Daisy Ridley has revealed that she asked to be in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia adaptation, but she thinks she’s already lost the part to another actor. Gerwig’s upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia movie will be retelling the story of C.S. Lewis’ book series of the same name, offering a new take on the fantasy series. Produced by Netflix, the movie will be released in IMAX on Thanksgiving in 2026, before arriving on the streaming platform by December of that same year. It will be the first of at least two movies the filmmaker will head up.
Now, during a Q&A at Collider‘s screening of Ridley’s new movie, Cleaner, for which ScreenRant was in attendance, the actor opened up about wanting to work with Gerwig, potentially even on her Narnia movie. However, while she did ask to be in the film, she said the part she wanted will likely go to Saoirse Ronan, who previously collaborated with the director on 2017’s Lady Bird and 2019’s Little Women. Check out what Ridley had to say below:
Daisy Ridley: At the top of the list [of dream directors]… I mean, Greta Gerwig is up there, yeah.
Steven Weintraub: Have you asked to be in Narnia?
Daisy Ridley: Yeah, but I was like, ‘Ugh, it’s gonna be Saoirse Ronan.’ And do you know what, I’m such a huge fan and of course she’s gonna be absolutely amazing— and it might not be! But yeah, so, I asked. [Laughs] I’m shameless! […] I just feel like [Gerwig]’s so brilliant with actors, and the fact that actors keep working with her again is such a testament to her. I love her movies.
What Ridley’s Statement Says About Gerwig’s Chronicles Of Narnia
One Key Role Has Likely Already Been Cast
Ronan’s previous collaborations with Gerwig makes it unsurprising that she’ll have an important role in the fantasy movie. While Ridley’s best roles, from Magpie to Young Woman and the Sea, lend themselves positively to her potential involvement, she doesn’t seem convinced she’ll be getting a role. Instead, it sounds like whatever role she was aiming for might go to Ronan, marking the first possible confirmation about who’s being considered for the adaptation. But, with the release not until the end of next year, changes are still possible.
Although it’s unclear what role Ridley may have been going for, her not getting into the movie means her focus will remain on the current projects in her lineup. While this includes promoting Cleaner and her upcoming survival horror thriller We Bury the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, it also means focusing on her Star Wars New Jedi Order movie, where she’ll be reprising her role as Rey from the sequel trilogy. Yet it’s clear she still wants to work with Gerwig in some capacity later down the road, even if Narnia is no longer in the cards.
As of writing, it has not been revealed which book in The Chronicles of Narnia Gerwig’s first movie will be adapting.
Our Take On Ridley’s Hopeful Role In Gerwig’s Narnia Movie
Is There Still Time For Her To Get Added To The Cast?
Since there’s no definitive casting news yet for Gerwig’s The Chronicles of Narnia movie, it’s still possible the movie can add interested actors like Ridley. However, her statement makes it seem like that won’t be the case, especially since she was vying for one specific role that Ronan will seemingly be taking. Even so, if there are plans for multiple movies to adapt the books, then she could still hold out hope for involvement in a later movie for a different role.
Source: Collider
