Greta Gerwig's 'Narnia' Set for IMAX Release in 90 Countries on Thanksgiving 2026, Streaming on Netflix by Christmas

Jan 17, 2025, 10:40 AM

Netflix has agreed to a precedent-setting deal for the release of Greta Gerwig's adaptation of C.S. Lewis's 'The Chronicles of Narnia'. The film, which has a budget of 200 million dollars, will premiere exclusively in around 1,000 IMAX theaters across 90 countries worldwide on Thanksgiving Day 2026, before becoming available on Netflix on Christmas Day 2026. This arrangement marks a significant shift for Netflix, which typically avoids theatrical releases in favor of direct streaming. The deal was negotiated between Netflix's chief content officer Bela Bajaria, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond, and Gerwig's team. The film will be marketed as a 'Netflix/IMAX' title, with Netflix committing to promote it as a theatrical tentpole movie. Gerwig, leveraging her success with 'Barbie', has secured a four-week exclusive theatrical window, though IMAX has only guaranteed two weeks, with a potential third week based on demand.