‘Mufasa,’ ‘Gladiator 2’ Lift Imax Quarterly Earnings as Company Predicts Record 2025
Holiday blockbusters like “Mufasa:The Lion King” and “Gladiator II” helped lift profits and revenues at Imax during its fourth quarter. Revenues at the big screen company increased by 8% to $92.7 million, up from $86 million in the prior-year period. Net income at Imax more than doubled, topping out at $5 million compared to $2.5 million. Imax reported earnings per share of 27 cents, compared to 16 cents in the year-ago period.
It was a sign that Imax, which has become synonymous with the kind of special-effects heavy films that dominate multiplexes, is uniquely positioned to benefit from any box office revival — a change in fortunes that’s been a longtime coming for an exhibition business impacted by COVID and then a pair of Hollywood labor strikes. Even as it touted its year-end results, Imax was looking ahead to 2025, which will bring sequels to prominent franchises such as “Mission: Impossible,” “Jurassic World,” and “Avatar” that seem tailor-made for its premium screens. In 2025, Imax said it expects to deliver a record box office of more than $1.2 billion.
And one key market, China, seems to once again be a critical source of grosses. Imax said it was particularly pleased with the box office earnings from Chinese New Year phenomenon “Ne Zha 2,” which has earned more than $111 million to date in Imax, making it the company’s highest grossing release in China.
“IMAX’s record-breaking Chinese New Year demonstrates the unique advantages of our model – a richly diversified content portfolio featuring the biggest Hollywood and local language blockbusters, and a global network that allows us to capitalize on box office momentum anywhere in the world,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX in a statement.
Imax provides its patented technology to theaters around the world, which means new signings mean almost as much to its bottom line as ticket sales. In 2024, Imax installed 146 new systems worldwide. This year, Imax said it expects to have new system installations of 145 to 160.
More to come…
