Greta Gerwig Pushing for Narnia Theatrical Release?
The world of The Chronicles of Narnia is set to come to life once more, this time through the eyes of acclaimed director Greta Gerwig. But while fans are eager to see how she’ll adapt C.S. Lewis’s books, one major question hangs over the production: Will it ever see the inside of a theater?
According to insider Matthew Belloni, Gerwig has been quietly raising the issue with Netflix’s newly-appointed film head, Dan Lin. Given their scope and grandeur, Gerwig has allegedly voiced “concerns” about limiting her Narnia movies to Netflix’s streaming platform.
“Gerwig has also been raising concerns with Lin about the theater issue, given the scope and grandeur of the material. It’s all been friendly requests so far—demands and screaming isn’t really Gerwig’s style—but she’s clearly bummed about the platform she’s being offered—and not offered. Netflix, which has the rights to all the Narnia books, would very much like to give an A-list director what she wants. But, again, theaters are not their model.”
Matthew Belloni
You can read the full article here.
For Gerwig, the movie-going experience is deeply personal.
“There are easier ways to make money, less terrifying businesses, but there are none that are more exciting and filled with this much joy and wonder,” she shared at a recent event. “Going to a dark theater, watching the lights go down, and being transported—those were my favorite memories growing up, and they’re my favorite experiences now.”
Netflix’s Position
In May 2024, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said that the platform doesn’t need theaters to succeed. Reflecting on the huge box-office success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, Sarandos said,
“[Barbie] definitely would have enjoyed just as big an audience on Netflix.” He went on to add, “I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that certain kinds of movies do or don’t work. There’s no reason to believe that the movie itself is better in any size of screen for all people.”
But for Gerwig, it appears the size of the screen matters, especially when it comes to Narnia. C.S. Lewis’s world seems made for the big screen, and Gerwig wouldn’t be alone in thinking that a streaming-only release could limit the cultural impact of the adaptations.
This is not the first time Netflix has encountered pressure to release films theatrically though. In 2022, Netflix gave Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery a limited wide release in theaters, seen as a compromise to satisfy director Rian Johnson. It earned an impressive $15 million during the one-week experiment in some 600 theaters.
At the time, Netflix reportedly considered a new release model for certain high-profile films, allowing a 45-day theater window before debuting on the streaming service.
Scott Stuber, the former Head of Film who consistently advocated for longer theatrical windows, left Netflix in March after reportedly butting heads with Sarandos over this exact issue.
For now, fans are left wondering whether Narnia will be confined to our home screens, or if there’s still hope for a theatrical release.
Do you think Greta Gerwig’s Narnia adaptations belong on the big screen, or is streaming the better choice for the series? Leave a comment and discuss further in our Community Forums!
I’m very much with Gerwig on this. Seeing a new movie in theatres with a giant screen and a crowd of people is an irreplaceable experience.
Yes, Greta, I agree I want to see it in theaters as well.
As much as I want a theatrical release (and I think it should happen) — an eventual physical release is more important to me!
This NEEDS to happen. Netflix, listen to Greta, and give this the wide theatre release it deserves. Even just for a two-week run!
Interesting! I was disappointed that I wasn’t going to get anymore theatrical screenings of Narnia movies (of course, what I really want is ones for movies of the books that haven’t been adapted yet and I’m guessing Gerwig is going to do The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) so I’d be delighted if Netflix gave the writer/director her way. But I guess I can understand their hesitations too.
Maybe if first, they streamed adaptations of the Narnia books that have already been adapted for the big screen and those were so popular that they gave the others cinema releases…eh, that’s wishful thinking on my part. Netflix’s reputation is for ending series prematurely.
Still, it’s gratifying to hear that a famous director agrees with me that it’d be awesome to see Narnia on the big screen.
It would be great to have another big screen movie based on one or more of the Narnia books. But I wonder if it would actually happen. I was disappointed that there was no fourth Walden film, and I would not want that experience to be repeated. But maybe it will still be possible to have a big screen adaptation again if Greta Gerwig is able to go ahead with the project. I am happy that she is discussing plans for it and appears to be enthusiastic about making her Narnia films. 🙂
On the one hand, I would imagine Greta Gerwig is the sort of director who would be keen on a theatrical release for her movies regardless of what it was, however perhaps “scope and grandeur” provides some indication that she fully intends to make a “big screen” movie, rather than necessarily something smaller and more intimate.
It also doesn’t really sound like they are all that far into the production process. I guess I would have imagined that if they had started on production design or location scouting yet, these sorts of questions about the scale and pitch of the movie would have been ironed out by now.
For a director, it’s not just a simple matter of content distribution, it’s something which really defines how they make the movie
Here’s an idea for the Narnia filmmakers: If Netflix does not wish to release a Narnia movie in theaters (at least for a week, but 3 months would be best) director Greta Gerwig and producer Mark Gordon could try and strike up a deal between Netflix and another major studio, like Sony, and release the film through a studio under them, like TriStar.
Sony’s TriStar could pay for the marketing and distribution, and get the box office profits. Netflix, on the other hand, would own the exclusive home viewing rights, and the film gets a Netflix-steaming-only release instead of a dvd/blu-ray release.
Which would suck, to not allow the film to have a home-release. But that may be the compromise: Let the world see the film in theaters, and then let the world boost subscriber levels in order to see the film again on steaming.
Greta is fighting the brave fight, right on the industry’s front lines. I hope Greta’s Narnia does not prove to be a casualty in the escalating/imminent implosion of Hollywood Cinema.
I’m afraid if they go for the big screen in this day & age it’ll flop and that will be an excuse to once again not adapt the entire series. Netflix material belongs on Netflix and I am content to watch it on Netflix. I haven’t seen a film in theatres since Avengers: Endgame and only another film of that calibre could convince me to return to a theatre. The time, the energy, and the expense makes these decisions for me.
Meh… how about a direct to DVD release? (JUST KIDDING)…. although I wouldn’t object to the DVD coming out as soon as possible after the release.
Wow, Impending Doom and Cleander! Until I read your comments, I didn’t realise how much it’s important that we get a Blu Ray, DVD or 4K disc release of the Netflix Narnia films!
I definitely would not want Netflix to one day “remove them from the streaming service” as Disney Plus, Paramount Plus and Warner has done in the past.
I want these as ‘forever movies’ like the Walden films, that I can watch with my grand kids one day.
But yes, I also want a theatrical release for Gerwig’s adaptations.
But a streaming release only is better than no release! It’s been over 13 years waiting! 😉
I hold the whole of Narnia sacred, thank you CS Lewis. I just don’t want a big abomination and flop alike Rings of Power; I’m so sorry Tolkien. Put it on the big screen, let the real fan base come together.
Gerwig is right. The size of the screen does matter. One of the reasons the Walden Narnia films mean so much to me and had so much of a big impact on my life is because I saw them on the big screen. I recognize the anniversaries of the days I first saw them in theaters. It’s not the same with just watching something at home.
I had hoped that Netflix would adopt the model used for Glass Onion since then but while they do have limited releases for several of their films, I’m not sure how widespread they are outside of major cities.
It really is a shame that they don’t release more of their films in theaters in general, and the fact that they don’t think it makes a difference is just wrong. I was fortunate enough to see Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F in theaters because I could see it at Netflix’s Bay Theater at Pacific Palisades, where they would probably play Narnia Netflix regardless of its theatrical status, and I had a great time. It was a great theatrical experience and its such a shame that most people just saw it at home because it deserved better, proving Sarandos wrong in his saying that the size of the screen doesn’t make the movie better.
I really don’t appreciate Ted Sarandos’ attitude toward theaters and physical media. I once asked him during a zoom master class whether or not he would consider more DVD releases to reach audiences that would never agree to pay for Netflix and he completely rejected the idea. Even if they have to wait a period of time for exclusivity, say five years, it would still be worth it and generate extra revenue. It’s a missed opportunity for both the companies and the consumers.
Also, even if Barbie had just as big of an audience if it was on streaming, it’s almost guaranteed that it wouldn’t have been a sensation in the same way or for the same amount of time. Nor would it have made as much money. Same is true for Top Gun: Maverick. The theatrical model just makes more sense than streaming, and even if it doesn’t do great in theaters, the fact that it was theatrical usually adds a boost to its streaming numbers.
It is a shame, though, that even if it does get a theatrical release, that it would probably be very short. The best part about seeing movies I love in theaters is seeing them more than once. I saw the Narnia films 3-5 times in theaters, which was only possible with long, traditional theatrical runs.
The Youtube Box Office analyst Dan Murrell has done a lot of research into the attendance numbers for movies at USA theatres and they are higher than during Covid, but have not reached the same levels as before Covid. And as he says, the studios like Disney and Warner have trained us that we can watch the film at home within a few weeks, or months after release.
Some people find it much easier to watch at home rather than going to the cinema and getting parking, seeing other people/strangers, taking young kids, paying for babysitters, or going through the cold or hot or wet weather. It is just easier to watch at home.
I agree that Barbie would not been as popular if it was only on streaming. It was a phenomonen. People wore pink to the theatres and took photos with the life size Barbie doll boxes. They went with groups. It was similar event movies like Top Gun 2 and Spiderman No Way Home. But sadly, those are rare movies that get everyone out to the cinema. They are the exception.
A lot of large budget, mid-budget and smaller budget movies aren’t making a profit at the theatres.
But I would hope that Netflix doesn’t control things too much. I hope they see that there is a theatre audience for their films. Even a 2 week release would be great.
Honestly, I don’t mind watching Narnia at home. Streaming is so convenient, and I think capturing the magic even on a smaller screen is still possible.
I get that streaming is the future, but some films—especially something like Narnia—need that theatrical experience. Why not do a limited release like they did with Knives Out 2? It could satisfy both the streaming audience and theater-goers.
My fingers remain crossed!
I’m just pushing for a release of ANY kind. Eventually, we’ll all only be watching it at home anyway, so I don’t think it matters too much!
@Jonathan Paravel I watch Dan Murrell all the time, and on his streaming charts show, he has pointed out that sometimes having a theatrical run can boost a movie’s streaming performance. If something is just dumped on streaming, it’s more likely to be forgotten and can be much harder to find its audience.
The industry really needs to train people to go back out to cinemas again. Just telling people to only rely on streaming makes it a self-fulfilling prophecy and everyone suffers in the process. One of the reasons the industry is currently in such a slump right now is because too much content was made for streaming and now that the companies aren’t making enough money to keep it up, they’re cutting back and everyone’s suffering.
It says talks have been “friendly requests, as of now” but I wonder what happens if Netflix continues to deny Gerwig this. Gerwig has a lot of sway and power in Hollywood right now so you’d think if she puts her foot down, they’ll compromise. At least that’s what I’m hoping!