Something isn’t clicking in Hollywood. Movie tickets are expensive. Movie budgets even more so. And the popcorn buckets? Fuhgeddaboutit! But all of that money changing hands has not added up to a particularly impressive year at the box office, as Variety reports that the domestic box office fell short of a projected $9 billion in 2025, calling this “a massive disappointment.” But there is one bright spot — rather, one bright gargantuan screen — looking back on the year in moviegoing. Imax reports grossing $1.28 billion at the global box office last year, setting a new record for the company.
Imax’s banner year was fueled by some major trends among its highest-grossing releases, including international animation (Ne Zha 2, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle) and classic major movie stars like Brad Pitt (F1), Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning), and Spider (Avatar: Fire & Ash). Imax CEO Rich Gelfond predicts an even bigger year for the film format in 2026, saying in a statement, “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.”
Click here to preview your posts with PRO themes ››
That very promising slate includes Dune: Part Three, Greta Gerwig’s Narnia, the Mandalorian and Grogu movie, and the already-selling-out adaptation of The Odyssey from Christopher Nolan, which will set another record as the first theatrical feature shot exclusively with Imax film cameras. Strap in, Imaxinistas. It’s gonna be an expensive year.
