Over the life of Netflix’s movie-making business, the streamer has not put a high priority on making sure its movies are released in theaters. It seems that, at least for Greta Gerwig, they’re willing to change that approach.
Variety is reporting that Gerwig’s adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia will be screened in IMAX theaters across the country for two weeks before the film hits Netflix. The movie is currently set to open in IMAX on Thanksgiving of 2026, and will debut on Netflix on Christmas Day.
There’s also a chance that Narnia could play in non-IMAX theaters around the country, but that is not yet guaranteed.
“Netflix has committed to market the IMAX release like a typical theatrical tentpole movie and identify Narnia as a ‘Netflix/IMAX’ title from the outset,” the official release said.
The reporting suggests that this announcement came after months of negotiations, and it represents the rare movie that Netflix is willing to give a broad theatrical push. While Netflix gives qualifying runs to many of its more awards-oriented movies, the more commercial plays tend to debut directly on the streaming service.
While many streamers took this approach initially, others like Amazon and Apple have since allowed their movies to play for weeks or even months in theaters before debuting on the streaming service. This has meant that Netflix has been passed over for buzzy titles every year, in part because many filmmakers value the chance for audiences to see movies on the big screen.
We don’t yet know much about what Gerwig’s Narnia movie will look like, but it’s clear that Netflix is excited enough about it to cave on one of their most central principles.
