Disney is launching a new cinema screen certification program called Infinity Vision, apparently in response to being snubbed by IMAX in regard to the theatrical debut of its newest blockbuster, Avengers: Doomsday.
It’s important to understand that Infinity Vision is not a new standard, but rather a certification that will be applied to Premium Large Format displays for cinemas. As per Disney’s wording, it’s “a new benchmark for theatrical presentation.”
In a press release, Disney said the Infinity Vision certification is designed to signal to audiences which PLF auditoriums out of the 75 in the U.S. and over 300 globally meet rigorous technical standards for picture quality. It did not publish the exact standards cinema displays will need to meet, but said it will focus on the “largest screens for maximum scale,” as well as “laser projection for superior brightness and clarity,” and “premium audio formats for fully immersive sound.”
A report by Bloomberg added some extra details, saying that auditoriums that want to qualify for the Infinity Vision label will need to have a screen with at least a 50-feet width, a laser projection system and 7.1-channel Dolby surround sound. The requirements appear to rule out premium LED cinemas such as Samsung’s Onyx or Sony’s Crystal LED, despite them being the only technologies that can deliver true HDR quality.
As noted earlier, the announcement appears to be Disney’s way of dealing with the decision by IMAX to snub its upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie, which has the same release date of December 18, 2026, as Dune: Part Three.
Because IMAX theatres are in short supply, only one can be played in IMAX at a time, and Dune has gotten the nod over Disney’s title. That’s likely because Dune was shot natively on IMAX film cameras, whereas Avengers: Doomsday was shot with “IMAX-certified” camera systems.
According to SlashFilm, there are also question marks around whether or not Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be able to premiere in IMAX theatres. There has been speculation that Disney might shift their release dates to ensure they can book up precious space in IMAX theatres, but the latest announcement appears to rule that out.
The IMAX label carries a lot of weight, as data shows that movie-going audiences increasingly favour more premium experiences, despite having to pay more for them. Clearly, Disney is hoping that it will be able to generate the same kind of excitement for Infinity Vision theatres, and it will likely be quite selective in deciding which screens can qualify to try and create a more “exclusive” perception.
“Beginning with the September re-release of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame and followed by the highly anticipated December release of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday, audiences will be able to seek out Infinity Vision-certified screens and see the film on the grandest possible scale, exactly as intended,” the company said in a statement.
Disney added that it will also throw in some unknown “special offerings” for Infinity Vision cinemas along with help in marketing support.
Disney’s head of theatrical distribution Andrew Cripps insisted that the company’s own production quality standards are “second to none” and said Infinity Vision will extend that to theatres themselves. “[It represents] a shared effort… to help audiences quickly find the very best screens in their area to experience our films in exactly the way they’re designed to be seen – on a huge screen with the sharpest, clearest color and sound,” he said.
