Your TV might be huge. Your sound system might be premium. But none of that matters when Christopher Nolan’s shooting in 70mm IMAX, Ryan Gosling’s saving humanity in space, and Baby Yoda’s hitting the big screen. IMAX just dropped their 2026 slate featuring 20 blockbusters that’ll make streaming feel like watching movies through a keyhole. From Avatar continuing its reign to Avengers assembling for Doomsday, from Mario jumping galaxies to Supergirl going dark, next year’s calendar is packed with theatrical experiences your home setup can’t touch. Movie theaters survived the streaming wars, and IMAX is leading the victory lap. Get ready to max out those reward points because 2026 demands you show up in person.
Why IMAX Won the Theater War
The COVID pandemic almost killed movie theaters. Streaming services convinced everyone couches were the future. But IMAX? They came out stronger than ever. In Q3 2025, IMAX domestic box office jumped 29 percent while regular cinemas dropped 11 percent. That’s not a coincidence, it’s proof that certain experiences demand the biggest screens possible. Home entertainment systems keep improving, getting bigger, sharper, louder. But they’ll never replicate sitting in an IMAX theater where the screen fills your entire field of vision and sound rattles your chest.
Hollywood studios know this. The fight for IMAX screens has become cutthroat competitive. When Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey locked down July 17, 2026, it reportedly forced Spider-Man: Brand New Day completely off the IMAX schedule. That exclusivity window shows how valuable these premium screens have become. Studios invest hundreds of millions making blockbusters, and IMAX provides the showcase that justifies those budgets. On October 23, 2025, IMAX delivered their quarterly earnings presentation featuring 20 confirmed films for 2026. These aren’t small indie darlings, they’re the biggest franchises and most anticipated titles Hollywood’s producing.
The list doesn’t include everything IMAX will screen. Avatar Fire and Ash carries over its December 2025 release into January, and gaps suggest more announcements coming. But what’s confirmed already makes 2026 look like the year theatrical movies remind everyone why they matter. Share this with your movie-loving friend who keeps saying theaters are dead!
The Sci-Fi Spectacles You Can’t Miss
Mercy kicks things off January 23 with Timur Bekmambetov directing Chris Pratt as a Los Angeles detective accused of murdering his wife. But this isn’t your standard crime thriller. Set in 2029, Pratt faces an AI judge played by Rebecca Ferguson and gets exactly 90 minutes to prove his innocence using every digital evidence piece available. Think Minority Report meets courtroom drama, wrapped in near-future tech paranoia. The premise screams IMAX spectacle with futuristic cityscapes and AI visualization that smaller screens would diminish.
Then Project Hail Mary arrives March 20 with massive buzz. Amazon MGM hyped theater owners at CinemaCon with early footage, then gave it the Hall H treatment at San Diego Comic-Con where reactions exploded. Based on Andy Weir’s novel (he wrote The Martian too), the film stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a middle school teacher turned astronaut who wakes up in deep space with amnesia as his mission’s sole survivor. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller return to live-action after 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story got taken from them mid-production. They’ve got something to prove.
Weir’s previous adaptation, The Martian, made bank when Ridley Scott brought it to screens in 2015. Expectations for Project Hail Mary naturally run high, especially with Gosling’s star power. The trailer dropped June 30, 2025, showing Gosling’s character discovering the sun and all stars are dying. He meets an alien creature he names Rocky during his 12-light-year journey. The scope is massive. Gosling told CinemaCon audiences in April: “It’s an incredibly ambitious tale, vast in its scope. We literally tried to fit it on a bus once. Didn’t fit.” The cast includes Sandra Huller, Lionel Boyce, and Ken Leung. This one demands IMAX’s immersive format.
The Franchise Heavy Hitters
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie jumps onto screens April 3, and box office expectations couldn’t be higher. The 2023 original, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, grossed 1.3 billion dollars worldwide. Nintendo recently confirmed the title references the Galaxy games series, signaling which material inspires this sequel. Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, and Jack Black return as Mario, Peach, Luigi, and Bowser. No casting news yet for expected new characters like Rosalina, but fans are already theorizing. A few weeks of IMAX screens will absolutely boost those numbers toward matching or exceeding the first film’s haul.
Toy Story 5 releases June 19, and Pixar’s betting big. Despite struggling with recent originals, their sequel game stays strong. 2024’s Inside Out 2 became Pixar’s highest-grossing film ever at nearly 1.7 billion dollars. That success gives Disney full confidence putting Toy Story 5 in IMAX. The franchise has reached multiple “endings” already, but Pixar keeps finding reasons to revisit these beloved characters. Each entry gets praised by critics and audiences alike. Finding that killer story for the fifth time presents challenges, but the studio’s track record suggests they’ve cracked it. Woody, Buzz, and the gang deserve the biggest screens possible.
Minions 3 debuts July 1 over the July 4 holiday, continuing the little yellow creatures’ solo adventures. Following 2024’s Despicable Me 4 and 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, this third Minions film brings back director Pierre Coffin, who voices the characters and co-directed the first three Despicable Me movies. Whether it’s set in present day or continues young Gru’s past adventures remains unknown, but family audiences will pack IMAX theaters for full-holiday entertainment.
Don’t miss out on booking tickets early for these franchise juggernauts!
Superhero Showdowns and Universe Expansions
James Gunn’s Superman kicked off the new DCU era in 2025, generating genuine excitement despite superhero box office limitations. But Superman’s a marquee character. The real DCU franchise test arrives June 26 when Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow releases. Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El, introduced in Gunn’s film, gets her own movie from director Craig Gillespie. Based on Tom King’s comic miniseries, the film takes audiences into the galaxy where Supergirl travels with Krypto on a revenge quest.
Screenwriter Ana Nogueira told Variety she never connected with “sunny” Supergirl portrayals, saying “She watched Krypton completely be destroyed. I was always like, ‘I can’t get my head around the version of the character that is so sunny.'” King’s approach clicked with her: “rougher, grittier, edgier, and funnier.” This darker take features Jason Momoa as Lobo alongside the villain Krem of the Yellow Hills. Production wrapped May 2025, and Gunn’s currently working on cuts, suggesting marketing could start anytime. The film represents Nogueira’s first produced screenplay, with DC already giving her Wonder Woman and Teen Titans projects.
Mortal Kombat 2 was originally scheduled October 24, 2025, before Warner Bros moved it to May 8, 2026. The studio’s strong 2025 financial performance gifted their 2026 slate another tentpole. The first movie released day-and-date to HBO Max during the pandemic in 2021, receiving mixed reactions but enough fan excitement to greenlight a sequel. This one ups stakes by introducing the actual tournament plus popular characters Johnny Cage played by Karl Urban and Kitana played by Adeline Rudolph. Tracking data shows it’s among the most anticipated theatrical releases, meaning plenty of demand for bloody fatalities on gigantic screens.
Star Wars Returns to Theaters
Since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars has been limited to Disney Plus despite many announced theatrical films stuck in development hell. Turns out the first movie making it through continues the biggest TV show. The Mandalorian and Grogu releases May 22, picking up after The Mandalorian Season 3 ends. Jon Favreau directs and co-writes with Dave Filoni, continuing bounty hunter Din Djarin’s adventures with the adorable Force-wielding child.
As Star Wars’ theatrical revival, it’s an interesting choice. Will this continued TV adventure draw the mass audiences Star Wars movies traditionally command? The Mandalorian became Disney Plus’s flagship show, with Baby Yoda (officially “The Child” or Grogu) becoming a merchandising phenomenon. Parents who bought their kids Grogu plushies will absolutely take them to theaters. The question is whether casual audiences who’ve never watched the show will care. Either way, seeing Star Wars on IMAX screens after six years away feels significant. The franchise built its legend through theatrical experiences, and this marks its homecoming.
The Directors Making Statements
The Bride arrives March 6 from Maggie Gyllenhaal directing her second feature. Set in 1930s Chicago, it stars Jessie Buckley as the Bride and Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s monster, with Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Penelope Cruz rounding out the cast. The film got pushed from 2025 amid reports of troubling test screenings. Early trailers showed unique, stylish vision that sometimes prompts those stories. Sarsgaard described it as somewhat of a musical, promising a truly singular IMAX experience. Guillermo del Toro delivered his Frankenstein interpretation in 2025, now Gyllenhaal offers something completely different.
Michael releases April 24 if it actually makes theaters, which should be considered miraculous. The Antoine Fuqua biopic stars Jafaar Jackson (Michael Jackson’s nephew) as the King of Pop. Given that a Michael Jackson concert doc made 268 million in 2009, a high-profile biopic would be major. But this production has had hell reaching screens. Delayed by 2023 Hollywood strikes, Michael filmed early 2024 and previewed at CinemaCon before being derailed by an uncovered legal agreement rendering the entire third act unusable. Additional filming happened in 2025, supposedly creating a ready version with potential for follow-ups if it succeeds.
The December Showdown
December 18 features the year’s biggest clash. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey actually releases July 17, but December brings both Avengers: Doomsday and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part III. That’s three titan directors with wildly different visions competing for audiences during holiday season. The Odyssey will be Nolan’s first film shot entirely in 70mm IMAX, with tickets for IMAX screenings selling out over a year in advance. That’s unheard of.
Avengers: Doomsday marks a major Phase Six entry for Marvel, with the Russo Brothers returning after Endgame‘s record-breaking success. Dune: Part III continues Villeneuve’s epic adaptation, following the first two films’ critical and commercial success. Having these three releasing within months showcases 2026’s embarrassment of riches. Add Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew releasing November 26, and the year ends with prestige filmmaking competing for attention.
Other notable releases include Moana on July 10, Resident Evil September 18, an untitled Inarritu/Tom Cruise project October 2, Street Fighter October 16, and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping November 20. Each brings built-in audiences and franchise expectations that IMAX will amplify.
Why This Matters for Movie Culture
This slate represents Hollywood’s bet that theatrical experiences still matter. Every studio could’ve dumped these on streaming, taken guaranteed subscriber numbers, and avoided box office risk. Instead, they’re investing in IMAX releases, premium formats, and the communal experience theaters provide. That choice matters culturally. Movies watched alone on phones or laptops create different relationships than theatrical viewings. IMAX specifically creates shared experiences where audiences react together, creating memories beyond just consuming content.
The variety impresses too. Animated family films, superhero spectacles, sci-fi adventures, video game adaptations, prestige dramas, and franchise sequels all get IMAX treatment. That diversity suggests confidence in theatrical moviegoing across genres, not just tentpoles. When The Bride gets IMAX screens alongside Avengers, it signals belief in auteur filmmaking’s theatrical appeal. When Project Hail Mary and Mercy both land premium formats, original sci-fi concepts find pathways to audiences.
Your 2026 Viewing Strategy
Start planning now. Mark calendars for must-sees. Budget accordingly because IMAX tickets cost more but deliver experiences worth the premium. Consider which films genuinely need those giant screens versus what can wait for home viewing. The Odyssey shot in 70mm IMAX? Mandatory theatrical viewing. Toy Story 5? Kids deserve that magic. Project Hail Mary? Space adventure demands immersion. Supergirl? First real DCU franchise test needs support.
Some will flop. Some will exceed expectations. Some will spark discourse, controversy, or cultural moments. But all represent filmmakers’ visions designed for the biggest screens possible. That ambition deserves audiences willing to leave couches, brave parking, pay premiums, and sit in dark rooms with strangers. Because movies watched properly create something streaming never will: collective experiences that become shared memories.
Share this lineup with anyone claiming theaters are dying. Comment which films you’re most excited for and which you might skip. Follow for more coverage as trailers drop and release dates shift because 2026’s schedule will absolutely change. But one thing won’t: IMAX’s dominance as the premium theatrical experience worth leaving home to witness. Your TV’s impressive, but it’s not The Odyssey in 70mm IMAX, and pretending otherwise just cheats yourself of cinema’s full potential.
