Emma Mackey is set to transition from Greta Gerwig's vibrant "Barbie" universe to the magical realm of "Narnia", reuniting with the director for her adaptation of CS Lewis' classic fantasy series for Netflix.

Mackey has secured the sought-after role of the White Witch, the central villain previously portrayed by Tilda Swinton in 2005's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". She will star alongside Meryl Streep, who is currently in discussions to voice Aslan, the wise and powerful lion who protects Narnia and guides the children who venture into the mystical land. 

Gerwig is both writing and directing the film, which is expected to focus on The Magician's Nephew — the sixth book in the series — where the White Witch, also known as Jadis, plays a major role. The film is scheduled for an exclusive two-week IMAX release worldwide on Thanksgiving Day 2026, before premiering on Netflix during the Christmas season. 

Netflix first announced plans in 2018 to develop new series and movies based on Lewis' Narnia books, with Gerwig officially joining the project in 2020 after her acclaimed work on "Lady Bird" and "Little Women".

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Following that, Gerwig directed the global phenomenon "Barbie" in 2023 — a $1.4 billion box office success and an Oscar-winning film — starring and produced by Margot Robbie. Co-written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, "Barbie" gave a fresh, satirical twist to the iconic doll's story, chronicling Barbie and Ken's journey from their fantasy world to reality and their subsequent awakening. Mackey appeared in the film as one of Robbie's fellow Barbies.

Widely recognised for her performance in Netflix's "Sex Education", Mackey has also lined up major projects, including a starring role in JJ Abrams' upcoming Warner Bros film alongside Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega; Julia Ducournau's "Alpha", set to premiere at next month's Cannes Film Festival; and the lead role in James L Brooks' comedy "Ella McCay", which 20th Century Studios will release in theatres on December 12.

The Hollywood Reporter first broke the news of her casting. Netflix has not commented.