Netflix's Narnia movie reveals first look at Emma Mackey's "larger-than-life" villain

After Barbie, Emma Mackey reunites with Greta Gerwig on Netflix's Narnia movie, Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, in which she plays villain Jadis – and we've now seen her bring the character to life in first-look images.

A younger version of the White Witch played by Tilda Swinton in the original Chronicles of Narnia trilogy, Jadis encounters Polly Plummer and Digory Kirke, played by Beatrice Campbell and David McKenna. Speaking about taking on the role of Jadis, Mackey told Empire that her Jadis is a "larger-than-life creature".

"There's this great line in the script where she’s described as 'all chaos and bad plans,'" she said. "She's this larger-than-life creature who appears in Digory and Polly's world and takes them by surprise."

Based on the 1955 novel of the same name by CS Lewis, The Magician's Nephew is a prequel to the Narnia series written and directed by Gerwig. The story follows a young Digory, played by Jim Broadbent in the OG trilogy, and his pal and neighbour Polly discovering they can hop across different universes.

On their adventurous journeys, they cross paths with Jadis, who can be seen rocking a metallic, armour-like minidress and jet-black, short hair in a first glimpse into Gerwig's film.

"It was very shiny and exciting, but also comfortable and ready for war," Mackey said of the striking look.

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She added: "We had to have that duality of fun, which is what the kids are seeing — [a] shiny, exciting person — but also, 'Wow, you're a little bit scary, and I don’t really know what foot to dance on with you.'"

Cast is rounded out by Daniel Craig as Digory's uncle, Andrew Ketterley, Carey Mulligan as Digory's mum, Mabel, and Meryl Streep as Aslan.

Game of Thrones' Ciarán Hinds, The Sheep Detectives star Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Andor's Denise Gough, and Enola Holmes' Susan Wokoma also feature.

Narnia: The Magician's Nephew debuts in cinemas and IMAX on 12 February 2027 and then on Netflix from 2 April 2027.

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Reporter, Digital Spy

Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. 

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).