Netflix Draws a Line: We Won Work With Filmmakers Who Want Theatrical — Except Greta Gerwig

Netflix Is Done Pretending About Theatrical Releases — Mostly

If you have been keeping up with the streaming wars, you already know Netflix does not do movie theaters. But this week, Netflix film boss Dan Lin made it official: the streamer has accepted that it simply will not work with filmmakers who demand theatrical releases.

There is a big catch, though. Netflix is about to break its own rule — and it involves Greta Gerwig and The Chronicles of Narnia.

The Gerwig Exception

Speaking with The New York Times, Lin was pretty blunt about where Netflix stands. "There is a group of filmmakers who still want theatrical," he said. "Those are filmmakers that we have accepted we just will not work with." Pretty definitive stuff, right?

But here is where it gets interesting. Greta Gerwig adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia — yes, the same director who turned Barbie into a $1.4 billion cultural phenomenon — is getting something no Netflix original film has ever received: a proper theatrical window.

The film will hit IMAX theaters on February 12, 2027, followed by a streaming debut on Netflix on April 2, 2027. That is nearly seven weeks of exclusive theatrical play. Lin called it an "exception" and insisted it does not signal a broader shift in Netflix distribution strategy. But come on — if Greta Gerwig asking for theaters is not enough to change your policy, what would be?

What About the Cliff Booth Movie?

There is another high-profile project in the pipeline that complicates Netflix "no theaters" stance. David Fincher is directing The Adventures of Cliff Booth from a script by Quentin Tarantino, based on Brad Pitt beloved stuntman character from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

That film is also getting a theatrical window — albeit a shorter one. It will play in IMAX theaters globally for two weeks starting November 25 before hitting Netflix on December 23. So Netflix is not against theaters entirely. It just does not want to make a habit of it.

Fewer Movies, Better Movies

Lin also outlined his broader vision for Netflix Films: spend less money on fewer, better movies. He wants the streamer to lean harder into comedies, romantic comedies, and book adaptations. The recent success of People We Meet on Vacation — based on Emily Henry bestselling novel — proved there is an appetite for these kinds of crowd-pleasers.

For context, Lin took over Netflix film division in April 2024 from Scott Stuber, who had pushed the platform into the blockbuster space with films like Red Notice and The Gray Man. Lin seems to be charting a different course — one that prioritizes quality over volume and leans into the kinds of movies that make you want to hit play on a Friday night, not necessarily drive to a multiplex.

The question is: can Netflix really become a filmmaker-friendly studio while also telling directors that theaters are off the table? For most of them, apparently not. But when your name is Greta Gerwig? Well, that is a different story.