The giant-screen exhibitor said it has made $1.035 billion in ticket receipts worldwide through Dec. 17, which surpasses the previous $1.032 billion box office record set in 2018. With two weeks remaining in the year and this week’s release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Imax expects to bump up its box office grosses for 2019.
"In an entertainment landscape where people enjoy more choice than ever, demand for The Imax Experience around the world has never been greater,” said Richard Gelfond, CEO of Imax, in a statement.
The new Imax box office record is attributed in part to a diverse mix of Hollywood and local-language movies in the exhibitor's release slate, which include the highest-grossing year ever for international, China and local-language films for the company.
Imax this year scored its best-ever opening weekend worldwide and highest-grossing release in China with Avengers: Endgame. The exhibitor also secured its top two highest-grossing local language releases in China with Wandering Earth and Ne Zha, respectively.
In Japan, Imax had its highest-grossing release with Bohemian Rhapsody and the highest-grossing local-language release for Weathering With You.
Imax's top titles for 2019 so far include Avengers: Endgame, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Disney's Aladdin remake, Spider-Man: Far From Home and The Lion King.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter by Etan Vlessing
