The Magician’s Nephew’ as Francis

Picture Credit: Faye Thomas

Netflix’s highly anticipated adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia is gearing up for its monumental 2027 release, and the casting updates just keep getting better. We can confirm that Olivier Award-winning actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith has officially joined the cast of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.

Holdbrook-Smith joins what is rapidly becoming one of the most star-studded ensembles in Netflix history. As you probably know, Academy Award nominee Greta Gerwig (Barbie, Little Women) is writing and directing the sweeping fantasy epic, which will serve as the origin story of Narnia.

With the news of its new wide theatrical release and updated Netflix release date for 2027, we’ve now got confirmation that Kobna Holdbrook-Smith has joined the cast of the upcoming epic, something we’d been holding onto, along with a few more names that haven’t yet been revealed, will be in the upcoming film. 

If you’re wondering where you’ve seen (or heard) Kobna Holdbrook-Smith before, his resume is incredibly stacked across film, television, and the stage.

He took home the prestigious Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his stunning portrayal of Ike Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical and was even awarded an M.B.E. in the Queen’s birthday honors for his services to drama.

On the big screen, Holdbrook-Smith has appeared in beloved family hits like Paddington 2, Mary Poppins Returns, and Wonka, as well as blockbusters like Marvel’s Doctor Strange and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Fantasy TV fans will likely recognize him from his role as Balthamos in the BBC/HBO adaptation of His Dark Materials.

In Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, Holdbrook-Smith is part of an absolute powerhouse cast that includes:

• Daniel Craig (Knives Out, Skyfall)
• Meryl Streep (Don’t Look Up, The Devil Wears Prada)
• Carey Mulligan (Maestro, Promising Young Woman)
• Ciarán Hinds (Belfast, Game of Thrones)
• Emma Mackey (Sex Education, Barbie)
• Denise Gough (Andor)
• Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes)
• David McKenna
• Beatrice Campbell

Netflix didn’t confirm who Holdbrook-Smith would be playing, but we’ve got some intel!

We understand, he’ll be playing the role of Francis. This is believed to be Frank the Cabby from the book itself.

In the literary counterpart of The Magician’s Nephew, Francis is a hardworking London cab driver who finds himself caught up in a magical crossfire when he, his horse Strawberry, and the malevolent Queen Jadis are accidentally transported across dimensions by the young protagonists, Digory and Polly. Thrust into the void just in time to witness the great lion Aslan sing the vibrant, untamed world of Narnia into existence, the steadfast and good-natured Francis goes from navigating the gritty, chaotic streets of London to being chosen by Aslan to rule as the very first King of this newly forged magical realm.

Gerwig recently shared her passion for the project, stating, “Because of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, I believed in magic and hidden worlds and adventure… It is the honor of a lifetime to be asked to imagine it into being.”

Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is slated to hit IMAX and theaters worldwide on February 12, 2027 (with special IMAX sneak previews starting Feb 10), before making its grand global streaming debut on Netflix on April 2, 2027.

Are you excited to see Kobna Holdbrook-Smith head into the wardrobe (or in this case, the Wood between the Worlds)? Let us know in the comments down below, and keep it locked here at What’s on Netflix for all the latest Narnia news!