There’s no doubting that IMAX is a sort of gold standard for the premium theatrical experience. However, when they struck a deal with Netflix to release Greta Gerwig’s “The Chronicles of Narnia” exclusively in IMAX theaters, for two weeks in November 2026, it drew the ire of many within the industry.
Exhibitors see the Netflix/IMAX deal as the ultimate betrayal: a premium release, in IMAX, and with revenue going into the pockets of a company that has been vocally opposed to theatrical.
Now, according to Bloomberg’s sources, exhibitors are “in revolt.” Cinemark, Regal, and Marcus have been quietly holding talks about uniting against the powers that be. Behind the scenes, boycotts are being considered. IMAX enabling Netflix’s theatrical incursion was a step too far.
One of the options, Vue Entertainment’s recent launch of their own PLF format, Epic, is being interpreted, in some quarters, as the start of a larger movement. Cinemark, Regal, and Marcus are considering Vue’s proposal to replace IMAX with their format. This could very well mark the beginning of a new era of theatrical, one less reliant on IMAX.
Movie studios are also furious with IMAX for agreeing to theatrically release ‘Narnia.’ According to Puck’s sources, some of the studios have “vehemently pressed” IMAX not to do the deal. The most vocal opponent has been Disney, who is especially furious given the many millions of dollars its megahits have put into IMAX’s bank account.
Remember, Netflix is in the streaming business; if it were up to them, then theaters would just die off, and movie audiences would all relocate to home viewing on their platform. It was only under the pressure of Gerwig, and her threats to exit the project, that Netflix decided to break their no-theaters rule and gift her ‘Narnia’ a theatrical rollout. Now, they’re even thinking of doing the same thing for Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming “Frankenstein.”
Gerwig signed on to direct ‘Narnia’ months before “Barbie” was released in theaters, sometime in late 2022. I don’t think she realized at the time how big “Barbie” was going to get. After it became this mega-blockbuster hit, she could have gotten carte blanche on whatever passion project she wanted to make next, but ‘Narnia’ was already under contract, and she subsequently pressured Netflix to give her movie a theatrical run. Little did she know that it would result in an open revolt with exhibitors and studios.
It’s now been 13 years since "The Grandmaster,” and it doesn’t sound like Wong Kar-wai will be making another film in the near future. His future seems to be on the small screen.