Amid Aslan Controversy, Hollywood Veteran Sends Warning to Netflix Not to ‘Destroy’ C.S. Lewis’ ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ – Faithwire

A film industry veteran is on a mission to stop Netflix from “destroying” C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia,” a powerful and beloved Christian allegory book series.

Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide, told CBN News he hopes to convince Netflix to “adhere to Lewis’ biblical allegories” and not veer off into other interpretations or antics when they release “The Magician’s Nephew,” a film adaptation of the sixth novel in Lewis’ Narnia series.

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Baehr has prepared an open letter he hopes will convince executives and director Greta Gerwig of “Barbie” fame to portray characters and themes in the upcoming Narnia film accurately.

Outlets like Deadline reported earlier this year that actress Meryl Streep was in talks to portray Aslan the Great Lion, a character Lewis created to represent Jesus. The allegation that Streep, a female, was up for the role immediately sparked outrage and consternation.

Gerwig had previously pledged the movie would be “rooted in faith,” but little is known about what the final product will look like.

With uncertainty abounding, Baehr is taking a stand with his open letter to the producers of the “Narnia” movies — and he’s encouraging others to do the same.

“The Christian community is not a niche,” he wrote, in part. “It is a vast, values-driven audience that is hungry for stories that reflect their worldview, honor their convictions, and stir their souls. With over 62% of American adults identifying as Christian in 2025, and 33% attending religious services monthly, this is not just a spiritual demographic — it’s a formidable market segment.”

Baehr went on to warn that too many films end up alienating the faith-based audience. He told Netflix that he will personally promote “The Magician’s Nephew” if the movie meets important benchmarks.

Among other sentiments, Baehr asked that Christian themes from the books remain in place and aren’t distorted, that there is “moral integrity” in the story — and for a “respectful portrayal of Aslan.”

On this latter point, he asked that Gerwig depict Aslan with reverence and not trivialize the character’s interpretation as a Christ figure. And, among other points, requested that the film remain family-friendly.

Ultimately, Baehr said abiding by these sentiments would yield “enthusiastic endorsements” from Christians, theologians, and faith-based media.

“Potential pathways towards capitalizing on these opportunities and further fine-tuning for greatest possible appeal to the largest target audience would include careful and thoughtful reflection by the director, screenwriter, or producers for a better understanding of Lewis’s Christian worldview, which could be achieved by consultation with theologians and/or Lewis scholars during development,” he said.

We’ll leave you with the full letter:

An Open Letter to Producers of the New Narnia Movies

Dear Netflix Producers and Creative Team,

As someone who speaks daily to millions of Christians across America – through sermons, social
media, and broadcast platforms – I want to extend both a challenge and an invitation.
The Christian community is not a niche. It is a vast, values-driven audience that is hungry for
stories that reflect their worldview, honor their convictions, and stir their souls. With over 62% of
American adults identifying as Christian in 2025, and 33% attending religious services monthly,
this is not just a spiritual demographic—it’s a formidable market segment.

Faith-based movies designed for a broad audience like THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE
KING ($382 million), THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST ($370 million), HOME ALONE ($286
million), THE GRINCH ($272 million), and THE BLIND SIDE ($256 million) have proven that
when Christians see a Christian worldview represented with reverence and authenticity, they
show up in droves and become a key element in the marketing campaign of such movies. Even
secular titles, such as TOP GUN: MAVERICK or AVENGERS: ENDGAME, that are careful
not to include content antagonistic to Christian sensitivities tend to do far better than those that
ignore this word-of-mouth promotion in favor of praise from peers.

Too often, adaptations of spiritually rich works, such as THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW, veer into
tones that feel ironic, irreverent or campy. These choices may appeal to critics, but they alienate
the very audience that would champion the movie, and prevent it from becoming an
unprecedented success if it honors the sacred themes embedded in the story.

If your adaptation of THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW broadly meets the following criteria,
ensuring that Christians can find only content that supports their worldview, I will personally
promote it to my subscriber base of over 69 million followers across our platforms. This includes
email campaigns, livestream interviews, and coordinated screenings through churches and
Christian schools nationwide. Here are the key criteria we believe are essential to resonate with the faith-based audience:

Faithful Representation of Lewis’s lore, story chronology and Christian Themes

• Emphasis on creation, fall and redemption motifs (e.g. Aslan’s song creating Narnia)
• Clear allegorical parallels to biblical truths without distortion
• Respect for Lewis’s theological intent, especially regarding good vs. evil

Moral Integrity in Storytelling

• Avoidance of gratuitous violence, sexual content, or profanity
• Promotion of virtues like courage, sacrifice, obedience, and humility
• Clear moral consequences for choices made by characters

Respectful Portrayal of Aslan

• Aslan depicted with reverence, majesty and divine authority
• Avoid trivializing or reinterpreting Aslan’s role as a Christ figure
• Voice and visual design that evoke awe and spiritual depth that maintain the key Christlike
  attributes of an awe-inspiring Aslan as an authentic allegory of Jesus Christ

Biblically Resonant Themes

• Creation of Narnia echoing Genesis 1
• The temptation of Digory’s mother and the forbidden fruit paralleling Eden
• Redemption and healing as reflections of divine grace

High Artistic and Production Quality

• Cinematography, score and acting that elevate the story’s spiritual tone
• Avoidance of campiness, over-stylized, cheesy, or over-commercialization
• Aesthetic beauty that reflects the wonder and sacredness of Narnia

Family-Friendly and Edifying

• Suitable for children and adults alike
• Encourages meaningful family discussions about faith and morality
• Offers spiritual nourishment, not just entertainment

Avoidance of Secular Reinterpretation

• No attempt to “modernize” or secularize the allegory
• Refraining from turning Lewis’s work into generic fantasy
• No ideological overlays that conflict with Lewis’ or biblical values
• No reinterpretation of gender based personalities i.e. the two children.

In addition to these suggestions, adherence to these criteria can lead to enthusiastic endorsements
from other respected pastors, theologians, or Christian reviewers, as well as screenings hosted by
other churches or faith-based organizations, inclusion in the broader Christian media outlets, and
could be co-promoted with Lewis’s apologetic works like Mere Christianity.

Potential pathways towards capitalizing on these opportunities and further fine tuning for
greatest possible appeal to the largest target audience would include careful and thoughtful
reflection by the Director, screenwriter, or producers for a better understanding of Lewis’s
Christian worldview, which could be achieved by consultation with theologians and/or Lewis
scholars during development.

Feel free to reach out to me and/or my staff to start this journey toward unprecedented
community stakeholder engagement which could easily lead to a new standard for marketing
these types of products across America and the world.

Yours sincerely
Ted Baehr

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