Rich Gelfond, beaming, was the guest at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference [via Deadline]: the CEO of IMAX announced an exceptional final quarter, due primarily to a bet he believed in more than anyone else, namely Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey, one of the season’s marquee cinematic figures, alongside Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But where will IMAX go in the coming months? It will rise even more, as Gelfond guarantees, thanks to highly anticipated films that are already posting solid advance sales.
IMAX’s triumphant 2026 run starts with Odyssey and heads toward Dune Part Three
The best quarter for theaters adopting the giant IMAX format, Rich Gelfond guarantees, had never exceeded about $350 million. Well, the quarter the company will close at the end of September is looking at a take of a full $600 million! “In my view it’s only the beginning.” When we looked at the annual slate, I was the one who believed most in Odyssey. Keep in mind that we are talking about 1% of the world’s theatres… and today we are knocking at the door of half a billion [for that film]. “How many films ever reach half a billion, without even mentioning IMAX?” Gelfond also spoke about upcoming merchandising campaigns to fuel a growing trend that values the cinematic experience, and when talking about Dune Part Three he was radiant: “If we stopped today, three months before release, its pre-sales would already be the highest in our sixty-year history.” Gelfond added that the new business model, which foresees joint ventures instead of licensing their technology, is yielding a lot, but for the future he aims even more at the brand, rather than the films to be shown in the format (while noting that the close collaboration with filmmakers like Nolan remains pivotal): “People will have to start saying: what do they do at IMAX today? We’re not quite there yet, but I think we’re heading there with favorable winds.” Rich doesn’t place particular faith in specific genres; indeed he thinks, for example, that the superhero film genre isn’t the same driver for IMAX as it once was, but the prospects could not be brighter: regarding the hot acquisition of Warner Bros. by Paramount Skydance, Gelfond has no problem, because the established relationship with Paramount for Mission: Impossible and Top Gun: Maverick will ensure IMAX experiences even from the new behemoth.
Recall that the IMAX-certified theatres in Italy are UCI Cinemas Orio al Serio, UCI Cinemas Pioltello, Notorious Cinema Sesto San Giovanni, UCI Cinemas Verona, UCI Luxe Fiumara Genova, UCI Luxe Campi Bisenzio, UCI Cinemas Porta di Roma, Happy Maxicinema Afragola.
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