Tom Cruise 'calmed down' on IMAX MI7 bump 'he's rooting for everybody': Imax CEO Richard Gelfond

WAY FOR CHRISTOPHER NOLAN'S "OPPENHEIMER" CRUISE MAY BE SINGING A BIT OF A DIFFERENT TUNE JOINING ME IS THE GUY BEHIND THOSE MASSIVE FILM DECISIONS RICHARD, IT'S GOOD TO TALK TO YOU. >> NICE TO BE HERE >> HE'S SO FURIOUS THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT IT TO EVERYBODY THAT HE ONLY GETS ONE WEEK HAVE YOU TALKED TO TOM CRUISE ABOUT THIS >> I HAVE TALKED TO HIM PROBABLY

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, AND HE'S CALMED DOWN A LOT. IN FACT, TODAY HE WENT TO A THEATER IN LONDON, AND HE POSED IN FRONT OF AN "OPPENHEIMER" POSTER AND "BARBIE" POSTER HE WANTS WHAT'S GOOD FOR ALL THEATERS HE'S ROOTING FOR EVERYBODY. >> GIVE ME A SENSE OF WHY YOU MADE THE DECISION JUST TO HAVE TOM CRUISE FOR A WEEK WHEN OPPENHEIMER WAS GOING TO BE A LONGER

PARAMOUNT CHOSE A DAY THAT ONLY ALLOWED FOR IMAX TO PLAY FOR ONE WEEK SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST -- IT CERTAINLY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR FEELINGS TOWARDS TOM, AND WE THINK MI7 IS GOING TO BE HUGE. >> RI CCHARD, I'M JUST CURIOUS. I'M WATCHING THE PRICES OF THE MOVIES IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE I LIVE, AN IMAX TICKET GOES FOR 25 BUCKS. THE

PRAICE OF A REGULAR MOVIE TICKET ABOUT $18, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, CRUNCHING THE DOLLARS AND SAVING THEIR PENNIES WHEN IT COMES TO THE GROCERY STORE AND FAST CASUAL RESTAURANTS, ARE YOU SEEING AT ALL CONSUMERS PULLING BACK ON IMAX SPENDING BECAUSE IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IS COMING DOWN THE PIKE THIS SUMMER? >> NOT AT ALL, CONTESSA. AS A MATTER OF

FACT, OUR FIRST QUARTER WAS OUR BEST BOX OFFICE QUARTER EVER IMAX BOX OFFICE DOMESTICALLY, OUR MARKET SHARE HAS GONE UP 50% SINCE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, AND GLOBALLY AROUND 40%. WHAT I SEE HAPPENING IS A SHIFT TO PREMIUM, NOT ONLY IN MOVIE GOING BUT IN A LOT OF THINGS TAYLOR SWIFT'S CONCERTS. RECENT ONE IS ABOUT TO BECOME THE BIGGEST OF ALL TIME WITH TICKETS UP TO A

THOUSAND DOLLARS. SPORTS TICKETS ARE GOING MORE. I THINK WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE PANDEMIC IS PEOPLE WANT THE BEST EXPERIENCES, ASK TND THEY'RE WIG TO PAY FOR THEM. AND I THINK IMAX FITS IN THAT CATEGORY THE PRESALES ARE EXTREMELY STRONG FOR "OPPENHEIMER. YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN LOT TS OF SELLOUTS FOR THE OPENING WEEKEND. I THINK IF PEOPLE WANT A PRAEM Y PREMIUM EXPERIENCE, THAER WILLING TO PAY

FOR IT. >> DO YOU THINK THAT'S HERE TO STAY IS THIS STILL PART OF PENTUP DEMAND FOR SOMETHING AMAZING TO DO >> I DON'T KNOW. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS A POP AT THE BEGINNING, BUT IT APPEARS TO HAVE STAYING POWER, AND IMAX IS IN 90 COUNTRIES, SO IT'S NOT JUST A U.S. PHENOMENON. THIS TREND TO ARE PREMIUM SEEMS TO BE GLOBAL, AND I THINK

ESPECIALLY BECAUSE NOW WITH STREAMING, PEOPLE CAN SIT IN THEIR LIVING ROOMS AND WATCH MOVIES AND I THINK IF THEY GO OUT, THEY DON'T WANT A SMALL SCREEN OR KIND OF A MEDIOCRE EXPERIENCE. THEY WANT THE BEST ON THE PLANET, AND THAT'S IMAX. >> WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE PROGRESS OF THE WRITER STRIKE IN HOLLYWOOD, AND NOW THERE'S THE PROSPECT FOR AN ACTOR'S STRANGE. THE WRITER'S GUILD

HASN'T REACHED A DEAL HOW ARE YOU SEEING THIS PLAY OUT FOR IMAX >> WE'RE VERY MUCH A SPECTATOR TO THIS, AND WE REALLY HOPE THAT A SETTLEMENT IS REACHED BOTH WITH THE ACTORS AND THE WRITERS. I THINK AS LONG AS IT SETTLES, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT 2023, THE SLATE IS ALREADY LOCKED SO

IT'S NOT GOING TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON MOVIES THIS YEAR, AND AS LONG AS IT GETS SETTLED, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, I DON'T THINK IT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON 2024 IF IT RUNS ON MUCH LONGER, THEN I THINK YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHIC