New here? Start with this

Imax is a company known for its large-format cinema screens and cameras, offering a bigger, more immersive picture and sound than standard cinemas. It licenses its technology to cinema chains worldwide and also works with filmmakers to shoot movies specifically for its format, which studios and directors increasingly use as a selling point for major releases.

Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker known for large-scale films such as "Inception," "Interstellar" and "Oppenheimer," and has long championed Imax technology, often shooting his films partly or wholly with Imax cameras. His new film, "The Odyssey," is notable as the first movie shot entirely using Imax cameras, and its release has generated unusually high demand for Imax screenings specifically.

This matters because Imax's business depends heavily on major blockbuster releases drawing audiences to its premium screens, so a hit film shot in its own format is a strong validation of its technology and a significant driver of its revenue. The company's financial results offer a way of measuring how much this cinema-going enthusiasm is translating into actual profit, and its comments on future films give an indication of what it expects for the rest of the year.