IMAX Is Transforming Before Our Very Eyes

Apparently Megan Fox wasn't the only reason movie buffs were keeping up with the Transformers franchise.

Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Transformers: Dark of the Moon didn't just set a 2011 box office record during its opening weekend. The Fox-less action flick also set an all-time global opening record for the larger-than-life IMAX (Nasdaq: IMAX) platform, too.

IMAX showings generated $23.1 million in global ticket sales over the holiday weekend, ringing up $14 million domestically through 146 screens and an additional $9.1 million on 105 international locations.

In a testament to IMAX's growing appeal overseas, the average international screen generated $87,000 in ticket sales compared with $88,500 domestically (without the Monday holiday factoring into the international sales metric).

It gets better. The film has yet to open in China or Japan, and China has grown to be IMAX's largest market outside of the United States. For those scoring at home, this is all good news for Hasbro (NYSE: HAS), the company behind the iconic transforming action figures.

Action blockbusters have proven to be the most potent of genres being digitally remastered for IMAX's super-sized experience. This past weekend's record may not stand for long, though. Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) final installment in the Harry Potter series -- a franchise that is very popular worldwide -- hits the IMAX at a multiplex near you next week.

Enjoy the IMAX record, Viacom. With IMAX continuing to tack on screens and a busy slate of releases rounding out the summer schedule, Viacom -- and even Time Warner -- are unlikely to keep the record for long.

Is an IMAX or 3-D screening worth the premium? Please share your perspective in the comment box below.