Condensed Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Capital Stock [Member]	Other Equity [Member]	Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]	Non-controlling Interests [Member]
Balance, beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2017		$ 440,664	$ 175,300	$ (87,592)	$ (626)
Movement of Shareholders' Equity
Change in shares held in treasury		1,535
Employee stock options exercised		218
Fair value of stock options exercised at the grant date		70	(70)
Common shares repurchased and retired		(14,794)		(31,659)
Paid-in-capital for employee stock options granted			4,393
Paid-in-capital for restricted share units granted			12,753
Paid-in-capital for restricted share units vested			(9,042)
Cash received from the issuance of common shares in excess of par value			799
Common shares repurchased, IMAX China	$ 46,452		0
Stock options exercised from treasury shares			0
Retrospective adjustment for adoption of new accounting pronouncements | Retrospective adoption of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Member]				27,213
Net income attributable to common shareholders	21,150			21,150
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(17,591)				(3,559)
Balance, end of period at Sep. 30, 2018		427,693	184,133	(70,888)	(4,185)
Balance, beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2017						$ 74,511
Movement of Shareholders' Equity
Retrospective adjustment for adoption of new accounting pronouncements | Retrospective adoption of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Member]						735
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests	8,674					9,544
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	7,538					(1,136)
Dividends paid to non-controlling shareholders						(6,934)
Balance, end of period at Sep. 30, 2018						76,720
Balance, beginning of period at Jun. 30, 2018		426,367	179,767	(75,908)	(2,762)
Movement of Shareholders' Equity
Change in shares held in treasury		1,038
Employee stock options exercised		218
Fair value of stock options exercised at the grant date		70	(70)
Common shares repurchased and retired		0		0
Paid-in-capital for employee stock options granted			1,550
Paid-in-capital for restricted share units granted			4,013
Paid-in-capital for restricted share units vested			(1,127)
Cash received from the issuance of common shares in excess of par value			0
Common shares repurchased, IMAX China			0
Stock options exercised from treasury shares			0
Retrospective adjustment for adoption of new accounting pronouncements | Retrospective adoption of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Member]				0
Net income attributable to common shareholders	5,020			5,020
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(3,597)				(1,423)
Balance, end of period at Sep. 30, 2018		427,693	184,133	(70,888)	(4,185)
Balance, beginning of period at Jun. 30, 2018						76,981
Movement of Shareholders' Equity
Retrospective adjustment for adoption of new accounting pronouncements | Retrospective adoption of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Member]						0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests	2,482					2,881
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	1,651					(831)
Dividends paid to non-controlling shareholders						(2,311)
Balance, end of period at Sep. 30, 2018						76,720
Movement of Shareholders' Equity
Total shareholders' equity	613,473
Total shareholders' equity	592,918
Balance, beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2018	512,161	421,539	179,595	(85,385)	(3,588)
Movement of Shareholders' Equity
Change in shares held in treasury		(656)
Employee stock options exercised		1,740
Fair value of stock options exercised at the grant date		100	(100)
Common shares repurchased and retired		(925)		(1,734)
Paid-in-capital for employee stock options granted			6,719
Paid-in-capital for restricted share units granted			10,770
Paid-in-capital for restricted share units vested			(8,713)
Cash received from the issuance of common shares in excess of par value			651
Common shares repurchased, IMAX China	2,659		(19,157)
Stock options exercised from treasury shares			(1,561)
Retrospective adjustment for adoption of new accounting pronouncements | Retrospective adoption of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Member]				0
Net income attributable to common shareholders	28,695			28,695
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(28,161)				(534)
Balance, end of period at Sep. 30, 2019	527,456	421,798	168,204	(58,424)	(4,122)
Balance, beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2018	80,757					80,757
Movement of Shareholders' Equity
Retrospective adjustment for adoption of new accounting pronouncements | Retrospective adoption of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Member]						0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests	8,524					9,309
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	8,017					(507)
Dividends paid to non-controlling shareholders						(4,384)
Balance, end of period at Sep. 30, 2019	85,175					85,175
Balance, beginning of period at Jun. 30, 2019		422,101	166,232	(66,828)	(2,926)
Movement of Shareholders' Equity
Change in shares held in treasury		3
Employee stock options exercised		12
Fair value of stock options exercised at the grant date		3	(3)
Common shares repurchased and retired		(321)		(629)
Paid-in-capital for employee stock options granted			2,231
Paid-in-capital for restricted share units granted			3,517
Paid-in-capital for restricted share units vested			(1,419)
Cash received from the issuance of common shares in excess of par value			0
Common shares repurchased, IMAX China			(2,344)
Stock options exercised from treasury shares			(10)
Retrospective adjustment for adoption of new accounting pronouncements | Retrospective adoption of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Member]				0
Net income attributable to common shareholders	9,033			9,033
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(7,837)				(1,196)
Balance, end of period at Sep. 30, 2019	527,456	$ 421,798	$ 168,204	$ (58,424)	$ (4,122)
Balance, beginning of period at Jun. 30, 2019						85,472
Movement of Shareholders' Equity
Retrospective adjustment for adoption of new accounting pronouncements | Retrospective adoption of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Member]						0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests	1,863					2,274
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	1,410					(453)
Dividends paid to non-controlling shareholders						(2,118)
Balance, end of period at Sep. 30, 2019	85,175					$ 85,175
Movement of Shareholders' Equity
Total shareholders' equity	$ 612,631