IMAX Lights Up Chinese New Year with $28 Million at the China Box Office
Racing Blockbuster "Pegasus 3" Leads the Way with $24 Million Haul
SHANGHAI and NEW YORK, Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) capitalized on the Chinese New Year holiday, delivering $28 million in box office during the seven-day period that stands among the peak moviegoing periods in China. With three of the top five titles, the IMAX China network delivered 3.4% of the total box office on less than 1% of total screens.
Results were driven by Maoyan's "Pegasus 3," a high-octane racing thriller that earned $24 million in its first seven-days — the strongest IMAX performance for a Chinese film since last year's smash "Ne Zha 2." Already the highest grossing film of the "Pegasus" franchise in IMAX, "Pegasus 3" marks the fourth collaboration between IMAX and filmmaker Han Han.
"Our continued success with the Chinese New Year holiday underscores the diverse global breadth of our content portfolio — and our unique ability to create opportunity and generate results throughout the year," said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. "Around the world, IMAX continues to drive momentum and deliver strong market share as we approach historically the most lucrative period of the moviegoing year."
Rounding out the IMAX Chinese New Year slate are Super Lion's martial-arts actioner "Blade of the Guardians," which earned $3.3 million, and Damai's thriller "Scare Out," which notched $500,000 across the holiday period.
"Moviegoing remains a beloved part of Chinese culture and nowhere is that more apparent than the Chinese New Year holiday, where IMAX continues to drive strong market share and help lead the Chinese box office," said Daniel Manwaring, CEO of IMAX China. "Our fans in China continue to show a remarkable loyalty to our brand, and we believe the holiday will give us strong momentum at the box office with a strong slate of local and Hollywood releases ahead."
IMAX also continues to expand the global reach of local language titles to audiences across the world. "Pegasus 3" will receive an exclusive North American IMAX release beginning this week in select IMAX locations, alongside select UK, Australia and New Zealand locations later this week. Alongside that, "Blades of the Guardians" will play in select APAC markets, including majors like Australia.
About IMAX China
IMAX China is a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation and was incorporated as a limited liability company under the laws of Cayman Islands. IMAX China was established by IMAX Corporation specifically to oversee the expansion of IMAX's business throughout Greater China. Shares of IMAX China trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "1970."
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX (NYSE: IMAX) is a global leader in entertainment technology, delivering immersive cinematic experiences through proprietary software, architecture, and projection systems. Filmmakers, studios, and artists worldwide use IMAX to connect with audiences at scale, making its network one of the most powerful platforms for blockbuster events and entertainment.
Headquartered in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, IMAX operates 1,829 systems across 89 countries and territories as of September 30, 2025. IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, trades on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code "1970." IMAX and related marks are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. For more information, visit www.imax.com.
SOURCE IMAX
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