Netflix Facing Pressure to Expand Narnia’s Theatrical Release After Warner Bros Acquisition

The distribution saga surrounding Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Chronicles of Narnia film is proving to be almost as dramatic as C.S. Lewis’ world itself.

What initially appeared to be a familiar Netflix-versus-theatres dispute has taken on new significance following Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros., placing Narnia in the middle of broader concerns about the future of theatrical releases.

For years, Netflix positioned itself as an alternative to the traditional studio system, prioritizing instant streaming access over box office performance. That approach fueled long-standing anxiety among theatre owners and fans, who have worried that Netflix’s growing influence could further erode the theatrical model. Those concerns only intensified once Netflix acquired Warners, one of the industry’s most established theatrical studios.

In response, Netflix executives have sought to reassure the industry that Warner Bros.’ theatrical business will remain intact. Speaking recently with The New York Times, CEO Ted Sarandos said the studio’s films would continue to follow the industry-standard 45-day theatrical window, emphasizing that Netflix intends to compete seriously in theatres rather than treat box office runs as a formality.

I understand that folks are emotional about it because they love it and they don’t want it to go away. And they think that we’ve been doing things to make it go away. We haven’t. When this deal closes, we will own a theatrical distribution engine that is phenomenal and produces billions of dollars of theatrical revenue that we don’t want to put at risk. We will run that business largely like it is today, with 45-day windows. I’m giving you a hard number. If we’re going to be in the theatrical business, and we are, we’re competitive people — we want to win. I want to win opening weekend. I want to win box office.”

Ted Sarandos

While those remarks were meant to steady skeptics’ nerves, they’ve now drawn renewed attention to Narnia‘s upcoming release.

As previously reported, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is currently slated for a limited theatrical release: a two-week exclusive run on roughly 1,000 IMAX screens around Thanksgiving, followed by its debut on Netflix at Christmas. The arrangement came after sustained pressure from Gerwig, whose leverage increased significantly after Barbie became a billion-dollar global hit in 2023. While the IMAX window marked a real concession by Netflix’s standards, it remains far more limited than the theatrical treatment typically given to large-scale franchises.

Until recently, that compromise was largely viewed as a one-off exception — a prestige release designed to satisfy a filmmaker without changing their core business model. But Sarandos’s recent comments have since changed the expectations.

Will Netflix Release Narnia in More Theatres?

If Netflix now believes in the value of a 45-day theatrical window, exhibitors are asking why that philosophy does not apply to one of its most prominent upcoming films?

That question was raised publicly this week by Eduardo Acuna, CEO of Regal Cineworld Group, the second-largest theatre chain in the United States, in a conversation with Puck’s Matt Belloni. Acuna argued that Narnia represents a clear opportunity for Netflix to demonstrate that its commitment to theatrical releases is more than for show. If the company truly intends to preserve the Warners model, he suggested, it should apply it immediately by giving Narnia a wide, theatrical run across all formats.

Why don’t [Netflix] give 45 days to Narnia and show it in every format, not only IMAX? Narnia looks more like a Warner Bros. movie than a Netflix movie. Consumers would love that, Greta Gerwig would love that. I don’t see who wouldn’t love that.”

Eduardo Acuna

From the exhibitor’s perspective, the logic is straightforward. Narnia already resembles a traditional tentpole film with a globally recognized fantasy property, broad family appeal, a prestige director, and the kind of scale that benefits from theatrical exhibition. Treating it like a conventional studio release would reinforce Netflix’s claim that it sees genuine value in theatres.

Still, Netflix may see little incentive to change course. While the company is now set to own Warner’s theatrical infrastructure, its core business remains subscription-driven. Expanding Narnia to a wide theatrical release would delay one of Netflix’s most anticipated titles from reaching its platform and risk setting expectations it may not yet be prepared to meet across its broader slate.

There’s also the IMAX factor to consider. Do theatres even have the ability to show Narnia with an IMAX exclusive deal for those first two weeks? Could that arrangement be amended if Netflix wanted to expand the release? Any move toward a wide release would likely ruffle feathers at IMAX, where CEO Rich Gelfond has been championing the film to investors as a true “exclusive” event.

It seems that whatever happens with the release of Narnia, this distribution story likely has a few more twists and turns before its November 26 release.

Do you think Narnia should get a wider theatrical release beyond the IMAX window, or is the current plan enough? Share your thoughts below!