Netflix‘s upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia movies have reportedly left theater chains and studios indignant after reaching an unique cope with IMAX, with the movie firm readying a “nuclear possibility” if chains resolve to not present the film.
What’s the situation between theater chains and Netflix’s Narnia film?
In a latest report from Puck, U.S. theater chains and movie studios had been left indignant after IMAX and Netflix got here to a deal that noticed The Chronicles of Narnia getting a two-week exclusivity deal on IMAX screens when it premieres on Thanksgiving 2026.
The rationale, in accordance with Puck, is because of how varied studios and chains had no thought the deal was occurring, and now worry that different motion pictures slated for the vacation 2026 calendar may very well be in peril of shedding out on releases.
Puck reviews that legacy studios and theater chains view Netflix as a “widespread enemy,” in accordance with one studio supply. Particularly, Disney was mentioned to be “particularly livid” in regards to the IMAX deal, with an insider noting that IMAX CEO Wealthy Gelfond “did this on his personal with out consulting any of his [studio] companions,” an insider mentioned. “They gave Netflix a two-week unique although the opposite studios present motion pictures to them 52 weeks a 12 months.”
Puck’s report mentions that, theoretically, theater chains might resolve to refuse to play Greta Gerwig’s Narnia film on their IMAX screens when the time comes, and easily present different motion pictures. Nonetheless, the report mentions that IMAX has already thought-about this, and that Gelfond has assured each Gerwig and people at Netflix that the corporate has a “nuclear possibility” that may make sure that theaters cooperate and e book the movie.
Simply what that nuclear possibility is is unknown, as of now, though IMAX did say in a press release to Puck that, below its agreements with theaters, the corporate “requires exhibitors to play the movies we format and program. Our potential to curate our programming is what makes us beneficial to exhibitors, filmmakers, and studios, and delivers a return on funding with our theaters worldwide.”
(Supply: Puck)