HarperCollins and Netflix Plan New Narnia Covers, Box Sets and a Graphic Novel

What did HarperCollins announce? HarperCollins Publishers and Netflix have announced a publishing program for Greta Gerwig's film Narnia: The Magician's Nephew. It includes new movie covers for all seven books in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, paperback and hardcover box sets, a deluxe collector's edition, retailer exclusives and a graphic novel. HarperCollins announced the program on October 16, 2026, the anniversary of the 1950 publication of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which the publisher calls "Narnia Day."

The film opens in theaters worldwide on February 12, 2027. HarperCollins says it will be the first time The Magician's Nephew, first published in 1955, has been adapted for the big screen. The first trailer came out earlier in the week.

The books and the dates

According to the release, all of the titles below are available to pre-order now.

• Movie tie-in paperback of The Magician's Nephew with cover art from the film, in English and Spanish. On sale November 10, 2026.
• Seven-book movie tie-in paperback box set with all-new covers illustrated by the film's concept artist, Vance Kovacs. On sale November 10, 2026.
• Seven individual tie-in hardcovers with the same Kovacs covers. On sale November 17, 2026.
• Seven-book movie tie-in hardcover box set. On sale November 24, 2026.
• The Magician's Nephew Deluxe Collector's Edition with special jacket effects, digitally printed edges and Kovacs endpapers. On sale November 17, 2026.
• Retailer-exclusive versions of the deluxe edition for Barnes & Noble, Sam's Club, Target and Walmart. On sale November 17.
• A TikTok and Epic Reads exclusive slipcase for The Magician's Nephew. On sale November 17.
• The Magician's Nephew graphic novel, adapted and illustrated by Eisner Award winner Ben Hatke. On sale January 12, 2027.

So the main editions land in mid-to-late November, well ahead of the holiday gift season and about three months before the film. The graphic novel follows in January, a month before release.

Who is involved

The film stars David McKenna, Beatrice Campbell, Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Ciarán Hinds, with Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep.

Liate Stehlik, CEO and publisher of HarperCollins' US trade division, said the company was "thrilled to be publishing a robust program of books" with Netflix and "our longtime partners at the C. S. Lewis Company." Vincent Sieber-Smith, managing director of the C.S. Lewis Company, which is Lewis's estate and owns his copyrights, said the new editions would "share the magic of Narnia with a whole new generation of readers."

HarperCollins says the seven Narnia books have sold more than 120 million copies in 70 countries and have been adapted into more than 60 languages.

Why it matters for authors

A film can bring an old book back to the top. The Magician's Nephew is more than 70 years old, yet HarperCollins is giving it a full set of new formats tied to a single release date. Publishers plan months ahead to have new editions on shelves when an adaptation arrives. PT's roundup of books being adapted for film and TV in 2026 tracks more of these.

Every format gets its own package. One story is being sold as a paperback, a hardcover set, a collector's edition, store exclusives and a graphic novel. You don't need a film deal to think this way. Indie authors can plan special editions, box sets and hardcovers around their own launches, anniversaries or series milestones.

Retail exclusives are now standard for big launches. Four separate retailer editions plus a TikTok and Epic Reads slipcase show how a big launch is now split across chains and social platforms. HarperCollins is also betting that printed edges, endpapers and slipcases will appeal to collectors.

Timing is part of the plan. HarperCollins announced on "Narnia Day," set its on-sale dates for November and held the graphic novel back to January. Tying announcements to an anniversary or a seasonal moment is a tactic any author can borrow.

Keep an eye on the license holder. The C.S. Lewis Company is named in the announcement as a partner alongside the publisher and Netflix. When an estate controls the rights, it has a say in new editions as well as the screen deal. More news on the publisher is collected on PT's HarperCollins coverage page.

Sources

• HarperCollins Publishers: HarperCollins Publishers and Netflix Announce Narnia Publishing Program Ahead of the Worldwide Theatrical Release of Greta Gerwig's NARNIA: THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW (October 16, 2026)