The box office success of The Odyssey will be “transformational” for Imax, according to Rich Gelfond, CEO of the premium large-format cinema company.
Announcing strong financial results for the second quarter of 2026 – which ended just before The Odyssey had its $264m global opening – Gelfond described Christopher Nolan’s epic, the first full-length theatrical release shot entirely with Imax film cameras, as “the purest and most complete expression yet of the power of Imax.”
Gelfond suggested the film would be “a transformational event” for the company, “in many ways we can see and many ways we can’t yet predict.”
Imax venues produced $52m – or 20% – of the film’s opening weekend haul, a record for the company in like-for-like markets (the film has not yet opened in South Korea, mainland China or Japan). The performance has put Imax on track, the company said, for a record $1.4bn global box office take for the full year.
For the three months ended June 30, Imax revenue was $102.8m, up 12% on the second quarter of 2025. The company’s net income was up 30% to $15.9m.
Releases including Michael, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu helped Imax reach $285m in global box office for the second quarter, up 1% on the previous year and driven by a 24% increase in box office from international markets excluding China.
On a call with analysts to discuss the results, Gelfond touted Imax’s upcoming slate and said that for exhibitors – many of which offer their own branded premium large formats – films like The Odyssey are “a reminder that for the biggest, most anticipated productions from the best filmmakers, knock-offs and marketing gimmicks won’t cut it and people are seeking out Imax.”
The was no mention from Gelfond or analysts on the call of a recent report saying Imax is exploring the possibility of a sale.
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