I gotta be honest, guys. I don't care all that much about Meryl being involved in Greta Gerwig's upcoming Chronicles of Narnia movie(s) for Netflix. Meryl's voice work is wonderful, but it's not all that exciting to me. Alas, it appears to be the only 'close-to' confirmation of anything she's apparently attached to doing, so I figured I should comment on bigger updates for the production. And it at least shows that she's still interested in still working, to some degree.
With that in mind, multiple sources are reporting that Emma Mackey (Sex Education, Emily, Barbie) is rumored to have landed the role as the White Witch. Margaret Qualley was mentioned as vying for the role as well. From the article:
White Witch, whose name is Jadis, is the primary antagonist of not just Magician’s Nephew but also the best known of all the Narnia books, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She is the one who plunged Narnia into an endless winter (where it never ever gets to Christmas) and turns her enemies into statues.
Narnia is expected to have a two-week release in Imax theaters late 2026.
Maybe it's an early April Fools' joke, but a few articles are going around (none from super reputable sources) that Meryl has been approached to voice the role of Aslan in Greta Gerwig's upcoming Chronicles of Narnia reboot for Netflix. I think this is pretty believable news, as the two worked together on 2019's Little Women, and I think it's understood that they're both fans of each other.
I know next to nothing about the Narnia books, other than the fact that I like the movie Shadowlandsand that stars Anthony Hopkins as the author, C.S. Lewis. My understanding is that this would be an adaptation of The Magician's Nephew, which chronologically takes place prior to the other Narnia books. Sounds like Meryl would be up for role of the lion "Aslan" the lion, who evidently is an "allegory for Jesus." Kind of interesting that they're possibly having that character voiced by a woman. And it would probably be a fairly prominent role (Gerwig is reportedly set to direct at least two films).
I'm generally not all that interested historically in Meryl's voice work, but it's always nice to hear/know that she's signing up for projects. Here's hoping we can get some news soon on The Corrections and/or the Devil Wears Prada sequel (or heaven forbid something completely new or original).
The film is scheduled to film later this year, ahead of its planned IMAX release in November 2026.
Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50th anniversary with a televised special last night. The three-hour production featured a slew of past and present cast members, as well as multiple celebrities, most of whom have connections with the show, having either hosted or been musical guests in the past.
Meryl is not one of those people. Despite regular suggestions/pleas from the public, she's never hosted the show, and certainly hasn't been the musical guest. Last night, however, she made her first appearance on the show in a reboot of the classic sketch "Close Encounter" (which happens to be one of my all-time favorites), where government officials interview people who have reportedly survived alien abductions. Kate McKinnon is sort of the lead in the sketch, portraying a...let's just say 'not sophisticated' woman who very colorfully describes her experiences with the abductions. Meryl joins Pedro Pascal and Woody Harrelson in the sketch (her part starts at 4:36).
I cracked up quite a few times, particularly when Meryl broke character a bit when delivering her last line. This cracked up McKinnon as well, which was fun to see. Meryl seemed to be channeling a bit of Violet Weston with her cigarette and southern drawl. There were also fun little side references to Into the Woods and The Devil Wears Prada, drawing applause from the audience. It was sweet to see McKinnon hug Meryl and give her a little peck on the cheek as they exited the stage. I wonder if McKinnon specifically reached out to Meryl to see if she wanted to participate. The two had worked together on McKinnon's 2019 Audible original podcast Heads Will Roll. I remember listening to it during lockdown and really enjoying it. Or maybe Meryl's "friend" Martin Short had a connection that ended up landing Streep on the SNL special. The two were seen together at a concert event for the 50th anniversary special a few days ago, where Meryl drew more laughs for flipping off Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer (in good humor in fitting with their bit).
Speaking of The Devil Wears Prada, we're now well into February without any additional news on whether or not a sequel is moving forward. Some earlier reports had suggested filming was to begin in February (still could I guess). Presumed cast members have been pretty cagey when asked about it in interviews in recent months. Stanley Tucci in particular said flat out that he didn't know if it was happening. But more recently he seemed to intimate that he knew more than he originally let on, saying to Variety last month, "I know they’re working on it. If it happens, I would be so happy, but I cannot give you any information. Otherwise, I’ll go to the actor’s prison or something."
Still plenty of time to get filming underway for a 2026 (20th anniversary of original) release date.
The Screen Actors Guild nominations were revealed this morning (sans an in-person announcement due to the raging L.A. wildfires), and the cast of Only Murders in the Building has been nominated for Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Meryl, while not a huge part of the latest season, nonetheless is part of the ensemble and therefore nominated. Martin Short was the sole other nominee from the show, snagging a nom for Male Actor in a Comedy Series.
EDIT: It's been brought to my attention after posting that, similar to receiving individual recognition for many awards, there are requirements for having been in a certain number of episodes to be considered as part of the ensemble. In this case, Meryl is not part of the ensemble and therefore not officially nominated. My apologies for the lazy posting. I should've known better.
I wonder if Meryl will attend the ceremony along with the rest of the cast. My gut tells me she probably will not (especially if by chance the rumors are true and the filming of Devil Wears Prada 2 starts in February). But mostly it seems that since she's just not in a major role this season she's more likely to bow out of the ceremony. At last year's event, she, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt re-teamed to award Lead Actor in a Comedy series. I still don't know if her tripping at the beginning was a bit. Regardless, enjoy the video and congrats to the cast!
Happy New Year, Streepers! I hope this post finds you all happy and healthy and ready for a year of good things for Meryl.
I can't lie, I've been fiending for some Meryl project news as of late. We've been getting teased about a Devil Wears Prada sequel since this summer. Things seemed so legit for a while, but now I'm wondering if it's going to happen at all. The thing that calms my brain a bit is that it would be a tidy release timeline to have it released in theaters in 2026 for a 20th anniversary marketing approach. That reasonably gives us until the fall for a plausible filming timeline. I'm still cautiously optimistic that it'll happen. If it does, and it ends up being released as expected in '26, that'll make it five years between theatrical releases for Meryl, since 2021's Don't Look Up (which itself only had a tiny film release to qualify for awards as it was a Netflix film).
I think the biggest reason I want Prada to happen is because, if it's a big hit, it may open doors for projects to get greenlit for Meryl. It's no secret that people aren't exactly throwing money at producers to make movies or shows focused on women over 70. Not that said projects don't exist, and it's certainly a better climate for seasoned actresses than it was even twenty years ago, but they're much much harder to come by than for actors under 40. While Meryl can easily play women ten years younger than she is, at 75, the options are slim.
With all this in mind, I'm really looking forward to hopefully hearing some casting news for The Corrections. I can see filming for this project getting underway this fall with another 2026 release. Alas, there has been zero news of this project since it was originally announced on September 27. Maybe within the next six months we'll get more news about what Meryl might realistically do in 2026. Was the book she mentioned having optioned while interviewed in Cannes State of Wonder? Was it something completely different, or even something that she doesn't expect to star in? Or maybe a memoir for what could turn into an epic biopic? Only time will tell. And while the anticipation can be part of the fun, I don't think I'm alone in feeling like I need some more concrete confirmation of something solid we'll get to see her in soon.
I would love nothing more than if we were to get a period of about four or five years in a row where Meryl really wows us. That would bring her to around 80 years old, where one's very life (much less career) is far from predictable. Keep the faith, folks. I don't think she's done.
