So, which is the world's biggest IMAX theater? Depends who you ask
Interest in the world's largest IMAX screens has spiked following Christopher Nolan's latest film, but film fans disagree on which theater counts as a 'true' IMAX. Germany holds the overall size record, while Australia has the biggest classic 70mm screen.
Following the success of Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," moviegoers have renewed their fascination with the world's most impressive theater screens, and early ticket demand for "Dune: Part 3" IMAX showings is already running high. But pinning down which screen truly deserves the title of "biggest" turns out to be more complicated than it sounds, and cinephiles remain divided.
The largest screen by surface area
On paper, the world's biggest movie screen belongs to the Traumpalast Leonberg cinema in southwestern Germany's Baden-Württemberg region. The screen measures 127 feet wide and 69 feet tall, covering roughly 8,770 square feet — wider than a Boeing 737 is long. Guinness World Records recognized it as the world's largest theater screen in 2023.
However, that screen runs on IMAX's digital projection system rather than the traditional 70mm film format that purists consider the gold standard, sometimes dismissing digital screens as less authentic. Digital IMAX screens use a 1.90:1 aspect ratio, while true 70mm film IMAX screens use a taller, narrower 1.43:1 ratio that delivers a sharper, more vivid image.
The biggest 70mm film screen
For fans seeking the largest screen using genuine 70mm film, the title goes to Melbourne, Australia, home to what's considered the biggest 1.43:1 IMAX screen in the Southern Hemisphere, measuring roughly 105 feet wide and 75 feet tall. Many devoted filmgoers reportedly travel specifically to see movies on this screen.
In the United States, the largest IMAX screen is at the AMC theater in Lincoln Square, New York City, at about 101 feet wide and 75.6 feet tall. San Francisco's AMC Metreon 16 is considered a close rival. Meanwhile, the tallest American screen, at 76.2 feet, belongs to Royal Cinemas' IMAX theater in Pooler, Georgia — though since it uses laser projection rather than 70mm film, debate continues over whether it qualifies as a truly authentic IMAX experience.
