Greta Gerwig's Narnia will be released in IMAX before its premiere on Netflix.
In a decision that could significantly impact the future of Netflix, the Narnia adaptation directed by Greta Gerwig will be screened in IMAX before its release on the streaming platform.
Finally, Greta Gerwig will manage to have her project premiere in theaters. After months of speculation, the adaptation of Narnia will be shown on IMAX screens before its release on Netflix. Reports indicate that Narnia will be screened on nearly 1,000 screens worldwide on Thanksgiving Day 2026. IMAX has assured that the film will remain in theaters for at least two weeks, although this period could extend to three if there is high demand.
After its run in IMAX theaters, Narnia will be available for streaming on Netflix around Christmas Day. It has been mentioned that there could be screenings of Narnia in other formats, although this has not been confirmed. A notable aspect is that Netflix plans to promote Narnia just like a typical IMAX movie, giving it an identity as a Netflix and IMAX film from its premiere.
Gerwig's deal could become a turning point for Netflix, which has prioritized streaming over the cinematic experience. Although the platform has conducted limited releases of prestigious productions to qualify for the Oscars and other awards, Gerwig resembles her work on Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which had a brief theatrical run before its release on Netflix.
The overwhelming success of Barbie, which became the highest-grossing film of 2023 with over $1.44 billion worldwide, likely influenced Netflix's decision to allow an IMAX premiere. In 2018, Netflix acquired the rights to C.S. Lewis's Narnia books with the goal of developing films and television series, and in 2020, Gerwig was chosen for this ambitious project. More recently, it was reported that the filmmaker was hired to write and direct two Narnia films for the platform.