Greta Gerwig's upcoming film Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will be filmed using both VistaVision and 35mm formats, as revealed by cinematographer Seamus McGarvey on The Filmmaker’s Podcast. VisaVision had been dormant for over six decades until its revival in Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist last year. The last film to utilize VistaVision cameras was Marlon Brando's One-Eyed Jacks in 1961.
In the next year, five films are set to be shot in VistaVision, including projects from notable directors like Emerald Fennell, Paul Thomas Anderson, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Yorgos Lanthimos. While it remains uncertain whether this trend will continue or fade away, the resurgence of this format is certainly noteworthy.
Additionally, it was announced that Narnia will premiere exclusively in IMAX theaters in November 2026. However, a detail that went unnoticed is that Gerwig has not yet confirmed the use of IMAX 70mm film cameras for the project. An IMAX Investors Briefing from April 2025 did not list Narnia among films being shot with IMAX technology. With filming set to begin in just two months, it seems unlikely that this decision will change.
