Greta Gerwig's 'Narnia' to Premiere on 1,000 IMAX Screens in 90 Countries on Thanksgiving 2026, Before Netflix Release on Christmas

Jan 17, 2025, 12:10 PM

Netflix has agreed to a groundbreaking deal to release Greta Gerwig's adaptation of C.S. Lewis's 'The Chronicles of Narnia' in theaters before its streaming debut. The film, with a budget of 200 million dollars, will premiere exclusively on approximately 1,000 IMAX screens in 90 countries worldwide on Thanksgiving Day 2026, before becoming available on Netflix on Christmas Day 2026. This marks a significant shift for Netflix, which traditionally has been reluctant to release its films in theaters. The deal includes a two-week exclusive IMAX run, with the possibility of extending to a third week based on demand, and a total 4-week window of global exclusivity. The film, described as a 'very new take' on the franchise, will be marketed as a 'Netflix/IMAX' title, and Gerwig will utilize both IMAX and regular cameras for the dual release. The agreement was negotiated between Netflix's chief content officer Bela Bajaria, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond, and Gerwig's team at UTA and the Johnson Shapiro law firm.