Joining 15 Marvel movies, Lightyear is now available to stream on Disney+ with scenes in IMAX's expanded aspect ratio. It is the first Pixar film made in IMAX.

In November 2021, Disney+ added its first IMAX Enhanced titles from Marvel as part of a partnership with IMAX and DTS. The partnership will  bring DTS audio to the streaming service at a later time.

Lightyear is the first Pixar film made in IMAX and the first animated film on Disney+ in IMAX Enhanced which is up to 26% taller – better suited for a 16:9 TV.

- "We are thrilled that Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ is the first IMAX Enhanced animated film launching on Disney+. Leveraging IMAX’s technology throughout the filmmaking process allowed us to create an elevated viewing experience for ‘Lightyear’ fans in theaters, at home, and beyond," Angus MacLane, Director of Lightyear, said in a statement.


 Lightyear on Disney+ in IMAX Enhanced, 4K, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Photo: FlatpanelsHD

30 minutes in IMAX
However, not all scenes are shown in the taller format. The film contains about 30 minutes of IMAX animation in 1.90:1. Non-IMAX scenes will be shown in 2.39:1 widescreen with full black bars at the top and bottom.

In addition to IMAX Enhanced, Lightyear is presented in 4K Dolby Vision (or HDR10) and Dolby Atmos on Disney+. Users can select between the IMAX Enhanced version and the theatrical cut in widescreen.

The movie will be released on UHD Blu-ray later but there is no word on an IMAX release.

All Disney+ supported devices including Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, Google TV, Smart TVs and Roku can play the IMAX Enhanced version as it is simply a taller aspect ratio.

After three Pixar releases (Soul, Luca, Turning Red) that went straight to Disney+, Lightyear debuted in theaters where it flopped, grossing just $222 million. Perhaps it will have more success in living rooms. Lightyear is available now in all Disney+ regions.


 You can select between the IMAX Enhanced version and the theatrical widescreen version. Photo: FlatpanelsHD