance star Margaret Qualley, Star Wars star Daisy Ridley, and Lady Bird and Little Women star Saoirse Ronan.
Truthfully, I find this to be welcome news. While I’ve seen both Death on the Nile and Barbie, the fact of the matter is that with a look at Emma’s resume, she is still an up-and-coming name, and therefore doesn’t necessarily have the baggage attached that a bigger-name actress can bring. Unlike the previous linked pop-star who had parental advisory warnings on some of her songs, and a quick look at the lyrics revealed some that bordered on the blasphemous, there isn’t the same concern with an actual actress who clearly has done a wide variety of projects including comedy, a biopic and an ensemble murder mystery. She stands at a statuesque 5’8”, Mackey is well-suited to portray a character who should tower with both physical and emotional intimidation — especially when facing young protagonists.
Plus, there’s a certain look she has that I like.
As was described by CS Lewis in the Hall of Statues on Charn in The Magician’s Nephew,
“All the faces they could see were certainly nice. Both the men and women looked kind and wise, and they seemed to come of a handsome race. But after the children had gone a few steps down the room they came to faces that looked a little different. These were very solemn faces. You felt you would have to mind your P’s and Q’s, if you ever met living people who looked like that. When they had gone a little further, they found themselves among faces they didn’t like: this was about the middle of the room. The faces here looked very strong and proud and happy, but they looked cruel. A little further on they looked crueller. Further on again, they were still cruel but they no longer looked happy. They were even despairing faces: as if the people they belonged to had done dreadful things and also suffered dreadful things. The last figure of all was the most interesting—a woman even more richly dressed than the others, very tall (but every figure in that room was taller than the people of our world), with a look of such fierceness and pride that it took your breath away.”
Mackey has a tough act to follow, with the likes of Tilda Swinton in the trilogy from Walden Media/Disney/20th Century Fox, Elizabeth Counsell from the Focus on the Family radio drama, and Barbara Kellerman from the BBC TV mini-series.
Certainly, for me this does help assuage some fears I had of this project. Fact of the matter is we are still in the planning and casting stages. Actors are auditioned, offers are made, and either accepted, declined, or even accepted and then rescinded. Lines of communication for the production can even get crossed and sources can be misinformed. Some names can even be attached to “low-ball” other names into accepting a lower paycheck, or to hint to casting directors what kinds of actors the director is looking for. In fact, this is the first official casting announcement we’ve had as everything else has been pure “in talks.”
Thus, perhaps, it could be a sign of better things to come that it isn’t going to be loaded with stunt casting choices and gimmicks to inspire hot take articles. But maybe, if it looks as if they may get Jadis right, then perhaps there still hope that when it comes to the Great Lion, that, as it says in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe:
“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of His roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares His teeth, winter meets its death,
And when He shakes His mane, we shall have spring again.”
Stay tuned for more!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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