Netflix announced on Friday that Greta Gerwig’s film adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ 1955 novel The Magician’s Nephew - the first cinematic treatment of that book in the Narnia series - will open broadly in movie theaters on February 12. The studio said the film will play exclusively in cinemas for more than 45 days before it becomes available to stream on Netflix on April 2.
Written and directed by Gerwig, the picture explores the origins of Narnia and represents a notable shift in distribution strategy for Netflix. The company has typically released its feature films directly to its streaming service, making this wide theatrical run - and the commitment to an exclusive theatrical window exceeding 45 days - a first for the streamer.
Netflix characterized its choice to pursue a wide theatrical release as motivated by the franchise’s cross-generational and international appeal. The company said the breadth of the series’ audience underpinned the decision to prioritize a theatrical rollout.
The move drew an immediate, favorable response from theater operators. Michael O’Leary, president of Cinema United, said in a statement that the decision was “welcome news,” adding that Gerwig’s The Magician’s Nephew is “a movie audiences will want to see on the big screen. Now they’ll have that opportunity.”
Adam Aron, chairman and CEO of AMC Entertainment, pledged support from the nation’s largest theater chain. On the social media platform X, Aron wrote that AMC would “throw everything we have” behind the release and that the chain is “in their corner fully. We are and will be all in.”
The announcement represents a departure from Netflix’s more common practice of prioritizing streaming-first releases, though the company has made exceptions in the past - notably for films positioned for awards consideration. The article reiterated the long-standing requirement that films must debut in theaters to be eligible for Academy Award consideration.
Netflix has also shown a growing willingness to experiment with theatrical exhibition in recent months. Last year the company placed a sing-along version of its animated title KPop Demon Hunters into movie theaters as part of its theatrical experiments.
During the period when Netflix was pursuing Warner Bros. Discovery, company co-chief executive Ted Sarandos said Netflix would continue to release Warner Bros. titles in theaters and would respect the traditional 45-day theatrical exclusivity window for those films. The studio’s commitment to a more than 45-day exclusive window for Gerwig’s Narnia marks an extension of that approach for a Netflix-produced property.
The release plan for Narnia also reflects a scheduling change from an earlier plan. The film had been slated to play for two weeks in IMAX venues beginning on Thanksgiving, a timetable that the company revised in favor of the broader February 12 theatrical opening.
Gerwig commented on the new schedule, praising Netflix’s decision to expand the theatrical availability. “I cannot wait for people to see the film in theaters on February 12 and on Netflix on April 2,” she said.
NetflixFollowAnalyze NFLXIncluded in our AI-picked strategies·Review strategies92.08▼-1.54(-1.64%)Closed·15:59:59·USD92.00▼-0.06(-0.07%)After Hours·19:59:53The article also included information on investor-facing tools referencing Netflix. ProPicks AI evaluates NFLX alongside thousands of other companies every month using 100+ financial metrics. According to that tool, the AI scans fundamentals, momentum, and valuation and highlights companies that meet its risk-reward criteria. The piece noted past winners cited by the tool, including Super Micro Computer (+185%) and AppLovin (+157%).
Theatrical operators, streaming platforms, and entertainment investors are among the parties watching how this release performs at the box office and how audiences respond when the film reaches Netflix in April.