Netflix delays another major film in shift toward theatrical release

First Narnia: The Magician's Nephew was pushed back and now the same has happened to The Adventures of Cliff Booth, which will debut in IMAX this November.

Something has shifted at Netflix following its abandoned bid to acquire Warner Bros.

The streaming pioneer has seemingly embraced theatrical releases and has suddenly become more open to the idea that films should premiere in cinemas before arriving on streaming.

The turning point appears to have been Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, which was recently moved from its original Netflix release date in late 2026. It will now premiere in cinemas worldwide on February 12, 2027, before arriving on Netflix on April 2, 2027.


Cliff Booth goes to cinemas
The film in question is The Adventures of Cliff Booth (working title), written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by David Fincher. It serves as a prequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, with Brad Pitt reprising his role as Cliff Booth. Plot details remain under wraps.

The film will debut exclusively in IMAX theatres on November 25, 2026, followed by streaming release on Netflix on December 23, according to an official announcement – four weeks.

Originally, the film was scheduled to debut on Netflix in August 2026.


Is Tarantino warming up to streaming?
The Adventures of Cliff Booth is also notable for another reason, as it marks Quentin Tarantino's first collaboration for a new film with a streaming service. Tarantino has previously been a vocal critic of the streaming model.

Now Tarantino is working with Netflix, although not as a director. The film was not originally planned for a theatrical release, so this change was not the reason for his decision.

It marks another turning point for a filmmaker of the old guard. David Fincher has been working with Netflix for several years, as have Martin Scorsese, Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón.

Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Denis Villeneuve and Steven Spielberg have not been tempted.