IMAX is providing a rare bright spot for embattled movie studios and theaters, with the big screen format racking up huge box office numbers.
Recent hits like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and Dune: Part Two have all seen a large slice of their takings come from IMAX screens.
Providing something special that audiences can’t get at home has been the key to getting crowds back into theaters, and this premium format clearly has a strong allure.
“Audiences look at IMAX as something special. It immerses you, so you’re there,”
—Warner Bros Distribution Chief Jeff Goldstein
Hollywood is taking advantage of the trend, with a record 13 movies set to be shot next year on IMAX digital cameras.
IMAX’s net income is up 33 percent from a year ago, and the company is planning a massive expansion worldwide—not that the format’s time has well and truly come.
SANDRO MONETTI