• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, 9 hours ago

Is Netflix going old school -- acting like a Hollywood studio after all?

It is giving Greta Gerwig’s “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew” a very regular 49- to-54-day exclusive theatrical window for its debut next year in February.

That’s right. No streaming on Netflix until after that period (April 2027).

This brings Netflix in line with a pretty standard 45-day exclusive deal point for movie theater chains with major studios -- Walt Disney, Warner Bros., Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and others.

Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, had once called movies in theaters an “outmoded” process.

Netflix is adjusting to the maturity of the streaming world amid its growing aggressive need to have high-demand content.

In addition, there is the Gerwig factor: To refresh your memory, she was the director of the surprising “Barbie” summer blockbuster two years ago. Gerwig had a lot of negotiating power with Netflix, and she wanted a traditional movie theatrical release schedule.

The other part is the big price tag Netflix paid “Narnia,” part of its rights acquisition for the entire C.S. Lewis catalog.

Experts feel “Narnia” could evolve into a massive movie franchise -- like “Star Wars” or a “Harry Potter.”

By doing the deal, Netflix is also giving up more control about data to be released its content -- especially when it comes to the releasing specific box office revenue results and consumer data.

This comes as Netflix recently backed out of a deal to increase its bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, which is now nearing being absorbed as part of Paramount Skydance.

Future prospects for Netflix are still high -- even against growing streaming maturity, analysts say. Consumer sentiment considers Netflix a "must have" among all channels in the modern TV/video world.

Where will the next permutations for Netflix occur?

“Narnia” is a fantasy series about children who are magically transported to a land of talking beasts, mythical creatures and ancient magic.

What other new -- or old -- magic can Netflix come up with?