Greta Gerwig's 'Narnia: The Magician's Nephew' gets a rare global theatrical release
Netflix's take on 'Narnia' will release on big screens worldwide. The streamer has postponed the project's release from Thanksgiving this year to February 12, 2027, to let it run during a full wide theatrical window and to accommodate other delays. The movie, titled 'Narnia: The Magician's Nephew,' will arrive on the streaming site on April 2, 2027, as per TUDUM. Sneak peek previews will be exclusively visible on IMAX from February 10, 2027. The epic adventure will both be penned and directed by Academy Award-nominated Greta Gerwig. The story has been adapted from C.S. Lewis' 1955 novel of the same name. The project stars newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell, along with Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Daniel Craig, and Meryl Streep.
The director was elated that Netflix decided to make 'Narnia: The Magician's Nephew' a big-screen venture. "Working with Netflix to bring this film to life has been extraordinary, and IMAX continues to be an incredible partner. I cannot wait for people to see the film in theaters on February 12 and on Netflix on April 2," shared Gerwig. Mark Gordon, Amy Pascal, Vincent Sieber-Smith, and Gerwig serve as the movie's producers. Patricia Whitcher, along with Douglas Gresham and Melvin Adams for the C. S. Lewis Estate, are executive producers. Gerwig has brought on board her collaborators from 'Barbie' Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt to compose an original score for the movie. Christine Crais is billed as a co-producer of the movie. The movie's current logline reads, "Academy Award–nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig brings C. S. Lewis's beloved story The Magician's Nephew to the screen for the first time in a sweeping adventure that invites dreamers of all ages to experience the creation of Narnia."
During production, a cast member got injured, leading to a six-week suspension, as per Deadline. This meant the movie would not be released on Thanksgiving 2026. The team then decided to delay it to February 2027, to give it a theatrical window. Ramblings about a theatrical release were going on since Netflix's bid for Warner Bros. Gerwig was always on board with this plan, and with everyone's agreement, it materialized. "From the outset, we got involved with Narnia: The Magician's Nephew to support Greta Gerwig and see her vision realized to the fullest in IMAX. The film's delay until 2027 creates an opportunity to give Narnia an expanded, wide release with a full theatrical window; we support Greta and Netflix in pursuing that opportunity and are pleased Imax could help facilitate. We hope as many people in as many places as possible can experience what Greta is creating with this special film — particularly in its exclusive debut in Imax, as it was meant to be seen," an Imax representative shared.
The 'Little Women' director is emotionally attached to the venture , as she was a fan of the series since childhood. "I was a child when I first read The Magician's Nephew, and I fell in love with the gorgeously improbable but completely brilliant concept of a cosmic lion singing the world of Narnia to life," Gerwig stated. "I didn't know that I would grow up to make films, but a universe built out of music is an idea that always lived in my heart. It is the honor of a lifetime to be asked to imagine it into being. Because of C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, I believed in magic and hidden worlds and adventure. I believed that anywhere could be enchanted and that anyone could be swept up into an epic. That wonder and awe was available to everyone, even ordinary people like me... It transformed me."
Though Gerwig's work is yet to be seen by the wider public, the C.S. Lewis company, which manages the legendary novelist's work, is mighty impressed by her take. "It's incredibly moving to see how deeply Greta Gerwig has embraced C. S. Lewis's world and infused Narnia: The Magician's Nephew with joy, heart, and genuine love for the story," stated the C. S. Lewis Company. "We're so excited for audiences everywhere to experience her vision — and to share the magic of Narnia with a whole new generation.
