Is IMAX a Screaming Buy? With Rich Gelfond

August 10, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In early 2025, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond’s internal film team predicted the company’s big release of the year, The Odyssey, would do $190 million in total box office. Gelfond told them to plan for over $300 million. By the time of this conversation, the film had already done $340 million in pre-sales alone, with a run stretching into September. That miscalculation—on the low side—captures how the company’s position in Hollywood has shifted faster than even its own management expected.

The Curator in the Middle of the Ecosystem

Gelfond describes IMAX not as a screen company but as a “curator in the middle of the global content ecosystem.” The key mechanism is timing and exclusivity. IMAX now signs on to films two to three years before release, often before the studio has secured a distributor. When filmmaker Denis Villeneuve wanted to shoot Dune: Part Two with IMAX cameras, the deal was set early. When Avengers: Doomsday had production delays and moved to a slot already held by The Odyssey, IMAX honored its earlier commitment. “Loyalty is a big deal for us,” Gelfond says, explaining that the company turned down Disney’s request to switch dates.

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What you'll learn

1 Is IMAX a Screaming Buy? With Rich Gelfond
2 (01:22) **Introduction of Rich Gelfond** - CEO of IMAX Corporation since 2009, former investment banker and M&A attorney
3 (03:03) **IMAX as Ecosystem Curator** - How IMAX became integral to blockbuster filmmaking and release strategy
4 (05:00) **The Oppenheimer Decision** - Why IMAX chose a black-and-white biopic over Mission Impossible
5 (06:55) **Avengers vs. Dune: The Current Conflict** - Disney's Infinity Vision as a response to IMAX loyalty
6 (09:28) **Addressing Wall Street's Skepticism** - How IMAX creates visibility and diversifies revenue
7 (13:45) **New Revenue Levers** - Merchandising and popcorn buckets as untapped opportunities

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

IMAX is about 4% of the world's screens and routinely delivers 20% or more of opening weekend on the films that matter most. Rich Gelfond has been running the company since 1994. On this episode of Live From The Compound, Josh Brown and Michael Batnick are joined by Rich to discuss: how IMAX became the format studios build their biggest movies around, the Christopher Nolan relationship and the Odyssey rollout, why there aren't more IMAX screens if demand is this strong, and where the next dollar of profit comes from.

This episode is sponsored by Betterment Advisor Solutions. Learn more at https://betterment.com/advisors

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