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I’m old enough to remember when Netflix mailing DVDs to my house felt like we’d finally made it to “The Future.” These days, with the 2026 Netflix streaming schedule packed with original movies and shows, I’m watching the streamer rediscover something considerably older: movie theaters. After years of Netflix treating theatrical releases like an inconvenience, I’m genuinely happy to hear that KPop Demon Hunters 2 and Greta Gerwig’s Narnia are getting proper shots at the big screen.
According to Deadline, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos discussed plans for longer theatrical engagements during Bloomberg’s Screentime event. The biggest surprise was his confirmation that the eventual sequel to the animated phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters won’t be confined to a quick promotional screening. As he put it:
We’re going to do a big wide release for Narnia next year, and then we’ll do a big wide release for Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory at the end of the year. We think they’ll do great, and when the KPop Demon Hunters sequel comes, you can expect a very broad theatrical release.
That’s music to my ears, especially after what happened with the first Demon Hunters movie. In 2025, the original became a massive hit with Netflix subscribers, and its two-day sing-along engagement still topped the domestic box office in August 2025, earning an estimated $18 million; I remember thinking how much more money it might have made with a traditional run. Even Sony Pictures Animation’s leadership has reflected on whether selling the film to Netflix instead of releasing it theatrically was the right call. Considering what happened when audiences finally got the chance to see it in theaters, I think it’s a fair question.
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Gerwig’s upcoming page-to-screen adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, is pushing things even further with a theatrical run. The fantasy film opens in theaters on Feb. 12, 2027, following IMAX previews on Feb. 10, and won’t arrive on Netflix until April 2. That’s a 49-day exclusive theatrical window. Considering the film’s reported blockbuster-sized budget, it makes sense to question why Netflix wouldn’t give it a proper theatrical push.
Netflix’s relationship with exhibitors hasn’t exactly been friendly. The company has historically favored streaming premieres, with limited theatrical runs for awards consideration or special events. Even Glass Onion got only a week in roughly 600 theaters back in 2022, despite a star-studded cast and a built-in audience. Imagine how much further that run could have gone if given the opportunity. However, theaters understandably haven’t loved booking films that audiences can stream almost immediately, and big chains have sometimes refused to play them at all.
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I understand why Netflix protected its subscription business. Customers pay to watch movies at home, but there’s money sitting on the table when a film has enough audience interest to fill theaters, especially if the same movie can reach subscribers a few weeks later. A theatrical release also turns watching something into an event, which was half the fun of that KPop sing-along. Just look at how frustratingly difficult it was for some moviegoers to catch Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein on the big screen. There’s clearly an appetite for these experiences, and I don’t see why Netflix shouldn’t capitalize on it.
The streamer isn’t promising a nationwide theatrical release for every original movie, though. Sarandos is clearly talking about choosing the right approach for each film. According to him, specific movies will player better than others:
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On one end of the spectrum is La Bola Negra, Train Dreams last year that could have played in the theaters for six months and it wouldn’t have impacted, it would have done net positive on Netflix… Those kind of art house films play like that. And then the other end is the kind of four-quad family rewatch movie, so we said let’s take those two and treat them different.
The KPop sequel doesn’t have an announced theatrical window yet, but a promise of a wide release is something fans of original blockbuster movies and event films can look forward to, while smaller projects can still thrive on streaming. It’s the best of both worlds.
I love being able to throw on a movie with my streaming subscriptions, but I also love sitting in a packed theater when everybody reacts to the same moment. If Netflix can make room for both experiences, I’ll happily buy a ticket before pressing play at home.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew hits the 2027 movie calendar on February 12, 2027, before landing on streaming in April. Also, stay tuned for updates on the highly anticipated KPop Demon Hunters sequel.
