Greta Gerwig's sequel BarbieAccording to K.S. Lewis, an adaptation of one of the Chronicles of Narnia books, will be available to watch exclusively in cinemas for four weeks before arriving on Netflix on Christmas Day. new report from Pak. Netflix has historically been anti-theatre, but it looks like it might be able to put that aside for the right director.
Cinemas will have a four-week exclusive window to show the film worldwide – longer than a week. Glass Bow: The Mystery of the Knives received – but at first it will only be available to watch on IMAX screens. IMAX guarantees that the film will be shown in this format for two weeks. Washerand am ready to add another week if there is demand. After this, the film may also appear in theaters that do not support IMAX.
Netflix, while I own several theaters myselfphilosophically opposed to theatrical exclusivity. It will allow Netflix films to be shown in theaters long enough to qualify for awards season, but otherwise avoids them like the plague. This may be nice for subscribers who are used to watching everything at home, but most filmmakers want their films to be seen on the big screen. For example, Netflix has reportedly lost the ability to distribute Saltburn Director Emerald Fennel's next film is an adaptation Wuthering Heightsbecause it refused to give the film time in cinemas, in accordance with New York Times.
There have been rumors that IMAX, Gerwig and Netflix discussed the deal in October 2024, and it seems the director has achieved his goal. It's strange to fight tooth and nail to get a blockbuster film seen by a paying audience. There's plenty of evidence that showing movies in theaters makes money, but it's a lesson that even companies like Disney have had to relearn after the streaming boom. Moana 2 began as a Disney+ filler and was later refined into a theatrical release that earned over $200 million in December 2024.
It's impossible to say whether this decision signals long-term changes at Netflix, but future directors working with the company now have an interesting precedent to point to in their own theatrical contracts.