Netflix's Next Big Fantasy Franchise Is Achieving A Surprising Historic First
Step through the wardrobe and into the movie theater.
Netflix, the company founded on the concept of watching movies at home, has become increasingly comfortable exploring theatrical releases. Previously, a handful of movies like Roma and The Irishman were given very limited theatrical releases to make them eligible for award consideration. Later, movies like Glass Onion and Frankenstein were given slightly wider releases, and then KPop Demon Hunters changed everything in 2025.
Initially released on streaming, it found success in theaters with sing-alongs and other special screenings, proving that fans are willing to trek to theaters for the right story. Now, one of Netflix’s biggest upcoming bets is doubling down on the theatrical strategy with an unprecedented release for the streamer — one that means we’ll all be waiting a little longer to see it.
Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movie is getting a bigger release than any Netflix movie before.
Netflix recently announced that Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew, the first in an expected eight-part Narnia adaptation, will have a “global eventized release” on February 12, 2027, which is about three months later than its initially planned IMAX-exclusive release date of November 26, 2026. It will then hit streaming on April 2, 2027, making it the first Netflix movie to get a wide and exclusive theatrical window of 45 days.
“The film’s delay until 2027 creates an opportunity to give Narnia an expanded, wide release with a full theatrical window; we support Greta and Netflix in pursuing that opportunity and are pleased Imax could help facilitate,” IMAX said in a statement, per Variety. Deadline, however, suggests a different reason for the delay: there are rumors that a cast member's injury delayed production for six weeks, meaning the movie was set to miss its Thanksgiving 2026 release date anyway.
Netflix’s Narnia adaptation will begin with The Magician’s Nephew rather than the better-known The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Aside from making the movie easier to watch in theaters, the move might have a ripple effect on other franchises. Avengers: Doomsday’s current mid-December release date forces it to compete with Dune: Part Three, which has secured all IMAX screens. With Narnia moving away from the coveted Thanksgiving weekend release date, we might see the Avengers team up a few weeks earlier.
Gerwig has already set her Narnia adaptation apart from other movies by beginning with The Magician’s Nephew, the first book chronologically, but the sixth book C.S. Lewis wrote in the series. Now, it’s setting itself apart from every other Netflix exclusive with a true theatrical window that compares to traditional blockbusters. Barbie proved that Greta Gerwig can turn a beloved cultural icon into a cinematic smash hit; can she use Narnia to usher Netflix into an era of theatrical dominance?
