IMAX Corporation
Entertainment Technology and ExhibitionFounded 1967- Updated June 2026
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Last reviewed: June 2026
CorpDigest
IMAX Corporation
Company History
Founded 1967 in New York, NY
Last reviewed: 2026-06-10 · By Swet Parvadiya
1967, Montreal: Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor, Robert Kerr, and William Shaw developed the first IMAX system for Expo 67. The technology was built around a massive film format — 70mm film running horizontally through the camera rather than vertically — that captured an image area ten times larger than standard 35mm frames. The visual fidelity was unlike anything commercial cinema had produced.
The debut at Expo 70 in Osaka introduced the format to international audiences at scale. For the next two decades, IMAX existed primarily in science museums, planetariums, and themed entertainment venues. The film library was built around nature documentaries, space exploration footage, and educational content — not entertainment programming. The business model was institutional rather than commercial.
The 1994 first commercial theatrical release marked the company's entry into the entertainment distribution market. Disney animated titles processed through the IMAX system and exhibited in commercial multiplexes proved that mainstream audiences would pay a premium for the format. The 2002 Digital Media Remastering technology removed the requirement that films be shot on IMAX cameras — any film could now be certified for IMAX exhibition after post-production processing.
The Dark Knight sequences in 2008 — where Christopher Nolan shot specific scenes with IMAX cameras that expanded the aspect ratio from 2.39:1 to 1.43:1 during those sequences — demonstrated what native IMAX capture could accomplish aesthetically. Audiences noticed. Directors noticed. The format entered the conversation as an artistic choice rather than purely an exhibition technology.
Graeme Ferguson co-founded IMAX Corporation in 1967 in Montreal, Canada, alongside Roman Kroitor, Robert Kerr, and William Shaw. A brilliant filmmaker and innovator, Ferguson was deeply frustrated by the technical compromises and visible seams inherent in the multi-projector exhibition formats of the era. He played a pivotal role in the conceptual shift from the Multiscreen experiment to the single-image IMAX format, advocating for a completely new camera and projection system that could capture and display a massive, unified image of unprecedented clarity. Ferguson's artistic vision and relentless pursuit of visual perfection were instrumental in the development of the Rolling Loop technology, which allowed the 70mm film to run horizontally through the camera, creating an image area ten times larger than the standard 35mm format. His leadership and creative direction established the foundational DNA of the company, prioritizing immersive, large-scale visual experiences that would eventually revolutionize the global blockbuster economy.
William Shaw co-founded IMAX Corporation in 1967 in Montreal, Canada, serving as the chief engineer and technical mastermind behind the company's proprietary film transport systems. Recognizing that the existing 35mm and 65mm film formats were entirely inadequate for the massive screen sizes the team envisioned, Shaw embarked on a massive engineering challenge to develop a completely new camera and projection mechanism. His invention of the 'Rolling Loop' technology, which utilized a vacuum to pull the 70mm film into a precise, stationary position behind the lens, frame by frame, was a breakthrough that allowed for the use of 15 perforations per frame, running the film horizontally. This innovation created a level of resolution, brightness, and immersion that had never before been seen, and it remains the foundational technology of the IMAX format. Shaw's engineering brilliance and relentless problem-solving established the technical DNA of the company, ensuring that the IMAX brand would forever be synonymous with the highest possible standard of visual fidelity and technical excellence.
Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor, Robert Kerr, and William Shaw found the company in Montreal, Canada, initially as Multiscreen, before pivoting to the single-image IMAX format.
The first true IMAX film, Tiger Child, debuts at Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the revolutionary 15-perf 70mm format and establishing the standard for large-format documentary cinema.
IMAX releases its first commercial theatrical film, demonstrating the format's viability beyond the museum and documentary market and laying the groundwork for future Hollywood partnerships.
IMAX introduces the Digital Media Remastering (DMR) process, allowing standard 35mm Hollywood releases like Apollo 13 to be upscaled and exhibited in the IMAX format, fundamentally shifting the company's business model toward blockbuster cinema.
Christopher Nolan shoots over 28 minutes of The Dark Knight using native IMAX 70mm film cameras, marking the first time a major Hollywood blockbuster utilized the format for action sequences, driving massive box office premiums.
IMAX unveils its next-generation dual 4K laser projection system, delivering unprecedented brightness, contrast, and color gamut, while requiring a significantly smaller physical footprint for multiplex installations.
IMAX reports $1.137 billion in FY2024 revenue, capturing roughly 18% of the global box office gross for the top 50 releases, demonstrating the enduring resilience of the premium large-format model.
To establish a highly lucrative joint venture multiplex network in China, securing prime real estate in the most lucrative commercial developments and establishing the IMAX brand as the undisputed standard for premium exhibition in the region.
To acquire specialized technology and operational expertise in theater security and content protection, ensuring the integrity of the IMAX digital cinema pipeline and preventing piracy.
IMAX's first public presentation, the film Tiger Child, ran at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan, roughly three years after the company was formed in 1967. The first permanent IMAX theatre, the Cinesphere at Ontario Place in Toronto, opened in 1971 and still operates today.
By the late 1990s IMAX was weighed down by debt and a shrinking museum-and-science-center documentary market after three decades as a niche large-format supplier. Its survival hinged on inventing the Digital Media Remastering (DMR) process around 2002, which converted standard Hollywood films such as Apollo 13 for IMAX screens.
In 2008 IMAX introduced digital projection that fit inside standard multiplex auditoriums instead of purpose-built 70mm venues. That change, alongside Christopher Nolan filming about 28 minutes of The Dark Knight with IMAX cameras in 2008, helped expand the network to roughly 1,700 systems across about 80 countries.
In 2015 a short-seller report alleged IMAX's Chinese joint venture was overstating results, triggering a sharp share-price drop. IMAX defended its accounting to regulators, independent audits validated its reporting, and its Chinese network of 800-plus screens kept expanding.