Barbie director Greta Gerwig also wants to release her Narnia remake for Netflix in theaters. However, the streamer is sticking to its rules.
Greta Gerwig is currently working hard on the script for the new Chronicles of Narnia, which she is realizing as a major multi-part project for Netflix. But the Barbie director doesn’t want to reserve the fantasy blockbusters just for streaming; she also wants to bring them to the big screen. However, there is a problem.
Greta Gerwig wants to release the Narnia films in cinemas before Netflix releases them
For weeks, rumors have been swirling that Gerwig and Netflix are at odds over the release of the Narnia films. The streamer plans to release the fantasy films directly on its platform, making them accessible to viewers only on their home screens.
However, Gerwig is reportedly in favor of a theatrical release of the epic fantasy saga. This was reported, among others, by reliable industry insider Matthew Belloni in his newsletter Puck. According to this, Gerwig is in talks with IMAX to show the films in around 2,000 cinemas before they end up on Netflix in streaming.
Films like The Irishman and Roma have already shown that Netflix can definitely be persuaded to release them in theaters for a limited time before streaming. In the case of the films mentioned, this decision was mainly made so that the films could be considered for the Academy Awards. The Oscar rules state that a feature film must have at least one week of theatrical release in six different US cities to be considered.
Whether Gerwig is insisting on a theatrical release for similar reasons can only be speculated, but her request to IMAX suggests an artistic and visual decision. Visually stunning fantasy films simply look better on the largest possible screen.
So far, it has been reported that the collaboration between Gerwig and Netflix has not been affected by their differing ideas. It remains to be seen whether this will continue to be the case – and who will ultimately have to back down.
