LOS ANGELES — Netflix's upcoming "Narnia" movie will be exclusively released in Imax theaters for two weeks worldwide, the streamer confirmed Friday.

The movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, will be shown on 1,000 to 1,800 Imax screens, according to a person familiar with the deal who declined to be named. Its theatrical release will be in on Thanksgiving Day 2026 and premiere on Netflix on Christmas.

The deal marks a delicate balancing act for Netflix, because the company's business model is centered on growing its streaming subscriptions. Although Netflix has released movies theatrically before to qualify for awards, the streamer typically aims to quickly distribute those movies on its streaming service to satisfy its millions of subscribers.

But some Hollywood talent would prefer to see their work appear on the big screen. A representative for Gerwig did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This is Imax's first deal for a theatrical window for a Netflix narrative feature film. A Netflix documentary, "Skywalkers: A Love Story," also had a theatrical run on Imax last year.

The movie is based on "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis. It's an epic tale with Christian undertones about a magical world and the four siblings who discover and rule it as kings and queens. The seven Narnia books have sold more than 115 million copies worldwide.

Some analysts have said bringing the epic story to Imax screens makes sense given the breadth of the fantasy world and anticipated stunning visual nature of the film. There is also likely to be significant fandom surrounding the movie.

The last three Narnia movies, released theatrically in 2005, 2008 and 2010 by Disney and 20th Century Fox, generated $537.7 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to non-inflation-adjusted data from Comscore.

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(L.A. Times staff writer Samantha Masunaga contributed to this report.)

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