On the same day that Avengers: Endgame opens wide in the US, Imax on Friday delivered word to Wall Street that the latest Marvel title — which, incidentally, was shot with Imax cameras — will help the large-screen theater company make good on an impressive prediction.
2019, the company estimated in tandem with delivering its latest quarterly earnings results, will go down as Imax’s best box office year ever, driven in part by the record-breaking audience demand for Endgame.
“With a robust lineup of tentpole films ahead, like the highly anticipated Avengers: Endgame, which opens this weekend, we anticipate delivering our strongest box office year ever in 2019,” Imax CEO Richard Gelfond said in a statement accompanying the results.
Among other Imax-related news we learned today, the company also plans to bring more next-gen laser projection systems into its global network of theaters, in addition to upgrading the seating in some of them. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Imax’s strong performance is also being driven by a closer relationship with Hollywood, with Gelfond noting that director John Favreau used Imax’s expanded aspect ratio for several important scenes in the upcoming live-action Lion King movie. “It’s going to look better and different in Imax,” Gelfond told the magazine.
Among other Imax results for the quarter, the company just delivered its second strongest box office quarter of all time in China — up 19%, to $106 million. Speaking of China, Avengers: Endgame generated more than $21 million at the box office for Imax there during the film’s first two days.
Domestically, Imax pre-sales for Endgame stood at $21 million leading into the weekend, up 70% compared to Avengers: Infinity War.
Looking at Imax’s 2020 release lineup, THR notes that director Patty Jenkins is using the exhibitor’s cameras to shoot her Wonder Woman 1984 sequel. Imax cameras are also being used for the next addition to the James Bond movie franchise, Bond 25, in addition to Christopher Nolan’s next movie coming in July 2020.
