Moviegoers who want to see “Project Hail Mary” on an Imax screen only have a couple more days to do so until the premium format gets taken over by “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” But demand remains so high that the company says it will look for ways to bring Amazon MGM’s sci-fi hit back to theaters in the near future.
For blockbusters supported by the world’s premier premium format, Imax often accounts for somewhere between 20-25% of its global box office gross. Such is the case for “Project Hail Mary,” which grossed roughly $60 million of its $300 million two-weekend total from Imax screenings.
But starting Wednesday, “Super Mario Galaxy” will take over Imax screens worldwide for two weeks, save for Japan where the film opens April 24. After that, Warner Bros./New Line’s “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” is scheduled to be featured on Imax on April 17. While “Project Hail Mary” will of course still be in theaters, its spectacular shots of Ryan Gosling in deep space on Imax screens were a major part of its audience buzz.
Which is why Imax, recognizing this demand, said in its weekend box office press release that “Project Hail Mary” will “remain a recurring fixture in the coming weeks and months as exhibitors find opportunities to bring it back for audiences in search of the most immersive and theatrical experience.”
Unlike other premium formats, Imax books films for its screens months, sometimes years in advance. Between partnerships with top directors like “The Odyssey” director Christopher Nolan and “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve, support for tentpoles like “Toy Story 5” and dozens of international titles for specific countries, most of the calendar is already blocked out.
But some flexibility remains, and Imax has been known to bring some of the year’s biggest hits back during gaps in the release slate. Oscar winner “Sinners,” for example, returned to Imax last October in time for Halloween and again in Imax 70mm earlier this year after its record-setting 16 Oscar nominations. Imax will also sometimes split daily showtimes between new releases it is scheduled to support and in-demand holdovers, depending on demand.
Because of that, you won’t have to wait months to see “Project Hail Mary” — or see it again — in Imax if you live in certain cities. In Los Angeles, the AMC Burbank has Imax screenings of the film scheduled for midday and afternoon showtimes on the weekend of April 17, with “The Mummy” getting the nighttime showings in the format. So if you’re interested and can’t make it out to theaters before “Mario” arrives, check your local Imax showtimes that weekend to see if a theater near you is bringing the film back.
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