Netflix is changing its tune again, this time on theatrical releases
Netflix is changing its tune again, this time on theatrical releases
The streamer has changed its philosophy more than once in recent years, and its feelings on releasing movies in theaters now appear to be shifting, too.
Fans of “The Chronicles of Narnia” book series will have to wait a little longer to see Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of “The Magician’s Nephew.” The movie was initially planned to be released on Netflix around Thanksgiving 2026, but the streamer has opted for a very different release experience.
Netflix will give “Narnia” a full, wide theatrical release around the United States. The film will not be available to stream on Netflix until nearly 50 days after arriving in theaters, and it appears the streamer’s philosophy on theatrical releases is now changing, just as it previously pivoted on topics like sharing accounts, ads, and live sports.
“Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew” is now slated to arrive in theaters around the globe on Feb. 12, 2027. Sneak previews of the film will begin on Feb. 10, but only in IMAX theaters. The film marks Netflix’s second wide movie release, after “KPop Demon Hunters” broke records for the streamer in 2025.
But “KPop Demon Hunters” was only released in theaters for a weekend before being moved to streaming. “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew” won’t stream on Netflix until April 2, 2027 — 49 days after its theatrical debut. So, viewers will be forgiven if they think of the new “Narnia” film as Netflix’s first real wide release.
Deadline reports that “Narnia” director Greta Gerwig has always wanted the movie to get a theatrical release, and Netflix had been discussing the idea after being declared the apparent winner of the auction process for Warner Bros. Discovery in December.
While Paramount Skydance successfully swiped Warner Bros. out from under Netflix in late February, the world’s largest streaming service had begun to make the rounds to exhibitors to allay fears that WBD movies would simply be released directly to streaming once the deal closed.
Losing WBD to Paramount doesn’t appear to have dampened Netflix’s theatrical ambitions, however. Company co-CEO Ted Sarandos admitted as much in the days following WBD’s pivot to Paramount, saying that the streamer’s talks with theater chains could lead to a closer relationship in the future.
“One thing that’s been great about [the WBD pursuit] is getting to know and have open dialogue with the theater owners. I really didn’t have much reason to before,” Sarandos said. “I think we’re going to find a bunch of cool things to do together going forward. I could see us doing things that we haven’t done before.”
It was only four years ago that Sarandos insisted that the theatrical success of the second “Knives Out” film “Glass Onion” wouldn’t lead to more Netflix movies in cinemas, saying that the company made movies specifically for customers to enjoy via streaming at home.
Now, it appears that Netflix executives are switching up their philosophies once again. It would hardly be the first time; the streamer has had several changes of heart on long-held beliefs in recent years, starting with ads. Netflix resisted the launch of an ad tier for many years, but in 2022, it reversed course to release what’s now called its Standard with Ads plan.
That roused the ire of customers, as did Netflix’s decision to begin stopping subscribers from sharing their passwords. It was less than 10 years ago (2017) when Netflix tweeted that “love is sharing a password,” but in 2023, the streamer rolled out official rules preventing its subscribers from giving their login credentials to someone else.
Netflix has also changed its mind on live sports in recent years. In 2021, Netflix’s Reed Hastings said in an interview that the streamer wasn’t really interested in sports unless it could control the source. But Netflix has made several live sports deals in the intervening years, including live NFL and MLB games, boxing matches, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup starting in 2027.
None of Netflix’s rules about what it will or won’t do in the future is written in stone. Ultimately, the financial health of the company will be the determining factor for all of Netflix’s decisions. But it appears the streamer has cracked the formula for making full theatrical releases pay, as it will give “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew” a wide cinematic distribution. It seems highly unlikely that “Narnia” will be a one-off, and viewers can almost certainly expect more full-length trips through theaters for Netflix movies in the future.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”