IMAX earnings: IMAX posts record India box-office earnings in 2023

Canada-headquartered IMAX Corporation achieved its highest box-office earnings in India in 2023, generating $23.1 million from both Hollywood and Indian films amid increase in admissions and ticket pricing, said a senior executive. Globally, IMAX achieved its second-highest earnings in a year in 2023, with $1.06 billion in box-office collections.

“2023 was our best year at the Indian box office, with collections up 68% compared to 2019,” Giovanni Dolci, global chief sales officer, IMAX Corporation, told ET.

He said the 2023 box-office collections should be compared with the 2019 numbers since 2020, 2021 and 2022 were abnormal years for the exhibition industry owing to the Covid-19 pandemic-related disruptions.

IMAX’s box-office collections for Indian titles amounted to $6.46 million out of a total of $23.1 million, he said, adding that the company helped Indian films collect $15.74 million in global box-office receipts.

In 2023, Oppenheimer, Avatar: The Way of Water, Jawan, Pathaan and Mission Impossible 7: Dear Reckoning Part 1 were the top five grossing films for IMAX in India, with collections of $6.1 million, $1.8 million, $1.6 million, $1.5 million and $1.2 million, respectively.

Oppenheimer and Avatar: The Way of Water became the highest-grossing films in India so far for IMAX. Among the Indian films, K.G.F. Chapter 2 continues to be the top grosser, with collections of $1.7 million, followed by Jawan ($1.6 million) and Pathaan ($1.5 million) respectively.