Receivables - Schedule of Financed Sale Receivables by Credit Quality Indicator (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Current fiscal year	$ 1,383	$ 12,520
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Before lastest fiscal year	12,258	8,251
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Two year before latest fiscal year	8,154	11,671
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Three year before latest fiscal year	11,483	13,696
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Four year before latest fiscal year	13,576	15,714
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Prior	67,941	56,219
Financed sales receivables, Total	143,351	147,261
Financing Receivable [Member]
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Financed sales receivables, Total	114,795	118,071
In Good Standing [Member]
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Current fiscal year	1,383	12,520
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Before lastest fiscal year	11,956	8,251
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Two year before latest fiscal year	8,011	10,593
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Three year before latest fiscal year	8,949	13,278
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Four year before latest fiscal year	12,187	12,615
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Prior	49,247	47,950
In Good Standing [Member] \| Financing Receivable [Member]
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Financed sales receivables, Total	91,733	105,207
Credit Watch [Member]
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Four year before latest fiscal year		321
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Prior	2,086	1,292
Credit Watch [Member] \| Financing Receivable [Member]
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Financed sales receivables, Total	2,086	1,613
Pre-Approved Transactions [Member]
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Two year before latest fiscal year		743
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Three year before latest fiscal year	1,213	418
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Four year before latest fiscal year	428	2,098
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Prior	6,830	3,650
Pre-Approved Transactions [Member] \| Financing Receivable [Member]
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Financed sales receivables, Total	8,471	6,909
Transactions Suspended [Member]
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Before lastest fiscal year	302
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Two year before latest fiscal year	143	335
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Three year before latest fiscal year	1,321
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Four year before latest fiscal year	961	680
Financed sales receivables, By Origination Year, Prior	9,778	3,327
Transactions Suspended [Member] \| Financing Receivable [Member]
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Financed sales receivables, Total	$ 12,505	$ 4,342

Amount of financing receivable originated more than five years prior to current fiscal year.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 79
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124267575&loc=SL82922352-210448

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919232-210447

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableOriginatedFiveOrMoreYearsBeforeLatestFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of financing receivable originated four years prior to current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableOriginatedFourYearsBeforeLatestFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of financing receivable originated in current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableOriginatedInCurrentFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of financing receivable originated in fiscal year prior to current fiscal year.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919232-210447

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 79
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124267575&loc=SL82922352-210448

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableOriginatedInFiscalYearBeforeLatestFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of financing receivable originated three years prior to current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableOriginatedThreeYearsBeforeLatestFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of financing receivable originated two years prior to current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableOriginatedTwoYearsBeforeLatestFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, before allowance for credit loss, of financing receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123577603&loc=SL6953401-111524

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 79
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124267575&loc=SL82922352-210448

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 14
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919253-210447

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255206&loc=SL82895884-210446

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919230-210447

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 80
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124267575&loc=SL82922355-210448

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-K (SK)
-Number 229
-Section 1405
-Paragraph (a)
-Subparagraph (1)

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-K (SK)
-Number 229
-Section 1405
-Paragraph (a)
-Subparagraph (2)

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-K (SK)
-Number 229
-Section 1404
-Paragraph (a)

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NotesReceivableGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=us-gaap_FinanceReceivablesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=imax_InGoodStandingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=imax_CreditWatchMemberMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=imax_PreApprovedTransactionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=imax_TransactionsSuspendedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: