Movie Studios Are Furious with IMAX for Releasing Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ in Theaters for Netflix
Picture this—a massive fantasy film like ‘Narnia’ hitting theaters, but not from a traditional studio. Instead, it’s Netflix making the play, and it’s got Hollywood in an uproar. Greta Gerwig, the director behind the billion-dollar hit ‘Barbie’, is bringing C.S. Lewis’s beloved world to life, and she’s scored a rare deal. Her ‘Narnia’ adaptation will debut on IMAX screens worldwide before landing on the streaming giant’s platform.
The deal is pretty straightforward. On Thanksgiving Day 2026, ‘Narnia’ will roll out on about 1,000 IMAX screens across 90 countries. It’ll stay exclusive to those giant screens for two weeks, maybe three if it does well, before streaming on Netflix around Christmas. For a company that usually skips theaters altogether, this is a big shift. Netflix has done short theatrical runs before—like with ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ in 2022—but nothing on this scale. Gerwig pushed hard for this, and her clout after ‘Barbie’ clearly paid off.
Now, here’s where the trouble starts. Traditional studios like Disney and Universal aren’t happy about losing prime IMAX space to a streamer. Thanksgiving is a hot time for big releases, and they’ve got their own films—like Disney’s untitled animated project—lined up for late November 2026. Sharing those massive screens with Netflix feels like a betrayal to them. They’re used to IMAX being a key part of their opening weekend strategy, not a playground for a rival that doesn’t even rely on box office cash.
Theater chains are upset too. Big players like Regal and Cinemark, which run some of those IMAX screens, don’t love the idea of showcasing a Netflix flick that’ll vanish to streaming so fast. They’re worried it cuts into their profits and messes with the usual theatrical window—where films stick around for a month or two before going digital. Some chains are even threatening to skip ‘Narnia’ entirely on their IMAX setups. It’s a standoff, and it’s getting tense.
But IMAX isn’t backing down. Their CEO, Rich Gelfond, hinted to Puck News at a ‘nuclear option’ to force theaters to play ball—though he’s keeping quiet on what that means. Word is, it might involve a side deal with AMC, the biggest IMAX operator in the U.S., which could tip the scales. Whatever it is, IMAX sees this as a win. They’re betting on Gerwig’s star power and the allure of ‘Narnia’ to pack seats, and they want to prove they can turn streaming projects into global events.
Greta Gerwig’s role in all this can’t be overstated. She’s not just directing—she’s shaping how this film reaches us. After ‘Barbie’ raked in nearly $1.5 billion in 2023, she’s got the muscle to demand a theatrical run, even from a streamer like Netflix. She’s also writing the script and plans to shoot with IMAX cameras, making sure the film feels huge on those screens. It’s her follow-up to a cultural juggernaut, and she’s not letting it fade into the streaming shuffle.
The ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ series itself is no small thing. C.S. Lewis wrote seven books, starting with ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ in 1950. They’ve sold over 115 million copies and been translated into 57 languages. Earlier films—like the 2005 Disney version—made a splash, with the first pulling in over $745 million worldwide. Netflix grabbed the rights in 2018, aiming to build a franchise, and brought Gerwig on board in 2020. We don’t know yet which book she’s adapting, but the buzz is real.
For Netflix, this is a test. They’re not changing their whole game plan—co-CEO Ted Sarandos called it a ‘release tactic’, not a new norm. But it shows they’re willing to bend for big names like Gerwig. If ‘Narnia’ does well, other directors might push for the same treatment. Think Rian Johnson with his next ‘Knives Out’ flick—he’s already grumbled about Netflix’s theater aversion. This could spark a trend, and studios won’t like that one bit.
What’s wild is how this shakes up the movie world. Studios and theaters have been at odds with Netflix for years over its streaming-first approach. Now, IMAX is caught in the middle, trying to please everyone while chasing a blockbuster moment. We’ll see how it plays out in 2026, but one thing’s clear—Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ is already stirring the pot, and it hasn’t even started filming yet.