IMAX closed out 2025 with the strongest box office performance in its history, pulling in a record $1.28 billion globally. That’s a 40 percent jump over 2024 and even higher than the company’s pre-pandemic peak in 2019, a notable milestone at a time when the broader theatrical business is still finding its footing.

What stands out isn’t just the total, but where the money came from. IMAX’s top-grossing films of the year weren’t dominated by traditional Hollywood blockbusters alone. The biggest title on IMAX screens was Ne Zha 2, a Chinese animated epic that barely registered in North America but became a massive global hit. It was followed by Avatar: Fire and Ash, F1: The Movie from Apple, the anime phenomenon Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

That mix tells a bigger story about how IMAX is positioning itself. The company’s growth is increasingly tied to international audiences, anime fans, and filmmakers who deliberately shoot with IMAX cameras, not just tentpole franchises aimed at U.S. multiplexes. In fact, local-language films accounted for more than $400 million of IMAX’s box office in 2025, a record for the format.

Streaming also plays a role here. Apple’s F1, ultimately destined for Apple TV+, still made nearly $100 million on IMAX screens, showing that premium theatrical runs can coexist with streaming strategies, especially when the format itself becomes part of the appeal.

IMAX is betting that trend continues into 2026. The company is lining up a slate that includes Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Greta Gerwig’s Narnia, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, and Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, all projects that lean heavily on spectacle and, in some cases, IMAX-exclusive presentation.

At a moment when moviegoing habits are fractured and studios are still experimenting with release models, IMAX’s record year suggests one clear takeaway: audiences are still willing to leave the couch, but increasingly, it has to feel like an event.