By Dawn Chmielewski
May 1 (Reuters) - Netflix on Friday said it would put filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s "Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew" movie in wide theatrical release next year, where it will play exclusively for more than 45 days - a first for the streaming service.
Written and directed by Gerwig, the film is the first adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ 1955 book, which explores the origins of Narnia. It will be released in theaters on February 12, and made available on the streaming service on April 2.
This marks
a departure for Netflix, which typically releases movies exclusively on its streaming service. There have been some exceptions, including for movies with the potential to win an Academy Award. Movies must debut in theaters to be eligible for consideration for an Oscar.
Netflix said it opted for a wide theatrical release for "Narnia" because of the series' broad appeal across generations and geographies.
Theater owners applauded Netflix's decision.
“This is welcome news," Cinema United President Michael O'Leary said in a statement, adding, "Greta Gerwig's 'Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew' is a movie audiences will want to see on the big screen. Now they’ll have that opportunity.”
Netflix has shown an increasing willingness to embrace the theatrical experience, last year releasing a sing-along version of its popular animated film, "KPop Demon Hunters" in movie theaters. During the pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos also said the company would continue to release Warner Bros movies in theaters and honor the traditional 45-day window of exclusivity.
"Narnia" was originally scheduled to be released for two weeks in IMAX theaters, starting on Thanksgiving. Gerwig lauded Netflix for opting to offer the film more widely.
"I cannot wait for people to see the film in theaters on February 12 and on Netflix on April 2,” Gerwig said.
Adam Aron, chairman and CEO of AMC Entertainment, said the nation's largest theater chain would "throw everything we have" to support Netflix.
"We are in their corner fully," Aron wrote on the social media platform X. "We are and will be all in."
(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles and Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda, Aurora Ellis, David Gregorio and Stephen Coates)
