Doomsday. Disney’s response has been to invent its own IMAX
On December 18, 2026, two of the most anticipated blockbusters of the last decade share release date. Warner Bros. has contracted exclusivity on all IMAX screens in the United States for ‘Dune: Part Three’ for three weeks. It is a vital space for the box office blockbusters of this type, so Disney, following Bender’s teachings on the moon from the legendary pilot episode of ‘Futurama’, decides to set up its own IMAX for ‘Doomsday‘. He called it Infinity Vision. The contract of evil. The key is in a contract signed before both premieres collided. Warner Bros. booked December 18, 2026 for ‘Dune: Part Three’ in June 2024, almost a year before Disney moved ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on that same date. Under this contract, Villeneuve’s film has all IMAX screens blocked for three consecutive weeks starting December 18, leaving the Marvel film without access to that circuit in the US market. In favor of ‘Dune’. In addition to the contractual issue, there is an added topic: ‘Dune: Part Three’ has been filmed mainly with 65mm IMAX cameraswhile ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ has done so with IMAX certified digital cameras. For the IMAX standard, there is a difference: the 65mm negative produces a native image in the expanded format of the characteristic IMAX screens, which makes ‘Dune 3’ a more technically competent release. Something that IMAX will undoubtedly use as a selling ingredient. Despite insistent rumors, it seems that Marvel will not move the release date, and Kevin Feige confirmed it at CinemaCon. Infinity Vision arrives. It was there where Disney announced Infinity Vision as a new certification for premium rooms. This is a seal that will help the viewer “find the best screens in their area.” This rating refers to the largest possible screen sizes, laser projection for superior brightness and sharpness, and premium audio formats for an immersive sound experience. That is to say, about 75 certified rooms in the United States and more than 300 globally. What Infinity Vision is not. It is not a new format. It is simply a certification for rooms that already exist and can boast high-quality equipment. IMAX, with its characteristic aspect ratio of 1.43:1, is a different experience from traditional cinema, a space that Infinity Vision does not come out of, no matter how much it is applied to high-quality screens. The Infinity Vision certificate will start with the re-release of ‘Endgame’, as an appetizer before the arrival of ‘Doomsday’. Why IMAX matters. To understand why Disney has a problem, let’s look at the numbers. IMAX occupies less than 5% of the screens, but for large studio productions it represents between 15% and 25% of the collection of the first weekend. For example, ‘Dune: Part Two‘ grossed $81.5 million domestically and $178.5 million worldwide in its opening weekend, with premium formats (IMAX and 70mm) accounting for 48% of the total opening business. That is, almost half of the box office concentrated in a small percentage of the theaters. With ‘Oppenheimer’, IMAX generated 35 million global dollars in the premiere alone, 20% of the opening total. EITHER said by the CEO of IMAX himselfRichard Gelfond: the format has added 15% of the box office in premium releases during 2025. IMAX’s global revenues are on track to exceed $1.4 billion in 2026and ‘Dune 3’ is one of the main drivers of that growth. Disney, for its part, is the largest contributor to IMAX revenue among all the Hollywood studios, which gives an idea of the volume of business that is at stake with ‘Doomsday’. The precedent. In 2025, Jurassic World Rebirth was one of the few big blockbusters that could not have a premiere in IMAX for scheduling reasons. Some analysts blame this for its somewhat weaker performance than other deliveries. Meanwhile, Warner has already reported that the 70mm IMAX screenings of ‘Dune: Part Three’ they have already sold out in 19 locations in North America and London. A panorama for ‘Doomsday’ that, although it does not point to problems for what will undoubtedly be one of the great assets at the box office this year, may have more than one anxious executive in the Disney offices. In Xataka | If you download ‘Torrente Presidente’, Santiago Segura has the same message for you as if you downloaded ‘Torrente 3’
