NEW YORK, June 01 — IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) and Asian Cinemas, one of India’s leading cinema chains, today announced an agreement for three new state-of-the-art IMAX® with Laser locations in India through the AMB Cinemas brand. Two of the new locations will be in Hyderabad, the capital city of the southern Indian state of Telangana and a major hub of the Telugu-language film industry. The first location, at the AMB Classic in Hyderabad, will open before the end of 2026, with the two remaining locations planned for 2028.
“Hyderabad’s appetite and love for cinema is unparalleled, and bringing back the prestigious IMAX format to Hyderabad is a matter of great honour and pride for AMB Cinemas,” said Sunil Narang and Bharat Narang, Managing Directors of AMB Cinemas. “Our collaboration with IMAX brings us great joy and excitement. AMB Cinemas is a brand that stands for quality and cinematic excellence, collaborating with IMAX feels like the perfect step in our bid to continually provide our audiences with the best of the best. We’re looking forward to this blockbuster collaboration.”
“2025 was our best year ever at the box office in India – powered by a dynamic slate of Hollywood and Indian films — and our strong performance is driving demand among new and existing exhibition partners in the region,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. “India is home to a vibrant cinema culture of innovative filmmakers and passionate audiences, all of whom are clamoring for more of The IMAX Experience — and this agreement will help grow our presence in one of the country’s most vital markets.”
The deal marks the return of IMAX to Hyderabad, which has been without an IMAX location since the iconic Prasads IMAX location, one of the first IMAX locations in India and a landmark for the Company’s international expansion, closed in 2015. The return of IMAX to the city has been highly anticipated by local audiences and is expected ahead of the release of the Indian Filmed For IMAX title “Varanasi,” from acclaimed director S.S. Rajamouli. Rajamouli’s last two films, Academy Award®-winner “RRR” and “Baahubali: The Conclusion,” are the two highest grossing Indian films ever for IMAX.
IMAX has grown significantly in India, expanding its footprint by nearly 60% since 2020 to 34 open locations today, with at least four more expected to open this year. India has ranked among IMAX’s top ten markets for the past decade, and 2025 marked IMAX India’s best-ever box office year with a record $25.6 million, including nearly $8 million from international content. The market has also become a key driver of IMAX’s local-language strategy, with a record 11 Indian-language releases in 2025.
The market supports a dynamic mix of content, with two of IMAX’s top ten titles in India coming earlier this year – “Dhurundhar 2,” the highest grossing Indian title for IMAX in the country, and the Filmed For IMAX smash “Project Hail Mary,” which is the fifth-biggest title in the market. The momentum will continue with the upcoming 2026 Filmed For IMAX slate, which includes hits like Universal/Syncopy’s “The Odyssey” and Warner Bros./Legendary’s “Dune: Part Three” through the rest of the year.
The new Asian Cinemas IMAX locations will be equipped with IMAX with Laser, IMAX’s most advanced cinema experience. Developed from the ground up for maximum immersion, IMAX with Laser delivers crystal-clear 4K images, precision audio, and state-of-the-art projection technology, setting a new standard for moviegoing. The system features a groundbreaking optical engine, custom-designed lenses, and proprietary IMAX technology that delivers brighter images, deeper contrast, and the widest range of colors exclusively to IMAX screens.