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Richard Gelfond

Chief Executive Officer, Imax

Search every verified Richard Gelfond interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Richard Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, discussed the company's recent performance and strategy in two interviews. He noted that IMAX is on track to set a new revenue record in 2026, projecting over $1.4 billion, following a record year in 2025. He attributed this growth to a broader trend of audiences seeking premium experiences, such as live events and concerts, and stated that IMAX has gained market share even during and after the pandemic. Gelfond also described the company's business model as "asset light," where exhibitors build and pay for equipment in exchange for royalties, and IMAX receives additional royalties from studios. Gelfond addressed the success of *The Odyssey*, which he said was the first movie shot entirely in IMAX cameras and was on track to become the highest-grossing film in the format. He said he had always planned for such a day. He also discussed the possibility of filmmaker Christopher Nolan using IMAX cameras for an upcoming Bond film, saying he did not know yet. Regarding the potential Warner Bros.–Paramount merger, Gelfond expressed uncertainty about its impact, noting that predictions about the future are often wrong, but he hoped any settlement would prevent a "catastrophic event" for Hollywood and the Southern California economy. He also mentioned that IMAX was "openly for sale" or entertaining options, per the podcast description.

Recent appearances

Verified interview transcripts

Notable quotes

“I think what's been going on is the entry of the tech platforms. So, primarily Netflix, Amazon buys MGM, Apple, and I think the studios kind of got defensive about it. And that's one reason they started streaming services. And their streaming services haven't gone as well as Amazon or Netflix or even Apple. So I think they're kind of looking at where do they go next and I think they felt getting larger by acquiring e”

“We're an asset light model which means that the exhibitors are our partners and they build the building and they pay for our equipment. And the payment varies. In some cases there's an upfront payment and we get a small royalty and in other cases we give them the equipment but we get a larger royalty. We also get a royalty from the studio when the film comes out. So, you know, if you cut through it, it took a long ti”

“IS SET A RECORD FOR OPENING WEEKEND AT $52 MILLION AND MONDAY IS TRADITIONALLY 10% OF THE WEEKEND, THE FORMULA YOU USE. THIS MONDAY WAS DOUBLE THAT, 20% OF THE WEEKEND AND WE DID $12 MILLION GLOBALLY MONDAY.”

“The only thing holding us back, Mike, is more theaters. So obviously in growth markets like Vietnam and Indonesia and places like that, we have much less penetration in India. So you know, you have lots of screens, big populations, and not as high a percentage of IMAX theaters. So obviously we'll target those, which ties to an earlier question, and try and build up the theaters. But there's nothing endemic about thos”

“In Q3, domestic box office declined 11% year-over-year. IMAX was up 29% in North America. And globally, IMAX was up 50%. In prior years, when IMAX posted big results, you could usually point to a single defining title, Avatar, Top Gun, Oppenheimer. But now our performance is increasingly driven by the full breadth of our content strategy. In the third quarter, we had a big film for IMAX Hollywood hit in F1 for which ”

“IMAX will probably have the best year in our history in 2025. Just last week, the New York Times ran a splashy piece calling IMAX a ray of light for the movie industry, noting that our relationships with filmmakers position us better than even the biggest studios in Hollywood.”

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