Netflix is making a notable distribution bet with Greta Gerwig's upcoming Narnia film. The Magician's Nephew will be the streamer's first wide theatrical release, hitting cinemas on February 12, 2027, before arriving on Netflix on April 2, 2027. This move suggests Netflix is willing to experiment with traditional exhibition windows to build buzz for a major franchise property, even as it maintains its streaming-first identity.
The project follows Gerwig's massive success with Barbie, which grossed nearly $1.5 billion worldwide. Her choice to adapt C.S. Lewis's prequel novel, rather than the more familiar first book, indicates a long-term vision for the Narnia series. The source notes she has a two-picture deal, so a subsequent adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe could follow, assuming she sticks to the books' chronology.
Gerwig has shifted the setting from the original 1900 to 1950s postwar London, and the trailer's psychedelic style, set to "Stairway to Heaven," reflects her stated inspiration from 1960s-era David Bowie. The cast includes Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey, and Meryl Streep as Aslan. While the source is a single report from Ars Technica, it provides no conflicting information; the business significance lies in Netflix's theatrical experiment and the franchise's commercial potential after the earlier film series saw diminishing returns and lapsed rights in 2011.