Greta Gerwig Filming Select ‘Narnia’ Scenes in IMAX, CEO Teases Broader Appeal and Box Office Potential

IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond may have lost count of the Narnia books, but he hasn’t lost confidence in Greta Gerwig’s ability to draw a broad audience to her upcoming adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew. 

Speaking at Axios Media Live conference in New York, Gelfond confirmed that Gerwig is filming select scenes with IMAX cameras, and he later shared his optimism about the project’s box office performance.

I’d like this to be the first [IMAX / Netflix wide release partnership], because Greta has a certain vision and she’s filming it with IMAX cameras. As a matter of fact, if this was next week, a week from now, I’d know more because I’m going to London where she’s filming next week to see it.

This marks a shift from earlier reports, which suggested Greta Gerwig and Director of Photography Seamus McGarvey had not yet committed to IMAX cameras. Up to this point, all confirmed filming has used 35mm VistaVision, a film-based format recently revived by The Brutalist, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

Gelfond did not specify which sequences are being shot in IMAX, though his mention of an upcoming set visit suggests that these scenes may be filmed soon. Notably, the highly public Jadis chase sequence in London was not shot on IMAX, implying the larger format could be reserved for later (or other-world) portions of The Magician’s Nephew.

A Broader Demographic

Gelfond added that while many people know C.S. Lewis‘ The Chronicles of Narnia as “a kid’s story,” Gerwig’s approach will capture a wide audience.

But you know, Narnia, people know it’s a kid’s story, a Christmas story. She’s gonna do a much broader demographic in a much more modern way. I think the IMAX core audience is going to really like it a lot, so you know I’m really excited.”

In an unrelated interview, Seamus McGarvey echoed that sentiment, telling RTÉ Radio 1 (at 22:03 mark) last week that Narnia will appeal to both children and adults.

“I’m not allowed to talk about [Narnia] but what I can tell you is that it’s saturated with childlike and adult imagination and people are going to love it, I hope”

Box Office

Looking to the future, Gelfond said Netflix views this movie as more than a single release. “I think Netflix realizes – I think there are eight or nine books – that they’re not just launching a movie, they’re launching this long-arranged franchise.”

He made a similar comment in January, when he claimed Netflix had eight movies planned, but it appears he was estimating based on the number of books.

Narnia is set for an IMAX release in November 2026 on roughly 1,000 screens worldwide for two weeks, followed by its Netflix debut in December. Despite the limited theatrical window, Gelfond remained bullish on its box office potential.

I think the numbers could be things that people don’t even realize how good it could be. You know, remember we did Oppenheimer, which was a biopic about a physicist and did $160 million dollars in IMAX and there were competitors in other theaters. So I think if this is well-executed, which it will be, and there will be great music around it, I think it will be a really amazing experience.”

Filming on Narnia is expected to continue in London until the end of this year.