Greta Gerwig's Narnia movie is now landing in 2027, not 2026. Netflix announced the delay this week, saying it wants a "significant theatrical run" before the film hits streaming. The project was announced in 2023 and has been in development since.
This marks Netflix's second delay for "The Magician's Nephew" — the first prequel in C.S. Lewis's fantasy series. The studio framed the push as a vote of confidence in theatrical, but the timing raises questions. Netflix has been cutting its film budget overall, laying off thousands of workers in the process. A expensive theatrical rollout is a curious choice when you're simultaneously tightening purse strings elsewhere.
The real story here is the pivot. For years, Netflix treated theaters as a necessary annoyance — dumping films that flopped immediately onto streaming. Now it's suddenly interested in playing the long game with a prestige director and a known IP. Whether audiences actually want a Narnia reboot, especially one arriving years after the initial buzz, is another question the box office will answer.