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The Town with Matthew Belloni

Hell Has Frozen Over: Netflix To Release Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ Exclusively in Theaters

The Town with Matthew Belloni

The Ringer

Society & Culture

4.31.1K Ratings

🗓️ 4 May 2026

⏱️ 30 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix agreeing to release Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia: The Magician's Nephew’, in theaters worldwide with a traditional window of theatrical exclusivity for the first time ever. They examine why Netflix blinked on theaters now, and if this is a one-off or a sign of future softening of their stance on theaters (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the ongoing Jimmy Kimmel-Donald Trump feud (25:35). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Industry voters visit StarzFYC.com. Book a new kind of stay at HolidayInn.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

This episode of The Town is brought to you by Stars' Outlander.

0:08.6

Everything has led to this.

0:10.3

The final chapter of the time-traveling drama and cultural phenomenon starring Sam Hewain and Catriona Balfe is only on stars.

0:18.2

Vogue declares Outlander one of television's greatest love stories,

0:21.7

and the rap raves, Balf and Hewain, have perfected this on-screen relationship.

0:26.3

Industry voters can access all episodes at StarsFYC.com.

0:32.2

It is Monday, May 4th.

0:34.0

If it's a little chilly out there in Hollywood today,

0:36.0

it's because hell has frozen over.

0:38.9

Netflix has agreed to release its first movie in theaters worldwide with a traditional window

0:44.7

of theatrical exclusivity. It's the Narnia movie, of course, Greta Gerwig, a huge flex here.

0:50.5

Remember, Netflix signed Gerwig to make this movie before Barbie came out.

0:55.2

And then after Barbie became a huge success, she politely asked Netflix to put the movie in theaters.

1:00.5

I think forcefully is a better way to describe that ask.

1:03.6

But Ted Sarandos, the co-CEO of Netflix, Mr. Movie Theaters are not our model.

1:08.2

He reluctantly agreed to put the movie in theaters, but only on IMAX

1:12.3

screens and only for two weeks starting in Thanksgiving.

1:16.0

Then Narnia would debut on Christmas on Netflix.

1:18.3

Not nothing, but not a big deviation.

1:20.8

To Ted, that felt like a good compromise.

1:22.9

Greta would get about a thousand theaters worldwide and about a month window.

1:27.1

And Netflix could explain that away as a stunt, not a real theatrical release.

...

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