Spider-Man Broke The North American Opening Record With No IMAX Screen

Spider-Man: Brand New Day shattered North American box office records during its opening weekend, grossing an impressive $360 million across the U.S. and Canada. Notably, the movie achieved this remarkable feat despite not playing on a single IMAX screen in North America, which typically offer larger screens and advanced projection and sound systems.

IMAX theaters had already been allocated to Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, leaving no spare capacity for Spider-Man. ScreenX and 4DX formats, meanwhile, captured the attention of eager audiences, with both formats setting record results. When IMAX analyzed its performance, it realized the premium moviegoing experience was in high demand and decided to divide its digital network between Spider-Man and The Odyssey.

This strategic move allowed IMAX to capitalize on the strong interest, despite the limited availability of screens. As a result, audiences flocked to ScreenX and 4DX locations, with ScreenX earning $7 million in the U.S. and Canada alone, and 4DX generating $5.2 million across 77 theaters, an average of $68,000 per screen. This unprecedented success highlights the growing appetite for cutting-edge cinematic experiences and the constraints faced by theaters in accommodating such record-breaking demand.