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IMAX Admits Marvel's Inhumans Disappointed Moviegoers

The premiere of Marvel's Inhumans was supposed to be so big, IMAX agreed to show the first two episodes of the ABC series on the big screen. But the show underwhelmed viewers, and the folks at IMAX realize they made a mistake.

Deadline reports that IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said there was a "misalignment of customer expectations," when it came to theatrical screenings of the show. "Customers expected a production akin to a mega-budget blockbuster movie, rather than pilots for a television show," Gelfond said. "Moreover, the fact that this was Marvel IP set the bar at a level you wouldn't see from other pieces of content or IP because of the reputation and the high production value of Marvel movies."

Inhumans was originally supposed to be another film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it eventually became a TV series at ABC, similar in production values to Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 

IMAX signed on to co-produce and committed to premiere the first two episodes in large-format theaters for a two-week engagement before it aired on ABC. But the experiment failed when critics weren't impressed with the show, and the theatrical screenings only drew $3.5 million at the box office. 

Gelfond said it's unlikely that IMAX will do something like this again. "Going forward, we intend to take a more conservative approach consistent with the Game of Thrones approach to capital investments and content," he said. "We will be more conservative when considering whether to invest our own capital; and if so, to what extent."