Netflix finally opens to proper theatrical releases, starting with the next “Narnia” film
Netflix is shifting its distribution strategy by giving Greta Gerwig's 'Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew' a wide theatrical release with a 45-day exclusivity window before streaming. This marks a significant departure from the company's historical preference for prioritizing its platform over cinemas. The move has been welcomed by theater owners and signals Netflix's growing recognition of the theatrical experience for major films.
- ▪Netflix will release 'Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew' in theaters on February 12, 2026, before it streams on April 2, 2026.
- ▪The film will have a 45-day exclusive theatrical window, a notable change from Netflix's usual release model.
- ▪Greta Gerwig, director of 'Barbie,' will helm the adaptation of C.S. Lewis' 1955 novel 'The Magician’s Nephew.'
- ▪Theater industry leaders, including Michael O’Leary and Adam Aron, have praised Netflix's decision.
- ▪Netflix previously released a theatrical sing-along version of 'K-pop Demon Hunters' and committed to traditional windows for Warner Bros. Discovery titles.
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Netflix has never been a friend of the multiplex. For most of its existence as a film studio, the streamer has treated theaters as a reluctant pit stop — a brief, begrudging detour before content lands where it was always meant to: on your couch. That’s starting to change, and the company is making the shift in the most attention-grabbing way possible. The streamer announced Friday that Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will get a proper wide theatrical release on February 12, 2026, with a 45-day exclusivity window before it hits the platform on April 2. For a company that has historically treated theatrical runs as awards bait rather than a distribution strategy, this is a meaningful step.
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