Imax Corporation and Asian Cinemas have struck a deal for three new Imax with Laser locations in India through the AMB Cinemas brand – with the first set to open at AMB Classic in Hyderabad, the luxury cinema co-owned by Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu, ahead of the release of “Varanasi,” the S.S. Rajamouli-directed film in which Babu stars.
The deal arrives amid recurring speculation about a potential sale of Imax. Giovanni Dolci, chief commercial officer of Imax, declines to address the reports directly but acknowledges the broader dynamic they reflect. “What you’re seeing is a function of Imax becoming more and more prominent, and quite honestly, a lot of cohorts paying way more attention to us than happened before,” he tells Variety. “International growth is certainly a driver of that attention and of that relevance.”
Two of the three new locations will be in Hyderabad – the capital of Telangana state and the hub of Telugu-language filmmaking. The AMB Classic venue is targeted to open before the end of 2026, with two further locations slated for 2028.
Hyderabad’s previous Imax presence ended in 2015 when the Prasads Imax location – among the first Imax venues in India and a landmark in the company’s international expansion – closed. Dolci says the the city’s absence was one Imax had long been eager to address. “Hyderabad is critical because it was one of the key cities where we didn’t have an offering,” he says. “We have a duty and a commitment to bring Imax to as many audiences as we can, and when I hear about people traveling hours to go to an Imax venue, part of me is happy because it’s underscoring the demand – but the other part of me is thinking, what the hell are we doing?”
