‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu’ Movie Formats. Which One Is Best?

InnovationConsumer Tech‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu’ Movie Formats. Which One Is Best?ByBenny Har-Even,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about commercial cinema technology and smart-home tech.Follow AuthorMay 21, 2026, 03:06pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.With 'The Mandalorian and Grogu', Star Wars jumps from small to big screen for the first time since 2019.IMAX CorporationFor many, Star Wars is cinema personified, so the significance of having it back on the big screen after more than six years is, unlike the co-star of the movie, huge. However, as a spin-off movie from a streaming TV show, the stakes inevitably feel smaller (literally), so the question is, will Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu be cinematic enough to justify going to the cinema to see it? The best way to find out, of course, is to go to the cinema to see it, and make up your own mind, so let’s dive in and see what format choices are on offer. Filmed For IMAX The Mandalorian and Grogu is the first Star Wars movie to be ‘Filmed For IMAX’, which means the digital cameras used are IMAX-approved. To avoid any doubt, the movie was not captured on film, and no film prints are being struck; not that this was ever unexpected. To take advantage of the IMAX format, the film has 53 minutes presented in one of two IMAX-exclusive expanded aspect ratios: full frame 1.43:1 and 1.90:1, with 2.39 used for the remainder of the film.1.43:1 provides a significant amount of picture above and below the standard image, and on a giant IMAX screen is a hugely immersive format. As we’ve seen from the trailers, this is put to great effect with the dramatic AT-AT falling down a mountainside (clearly the Empire never was one for health & safety). To be able to show it in the former, the IMAX theater requires both a giant IMAX 1.43:1 screen and a dual-las...