‘Narnia’: Vue Entertainment CEO Criticizes Netflix, IMAX & Greta Gerwig For Two-Week Exclusive Screenings Restricting Audience Access

When it was announced that Greta Gerwig (“Barbie,” “Little Women”) would be behind the latest attempt to revive the C.S. Lewis fantasy franchise “Narnia” for Netflix, there was a lot of skepticism about the streaming giant giving the pic a traditional theatrical window. After some convincing from Gerwig, Netflix eventually agreed to give the movie a two-week exclusive rollout in IMAX theaters, irking many hoping to watch the film in traditional theaters (not everyone has an IMAX theater in their area).

This annoyance isn’t just held by would be audiences, as exhibitors are also expressing their frustrations with the exclusivity of the IMAX deal, as Vue Entertainment (the largest privately owned theater operator in Europe) founder and CEO Tim Richards (in a letter shared exclusively with Variety) believes that “99% cinema screens” won’t be playing the film restricting access of the film to a bulk moviegoers simply won’t have the kind of access to the film as they would with a wide release model (showing in all theaters, not just IMAX ones). 

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An excerpt from that letter reads: 

“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.”

Exhibitors certainly have a right to be upset (less access and competition is never great for the industry), and pointing out that limiting access for theater counts is certainly going to be an ongoing problem if Netflix (alongside other streamers) is going to make these limited-release deals for their original films.

Then again, it should be pointed out that Netflix’s Ted Sarandos has been open with the public and media about the traditional theatrical window not exactly being a priority for the company why you’re may be seeing these two-week releases and this new IMAX deal being very contained (an obvious business tactic to keep the prime amount of eyeballs on their streaming service for film debuts), despite recent strides at the box office with the release of the extremely successful animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” (months after the film’s streaming debut) and a larger than normal theatrical rollout for Guillermo del Toro‘s latest pic, “Frakenstein” (“Stranger Things” is also coming to the big screen, an uncharacistic move by Netflix).

Theatrical windows for streaming movies have become a sticking point with certain filmmakers, as there was a recent report that Amblin and Zach Cregger‘s original sci-fi pic “The Flood” was stalled over a dispute with the film’s theatrical commitment (a deal said to have been vetoed by Sarandros). However, it looks like even big names are having to do some serious negotiations with Sarandos to get the meager theatrical deals they are securing; other projects/directors simply aren’t even getting an option at all.

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Hopefully, with future films, Netflix will see the benefit of extra exposure for the company among moviegoers and the box office revenue they would benefit from as well. Then again, it feels like they’re all-in on their longstanding subscriber model for their movies.