Imax has surpassed $600 million in global box office receipts so far in its third quarter, boosted heavily by Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," according to chief executive Rich Gelfond. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia media conference, Gelfond said the figure already dwarfs the company's previous best quarter of around $350 million, and he described the current momentum as "really the beginning" rather than a peak, pointing to a wider box office recovery and Imax's ability to draw revenue from ticket sales, screen installations and merchandise.

"The Odyssey" is close to breaking Imax's single-film record of $230 million, set by the original release of "Avatar," despite playing on just 1% of the world's screens. Gelfond also highlighted strong advance sales for Sony's "Resident Evil" and "Dune: Part Three," upcoming exclusive Imax windows for Netflix's next David Fincher film and Greta Gerwig's Narnia instalment, and a push into merchandising after popcorn buckets sold out within 90 minutes. Asked about consolidation among studios, including a possible Paramount-Warner Bros merger, Gelfond said Imax's relationships are with filmmakers rather than corporate owners, so such deals pose little risk to its business.