IMAX CEO Claims Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ Will “Change the World” and Become A “Cultural Event”

IMAX staged its inaugural Investors Day in New York, where CEO Rich Gelfond unveiled new information about Netflix and Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of “The Magician’s Nephew,” set to debut next November (via NarniaWeb).

Most surprising, Gelfond explained that Gerwig is steering “Narnia” toward a modern, guitar-driven vibe, pointing to bands like Pink Floyd and The Doors as reference points for the film’s overall sound. The score is being handled by Mark Ronson, fresh off his work on “Barbie.” This direction parallels what producer Amy Pascal stated in 2024, when she said the project was rooted in the spirit of “rock and roll.”

This is a real blockbuster movie that’s being made for [IMAX and Netflix] and you know, I guess I do have to talk a little about why I’m so excited about it. This is not your mother’s or your grandmother‘s Narnia. The music in it is unbelievably contemporary music, which IMAX fans like. I’m not gonna say specifically, but things like Pink Floyd and The Doors. You know that kind of music which people go to see in IMAX.

Despite pushback from many exhibitors, Gelfond is very confident in what he’s seen so far, saying that Gerwig’s film — and IMAX — is “really going to change the world” and “create a cultural event.”

So this is one where, […] my team has to hold me back. Because I think, as I said before, that it’s really going to change the world. And I know that sounds like a lot of hyperbole, but Greta is making this movie for IMAX, and then fully understands that when word gets out about what this movie is, it’s going to create a cultural event.

What I’m wondering is how it can “change the world” and become a “cultural event” if there are only about 350 IMAX screens in the U.S. — some of which won’t even show Gerwig’s film, given that certain theater chains are boycotting it.

Back in August, cameras started rolling on Gerwig’s “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew,” with lavish post-war 1950s sets and crowds of extras filling the streets of London. This is notably different from the Victorian London setting of C.S. Lewis’ novel. Instead, it appears Gerwig has shifted the story to the mid-20th century.

“The Magician’s Nephew” stars Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, with Emma Mackey, Daniel Craig playing Uncle Andrew, Carey Mulligan in negotiations for an undisclosed role, and Meryl Streep expected to voice Aslan. Netflix, of course, has yet to officially confirm any of these castings.

Gerwig is coming off the trifecta of “Lady Bird,” “Little Women,” and “Barbie.” Purists be damned — there was never much chance this would be a straightforward adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ source material. Gerwig just doesn’t roll like that.

“The Magician’s Nephew” will screen in IMAX theatres with a 28-day IMAX-only release window in November 2026.