IMAX reports strong ticket sales as Nolan film boosts revenue

IMAX Corp. said its earnings remain on track for a $1.4 billion global box-office target for the year after the opening weekend of Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" produced $52 million in IMAX ticket sales worldwide. The film accounted for about 20% of its global debut despite IMAX screens representing less than 1% of total theaters.

The company’s shares rose more than 8% following the earnings release. IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond told investors that the film’s second-day earnings of $10.6 million were the best Tuesday performance in the company’s history and that presales for the second weekend could rank among its largest openings.

IMAX added 38 new theater systems in the second quarter, the most installations in that period in a decade, according to CFO Natasha Fernandes. The firm expects to have between 160 and 175 installations by the end of 2026 and has a backlog of 421 contracts for new screens.

Upcoming releases slated for IMAX screens include titles from Sony, Marvel, Paramount and Warner Bros., among them "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," "Resident Evil," "Digger," "Godzilla Minus One," "The Adventures of Cliff Booth" and "Street Fighter," with "Dune: Part Three" slated to close the year.