The IMAX format has emerged as a real crowd-puller with each passing year. Earlier, Hollywood films were the only ones getting a release in IMAX. But in the last decade, Indian films, too, started having a release in the premium format, and it has gotten a great response. 2023 was a significant year for IMAX; as many as 44 films were released in IMAX in India in all languages. The total collection of these films was a whopping 21.30 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 176.51 crores) from the 27 screens.
Bollywood Hungama, in this special box office report, will list the top 10 films in IMAX in 2023 in India. The film in the number 1 position is Christopher Nolan’s much-loved flick, Oppenheimer. There was an insane craze and demand to catch this film in IMAX theatres. As a result, the film opened with a bang and continued to do healthy business until its final run. In IMAX theatres, it collected a huge 6.135 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 50.84 crores). In short, nearly 25-30% of the film’s business came from just 26 IMAX screens.
This was followed by Avatar: The Way Of Water. It was released in India on December 16, 2022, and was a blockbuster from day 1. The film did well even in 2023 when it collected 1.821 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 15.09 crores) in IMAX.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan was the top Indian film to score at IMAX last year. It collected 1.665 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 13.80 crores). SRK’s Pathaan was in fourth position, earning 1.549 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 12.83 crores).
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One, starring Tom Cruise, had a limited run in IMAX and yet, it earned 1.236 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 10.24 crores). Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal came next. It was not promoted as an ‘IMAX release’ and still, it collected 1 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 8.28 crores).
The last four positions were dominated by Hollywood releases. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 was the most acclaimed Marvel film of 2023. In IMAX, it collected 9.41 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 7.80 crores). The animated flick Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, collecting 8.08 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 6.69 crores), was in the eighth position.
On number 9 was Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania which earned 7.87 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 6.53 crores) in IMAX. And the number 10 slot was taken by Fast X. The Vin Diesel-starrer was the third biggest Hollywood hit of 2023, collecting Rs. 108.83 crores nett. In IMAX theatres, however, it collected just 6.95 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 5.76 crores).
Preetham Daniel, VP Sales, India and South East Asia, IMAX Corporation told Bollywood Hungama, “IMAX had its best box office year ever in India in 2023, setting a record for box office with an impressive INR 1.89 billion rupees. Indian content continued to perform extremely well, with releases like Jawan and Pathaan helping topple previous box office records set in 2022. Looking ahead to 2024, IMAX will continue to debut more awe-inspiring Hollywood blockbusters and local releases in India, including the hotly anticipated Hindi film Fighter, and the Tamil film Captain Miller later this month.”
The top films in IMAX in India and their gross box office collections are as follows:
1. Oppenheimer - 6,135,076 USD
2. Avatar: The Way Of Water - 1,821,234 USD
3. Jawan - 1,665,759 USD
4. Pathaan - 1,549,004 USD
5. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One - 1,236,424 USD
6. Animal - 1,000,198 USD
7. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 - 941,445 USD
8. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse - 808,039 USD
9. Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania - 787,965 USD
10. Fast X - 695,092 USD
