Box Office Plunge Forces Disney's Star Wars Out of IMAX Theaters
Los Angeles, Monday, 1 June 2026.
Suffering a staggering 72% second-weekend revenue drop, Disney’s latest Star Wars film is prematurely losing its highly profitable IMAX screens to Masters of the Universe.
A Rapid Descent for a Legacy Franchise
The Walt Disney Co. (DIS) is confronting a severe theatrical underperformance as of Monday, 1 June 2026, with its latest franchise installment, The Mandalorian and Grogu, suffering a historic box office collapse [2]. Directed by Jon Favreau and starring Pedro Pascal, the film debuted over the May 22 to May 24, 2026, Memorial Day weekend to a historically low domestic opening of $80 million to $81 million [1][2]. By its second weekend, spanning May 29 to May 31, 2026, the 132-minute feature plummeted to third place [2][4]. The film grossed between $23 million and $25 million in its sophomore outing, losing significant audience share to the independent horror film Backrooms, which earned $90 million, and the thriller Obsession, which took in $30 million [1][2]. This represents a precipitous revenue drop mathematically calculated at -71.25 percent to -69.136 percent [1][2].
Premium Format Reallocation and Studio Feuds
In response to the disastrous second-weekend metrics, IMAX Corporation has made the rare decision to prematurely terminate the scheduled three-week exclusive premium run for The Mandalorian and Grogu [2]. On May 29, 2026, IMAX announced that it will reallocate its highly lucrative premium large-format (PLF) screens to Mattel’s Masters of the Universe starting this Friday, June 5, 2026 [1][2]. The Mattel feature is currently tracking for a $35 million domestic opening [2]. The official IMAX account on X (formerly Twitter) confirmed the transition, stating, “The chase for Power begins. Tickets are on sale now for Masters of the Universe, in IMAX June 5” [1]. Ironically, just one day later on May 30, 2026, IMAX’s Instagram account was still promoting the Star Wars film with the hashtag “#FilmedForIMAX” [3].
The Escalating War for Screen Exclusivity
This early eviction underscores an escalating corporate battle over premium theatrical real estate [alert! ‘The exact financial impact of the early PLF screen loss on Disney’s Q2 earnings remains to be fully quantified in upcoming earnings calls’]. The acceleration of IMAX’s pivot to Masters of the Universe is partially driven by a broader corporate feud regarding future scheduling conflicts, most notably an impending December 2026 showdown between Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday and Warner Brothers’ Dune: Part Three for IMAX exclusivity [1][2]. In retaliation for these scheduling pressures, Disney introduced its own “Infinity Vision” certification at CinemaCon, establishing a proprietary standard for independent screens measuring at least 15.24 meters wide and equipped with laser projection and Dolby 7.1 audio [2].