The founder and CEO of the largest privately owned cinema operator in Europe, Vue Entertainment, has slammed IMAX’s deal with Netflix regarding Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Narnia.
In a letter sent to Variety, Vue’s CEO Tim Richards spoke about Netflix’s plan with IMAX to have a two-week theatrical run on its screens. Many from the exhibition industry expressed upset over the news, and Richards was one of the first to publicly state his opinion on the deal. Here is an excerpt from Richards’s letter:
“As a result, ‘Narnia’ will not be watched by audiences on 99% of cinema screens worldwide. It will only play on IMAX screens owned by operators willing to break established theatrical release windows.
Those who choose to respect the established theatrical release window have been threatened by IMAX with a ‘nuclear option’ if they do not play it. The outcome? IMAX and Netflix may enjoy a short-term gain, but the industry and audiences around the world – will lose.
Millions of families who would love to watch ‘Narnia’ at a theater will be needlessly deprived of the opportunity… IMAX has not only agreed to this restrictive model but appears to be encouraging other filmmakers to follow suit. In doing so, it risks undermining the very ecosystem that makes theatrical success possible.”
Gerwig’s Narnia, starring Emma Mackey, Daniel Craig, and Carey Mulligan, is based on C.S. Lewis’s sixth novel in the Chronicles of Narnia, released in 1955, titled The Magician’s Nephew. The adaptation is due to be released on November 26, 2026, theatrically before finding its home on Netflix on December 25.
The original adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, released in 2005, won an Academy Award and grossed over $745 million globally during its theatrical release.
Richards’ letter also critiqued IMAX in general, stating it has “less than 1% of screens worldwide“, but also mentioning Gerwig’s own comments regarding the release of Barbie. Richards continues and states:
“It is not singularly critical to the launch or success of any film — as proven by Barbie, which was not released in IMAX, yet went on to gross $1.5 billion and play theatrically around the world for several months. As Greta Gerwig stated, ‘In my heart of hearts, I want audiences to see my movie in Dolby Vision with an [Dolby] Atmos mix because, to me, that’s the way I’ve most felt like….Ah! That’s my movie!'”
While Gerwig’s own comments are used to demonstrate Richards’s point, his main focus is IMAX’s role in the deal rather than Netflix. The Vue CEO also adds that while IMAX is a strong product, the company is “no longer the technological leader” and represents a “minority of the PLF box office market share.”
Gerwig’s Barbie, starring Margot Robbie, was a major success and was the highest-grossing film of 2023, making her the first solo female director to have a billion-dollar movie.
- Birthdate
-
August 4, 1983
- Birthplace
-
Sacramento, California, USA
- Professions
-
Actor, Writer, Director
- Height
-
5 feet 9 inches