Disney spent years insisting that Star Wars belonged on the big screen. Now, just two weeks after The Mandalorian and Grogu finally made the jump from Disney+ to theaters, IMAX exhibitors around the world already appear to be moving on.
Domestic IMAX screens are reportedly being allocated to Masters of the Universe, a movie that did not appear to have a widely publicized IMAX rollout until just this week. Overseas, some theaters are making an even more surprising choice. Rather than sticking with Disney’s newest Star Wars release, they’re bringing Michael back to IMAX on what exhibitors describe as “popular demand.
For a franchise that once dominated theaters for months at a time, it’s a remarkable turn of events.
He-Man Wasn’t Supposed To Be Part Of This Conversation
When Disney announced The Mandalorian and Grogu, the expectation was clear. This wasn’t supposed to be another Disney+ series. It was supposed to be the triumphant return of theatrical Star Wars.
Instead, the conversation two weeks later isn’t about how long the film can hold onto premium screens. It’s about who is replacing it.
Industry tracker Luiz Fernando noted that Masters of the Universe is now securing IMAX screens. That’s noteworthy because He-Man’s theatrical reboot spent much of the year without a major IMAX push attached to it. Many moviegoers simply assumed Pixar’s Toy Story 5 would be the next major occupant of those premium auditoriums.
Now it’s official!
After overwhelmingly positive reactions, #MastersOfTheUniverse secured IMAX release!#IMAX themselves unveiled the news, celebrating with an exclusive poster featuring #NicholasGalitzine’s #HeMan, kicking off pre-sales for IMAX theatres!#MoTU debuts on JUN 05! pic.twitter.com/KmiJ4uCKW5— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) May 30, 2026
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In other words, Disney handing off the premium screens to Disney. Instead, He-Man has entered the picture.
That suggests theater owners see enough value in the property to dedicate premium screens to it despite arriving in the shadow of Disney’s latest Star Wars release.
Some Theaters Would Rather Play Michael Again
Then things get even stranger.
Universal Pictures India announced that Michael is returning to IMAX. Similar promotions have surfaced in Malaysia, while reports indicate Brazilian exhibitors are also restoring premium screenings for the Michael Jackson biopic.
You loved it. So it’s back on popular demand. 🔥
Watch Michael in IMAX and experience the magic on the big screen. Book your tickets now. pic.twitter.com/JQnMAiVuwc— Universal Pictures India (@UniversalIND) May 29, 2026
That means film that has already completed much of its theatrical run is being brought back to IMAX while Disney’s newest Star Wars movie is losing access to those same screens.
That doesn’t happen very often.
Movie theaters are businesses. Their most valuable screens are usually reserved for whatever is generating the strongest demand at that particular moment.
The fact that exhibitors are willing to revisit Michael after only a week of The Mandalorian and Grogu suggests they believe audiences are still interested enough to justify the move.
The Disney Star Wars Brand Keeps Shrinking
Viewed on its own, losing IMAX screens isn’t necessarily a disaster. Every movie eventually gives way to the next release.
The problem for Disney is the broader pattern.
The Mandalorian and Grogu delivered the lowest opening weekend of Disney’s theatrical Star Wars era. It failed to reach the heights once considered routine for the franchise and quickly surrendered momentum at the box office.
A screenshot from The Mandalorian and Grogu Super Bowl spot – Lucasfilm
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Now it appears to be losing premium screens at a pace that would have been almost unthinkable during the heyday of Star Wars.
There was a time when exhibitors couldn’t get enough of the franchise. New installments routinely dominated multiplexes for weeks, sometimes months. Premium formats remained occupied because audiences kept buying tickets.
Today, the situation looks very different.
Instead of extending Star Wars’ stay in IMAX, some exhibitors are handing those screens to He-Man. Others are bringing back a Michael Jackson biopic.
That’s not a sign of strength.
It’s a sign that theater owners are following the audience.
Audiences Decide What Stays
Disney can spend hundreds of millions of dollars producing films and marketing campaigns. It can tell investors that Star Wars remains one of the most valuable brands in entertainment.
But exhibitors ultimately answer to one thing: ticket sales.
A screencap from The Mandalorian and Grogu – YouTube, Star Wars
Theaters don’t remove movies from premium screens because of online discourse. They don’t make those decisions because of social media arguments.
They make them because they believe something else will sell more tickets.
Just two weeks into its run, The Mandalorian and Grogu appears to be learning that lesson the hard way.
Are you surprised The Mandalorian and Grogu is already getting kicked out of IMAX? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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