Led Zeppelin Finally Loosen Their Grip on “Stairway to Heaven” for New Narnia Movie
Greta Gerwig’s new Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew trailer uses substantial sections of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”, marking a rare change in the band’s long-standing reluctance to license the song for films. The choice matters because it brings the track’s cinematic potential to a major fantasy adaptation, and links its themes of a spiritual journey and good versus evil to the story.
The nearly three-minute trailer features the guitar introduction, the bridge, Robert Plant’s outro line and Jimmy Page’s solo. Earlier attempts to use the song in Wayne’s World and Almost Famous were affected by licensing restrictions, though Zeppelin have licensed other tracks for films. Gerwig said Plant and Page responded to the heart, story and drama of the Narnia project; Plant is also known to admire C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
- “Stairway to Heaven” features prominently in the new Narnia trailer.
- The licensing marks a rare exception for the band.
- Gerwig connected the song’s spiritual themes to the film.
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Led Zeppelin are a British rock band whose best-known songs include “Stairway to Heaven”, released in 1971. The track builds from a quiet acoustic opening to a guitar solo and a forceful finish, and has become one of rock music’s most recognisable recordings.
Bands and songwriters control how their music is used in films, so filmmakers generally need permission to include a song. Led Zeppelin have often been cautious about allowing “Stairway to Heaven” into films, although they have licensed other songs; C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books, meanwhile, are fantasy stories that explore magic, courage and the struggle between good and evil.