Theater Chains Furious as Gerwig Narnia Goes IMAX-Only; Netflix Faces Growing Pushback

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Vue Entertainment CEO Tim Richards has strongly criticized IMAX and Netflix for their unique approach to releasing Greta Gerwig’s upcoming film, as detailed in a letter to Variety.

Richards believes this deal will benefit IMAX and Netflix in the short run, but ultimately harm the film industry and moviegoers globally. He argues that many families will miss out on the chance to see Narnia in theaters for no good reason.

Breaking Down the Deal

Greta Gerwig is currently making a Narnia movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she agreed to the project with Netflix before her film Barbie came out. Barbie‘s success gave her more influence, and she reportedly worked to get Narnia shown in IMAX theaters, even contacting the CEO of IMAX, Richard Gelfond, directly.

In January, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed a deal between IMAX and Netflix for a unique release plan. Starting Thanksgiving 2026, the film Narnia will have a two-week exclusive run in IMAX theaters worldwide. After that, there will be a two-week waiting period before it becomes available on Netflix just in time for Christmas.

Following the announcement, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos explained during the company’s quarterly earnings discussion that this deal wouldn’t alter how Netflix releases its shows and movies.

According to Deadline, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos explained that releasing Narnia in IMAX theaters is a strategic move. He believes it stands out from typical releases because most people don’t have a home screen as large as an IMAX screen.

The announcement was met with swift and strong disapproval. Many news sources reported that movie studios and theater chains were very angry with IMAX, and that Regal and Cinemark were considering refusing to show the film. IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond responded by suggesting severe consequences for theaters that didn’t participate, though he hasn’t specified exactly what those consequences would be.

This week’s letter from Vue marks the first formal statement from an exhibitor.

Vue Entertainment’s View

In his letter, Richards describes the “2 + 2” plan as unconventional, and explains that the film Narnia will only be shown in IMAX theaters run by companies willing to deviate from the standard movie release timeline.

His letter primarily focuses on his belief that the Netflix/IMAX agreement isn’t good for moviegoers. Because only about 1% of theaters globally are IMAX, the film Narnia will essentially be limited to those locations, leaving 99% of audiences without access.

Just to be clear, releasing the new Narnia movie only in IMAX means it won’t be shown in standard theaters or other premium large formats like Dolby Cinema or Cinemark XD. However, David Richards points out that these other premium formats now offer a viewing experience just as immersive as IMAX, thanks to improvements in projection and sound technology.

Richards concludes by stating that while IMAX still delivers a quality experience, it’s no longer at the forefront of cinema technology. He believes that theaters and studios must collaborate to provide audiences with the best possible viewing experience, but emphasizes that the theater industry shouldn’t limit how people choose to enjoy movies.

For now, neither Netflix nor IMAX have offered a response.

Netflix at the Cinema

After shifting its approach with Narnia, Netflix has had some theatrical success with KPop Demon Hunters. However, their recent film Frankenstein received a limited release—just enough to qualify for awards—a move that many critics saw as a mistake.

After facing public demand, Netflix will release the final episodes of Stranger Things in theaters on New Year’s Eve, at the same time they become available for streaming.

Seeing everything that’s been happening lately, the decision to show Narnia exclusively in IMAX feels stranger and stranger. It seems like Netflix and IMAX might be facing some real trouble with theaters like Vue pushing back, and they might not be able to control how and when movies are released after all. They have a year to rethink things, but honestly, it’s the movie theaters, not families like mine, who really have the most to gain or lose from how this all plays out.

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2025-11-19 18:57