LOS ANGELES — Netflix will give Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew a wide global theatrical release before it reaches streaming, marking the company’s boldest cinema commitment for one of its own films, Netflix said Friday, May 1, 2026.
The fantasy film will open with IMAX sneak previews Feb. 10, 2027, before launching in IMAX and theaters worldwide Feb. 12, 2027, and arriving on Netflix April 2, 2027, according to Netflix’s official Narnia announcement. The calendar creates a 45-day-plus theatrical window, giving Gerwig’s film a traditional big-screen runway before its streaming debut.
Why the Narnia theater run is historic for Netflix
The move stands out because Netflix has long favored streaming-first releases, using theaters mainly for limited awards runs, festival play or special events. Reuters reported that Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will play exclusively in cinemas for more than 45 days, a first for the streaming service.
That makes the film more than another literary adaptation. It is a test of whether Netflix can use the kind of theatrical window usually reserved for major studio releases without weakening the value of its own platform. For theater owners, it also signals a rare moment when a streaming giant is putting a major franchise into cinemas first.
Narnia shifts from IMAX-only plan to full theatrical window
The new plan expands an earlier strategy built around a shorter IMAX event. Boxoffice Pro said the film had originally been planned as an IMAX-exclusive Thanksgiving 2026 release before moving to Feb. 12, 2027, with both IMAX and traditional theaters included.
The change gives Netflix a broader commercial launch and gives exhibitors a cleaner theatrical window. It also removes the film from the crowded holiday frame and positions it as an early-year event release, with nearly seven weeks separating its theatrical opening from its Netflix premiere.
How the Narnia project built toward this moment
Netflix has been working toward a new Narnia universe for years. In 2018, Netflix announced a multiyear deal with The C.S. Lewis Company to develop series and films based on the full book franchise, a key step because the rights to all seven novels were being gathered under one roof.
The creative direction became clearer in 2023, when Entertainment Weekly reported that Gerwig had been tapped to write and direct at least two films for Netflix and had described the assignment as both exciting and daunting. That context matters now because the theatrical push gives Gerwig’s version the scale of a major studio tentpole rather than a routine streaming launch.
The distribution strategy also evolved over time. A January 2025 Deadline report described an exclusive IMAX global run for the film, but the newly announced plan is far wider, longer and more conventional by theatrical standards.
Cast and story give Narnia event-film weight
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew adapts C.S. Lewis’ 1955 novel, which explores the creation of Narnia and comes before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in the story’s internal chronology. People reported that the cast includes Meryl Streep, Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan, Emma Mackey, Denise Gough, Ciarán Hinds, Susan Wokoma, David McKenna, Beatrice Campbell and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.
Gerwig is writing, directing and producing the film. Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who previously worked with Gerwig on Barbie, are writing the music, adding another sign that Netflix is framing the movie as a premium cinematic release rather than only a streaming franchise starter.
Theater owners welcome Netflix’s Narnia gamble
The response from exhibitors has been unusually warm for a Netflix release. TheWrap reported that AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron called the move a major development and said AMC and Odeon would support the release aggressively.
For cinemas, the deal offers a high-profile family fantasy film with built-in literary awareness, a filmmaker coming off one of the biggest pop-culture hits of the decade and a release window long enough to matter at the box office. For Netflix, it is a chance to prove that a theatrical launch can amplify a streaming debut instead of competing with it.
What the Narnia release means next
The film’s performance could shape how Netflix handles future prestige and franchise titles. A strong theatrical run would give the company a case for using cinemas more often when a filmmaker, format or franchise justifies the scale.
For now, Gerwig’s Narnia has become a landmark release before audiences have seen a frame. By committing to theaters first, Netflix is turning The Magician’s Nephew into a test of how far the line between streaming and cinema can move.
