By A few weeks back came confirmation that Netflix had reached a deal with IMAX in regards to Greta Gerwig’s “The Chronicles of Narnia” film.
Under the deal, the streamer would give the film a two-week exclusive window on IMAX screens around Thanksgiving 2026 – a month ahead of the movie launching on the streamer that Christmas.
Some have tried to spin this as Netflix testing the waters for larger theatrical exhibition plans, something the streamer subsequently denied. For them, it seems any potential theatrical release of an original film will be looked at on a case-by-case basis.
Now a new report at Puck has tackled the missing part of this equation – the other studios and exhibitors. They indicate rival studios and U.S. cinema chains are “furious” about the deal and how it was made without other studios’ input.
They claim Disney, who released two previous “Narnia” films, is said to be angry because it means their untitled animated movie scheduled for Thanksgiving 2026 has now lost out on IMAX screens (the studio also has a Marvel film opening a few weeks earlier on November 6th).
Other theater chains like Regal and Cinemark have reportedly implied they won’t screen “Narnia” at all, but IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond claims to have a “nuclear option” to make theaters play Narnia on IMAX screens.
Speculation about that ‘nuclear option’ ties to a potential deal with AMC Theaters which owns around 46% of the 400 IMAX screens in North America. AMC CEO Adam Aron says commenting on such a potential deal would be “inappropriate”.
Filming on Gerwig’s “Narnia” film is slated to commence this Summer.
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