Key Points
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Audiences love IMAX's immersive movie experiences.
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Rising theater system installations should fuel the cinema tech leader's earnings growth.
- 10 stocks we like better than IMAX ›
Shares of IMAX (NYSE: IMAX) rose to record highs on Monday, driven by the dazzling success of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.
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Blockbuster results
The Odyssey is already the highest-grossing IMAX release of all time, outpacing James Cameron's Avatar. The mythic action epic is the first full-length movie shot entirely with IMAX Film Cameras.
"We had the very highest of hopes for The Odyssey from the start, but it somehow continues to exceed them, and its historic performance is headlining what we expect will be our best year ever at the global box office," CEO Rich Gelfond said earlier this month.
Rosenblatt Securities analyst Steve Frankel thinks IMAX's results will top Wall Street's estimates in the second half of 2026, driven by the strong ongoing performance of The Odyssey and the upcoming release of Dune: Part Three.
Additionally, Frankel views the success of The Odyssey as a blueprint that other entertainment companies can use to create more box office blockbusters.
Frankel, in turn, has a buy rating on IMAX's stock. He sees its shares rising another 10% to $60.
Theater owners want more of IMAX's movie magic
IMAX has already delivered impressive results for the first half of 2026. The company's revenue jumped 12% year over year to $103 million in the second quarter, driving its adjusted earnings 65% higher to $0.43 per share.
IMAX installed 38 of its premium theater systems -- its fasted second-quarter pace in a decade -- as cinemas rushed to deploy its popular movie technology. That trend is likely to continue in the quarters and years ahead.
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Joe Tenebruso has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.