IMAX cinemas are on the rise as movie enthusiasts give a big thumbs up to spending more on premium viewings of new films.
With a plethora of movies coming to IMAX screens, the market for high-quality and immersive experiences is gradually increasing.
Following COVID-19, standard cinemas have and continue to struggle to recover.
Intel Market Research projects a 10.6 per cent increase of Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in IMAX demand by 2031.
University of Wollongong screen media student, Aidan Groves attributes the success of IMAX to expanding technologies.
“People want to see these movies in the best format that’s available to them,” Mr Groves said.
“[IMAX] started off with film and now they’re onto laser technology,
“Popular directors like Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve are using IMAX cameras to film their movies because it is the best format.”
Dune: Part Two (2024) is one of the most highly acclaimed films to hit IMAX screens, bringing in an unusually high proportion of viewers for the year of its release.
Films like Dune have set worldwide precedence for the movie community.
Whilst normal blockbuster films shown in IMAX typically achieve 10-15 per cent of viewers, Dune: Part Two achieved over 20 percent, the biggest gross post–COVID.
With IMAX screens making up less that one percent of cinema screens worldwide, Dune: Part Two generated one-fifth of revenue, showing a rise in demand for premium viewing.
Global Chief Commercial Officer for IMAX, Giovanni Dolci told Film Ink that the growth of IMAX in Australia continues to break projected expectations.
“IMAX continues to outperform the broader box office recovery because audiences are seeking premium, event-driven cinema experiences,” Dolci said.
“Australia exemplifies that trend, and we expect this market to play an even bigger role in our global growth story in 2026 and beyond,
“The scale of audience demand we saw in 2025 validates our long-term growth strategy and gives us real confidence as we continue expanding our footprint in 2026.”
IMAX has major films releasing this year including “The Odyssey” from Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Three”.
As IMAX ratings continue to soar, the film community is hoping that traditional cinemas continue to recover as well.
