The Mandalorian & Grogu marks Star Wars return to the big screen for the first time since 2019, and it could be headed to an IMAX theater near you!
According to IMAX's Investor Presentation in July 2024, Disney has several films slated for an IMAX release in 2026, including The Mandalorian & Grogu, Toy Story 5, Avatar - The Seed Bearer, and MOANA. Among them, The Mandalorian & Grogu is one of only four movies in the 2026 slate confirmed to be FILMED FOR IMAX/ FILM CAMERAS. The camera logo under a movie indicates that it's "Filmed for IMAX."
IMAX is "a technique of widespread cinematography which produces an image approximately ten times larger than that from standard 35 mm film." According to In Depth Cine, a larger image means a higher-quality image:
"The larger the surface area of a piece of film, the more photographic information it will contain. This means that an Imax image resolves much more detail and has very little visible film grain. Basically, Imax footage will look significantly cleaner and higher quality."Indepthcine.com
"Filmed for IMAX" differs from "Shot with IMAX," and an IMAX film falls into one of these two categories. "Filmed for IMAX" means to film with cameras approved by IMAX, and "Shot for IMAX" means to film with IMAX 65mm cameras. Both techniques result in a highly detailed and large image size.
Apart from certain action sequences in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, no Star Wars movie has been filmed entirely for IMAX. Jon Favreau previously experimented with aspect ratios in The Mandalorian Season 2, "Chapter 9: The Marshall," during the battle with the Krayt Dragon. It's a subtle difference but very effective, and when the episode aired, fans were stoked at how good it looked.
Despite the groundbreaking impact of Star Wars on filmmaking, we're still waiting for a Star Wars movie to be filmed entirely in IMAX, but it's a franchise that deserves to be filmed and watched in IMAX. Perhaps Favreau is ready to head into uncharted territory with The Mandalorian & Grogu. The series has already done much for television with the introduction of Stagecraft, also known as "The Volume," which has revolutionized how actors interact with their surroundings by introducing realistic virtual environments to film. This is a more inspiring way for actors to film rather than standing in front of a green or blue screen.
By bringing Star Wars back to theaters with The Mandalorian & Grogu filmed for IMAX, fans' 3 years wait between The Mandalorian Season 3 and the Mando movie would be worth it. IMAX is the only way to take in the splendor of Star Wars and how every Star Wars fan should get to experience their favorite franchise.
The Mandalorian & Grogu premieres May 22, 2026.