Even if Gerwig doesn’t get Netflix to agree to a traditional theatrical release for the first of her “Chronicles of Narnia” films, she seems to be eager to ensure people get to see it on the biggest screen possible. According to The Hollywood Reporter, IMAX and Netflix are in preliminary discussions to shoot Gerwig’s “Chronicles of Narnia” movies in the IMAX format, with plans to potentially unveil the first of her adaptations as a holiday event over Thanksgiving 2026 before putting it on the streamer the following Christmas. According to THR’s sources, Gerwig was the one who approached IMAX and spoke directly with CEO Rich Gelfond, trying to broker a deal that would ensure “Narnia” got at least some kind of theatrical rollout.
Seemingly only one other Netflix movie, the 2016 sequel “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny,” has ever screened in extra-large format IMAX theaters, and even then it reportedly only showed in roughly 15 of them across the U.S.. The streamer has a contentious history with theatrical releases, even refusing to keep the ultra-popular Rian Johnson murder mystery “Glass Onion” in theaters for longer than a week because it wanted exclusivity for its streaming service subscribers. Hopefully, Gerwig can use her pull to get Netflix to budge a bit and we’ll get to see her vision of Aslan the Jesus-allegory lion, Mr. Tumnus the fabulous faun, and the other residents of Narnia in the biggest, loudest, and most gorgeous format available. If her first “Chronicles of Narnia” movie does well enough, it could even potentially change the streamer’s attitude towards theatrical releases, which might be more magical than Narnia itself.
/Film will bring you more on Gerwig’s “Chronicles of Narnia” adaptation as the story develops!
