-

IMAX Soars to Top Five All-Time Global Opening with $43.6 Million Debut of James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash”

IMAX Global Network Delivers 12.6% of Worldwide Debut on Less Than 1% of Total Screens

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) soared to a $43.6 million global opening weekend with Disney/20th Century Studios’ “Avatar: Fire and Ash” — delivering the Company’s biggest opening weekend of 2025 and the fifth biggest debut in IMAX history.

Building on the record-breaking bond between James Cameron’s groundbreaking sci-fi saga and IMAX, fans turned out to experience the highly anticipated threequel in IMAX in outsized numbers; IMAX delivered 12.6% of the global debut of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” on less than 1% of total screens.

“As James Cameron continues to break new ground with Avatar, the indelible connection between IMAX and this one-of-a-kind franchise endures, with IMAX delivering an outsized share of the box office across virtually every market worldwide,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. “Avatar films have historically played with longevity like few other franchises and, with a coveted ‘A’ CinemaScore, we look forward to fans enjoying ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ in IMAX throughout the holiday season and beyond.”

Around the world, IMAX delivered exceedingly strong market share for “Avatar: Fire and Ash” in its first weekend:

  • In North America, IMAX grossed $13 million — good for 14.8% of the film’s domestic debut and the fourth-highest IMAX indexing ever for a domestic opening above $85 million.
  • Internationally, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” earned another $30.6 million — the third-highest IMAX international opening of all time.
  • Numerous countries notched their biggest IMAX opening weekends ever, including Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Belgium, France, Germany, Kazakhstan, Romania, Switzerland, and Turkey.
  • In China, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” earned $13.5 million in IMAX, which accounted for a strong 23% of the film’s overall debut in the market.

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" debuted with the widest IMAX global release of all time across 1,703 screens and is available exclusively in IMAX 3D in IMAX locations worldwide. The film will screen across the IMAX network through January in most global markets.

About IMAX Corporation

IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture, and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX systems to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, making IMAX's network among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, with additional offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Shanghai. As of September 30, 2025, there were 1,829 IMAX systems (1,759 commercial multiplexes, 10 commercial destinations, 60 institutional locations) operating in 89 countries and territories. Shares of IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code “1970”.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, Experience It In IMAX®, The IMAX Experience®, DMR®, Filmed For IMAX®, IMAX Live®, IMAX Enhanced® and IMAX VisionScienceTM are trademarks and trade names of the Company or its subsidiaries that are registered or otherwise protected under laws of various jurisdictions. For more information, visit www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Instagram (www.instagram.com/imax), Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/imax), X (www.twitter.com/imax), and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

Contacts

Investors
Jennifer Horsley
jhorsley@imax.com

Media
Mark Jafar
mjafar@imax.com

IMAX

NYSE:IMAX

Release Versions

Contacts

Investors
Jennifer Horsley
jhorsley@imax.com

Media
Mark Jafar
mjafar@imax.com

More News From IMAX

Meta VR Glasses to Be First-Ever IMAX Certified VR Device

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IMAX® Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) and Meta (NASDAQ: META) today announced an agreement to make the upcoming Meta VR Glasses the first-ever IMAX Enhanced® certified VR device and bring an updated IMAX app to the device. The IMAX app will bring the IMAX Experience to audiences in a brand-new way when the glasses debut in spring 2027. The collaboration is designed to bring audiences closer to the filmmaker’s vision through optimized picture and immersive sound, with select...

Godzilla Minus Zero Stomps to Biggest Global Opening for a Japanese Film in IMAX History with $21 Million

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) today announced a monstrous opening for Toho Co., Ltd.’s Godzilla Minus Zero with $21.3 million worldwide — the biggest IMAX global opening ever for a Japanese film. The first Japanese Filmed For IMAX release ever among the more than 80 Japanese films IMAX has presented, IMAX screens delivered a whopping 34% of the global opening of Godzilla Minus Zero on less than 1% of total screens. Godzilla Minus Zero opened exclusively in IMAX locati...

IMAX Corporation Reports Record Third Quarter 2026 Results

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) today reported the best quarterly financial results in company history for the third quarter of 2026, as the global entertainment platform surged to new heights with record global box office in the period. “What IMAX achieved goes beyond simply a ‘great quarter’ and transcends the many records we shattered in the period. What we believe we are witnessing is an awakening to the power and potential of our platform to impact global culture,...
Back to Newsroom