Star Wars: The Force Awakens Crosses $100 Million Worldwide In IMAX® Theatres, Setting New Record Pace For IMAX

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) today announced that Star Wars: The Force Awakens, released by The Walt Disney Studios, soared to $106 million globally in just 12 days — without the benefit of China, where the film opens Jan. 9, following its Dec. 27 Chinese premiere in Shanghai at a specially built temporary IMAX theatre. Star Wars: The Force Awakens reached its box-office milestone in record pace for IMAX, supplanting previous record-holder, Jurassic World, which reached the same milestone 18 days after its release (with China). During its second weekend, Star Wars: The Force Awakens grossed $27.2 million at the worldwide box office, with $18.6 million from 391 domestic IMAX locations and $8.6 million from 282 international sites, beating even the largest opening weekend worldwide for a film without China (Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron, with $25.2 million).

Star Wars: The Force Awakens continues its record-smashing momentum in IMAX theatres after scoring the Company's largest-ever worldwide box-office opening with $48 million, including benchmark domestic ($30 million) and international ($18 million) debuts.

Domestically, Star Wars: The Force Awakens averaged a stunning $48,000 per screen in its second weekend and cumulatively reached $70 million in just 11 days, outpacing Avatar, which took 30 days to reach that same benchmark.

International IMAX results for Star Wars: The Force Awakens during its second weekend were boosted by key territories ranging from Sweden to Brazil to Japan. The film has reached $36.6 million in total overseas so far.

"After achieving its historic opening weekend at the global box office, Star Wars: The Force Awakens continues to thrill audiences and break records in IMAX theatres worldwide," said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. "We are extremely proud of our contribution to this monumental release, as well as the future Star Wars installments; and we look forward to the continued global success of The Force Awakens throughout the rest of the holiday season and beyond."

The IMAX^® 3D release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was shown in its digitally re-mastered format, which includes the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience^® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing.  As of September 30, 2015, there were 1,008 IMAX theatres (887 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 102 institutions) in 66 countries. On Oct. 8, 2015, shares of IMAX China, a subsidiary of IMAX Corp., began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "HK.1970."

IMAX^®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR^®, Experience It In IMAX^®, An IMAX 3D Experience^®, The IMAX Experience^® and IMAX nXos^® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

For additional information please contact:

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111107/MM01969LOGO

SOURCE IMAX Corporation

Related Links

http://www.imax.com