Doctor Strange Is First Movie to Play on Over One Thousand IMAX Screens

Doctor Strange made history this weekend, albeit in a pretty unusual way. According to Exhibitor Relations Co. (ERC), an entertainment industry research film, the new Marvel Studios film was the first movie to ever play on over 1,000 IMAX screens. ERC reported that Doctor Strange was shown on 1,001 IMAX screens, bringing in $24.2 million in box office revenue.

The accomplishment adds to an impressive opening weekend by Doctor Strange. The movie became the fourteenth consecutive Marvel Studios film to debut at #1 and earned over $85 million on its first weekend. Doctor Strange also reached $325 million in worldwide ticket sales.

ERC also reports that Doctor Strange has made a big splash in China, where it made a strong $44.3 million this weekend. That debut placed it third behind Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War on the list of best Marvel Studios debuts in China.

In addition, Doctor Strange's strong $325 million worldwide box office haul means that Disney has earned over $6 billion in theaters for the first time ever.

In Doctor Strange, Dr. Stephen Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) life changes after a car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he looks for healing, and hope, in a mysterious enclave. He quickly learns that the enclave is at the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying reality. Before long, Strange is forced to choose between his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence.

Doctor Strange is directed by Scott Derrickson, who wrote the screenplay with C. Robert Cargill from a story by Derrickson, Cargill, and Jon Spaihts. Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton.