IMAX Closes Out Best Year in its History with Record $1.28 Billion at the Global Box Office in 2025
Global Technology Platform Surpasses Previous Highwater Mark Set in 2019 by +13%, Tops 2024 by +40%
IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX) today reported its global box office results for 2025, setting a new company record with $1.28 billion grossed worldwide. Exceeding the guidance it issued early in 2025, the Company grew global box office year-over-year by +40% and surpassed its previous record, set in 2019, by +13%. It marked the highest grossing year ever for IMAX in all three prime box office geographies — North America, China, and Rest of World international markets — and a total of 35 countries and territories worldwide. IMAX expects to grow global box office again in 2026, as the Company has guided to a record $1.4 billion in receipts worldwide for the year.
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Infographic highlighting IMAX's 2025 Box Office results.
"2025 was truly a transformational year for IMAX in which we leveled up our performance across our business — capturing a greater share of total box office with a wider variety of releases across an expanding global footprint," said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. "We see no signs of slowing down given a very promising slate ahead and the consistency of our market share gains, as filmmakers, studios, and audiences worldwide continue to gravitate toward the IMAX Experience."
IMAX drove a record performance in virtually every key metric at the global box office in 2025, including:
- Best Domestic box office with $449 million, up +14% over the previous record set in 2023.
- Best Rest of World international box office with $427 million, up +12% over the previous record set in 2023.
- Best China box office with $407 million, up +5% over the previous record set in 2019.
- Biggest global market share ever with 3.8% of the global box office from just over 1,800 locations worldwide.*
- Best local language box office with $405 million worldwide, up +65% over the previous record set in 2023.
- Record box office in 35 countries and territories worldwide, including standout performances in Japan, Germany, India, Australia, and across Southeast Asia.
- The largest slate in IMAX history, with 122 new releases worldwide.
- The largest local language slate in IMAX history, with 67 international films released from 14 countries around the world.
As IMAX continues to grow its portfolio of local language films, the Company had two of its top five films for the year come from beyond Hollywood.
Top Five IMAX Films of 2025
- "Ne Zha 2" (Enlight) — $166.7 million
- "Avatar: Fire and Ash" (Disney/20th Century Studios) — $112 million
- "F1: The Movie" (Apple Films) — $97.6 million
- "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" (Toho) — $95.9 million
- "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" (Paramount) - $75.8 million
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" has earned $140 million in IMAX through January 4th and will continue to play across the global IMAX network through the month, ahead of a formidable slate anchored by at least 12 Filmed for IMAX releases worldwide — films shot with IMAX cameras and including IMAX-exclusive expanded aspect ratio — currently dated in 2026. Highlights of the 2026 slate include:
- Jon Favreau's "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu," a Filmed for IMAX release.
- Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," the first theatrical feature ever shot entirely with IMAX film cameras.
- Greta Gerwig's "Narnia," which will receive a groundbreaking IMAX-exclusive theatrical run next Thanksgiving ahead of its Christmas release on Netflix.
- Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part Three," which was also shot with IMAX film cameras.
- A strong lineup of films across genres and geographies, including the Chinese New Year slate, Japanese anime and live action releases, and highly anticipated Hollywood films including "Project: Hail Mary," "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," "Michael," and "Toy Story 5" among others.
All facts and figures are in U.S. dollars and include the China booking fee.
*Estimate based on 2025 box office projections by Gower Street Analytics and Box Office Mojo
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture, and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX systems to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, making IMAX's network among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.
IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, with additional offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Shanghai. As of September 30, 2025, there were 1,829 IMAX systems (1,759 commercial multiplexes, 10 commercial destinations, 60 institutional locations) operating in 89 countries and territories. Shares of IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "1970".
IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, Experience It In IMAX®, The IMAX Experience®, DMR®, Filmed For IMAX®, IMAX Live®, IMAX Enhanced® and IMAX VisionScienceTM are trademarks and trade names of the Company or its subsidiaries that are registered or otherwise protected under laws of various jurisdictions. For more information, visit www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Instagram (www.instagram.com/imax), Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/imax), X (www.twitter.com/imax), and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).
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