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The recently-released teaser trailer for Happy Gilmore 2 had everything a fan could want — from Happy’s trademark swing, to Shooter McGavin, to the return of Ben Stiller’s abusive caretaker character.

One thing it didn’t have that the original did, though? The promise that the movie would play in actual movie theaters. Per The Daily Mail, after the trailer dropped, a lot of fans took to social media to express their disappointment that the movie would, as the trailer noted, be available “only on Netflix.”

“Would pay to watch Happy Gilmore 2 in a packed theater. Happily,” a fan wrote. “The new Happy Gilmore movie releasing straight to Netflix and not in theaters rattles me to my core,” another posted. One user suggested that the film would make “Billions And Trillions Of Dollars!”

The sequel is going straight to streaming because Adam Sandler has a $250 million deal with Netflix,...

Ted Sarandos, the head of Netflix, wonders if the threatened cinema industry might harbour some kind of bias against his company. Hmmm.

Netflix loves statistics. The company thrives on numbers, using its endless reams of data to commission projects, axe projects, determine payouts and see into the future. Okay, maybe not the last one.

But for a company so adept at reading the digital tea leaves that it has rocketed from humble beginnings as a mail-out DVD service to become bigger than any of its famous old rivals, CEO Ted Sandaros seems to be having a little trouble deciphering a rather simple data set.

Netflix has picked up more awards recognition at the Oscars each year for the last three years, and yet still, that top prize of Best Picture eludes the company. Even in the years when it seemed like a shoo-in, such as when Roma or The Power Of The Dog...

With Daredevil: Born Again streaming on Disney+, fans are finally getting a chance to witness one of their most loved heroes back in action. The talks of Charlie Cox returning to play Daredevil had been making the rounds for years now.

Sadly, fans had to wait for a startling period of 7 years since its last season aired for the news to come true. And while the core of the series is in place, there is one major change – Netflix is out of the picture now. And Netflix co-ceo, Ted Sarandos, has a lot to say about how everything went down.

Ted Sarandos knows that Netflix has to keep pushing Ted Sarandos believes that Netflix just has to make movies that people love || Image by UKinUSA, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Oscars 2025 threw up some surprises indeed. One of the most mystifying ones was that the movie with...

Netflix executive Ted Sarandos has a "good friendship" with Christopher Nolan despite the director's lack of interest in streaming movies. One of the leading filmmakers of the 21st century, Nolan's latest movie Oppenheimer made nearly $1 billion at the box office and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and he is currently filming his next project, The Odyssey. Nolan is also one of the most outspoken advocates of the theatrical experience, and has stated that he would never make a movie directly for streaming, whether it be for Netflix or any other service.

During a recent interview with Variety, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos opened up about his "very good friendship" with Christopher Nolan despite the director's lack of interest in making movies directly for streaming. Sarandos says he totally respects the director's desire to make movies for theaters, and he always looks forward to seeing them, too.

Acquired studio films that have benefited from a wide theatrical release offer the best bang for the buck for Netflix, providing more views per dollar spent than original features or acquired series, a new report has found.

The report, “Unpacking Netflix’s evolving movie strategy,” published Wednesday by Ampere Analysis, tracks viewership across Netflix for feature films, both originals and licensed, over time. Author Christen Tamisin found acquired films, including those under Netflix’s premium pay deals with Sony and NBCUniversal “contribute significantly to Netflix’s total viewing,” and, “with their lower cost-per-view,” are more cost-efficient than Netflix’s big-budget originals.

Netflix spent $1.07 billion on movie licensing in the first half of last year, the report notes, with acquired movies drawing 9.23 billion total views for the period. The streamer’s original movie spend over the same period was just under half that, at $0.51 billion, with fewer than half the total viewers,...

In a surprising turn of events, Colin Farrell - who plays Oz Cobb/The Penguin in Matt Reeves' BatVerse - is in talks to play the lead role in DC Studios and director Luca Guadagnino's Sgt. Rock movie.

Though Farrell has entered negotiations to play Sgt. Franklin John Rock in the WWII-set film. Deadline believes that scheduling "has to be balanced with his busy fall which includes the second season of AppleTV+’s Sugar and Edward Berger’s movie The Ballad of a Small Player."

Daniel Craig was said to be in talks to play the title role (though DC Studios co-head Peter Safran insists this was not the case), but reportedly passed due to a scheduling conflict and is now circling Greta Gerwig's Narnia movie. There have also been rumors that Mike Faist - who worked with Guadagnino on Challengers - waqs being considered for the part.

DC Studios has recruited Colin Farrell once again, but it's not for The Penguin. It's being reported that the award-winning star of the HBO drama is joining James Gunn's DC Universe as one of the canon's lesser-known superheroes. Despite already being featured in one of DC's most high-profile and well-received projects in recent memory, Farrell sets his sights on a creative collaboration for the ages. The project has been in and out of development for decades, but Sgt. Rock is finally ready to make his big-screen debut.

According to Deadline, Colin Farrell is in talks to join Luca Guadagnino's Sgt. Rock, an action period piece set during World War II. After Daniel Craig pulled out of the starring role, it seems the studio moved quickly to attach another actor, this time someone familiar with the superhero genre. Farrell will now be starring in both Gunn's Dcu and...

Colin Farrell, who waddled his way to considerable acclaim for his work as a classic DC villain in The Penguin, is in negotiations to return to the world of DC with Sgt. Rock, the World War II action movie to be directed by Luca Guadagnino for DC Studios.

The move comes after Daniel Craig, who circled the feature project, officially stepped away and is now entertaining a role in Greta Gerwig and Netflix’s take on Narnia. No offer was ever made to Craig, DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran said in February. At the time, they said the project would shoot this summer “only if we find the perfect actor.”

The move indeed puts Rock on track for a shoot this summer in DC Studios’ production hub in England.

If a deal makes, Farrell would play the tough-as-nails leader of Easy Company, the combat unit fighting Nazi forces in Europe.

One of the most anticipated fantasy projects in the pipeline is Netflix's take on The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis' classic fantasy series. There are seven Narnia books in all, and while Netflix hasn't officially announced how the series will be adapted, all signs point to the streamer making one movie per book, with the first to start filming this summer for a 2026 release.

But which book will Netflix and director Greta Gerwig adapt first? Again, while nothing's been confirmed, there's a large amount of evidence pointing to it being The Magician's Nephew, which might be a bad idea.

Chronologically the first book in the Chronicles, The Magician's Nephew was actually published sixth in, as a prequel that shows the creation of Narnia; it's roughly analogous to the book of Genesis in the Bible, in keeping with the Christian themes of the series. The first Narnia book published,...

Disney's adaptation of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series was truly an unexpected delight for many fans. The beloved book series made it from the page to a Disney+ original in 2023, but of course, just about anything would have been better than the lackluster films.

Say what you might about some of Disney's adaptations, but its track record for book-to-screen projects is pretty solid. Right on the heels of The Lightning Thief, the studio green-lights book three's adaptation before season two even hits Disney+.

Percy Jackson: The Titan's Curse gets the go-ahead from Disney

Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and a whole pantheon of gods and monsters are on their way back for more adventures, but Disney isn't just stopping at a retelling of The Odyssey in season 2. Instead, the House of Mouse is conspiring with the Fates to look further into the future.

Not even a year before season 2's release date,...

Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Chronicles of Narnia film might just be adding a certain spy to its cast! Reports suggest Netflix has made an offer to none other than Daniel Craig.

Greta Gerwig. Image Credit: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

While his potential role remains a mystery, fans are already running wild with theories, and most seem convinced he’s destined to voice Aslan, the lion. Here is what is going on!

What role will Daniel Craig play in Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia movie adaptation?

Greta Gerwig, after taking her audiences to Barbie land, has her sight set on Narnia next! And it looks like Daniel Craig may be along for the ride. Deadline reports suggest Craig has been offered a role in Gerwig’s upcoming Chronicles of Narnia film, sparking plenty of speculation about which character he might play.

Related“Last time this was attempted, they...

On this week's episode of the Empire Podcast we may not be ballerinas, but we do have two twos for you. Yes, that's right — four guests across two cracking interviews! Kicking us off, Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with The Electric State's Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt to talk about their favourite Russo brother, accents, and which one will attend the parade if/when Liverpool Fc win this year's Premier League title. [23:34 — 37:14 approx.] Then, Chris is back on the beat for a fun chat about lie detectors, Benihana, and dinner parties from hell with Black Bag stars Michael Fassbender and Marisa Abela. [59:08 — 1:17:44 approx.]

Between this week's interviews, Chris is joined back in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for another fun episode in which the team answers questions from the Empire Podcast subreddit that have them dwelling on numbers; discuss the week's movie news, including Sadie Sink's Spider-Man 4 casting,...

James Bond star could be leaving this world far behind, as Deadline reports that Daniel Craig has been offered a role in Netflix's upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia movies.

Details are scarce at the moment, and it's not clear whether Craig will accept the role, or indeed who he will be playing, although What's on Netflix has heard he'll be playing the role of Uncle Andrew in The Magician's Nephew, the earliest book in the timeline. This fits with earlier speculation that Greta Gerwig would be adapting C.S. Lewis's seven-book series in chronological order, starting with Nephew, which was actually the sixth book published. The Magician's Nephew tells a prequel story about the creation of Narnia by Aslan the lion, a reference to the forming of the Earth in the Book of Genesis.

If this is the case, then unless it's a voice role, there aren't many other...

James Bond Star Daniel Craig To Be Cast On Netflix’s Chronicles of Narnia Reboot? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia has been a cornerstone of fantasy literature since the first book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, was published in 1950. The seven-book series, filled with adventure, magic, and emotional themes, has been loved by generations of readers. Lewis’s vision of Narnia, a land ruled by the majestic lion Aslan, has remained one of the most beloved fictional worlds in literary history. Now, Netflix is set to revive The Chronicles of Narnia with a fresh cinematic universe, and speculation is running wild about the cast, including the possible addition of Daniel Craig.

Over the years, The Chronicles of Narnia has seen multiple adaptations, the most notable being the early 2000s film series produced by Walden Media. The 2005 film The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe became a massive hit,...

Greta Gerwig and Netflix are set to tread new ground with their Chronicles of Narnia reboot. The role Daniel Craig is being eyed for has reportedly been revealed, and it's a character that only appears in one Narnia book.

According to What's on Netflix, Craig has been offered the role of Andrew Ketterley, the eccentric and morally ambiguous uncle of Digory Kirke who is one of the main antagonists of The Magician's Nephew. Published in 1955 as the sixth Narnia novel, The Magician's Nephew is chronologically the first story set in C.S. Lewis' fantasy series. The report adds that Gerwig will be adapting the 1955 children's novel as her first of two Narnia movies, which is tentatively titled Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.

Craig's potential casting in Netflix's Narnia reboot was first reported earlier this week by Deadline, who stated that "he does hold the offer," although it's unclear whether he will take it,...

Last Updated on March 14, 2025

Deadline reports that Netflix is looking at Daniel Craig to join the cast of Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia movie. There are no details on who Craig might play, but the report states that it’s still very early in the process.

Production on the Chronicles of Narnia movie is expected to kick off later this year, so we should hear more casting news in the near future. In fact, it was reported last week that Grammy-winning artist Charli Xcx was also being eyed for a role in the movie, believed to be Jadis the White Witch.

Nothing has been officially announced yet, but it’s likely that the film will be an adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew. Although it was the sixth book published in the seven-novel series, it takes place 1000 years before the events of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Netflix has partnered with Imax for a global release of Greta Gerwig’s Narnia two weeks ahead of the film’s streaming debut.

Narnia, based on the Chronicles of Narnia book series by C.S. Lewis, is currently set for an Imax release on Thanksgiving Day 2026, before a debut on Netflix during the Christmas period that year. The landmark deal is a win for Imax, which partners with Netflix as it seeks another limited, promotional theatrical run for one of its movie titles.

With Narnia, the two week exclusive window for Imax was crucial to establishing a long enough run to satisfy theater circuits that operate Imax auditoriums. As part of the agreement, Netflix has a four-week window for the film before the Netflix debut, but the film technologies company for now is committed to playing Narnia exclusively for two weeks starting on Thanksgiving 2026.

Netflix acquired the film and TV rights to the C.

Greta Gerwig’s push for a major theatrical release for her “Chronicles of Narnia” movie at Netflix worked. The Oscar-nominated “Barbie” filmmaker’s next movie will be released on 1,000 Imax screens over Thanksgiving in 2026, securing an exclusive theatrical window weeks before it streams on Netflix at Christmas.

The move is out of character for Netflix, which has strongly eschewed any kind of significant theatrical rollout in favor of short or non-existent theatrical windows. Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” sequel “Glass Onion” secured an exclusive theatrical run over Thanksgiving in 2022 in 600 theaters before streaming a month later and Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” played in theaters for three weeks before it streamed, but the Imax rollout of “Narnia” is a first-of-its-kind for the mega-streamer.

The deal had been in the works for months as Gerwig lobbied for a fittingly big theatrical presentation for her adaptation of the C.S. Lewis fantasy novels.