IMAX Odyssey ticket sales lift 2026 box-office outlook

IMAX Odyssey ticket sales have strengthened the premium-screen operator’s 2026 outlook, with Christopher Nolan’s Universal release generating $52 million for the company worldwide in its opening weekend. IMAX shares rose more than 8% on Thursday after the company said it remained on course for a record $1.4 billion in global box office this year.

The performance helped ease investor concern after Netflix and Greta Gerwig’s “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew” moved from a November release to February 2027. IMAX screens accounted for less than 1% of total locations showing “The Odyssey,” but delivered 20% of the film’s worldwide opening, according to the company.

IMAX said the debut exceeded the opening of Nolan’s prior film, “Oppenheimer,” by 47%. “Oppenheimer” went on to take in more than $190 million through IMAX venues during its 2023 run.

How much has The Odyssey made for IMAX?

“The Odyssey” produced $52 million for IMAX over its first weekend, then added $11 million on Monday and $10.6 million on Tuesday. IMAX Chief Executive Rich Gelfond told investors on the company’s Thursday earnings call that Tuesday was the strongest Tuesday result in the company’s history.

Gelfond also said advance sales for the film’s second weekend would rank among the company’s largest opening weekends if measured on their own. His comments framed the film as an ongoing contributor to IMAX’s annual box-office target rather than a one-week event.

IMAX’s model depends on demand for films presented on its large-format systems and on theater owners adding new systems. Strong titles can lift ticket sales per screen, while a larger installed base gives the company more capacity to capture global releases.

What films are next for IMAX screens in 2026?

The company pointed to a slate that includes Sony and Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil,” Tom Cruise’s “Digger,” “Godzilla Minus One,” David Fincher’s “The Adventures of Cliff Booth” starring Brad Pitt, and Paramount’s “Street Fighter.”

Warner Bros. and Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Three” is scheduled to close out the year for IMAX. The first “Dune” generated $61 million in IMAX theaters during the late-pandemic period, while “Dune: Part Two” delivered $147 million globally, according to the company.

Gelfond told investors that box-office strength is also feeding demand from theater operators. IMAX installed 38 systems globally in the second quarter, compared with 36 in the same period a year earlier.

Chief Financial Officer Natasha Fernandes said on the call that the second-quarter figure was the company’s highest for that period in a decade. IMAX installed 19 systems in the first quarter and said it is on pace for 160 to 175 installations by the end of 2026.

The company reported a backlog of 421 contracts to build screens. Gelfond said IMAX continues to see room for international expansion and is investing in ways to make the format more useful to filmmakers, studios, exhibitors and audiences.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.