Benzinga | Oct 25, 2021 08:04AM EDT

IMAX Reports $100M In Global Box Office For Oct. 2021, Breaking Previous 2013 Record

Academy Award-Nominated Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" Scores Biggest October Opening Weekend Ever for IMAX, with $17.8 Million Worldwide

NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX) set a new record for its best month of October ever with $100 million at the global box office -- surpassing the previous record of $84 million set in 2013 with one weekend left on the calendar.



The record fell thanks to the stellar domestic debut of Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Denis Villeneuve's "Dune," which captured $9 million in North American IMAX theaters -- good for an eye-popping 22.5% of the film's domestic total. The strong market share was IMAX's highest percentage of a $40 million-plus domestic release since 2017.

Filmed with IMAX cameras, Warner Bros./Legendary's "Dune" scored IMAX's biggest global October opening weekend ever -- earning $17.8 million globally across the IMAX network for the weekend, an unprecedented 20% of the film's weekend total.

"We knew that once the flood gates opened with Hollywood blockbusters a rush of pent-up audience demand for moviegoing would follow, and our record-breaking results this October prove it," said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. "With 'Dune,' Denis Villeneuve has beautifully demonstrated the power of IMAX technology, and we're grateful for the opportunity to support his vision and share this film with the many fans worldwide seeking out the IMAX Experience."

"Dune" debuted on 1,300 IMAX screens in 36 countries and territories. The Company captured strong market share across key markets, including 23% of the film's overall box office in China, 19% in the UK, 18% in South Korea, and 30% in its two weeks of play in Japan. Strong holds in international markets that previously debuted the film suggest "Dune" will continue to play well across the network. To date, "Dune" has earned $29.2 million worldwide for the Company.

IMAX notched the new record on the strength of the most consistent pipeline of blockbuster tentpoles in nearly two years. The strong slate continues through the duration of 2021 and 2022.The final weekend of October will see "No Time to Die" make its debut in China while "Dune" continues its march in the IMAX global network in North America and around the world. Highly anticipated tentpole releases for the stretch run of 2021 include Disney/Marvel Studios' "Eternals," Sony's "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," and Sony's "Spider-Man: No Way Home."