IMAX CEO Suggests Netflix Has More Narnia Films Planned
Could Netflix be planning eight Chronicles of Narnia films? While discussing the upcoming IMAX release of Greta Gerwig’s Narnia film in 2026, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond mentioned that he believes Netflix is planning eight films in the franchise.
During a post-earnings analyst call, Gelfond highlighted the potential of Narnia as a long-term franchise for IMAX, stating:
This was a really great movie [for us] because I think there are like eight movies planned … and what IMAX does best is launch franchises and launch events.”
His remark quickly caught the internet’s attention, as Netflix has only confirmed that Gerwig is writing and directing two films. While their long-term plan to “break the whole arc” remains unknown, it stands to reason that they intend to produce more than two films, given that they acquired the rights to the entire series in 2018—the first company to do so.
However, this isn’t the first time Gelfond has referenced “eight” in relation to Narnia. Last month, he made a similar comment:
And I think there are eight Narnia books, so I think [Netflix] were cognizant of the fact that it’s not just a movie, it’s a franchise.”
Of course, C.S. Lewis only wrote seven Narnia books, which casts doubt on whether Gelfond was speaking with any direct knowledge of Netflix’s long-term plans. When asked directly whether Netflix had committed to more films beyond the first, he admitted:
The answer is I don’t know. You know, I’m sure Netflix knows, but it never came up in the negotiations. But one thing that did come up—I don’t even remember how it resolved itself—was if all this works, we’d like to do [the rest of the series], and I think they’re open to that. But I don’t know that it’s any more detailed than that.”
While Netflix may have broader ambitions for the series, there is no official confirmation of an eight-film plan. For now, what is confirmed is that Gerwig’s first Narnia film will have a two-week IMAX run starting Thanksgiving 2026 before streaming on Netflix in December.
Here’s everything we know about Netflix’s Narnia series.
If Netflix were to make eight Narnia films, what do you think the extra film would be about? Discuss that question in the NarniaWeb Community Forum or Discord group.
“Voyage of the Dawn Treader” should ideally be two films, to give full scope to each adventure … But I fear a much more likely scenario is that these folks have an idea to make an eighth movie, all about Susan.
Yeah, after rereading this, I am not sure if the guy knows how many Narnia books were written and is more speaking about imax doing the entire series if this works out.
There trying to do the harry Potter films series all over again with Narnia. Greta Gerwig must be doing The Magican’s Nephew and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Then I believe Denis Vellieneuve will do The Horse and his Boy. Then Possibly Kenneth branagh doing Prince Caspion, then maybe Christopher Nolan might do The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, he is working on a similar Project ( The Odyssey), then Guillermo Del Toro will Finnish off the series with The Silver Chair and The Last Battle possibly splitting it in two parts like The Deathly Hallows.
I could see them merging the Magician’s Nephew and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe into one long story and splitting it down the middle, or something to that effect. I remember someone mentioning something similar in one of the forums, LWW taking place while continually cutting back to MN.
Perhaps, given its controversial nature, they might integrate Horse and His Boy into LWW as two films, given the time periods both take place in.
Sounds more like he didn’t know how many books there are lol.
However, it also sounds like they are likely planning more Narnia movies! * More incoherent shrieks of excitement*
And also, 644 days until IMAX release!
Maybe the eighth film will be The Stone Table by Francis Spufford!!!
Maybe Number 8 can be a Lord of the Rings/Narnia team up. (#joking)
Yeah, I’m not worried about this. The fact that Gelfond mistakenly said there are eight Narnia books tells me his comments about eight movies just means he meant a movie for each book.
This doesn’t worry me at all. He clearly doesn’t know how many books there are. He’s just throwing out the number that stuck in his head, which is incorrect. It’s probably still seven.
It’s not conclusive, but I think what he’s saying speaks volumes: Maybe they are changing the original goal of making both “series & films”, that they said in 2018. It looks like, instead, that they will be making ALL of their Narnia adaptations into films, instead of some being films and some being a series. Weather or not they make an episodic side-series that is non-cannon is another issue.
“m February 20, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Perhaps, given its controversial nature, they might integrate Horse and His Boy into LWW as two films, given the time periods both take place in”
There is one useful reason to do Horse & His Boy as part of LWW, when the adult Pevensies at the end of LWW can also play the adult Pevensies in HHB, even though Peter only has a rather small part in HHB.
I wonder if it will be the rise and fall of the white witch if the director considers MN and LWW as a pair. That would be a huge change of focus. That is why MN is the pair of LB, but it is what it is. You know how they think all the villains are the main characters now.
Now that we know the full context of what the IMAX CEO said, I’m amazed people are still coming up with wild speculations as to what the “eighth film” might be.
It’s bore obvious from what he actually said on the two occasions and the way he phrased it. He *thinks* there are eight Narnia books. Therefore he (a bit later) *assumes* there will be eight movies.
He’s wrong about the number of books, and he’s extrapolating the number of movies from there. It’s just a mistake from somebody who clearly doesn’t know very much about either the Narnia books themselves OR about Netflix’s plans for them. That’s all it is.
Why on earth are we all jumping up and down with excitement (or shock, or whatever) at a piece of non-news like this???
@Courtenay, I agree with you 95%. Most certainly it just means there are more movies planned and likely one for each book (and not less, that is).
Unlessss… There’s a 5% chance that he did hear about a plan to make eight movies and extrapolated from there that there are eight books. Just putting this theory out here haha
I think it is more rumor than fact that there will be eight movies. Nothing has been confirmed, but it is only someone who mistakenly said that there were eight books in the series so there will be eight movies. It may have been a slip of the tongue, which is something that all of us do once in while. I wouldn’t accept rumors as gospel truth. 🙂