Lucasfilm and IMAX are doing something very smart with The Mandalorian & Grogu: they are letting fans sample the movie early, on the most Star Wars date imaginable.
A special May the 4th IMAX event is giving fans the chance to watch the first 30 minutes of The Mandalorian & Grogu at select theaters before the film’s full release. Fandango’s event listing says the screening will preview more than 25 minutes of never-before-seen footage, and the RSVP sign-up is being handled through a theater registration form for local participating locations.
That is not a small teaser.
This is Lucasfilm effectively treating the opening half-hour like a theatrical sales pitch, which makes a lot of sense for a movie that has been pushed hard as an IMAX event. The official IMAX movie page lists The Mandalorian and Grogu as a Filmed For IMAX release and confirms the full theatrical release date as May 22, 2026.
A very confident move from Lucasfilm
Studios do not usually give away that much footage unless they think the opening really works.
That is what makes this interesting. If Lucasfilm and IMAX are comfortable putting the first 30 minutes in front of fans weeks early, it suggests real confidence in how the movie opens. Recent reporting from CinemaCon already pointed to the film having a big, crowd-pleasing start, with Din Djarin, Grogu, snowtroopers, AT-AT action, Zeb, and Sigourney Weaver’s Colonel Ward all featuring in the early footage shown there.
So this May the 4th screening is not just a fun promo gimmick. It looks a lot like Lucasfilm saying: here, watch the beginning, and then try not to buy a ticket for the full thing.
Why the IMAX angle matters
The other obvious point here is format.
Favreau has already talked about using Apple Vision Pro to help preview the IMAX presentation while making the movie, and IMAX has been positioning The Mandalorian & Grogu as one of its major 2026 releases. That makes these preview screenings feel like part of a larger message: this is not just “a Mandalorian movie.” It is supposed to feel like a proper big-screen Star Wars event.
And honestly, letting fans see the opening in IMAX on May the 4th is a pretty effective way to sell that idea.
If your local theater is participating, the RSVP link is here
