The Odyssey drives IMAX sales toward record 2026 target
IMAX says The Odyssey opened with $52 million on its screens, helping support its forecast for a record $1.4 billion year.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is lifting IMAX sales and easing investor concerns about whether the company can hit its 2026 box office goal, CNBC reported. IMAX said Thursday it remains on track for a record $1.4 billion in global box office this year, and its shares rose more than 8% after the update.
The Universal Pictures release generated $52 million at IMAX locations during its opening weekend, according to CNBC. IMAX screens made up less than 1% of total theaters showing the film but accounted for 20% of its worldwide debut.
How much did The Odyssey make for IMAX?
IMAX said The Odyssey delivered an opening weekend 47% higher than Nolan’s previous film, Oppenheimer. That 2023 biopic went on to bring in more than $190 million through IMAX during its theatrical run, CNBC reported.
Rich Gelfond, IMAX’s chief executive, told investors on Thursday’s earnings call that the Nolan film kept drawing strong business after the weekend. He said it added $11 million on Monday and $10.6 million on Tuesday, which he described as the company’s best Tuesday performance on record.
Gelfond also said advance sales for the film’s second weekend would rank as one of IMAX’s largest opening weekends by themselves. He told investors that the figures show the company is “just getting warmed up.”
IMAX is an entertainment technology company that operates premium large-format theater systems through exhibition partners. Its box office results depend on both the number of films available for its screens and demand from moviegoers for premium presentations.
Why investors were watching IMAX’s 2026 target
CNBC reported that Wall Street had questioned IMAX’s $1.4 billion target after Netflix and Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew moved from a November release date to February 2027. The strong start for The Odyssey helped reduce those concerns.
The company also pointed to a coming slate of major releases scheduled for IMAX screens this year. CNBC listed 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, and Paramount’s Street Fighter.
Warner Bros. and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three are also expected to close out the year on IMAX screens, according to CNBC. The first Dune made $61 million in IMAX theaters during the late pandemic period, while Dune: Part Two brought in $147 million globally.
IMAX is adding more screens
Gelfond told investors that IMAX’s box office momentum is turning into more demand from theater operators. Natasha Fernandes, the company’s chief financial officer, said IMAX installed 38 systems worldwide in the second quarter, up from 36 in the same period a year earlier.
Fernandes said that was the company’s highest second-quarter installation total in a decade. IMAX installed 19 systems in the first quarter and is on pace for 160 to 175 installations by the end of 2026, according to CNBC.
The company has a backlog of 421 contracts to build screens, CNBC reported. Gelfond said IMAX still sees room for global expansion and is working to make its format more useful to creators, studios, theater owners and audiences.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.