'The Odyssey' powers record quarters for Imax and AMC

Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" helped two of the biggest names in moviegoing post record quarters. Imax and AMC earnings for the three months ended Sept. 30 showed record revenue at both companies, driven by a summer that Variety called the best for theaters since the pandemic. Imax reported its best quarterly results ever and $712 million in global box office, while AMC Theatres reported all-time record quarterly revenue of $1.71 billion and swung to a profit.

What Imax and AMC earnings showed

Imax had the more dramatic quarter. According to the company's results release, revenue rose 64% to $175 million, net income reached $117 million and adjusted EBITDA hit $121 million. The Hollywood Reporter put revenue at $174.6 million, up from $106.7 million a year earlier, and net income at $117.1 million, up from $22.6 million. Adjusted earnings per share were $2.21, compared with 47 cents a year earlier.

Global box office on Imax screens was $712 million, up from $368 million in the same quarter of 2025, a 94% increase. Imax said that amounted to 6.7% of the industry's third-quarter global box office, on less than 1% of the world's screens.

AMC's numbers were larger in dollars. The company's income statement shows total revenue of $1,711.1 million, up from $1,300.2 million a year earlier, a 31.6% increase that Variety said beat the previous record of $1.60 billion set in the second quarter of 2026. AMC reported net earnings of $109.3 million, compared with a net loss of $298.2 million a year earlier. Admissions revenue was $953.5 million, up from $715.1 million, and food and beverage revenue was $589.4 million, up from $451.8 million. The Hollywood Reporter reported adjusted EBITDA of $347.5 million, compared with $122.5 million, and U.S. attendance of 52 million.

What role did "The Odyssey" play?

It was the single biggest driver for Imax. The company said "The Odyssey" became the highest-grossing Imax release of all time, with more than $550 million in worldwide box office on its screens and more than 30% of the film's global total. Variety reported the film's total haul at $1.8 billion and said the previous Imax record-holder was 2009's "Avatar," at $271 million, not adjusted for inflation.

Variety attributed part of the film's Imax performance to the fact that it was the first feature shot entirely with Imax film cameras. The Hollywood Reporter noted that a 70mm run of the film was a major draw.

AMC credited a broader mix. Variety reported that CEO Adam Aron pointed to the rising popularity of premium large formats, the A-List subscription service and a resurgent box office, with "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and "The Odyssey" both on its screens. Variety said "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" reached $2.5 billion, making it the third-highest-grossing movie in history.

Premium screens and pricing power

The common thread is that audiences are paying more for a bigger experience. Imax's model shows how much of that flows to the bottom line: its quarterly net income was roughly two-thirds of revenue. "These results demonstrate the significant operating leverage and opportunity as we further expand the network and grow Imax box office," CFO Natasha Fernandes told analysts, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Imax is betting on scarcity. CEO Rich Gelfond said in a statement that "this 'Imax awakening' sits inside a bigger culture shift of people around the world — particularly young people — seeking connection, community, and shared experiences that feel bigger than any one person's screen," Variety reported. The company has signed agreements for more than 100 systems so far this year, 65% of them for new locations, according to Imax and Variety. The Hollywood Reporter put the figure at 105.

For AMC, premium screens are part of a turnaround. The Hollywood Reporter reported that AMC offers formats including Imax, Dolby Cinema and laser projection, and that it recently pushed around $4 billion in debt maturities to 2031 and 2033. "Today, we can finally say that AMC has recovered," Aron said in a statement quoted by Variety.

For people building businesses, the lesson is about pricing power. Both companies are making more money not only from more visitors but from customers choosing premium versions of the same product, and from spending more at the concession stand once they arrive.

What to watch

The holiday slate is the next test. Imax said it expects to exceed its earlier full-year guidance of $1.4 billion in global box office, and The Hollywood Reporter reported $30 million in Imax pre-sales for "Dune: Part Three," its second-highest ever. AMC's lineup includes "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping," "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Dune: Part Three." Aron said in his statement that the remaining film slate should "propel both the domestic and global box office to their highest full-year levels in seven years."

Sources

• IMAX Corporation Reports Record Third Quarter 2026 Results, IMAX
• AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. Income Statement, AMC Entertainment
• Imax Posts Record Revenue, Profit Growth With 'The Odyssey' in Third Quarter, The Hollywood Reporter
• AMC Theatres Rides Box Office Rebound to Record Revenue in Third Quarter, The Hollywood Reporter
• 'The Odyssey' Propels Imax to Best Quarterly Revenue, Variety
• AMC Theatres Sets All-Time Record for Quarterly Revenue, Variety