During Netflix’s negotiations to acquire Warner Bros., a key point of discussion was theatrical exclusivity windows for new films. Historically, this has been a point of contention for Netflix, but the streaming giant disclosed that it was intending to work more closely with the theatrical industry in future releases.
While that acquisition ultimately didn’t happen, Netflix is going forward with granting greater privileges to theaters with a major upcoming release. In a first, the company will be granting a full 45-day theatrical exclusivity window for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. The film has been pushed for an early 2027 release after originally being slated to release the end of this year.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will receive a “sneak preview” release exclusively in IMAX on February 10th, followed by a full theatrical release on February 12th. It will then premiere on Netflix April 2nd.
“The film’s delay until 2027 creates an opportunity to give Narnia an expanded, wide release with a full theatrical window; we support Greta and Netflix in pursuing that opportunity and are pleased IMAX could help facilitate,” reads a statement from IMAX.
