Every adaptation makes changes. Some are small. Others reshape the story in significant ways.
On this page, we’re tracking every apparent change we’ve found between Greta Gerwig’s The Magician’s Nephew and C.S. Lewis’s novel using set photos, filming footage, official announcements, and reliable reporting.
Confirmed
These are facts supported by official announcements, set photos, filming footage, or other direct evidence.
- Filming has taken place in a version of London set in August 1955.
- Carey Mulligan has been cast as Mabel Kirke.
- Tom Bonington has been cast as Mr. Potts.
- Jadis, Digory, Strawberry, and the Tower of London all appear in filming footage.
We are still working on this feature. It doesn’t work yet.
2 changes catalogued so far. Be the first to weigh in.
2 changes No votes yet In the book The book takes place in (or around) 1900. On screen The evidence strongly suggests the film relocates The Magician’s Nephew from Lewis’s Edwardian setting to postwar Britain. Whether the entire story takes place in 1955 or the decade serves as a framing device remains unknown.
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thought this made the story better
0 votes
No votes yet In the book In the book, she doesn't enter the Tower of London. On screen Filming footage suggests Jadis’s London rampage has been expanded into a larger action sequence that includes the Tower of London.
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thought this made the story better
0 votes
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Narnia: The Magician's Nephew — what changed
The Story Appears to Move from 1900 to 1955
Jadis’s London Rampage Appears to Be Expanded
Spotted a change we have missed?
What the Evidence Suggests
The following are our best conclusions based on everything we’ve seen so far.
The Story Appears to Move from 1900 to 1955
The evidence strongly suggests the film relocates The Magician’s Nephew from Lewis’s Edwardian setting to postwar Britain. Whether the entire story takes place in 1955 or the decade serves as a framing device remains unknown.
Jadis’s London Rampage Appears to Be Expanded
Filming footage suggests Jadis’s London rampage has been expanded into a larger action sequence that includes the Tower of London.
Mabel Kirke Appears to Have a Larger Role
Carey Mulligan’s casting suggests Digory’s mother will play a more prominent role than she does in the novel, though the extent of that expansion remains unknown.
Mr. Potts Appears to Be a New Character
Production information identifies a character named Mr. Potts, who does not appear anywhere in Lewis’s novel. Whether he is entirely new or fulfills the role of an existing character remains to be seen.
Open Questions
Is the Entire Film Set in 1955?
One of the biggest unanswered questions is whether the whole film takes place in 1955 or whether those scenes are part of a framing device.
How Much Will the Time Shift Affect the Story?
Moving the story from 1900 to the postwar 1950s naturally changes its historical setting. Whether that also changes the themes at the heart of The Magician’s Nephew is something we’ll have to wait for the finished film to answer.
Who is the voice of Aslan?
We still don’t have a definitive answer.