Imax shares climbed more than 8% following the company’s confirmation that it remained positioned to achieve record global box office of $1.4 billion in 2026. The announcement came as Universal’s “The Odyssey,” directed by Christopher Nolan, exceeded expectations at the box office, easing investor concerns that had surfaced when another anticipated release was delayed.
During its opening weekend, “The Odyssey” generated $52 million in global box office for Imax, with the company’s locations—representing less than 1% of total screens—accounting for 20% of the film’s worldwide debut. The film’s opening performance was 47% higher than Nolan’s previous work “Oppenheimer,” which accumulated over $190 million through Imax theaters throughout its entire theatrical run in 2023. The momentum showed no signs of slowing, with the film securing $11 million on Monday and $10.6 million on Tuesday, marking the company’s best Tuesday performance on record.
Imax CEO Rich Gelfond told investors on an earnings call that presales for the film’s second weekend were strong enough to rank among the company’s biggest opening weekends ever. Several high-profile releases remain scheduled for Imax screens later in the year, including Spider-Man, Resident Evil, Tom Cruise’s “Digger,” and David Fincher’s “The Adventures of Cliff Booth” starring Brad Pitt. The year will conclude with Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Three,” following the previous installment’s $147 million global Imax performance.
Expansion efforts also gained traction, with 38 Imax systems installed globally during the second quarter, the highest figure for that period in a decade. The company maintains a backlog of 421 contracts to build additional screens and projects between 160 and 175 installations by the end of the year.
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