Netflix’s Narnia Reboot From Barbie Director Confirmed for 2026 IMAX Release

Netflix’s upcoming Chronicles of Narnia reboot from Barbie director Greta Gerwig has received a release date, and moviegoers will be able to see the film on the biggest screens possible. According to Puck, Narnia will play in IMAX theaters beginning on Thanksgiving in 2026. It will not be available to stream at home until Christmas; however, right now the agreement is only for a two-week theatrical run in 1,000 global locations. It’s possible it could be extended for a third week depending on demand.

Currently, the deal is for Narnia to be an IMAX exclusive, but screenings in regular, non-IMAX theaters have not been officially ruled out yet.

The plans for Narnia‘s theatrical release have been in the works since at least October, when it was reported IMAX was interested in showing the big-budget fantasy film. While it’s been known that Netflix was eyeing a December 2026 window for the movie’s streaming release, the status of a theatrical run remained up in the air until now. Historically, Netflix favors giving their films a very limited theatrical release in order to qualify for the Oscars. The streamer is sending Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein to theaters, but it’s unknown for how long.

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Gerwig’s Narnia, which starts filming in the summer, is the first step of an ambitious plan from Netflix to adapt all of the books in C.S. Lewis’ iconic series. Gerwig, coming off the $1 billion success of Best Picture nominee Barbie, is set to direct at least two installments in the franchise. She has spoken about the need to give the adaptation “extra care,” citing her personal “reverence” for the source material. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has teased the films will be “bigger and bolder” than audiences expect.

It’s nice to see Netflix and IMAX were able to strike a deal for Narnia‘s theatrical release. A grand fantasy adventure like Narnia is something that deserves to be seen on the big screen, providing Gerwig’s vision with a proper canvas. The filmmaker is planning to shoot Narnia with IMAX cameras, and it will be exciting to see her tackle a project with such a large scope. The likes of Lady Bird, Little Women, and even Barbie were smaller undertakings by comparison, and Narnia could represent her next step forward as an artist. Hopefully, Netflix is able to give the film a run in some non-IMAX locations, allowing more people to see the movie the way Gerwig intended.

It will be interesting to see if the Narnia agreement establishes any kind of precedent for Netflix moving forward. Other A-list directors may look for a similar deal before doing business with the streamer. While not every Netflix movie is tailor-made for premium formats, many filmmakers are still interested in preserving the theatrical experience and would probably like a guarantee for an extended run of a few weeks before streaming. It’ll most likely be on a case-by-case basis. Given the sizable investment Netflix is making in Narnia, it makes a lot of sense to push it on IMAX.