Netflix postpones Greta Gerwig’s ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ movie to large-scale theatrical release in 2027

The release date has been pushed back from Thanksgiving to February 12, 2027, meaning audiences will have to wait several more months to see The Chronicles of Narnia.

In addition to bringing The Chronicles of Narnia back to the big screen and Greta Gerwig writing and directing her first film since Barbie, The Sorcerer’s Nephew also looks like the next step in Netflix’s relationship with movie theaters – and with the postponement, it’s about to become an even bigger step.

The company previously announced that “The Magician’s Nephew” would be shown exclusively on Imax screens for at least two weeks before its Christmas streaming release. It’s an ambitious theatrical release by Netflix standards, but relatively limited compared to many other Hollywood blockbusters.

Now, according to Netflix, The Sorcerer’s Nephew will begin exclusive Imax previews on February 10, 2027, followed by a worldwide release in theaters on February 12 (in Netflix’s words, this will be a “global eventized release”). The movie won’t start streaming until April 2nd.

The company’s announcement did not specify which theaters would show The Magician’s Nephew, but IMAX said in a statement that major theater chains are unlikely to complain because the postponement will allow the film to be shown in “full theater slots.”

In fact, AMC Theaters recently highlighted the success of the “Stranger Things” finale and said it plans more collaborations with Netflix. At the same time, the streamer’s limited support for theatrical releases and resistance to exclusive theatrical slots was reportedly a “deal breaker” in negotiations with the creators of Stranger Things, which ultimately led to an exclusive deal with Paramount.

Starring a cast that includes Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep, The Sorcerer’s Nephew is an adaptation of one of the later works in C.S. Lewis’ classic fantasy series, a prequel that tells the origin story of The Chronicles of Narnia.

In a Netflix announcement, Gerwig said she first read the book as a child and was “smitten by the impossibly wonderful, yet totally brilliant concept of a cosmic lion bringing the world of Narnia to life.”