Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Disaggregation of Revenue by Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		$ 86,390	$ 82,108	$ 271,385	$ 265,437
Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		19,053	14,327	67,878	56,919
Network Business [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		43,243	36,699	153,801	142,505
Network Business [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		16,578	14,327	59,893	56,919
Network Business [Member] | IMAX DMR [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		26,665	22,372	93,908	85,586
Network Business [Member] | IMAX DMR [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Network Business [Member] | Joint Revenue Sharing Arrangements – Contingent Rent [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		16,546	14,327	59,704	56,919
Network Business [Member] | Joint Revenue Sharing Arrangements – Contingent Rent [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		16,546	14,327	59,704	56,919
Network Business [Member] | IMAX systems – Contingent Rent [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		32		189
Network Business [Member] | IMAX systems – Contingent Rent [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		32		189
Theater Business [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		37,658	40,687	102,906	106,517
Theater Business [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		1,438	0	6,525	0
Theater Business [Member] | Sales and Sales-type Leases [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		18,100	20,427	42,212	50,545
Theater Business [Member] | Sales and Sales-type Leases [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Theater Business [Member] | Ongoing Fees and Finance Income [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		2,903	2,971	8,588	8,982
Theater Business [Member] | Ongoing Fees and Finance Income [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Theater Business [Member] | Joint Revenue Sharing Arrangements – Fixed Fees [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		1,438	2,798	6,525	3,821
Theater Business [Member] | Joint Revenue Sharing Arrangements – Fixed Fees [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		1,438	0	6,525	0
Theater Business [Member] | Theater System Maintenance [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		13,657	12,415	39,815	37,462
Theater Business [Member] | Theater System Maintenance [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Theater Business [Member] | Other Theater [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		1,560	2,076	5,766	5,707
Theater Business [Member] | Other Theater [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
New Business [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues	[1]	596	1,275	1,908	4,999
New Business [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Other [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		4,893	3,447	12,770	11,416
Other [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		1,037	0	1,460	0
Other [Member] | Film Post-production [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		2,185	2,262	6,458	6,512
Other [Member] | Film Post-production [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Other [Member] | Film Distribution [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		1,343	800	3,333	2,644
Other [Member] | Film Distribution [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Other [Member] | Other [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		1,365	385	2,979	2,260
Other [Member] | Other [Member] | Lease Arrangements [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		1,037	0	1,460	0
Fixed Consideration [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		36,421	42,954	99,293	111,614
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Network Business [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Network Business [Member] | IMAX DMR [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Network Business [Member] | Joint Revenue Sharing Arrangements – Contingent Rent [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Network Business [Member] | IMAX systems – Contingent Rent [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0		0
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		33,640	39,580	90,927	101,114
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member] | Sales and Sales-type Leases [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		15,520	19,320	36,758	45,142
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member] | Ongoing Fees and Finance Income [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		2,903	2,971	8,588	8,982
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member] | Joint Revenue Sharing Arrangements – Fixed Fees [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	2,798	0	3,821
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member] | Theater System Maintenance [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		13,657	12,415	39,815	37,462
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member] | Other Theater [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		1,560	2,076	5,766	5,707
Fixed Consideration [Member] | New Business [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		596	1,112	1,908	3,938
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Other [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		2,185	2,262	6,458	6,562
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Other [Member] | Film Post-production [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		2,185	2,262	6,458	6,512
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Other [Member] | Film Distribution [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Fixed Consideration [Member] | Other [Member] | Other [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	50
Variable Consideration [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		30,916	24,827	104,214	96,904
Variable Consideration [Member] | Network Business [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		26,665	22,372	93,908	85,586
Variable Consideration [Member] | Network Business [Member] | IMAX DMR [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		26,665	22,372	93,908	85,586
Variable Consideration [Member] | Network Business [Member] | Joint Revenue Sharing Arrangements – Contingent Rent [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Variable Consideration [Member] | Network Business [Member] | IMAX systems – Contingent Rent [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0		0
Variable Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		2,580	1,107	5,454	5,403
Variable Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member] | Sales and Sales-type Leases [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		2,580	1,107	5,454	5,403
Variable Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member] | Ongoing Fees and Finance Income [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Variable Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member] | Joint Revenue Sharing Arrangements – Fixed Fees [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Variable Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member] | Theater System Maintenance [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Variable Consideration [Member] | Theater Business [Member] | Other Theater [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Variable Consideration [Member] | New Business [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	163	0	1,061
Variable Consideration [Member] | Other [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		1,671	1,185	4,852	4,854
Variable Consideration [Member] | Other [Member] | Film Post-production [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Variable Consideration [Member] | Other [Member] | Film Distribution [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		1,343	800	3,333	2,644
Variable Consideration [Member] | Other [Member] | Other [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Revenues		$ 328	$ 385	$ 1,519	$ 2,210

[1] The Company’s largest customer represented 16.6% and 18.9%, respectively, of total revenues for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively (2018 —15.5% and 18.4%, respectively).