After the box of BarbieGreta Gerwig got into a standoff with Netflix over the release of her version of Narnia. The game ends soon.
The case of the next one Narnia is very characteristic of the sometimes stormy relations between artists and streaming platforms. On the one hand, there is Greta Gerwig, actress and now filmmaker known for Lady Bird, The Daughters of Doctor March and of course Barbie. A few weeks before the monumental success of her blockbuster, she signed on for an even more ambitious project: a new adaptation of Chronicles of Narniaan extremely famous literary fantasy saga by CS Lewis and already brought to the screen on multiple occasions.
On the other, there is Netflix, which bought the rights to the seven volumes in 2018 and intends to make it one of its future flagship franchises. Proof of this is the budget allocated to the thing, which could exceed 200 million dollars, among, if not the largest check signed by the firm. The two had everything to get along… except for one detail: broadcast conditions. These are becoming a little clearer, even if the confrontation continues.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Netflix, the queen of the box office and the magical Imax
This is the newsletter of Screentimemedia section of the site Bloombergwho had the scoop: Netflix would aim, for the release of its Narnia in the United States, the month of December 2026. This range, very popular with family entertainment, would theoretically put it in competition with the third part of the Jumanji new generation (December 11), Ice Age 6 (which replaces a Star Wars on December 18) and the next film by Denis Villeneuve (also on December 18).
But that is not the real question. The real question is: will the film be released in theaters? This is the subject of the dispute which, according to several articles, opposed Gerwig and his employer. For Puckthe director wanted it to be shown in the cinema, against the advice of Netflix, which was keen on its system. Although the studio’s most prestigious productions are sometimes entitled to a tiny window of operation in the United States (which is very practical for weighing up in award ceremonies), they remain mainly SVoD releases.
Co-CEO Ted Sarandos affirmed this again in October 2024 during his address to investors: there is absolutely no question of changing strategy. An obstinacy which has recently provoked the discontent of certain artists, Daniel Craig and Rian Johnson, who seem dissatisfied with the fate reserved for their franchise At Knives Outto Margot Robbie and Emerald Fennell, who would have refused a more than juicy contract with the platform in order to guarantee a theatrical release for their version of Wuthering Heights.
Concerning Narnianegotiations are still ongoing, including with Imax. A release in this format would be exceptional for the service. A priori, everyone would be up for it, but Netflix would be looking for a way to justify this exception to other filmmakers. The idea being to avoid creating a precedent.
Note that if the service confirmed that it was making an exception, and that the film benefited from real blockbuster exploitation at Uncle Sam’s, he could perhaps be entitled to the same treatment in France. Usually, the rare Netflix films authorized to be released for a few days on the big screen are only available online from us, due to media chronology. Will we discover the next Narnia in a white-hot Imax theater or in our two-seater sofa? Answer soon.
