彭博介绍IMAX高端银幕模式及影院网络规模

Fans all over the world began flocking to movie theaters in mid-July to see The Odyssey, director Christopher Nolan’s retelling of Homer’s epic Greek poem. More than half of them have seen the picture in some kind of enhanced screen format. That includes auditoriums with higher-contrast laser projectors as well as Nolan’s preferred option, a projection of the 70 millimeter film format he used to shoot the film, which captures incredible detail for Imax Corp.’s giant screens.

Movie studios and theaters have been aggressively marketing high-end formats because they deliver an experience that can’t be duplicated at home, including screens that are 52 feet tall — roughly twice the size of standard options. Cinema chains can also charge more for them: as much as $33 a ticket in places such as New York or Los Angeles. That’s a boon for theater owners and the studios, which split the box office receipts.

Here’s a primer on the company that pioneered the big-screen experience.

What is Imax?

Imax, based in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga and led from offices in New York and Los Angeles, is at its heart a technology business that licenses its big-screen software, intellectual property, auditorium architecture and specialized equipment to nearly 1,900 venues worldwide.

The main piece of technology required to shoot an Imax film is a specialized camera that captures a much higher resolution than other formats. The size of each frame is larger, allowing for higher levels of clarity, color depth and sharpness. The devices are noisy and jittery, requiring special cranes and dollies to withstand vibrations. Because of the enhanced clarity, Imax cameras also require more intense lighting.

Nolan and his longtime cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema worked with Imax to develop a new camera that they named after Canadian film producer and executive David Keighley, a champion of the large-screen format who died last year.

What makes Imax screens special?

The company’s big-screen design extends the edge of viewer’s peripheral vision, creating a more realistic and more immersive experience. The resolution captured by Imax cameras becomes especially apparent when the image is projected onto larger screens.

How does Imax Corp. make money?

The company receives a percentage of a film’s worldwide box-office revenue from the studio that made it. That’s in exchange for remastering the film in the Imax format and distributing it to theaters operating its screens. The company also makes money from selling and maintaining the Imax systems in theaters. Imax’s adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization were $185 million in 2025 on record revenue of $410 million.

What’s needed for an Imax release?

The use of Imax cameras in the production of a film results in a guaranteed window of access to Imax screens. Film studios otherwise compete for dates on Imax’s calendar and often move their releases around to secure distribution on the network.

Where can I see an Imax movie?

Imax has 1,798 commercial locations worldwide. Adding in institutional venues such as museums and science centers, the network stood at 1,865 systems in 91 countries at the end of last year.

That’s a small footprint compared with the total number of cinema screens globally. This has led to intense competition among moviegoers for tickets to Imax screenings. Some fans in the US have even traveled out of their home states to catch pictures such as The Odyssey in the format.

Why has Imax become more important to the movie industry?

The theater industry has been slow to bounce back from the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic and faces growing competition from streaming services as some former moviegoers now opt to wait until a title becomes available at home instead of seeing it on opening weekend.

Imax has become a highly effective branding tool in marketing potential blockbusters, as the name signals an experience that can’t be replicated at home. The higher-priced tickets can also help juice a film’s box office numbers.

What’s the history of Imax releases?

The company was founded in the late 1960s by a team of Canadian filmmakers and engineers. The first film shot entirely in the Imax format was 1971’s North of Superior, an 18-minute travelogue of northern Ontario. (Tiger Child in 1970 was the first film publicly exhibited using the projection system.) North of Superior used aerial shots that would become hallmarks of Imax titles for years.

Over the past few decades, Imax Chief Executive Officer Rich Gelfond has expanded beyond the company’s roots in nature films, cultivating Hollywood auteurs such as Nolan by facilitating their use of the company’s technology. Dozens of films have been shot all or partially in Imax, including Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die.

Why doesn’t every blockbuster get an Imax release?

The gear necessary to make Imax films makes those productions more expensive than regular ones. Some studios and moviemakers also want to stay committed to their release dates and don’t have access to the Imax network at those times.

For example, Imax is contractually set to screen Dune: Part Tree starting Dec. 18. That makes its theaters unavailable for Avengers: Doomsday, which has the same release date. Avengers, made by Walt Disney Co.’s Marvel Studios, is scheduled to be rolled out on a nascent Imax competitor called Infinity Vision. Auditoriums that Disney certifies as part of the network must feature a screen width of at least 50 feet, laser projection, and the 7.1 surround-sound system from Dolby Laboratories Inc.