BRIEF: Imax China theaters log $28 million in ticket sales over Lunar New Year holiday

Imax China Holding Inc.’s (1970.HK) large-screen theater network generated $28 million in ticket sales in the first seven days of the 2025 Lunar New Year holiday in China, its parent, Canada-based Imax Corp. (IMAX.US) said on Tuesday.

Three of the holiday’s top five films were produced in Imax’s big-screen format this year, helping Imax China theaters to deliver 3.4% of the period’s total box office, Imax said. The strongest performer was thriller “Pegasus 3,” which earned $24 million in its first seven days on Imax screens. Imax China’s large-screen version of martial arts movie “Blade of the Guardians” earned $3.3 million, and a large-screen version of “Scare Out,” the thriller by acclaimed director Zhang Yimou, earned $500,000.

Imax added it continues to explore opportunities to release some of its big-screen Chinese movies in other global markets. It said “Pegasus 3” will receive an exclusive North American Imax release this week, and will also be released in Britain, Australia and New Zealand. “Blades of the Guardians” will be released in other Asia-Pacific markets including Australia, it added.

China’s overall box office fell 38% during this year’s Lunar New Year holiday period compared with last year, with total ticket sales dropping to 5.1 billion yuan ($715 million) in the first six days from 8.3 billion yuan a year earlier. Much of the drop owed to last year’s high figure on the strong performance by “Ne Zha 2,” which went on to break records for the world’s highest box office for an animated film.

Imax China’s stock fell 2.1% on Tuesday to close at HK$8.30. The shares are down 7% over the last 52 weeks.

By Doug Young

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