In speaking about IMAX's quarterly earnings, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond made some cryptic but supportive comments related to a Puck news piece claiming Netflix and IMAX were in talks to bring Greta Gerwig's The Chronicles of Narnia to 2,000 worldwide IMAX screens in 2026. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Gelfond remarked on these reported discussions: "You know, directors, film studios are all leaning into the Imax experience...we are always innovating and looking for new approaches to eventizing content.” THR further reports that while talks are underway for a potential IMAX release over Thanksgiving 2026, it's unclear if Narnia will have enough theatrical exclusivity to satisfy theater chains like AMC. If these companies offer the plan a thumbs down, this ambitious departure from Netflix's stance on theatrical releases goes up in smoke.
This salvo towards IMAX from the genius behind Lady Bird, Little Women, and Barbie (not to mention Frances Ha's screenplay and lead performance!) adds another chapter in the winding drama that is Netflix's relationship with movie theaters. A little history: Netflix started releasing narrative feature films in October 2015 with Beasts of No Nation. The feature opened in a handful of arthouse theaters the same day it hit streaming, ensuring its box office numbers were dismal. After this, Netflix vowed to never publicly release box office numbers again.
In the years that followed, Netflix handed out massive budgets to auteurs looking to get dream projects off the ground. This ensured Netflix could have a level of "prestige" as a "real movie studio". However, the lack of a normal theatrical proved a continued sticking point. Netflix only releases its titles in a handful of markets (mainly in Los Angeles and New York) to ensure its films qualify for the Oscars. The Irishman came thiiiis close to playing in theaters everywhere, but Netflix refused to give theater chains 60 days of exclusivity. As of this writing, the Netflix movie that's had the longest gap between its theatrical debut and streaming launch is, of all things, Bardo, False Chronicles of a Handful of Truths. That title got 42 days in theaters before hitting Netflix.
In hindsight, some of these Netflix and movie theater duels are cute given how many theatrical windows (the amount of time movies can ONLY be available on the big screen have collapsed since COVID-19 shut down theaters. Universal can now put titles on premium-video-on-demand retailers as soon as just 17 days after a movie debuted. Disney sent Encanto to Disney+ 30 days after its theatrical debut. Heck, from 2021 to 2023, many theatrical movies simultaneously opened in theaters and on streamers like Paramount+, Max, and Peacock. Simultaneously, the importance of theatrical releases has constantly been reaffirmed, even for streamers. Shudder is constantly sending movies to theaters first through sister company IFC Films. Amazon, meanwhile, has been reversing its 2019 decision to focus on streaming-exclusive movies. Now this studio is aiming to launch 16 theatrical movies a year!
All of these developments mean it should be a foregone conclusion that Netflix embraces theatrical releases. Theater owners are more amendable to condensed releases and every other streamer recognizes the power of the big screen. Instead, Netflix has been constantly antagonistic to theaters. Time and time again Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has lambasted theater owners. Looking over these comments, some amusing discrepancies emerge. For starters, it's hilarious hearing Sarandos claim movie theaters "stifle innovation" when Netflix is responsible for such generic movies as The Gray Man, Spenser Confidential, and He's All That. Secondly, I'm suuuuure the passion Sarandos has for streaming-exclusive movies has nothing to do with Netflix having to pay far fewer (if any) long-term residuals to working-class artists if the movies skip theaters. Perish the thought of Netflix's movies bolstering struggling actors or movie theater owners and not just the pockets of the uber-wealthy like Sarandos!!
Netflix's hatred of theaters is an eye-roll-worthy staple of the cinema scene made darkly amusing by the streamer's desperation to be adored by vintage theatrical cinema staples like Cannes or the Academy Awards. Netflix wants to be the arsonist and the heroic fireman of cinema and they don't even realize it. All of that brings us back to Gerwig's Narnia film. If she could get even just on IMAX screens, that would be a massive breakthrough for Netflix Original Movies. Much like Netflix's no-advertising stance quickly melted into embracing commercial breaks, this streamer can't hold out on its hatred for theatrical cinema forever.
After all, filmmakers actually have some options for competitors (like Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros., A24, and Universal) willing to give their titles theatrical launches. Just promising oodles of money isn't enough anymore when it's very clear a streaming-exclusive release can never produce the next Godzilla Minus One, Longlegs , It Ends With Us, or countless other post-2020 cultural hits. Plus, Netflix's absolutely atrocious track record for original movies in 2024 is a strong indicator that something has to change. Keep an eye out for whatever happens with Gerwig's Narnia feature and the big screen. Perhaps soon Netflix will release that default method of releasing movies that's existed for over a century has existed for a reason...