IMAX Wraps Up 2025 with $1.28 Billion at the Global Box Office, Enjoying a 40% Growth for Its Best Year Yet
Imax achieved a remarkable milestone in 2025, generating a record $1.28 billion in global box office revenue, marking its best year to date. The company’s film slate expanded significantly, with local language films notably performing well. Two of the top five highest-grossing films of the year were Ne Zha 2, which earned $167 million, and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which raked in $95.9 million, both originating outside Hollywood.
The other top films included Avatar: Fire and Ash with $112 million, F1: The Movie at $97.6 million, and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning which grossed $75.8 million. Overall, Imax’s global box office revenue grew by an impressive 40% year-over-year, surpassing its previous record of $1.14 billion set in 2019 by 13%.
The company saw record-breaking earnings across three major box office regions—North America, China, and international markets—as well as in 35 countries and territories worldwide. Imax anticipates continued growth in 2026, projecting total receipts to reach approximately $1.4 billion.
Reflecting on this success, CEO Rich Gelfond described 2025 as “truly a transformational year for Imax,” highlighting enhancements in performance that enabled the company to capture a larger share of the total box office with a diverse range of film releases globally.
"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,” Gelfond stated.
Key achievements for 2025 included the highest domestic box office revenue of $449 million—which was a 14% increase over the previous record set in 2023—the best international box office of $427 million, and record revenue of $407 million from China, a 5% increase over the previous high in 2019. Imax also claimed its largest global market share at 3.8%, spanning over 1,800 locations, and achieved record box office figures in 35 territories, showcasing strong performances in Japan, Germany, India, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
Looking ahead, the 2026 slate promises major releases, including Jon Favreau’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey—the first feature filmed entirely in IMAX—and Greta Gerwig’s Narnia, which will be released exclusively in Imax theatres before its Christmas launch on Netflix. Other anticipated titles include Project: Hail Mary, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Michael, and Toy Story 5, alongside a lineup of films for the Chinese New Year and a selection of Japanese anime.
