Led Zeppelin may be reluctant to license their music to Hollywood, but Jimmy Page made an exception for the new Narnia movie, and it’s a big deal: Staircase to heaven.
The 1971 classic, which originally appeared on the band’s fourth album, has found a new home as the heavily remixed soundtrack to the trailer for Narnia: the magician’s nephew, the Netflix adaptation of CS Lewis’ first story Chronicles of Narnia series, which will hit the big screen in February.
Typically, a modern Hollywood trailer makes music sound galactic, and this is no exception, with Robert Plant’s vocals isolated and bathed in reverb, and Jimmy Page’s iconic solo ringing out more forcefully than ever.
“I had the privilege of meeting (director) Greta Gerwig, a powerhouse in the film world,” Page said. “She is a keen creator, as shown Little Women, Lady Bird And barbieand the next one to be published Narnia movie.
“I’m delighted that she chose Stairway to heaven in the trailer for his film.”
According to a report from VarietyGerwig wrote to Page and Plant requesting permission to use Stairway to heaven in the film and showed them a rough cut.
“It’s an epic, narrative song, about a spiritual journey, a path of false idols and bad roads that one can take. It made sense to present the world,” explains Gerwig. “I was so moved that they allowed me to use this song. They saw the heart and the story of the film.”
Previously, usage requests Stairway to heaven on Wayne’s World And Almost Famous were refused by Led Zeppelin.
Meanwhile, recent films which have benefited from the group’s more relaxed attitude towards licensing include Argo (2012) and The big short (2015), who both used When the dam breaks, Thor: Ragnarok (Song of the immigrants, 2017) and The other misadventures of Cliff Booth (black dog, 2026).
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