IMAX CEO Explains Why ‘Marvel’s Inhumans’ Did Not Meet Customer Expectations

Inhumans has not gone the way Marvel intended, though it took IMAX to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond addressed the show’s unfortunate performance, via Deadline, at theaters, a performance he called a “misalignment of customer expectations.”

IMAX entered into a deal with Marvel to premiere the first two episodes of the show in its theaters, but over two weeks the project only brought in $3.5 million, and those who did see the episodes weren’t exactly complimentary.

$3.5 million was well under IMAX’s predictions, and Gelfond explained how the company will be a bit more cautious in the future.

“Going forward, we intend to take a more conservative approach consistent with the Game of Thrones approach to capital investments and content,” Gelfond said, “We will be more conservative when considering whether to invest our own capital; and if so, to what extent.”

Going back to that “misalignment of customer expectations” assessment, it seems some expected something along the lines of Thor: Ragnarok or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as opposed to a glorified pilot.

“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.”

At one point the Inhumans project was a film instead of a television series, but Marvel pulled the plug on that changed course. Now the Inhumans would add to its successful television universe, but that hasn’t been the case. Ratings for Inhumans haven’t been kind, and neither have reviews of the show through its first several episodes.

The show tends to draw criticism for being a bit boring and lacking in the visuals department, neither of which is good for a theatrical screening. If something doesn’t look pretty on the small screen, the issues are only going to get exacerbated on the big screen.

Fans can watch Inhumans Friday nights on ABC at 9/8 cst.