Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Triumphs as Highest Grossing IMAX Release of All Time with $289 Million and Counting

IMAX (NYSE: IMAX) reported that Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has become the highest-grossing IMAX release of all time, generating $289 million in less than a month.

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Mythic Action Epic Delivers $37 Million Worldwide in IMAX in its Fourth Frame,
Lifting IMAX to its Fourth Consecutive $50 Million-Plus Weekend

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The record-breaking run of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in IMAX (NYSE: IMAX) reached yet another new milestone this weekend, taking the crown as the highest grossing IMAX release of all time with $289 million in less than a month of play. The mythic action epic earned another $37 million worldwide on IMAX screens, which account for more than 26% of the film’s overall global box office across its run to date.

The strong performance lifted IMAX to an astounding fourth consecutive weekend of $50 million-plus at the global box office with $52 million worldwide; prior to the release of The Odyssey, IMAX had never delivered even two $50 million weekends in a row.

“On behalf of IMAX, I want to extend our congratulations and deepest gratitude to Chris, Emma, the entire team behind The Odyssey and our friends at Universal on this monumental achievement — shattering our longstanding box office record with at least a month left to run on IMAX screens worldwide,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. “We had the very highest of hopes for The Odyssey from the start, but it somehow continues to exceed them, and its historic performance is headlining what we expect will be our best year ever at the global box office.”

In North America, The Odyssey generated $9 million, lifting its Domestic total to $147 million in IMAX – the highest grossing Domestic release of all time. Internationally, the film earned $28.5 million including its debut in South Korea, where it achieved the highest grossing IMAX opening weekend ever in the market.

IMAX 70mm Film locations, the gold-standard 18K presentation available at just 41 IMAX auditoriums worldwide, have grossed an astounding $37.5 million to date, led by the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, which has grossed $2.8 million to date – the highest grossing single-title box office for any IMAX location in North America.

With nearly $40 million in pre-sales for future showtimes and sellouts for weeks in advance, The Odyssey will continue to play in the IMAX global network through at least September 17. The film is also still set to debut in China next weekend and Japan in September, continuing an unprecedented global run.

The mythic action epic — for which IMAX developed a next-generation film camera and state-of-the-art technology enabling sync sound — is the first theatrical release shot entirely with IMAX Film Cameras. Christopher Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema collaborated with IMAX to develop The Keighley, a next-generation IMAX Film Camera, along with a new sound blimp compatible with multiple IMAX Film Cameras, which together shot a total of 2.1 million feet of IMAX film in the making of The Odyssey.

IMAX’s strong weekend results were further bolstered by Spider-Man: Brand New Day which debuted on IMAX screens in North America to $9.8 million and earned an additional $3.8 million in China and Japan. The film has now earned over $42 million to date in IMAX.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX (NYSE: IMAX) is a global leader in entertainment technology, delivering immersive cinematic experiences through proprietary software, architecture, and projection systems. Filmmakers, studios, and artists worldwide use IMAX to connect with audiences at scale, making its network one of the most powerful platforms for blockbuster events and entertainment.

Headquartered in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, IMAX operates 1,876 systems across 91 countries and territories as of June 30, 2026. IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, trades on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code “1970.” IMAX and related marks are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. For more information, visit www.imax.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260810285646/en/

For additional information please contact:

Investors:
Jennifer Horsley
jhorsley@imax.com

Media:
comms@imax.com

Source: IMAX

Key Terms

70mm film technical

A 70mm film is a wide, high-resolution motion-picture film format that uses 70 millimeter-wide physical film stock to capture and project images with greater detail, brightness, and aspect ratio than standard 35mm film. For investors, it matters because films shot or exhibited in 70mm often position themselves as premium, event-style releases that can command higher ticket prices, drive specialty theater attendance, and involve different production and distribution costs compared with standard formats.

sound blimp technical

A sound blimp is a padded housing or enclosure that surrounds a microphone to block wind, handling noise, and vibrations during outdoor or mobile recording; think of it like a protective muff that keeps unwanted rumbles away from the mic. For investors, it matters because it’s a common accessory in audio and broadcast equipment lines, affecting product quality, customer demand, and the perceived value of audio hardware and services.