Lease Arrangements - Additional Information (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020 Lease
Leases [Line Items]
Lessee, operating lease description	The Company’s operating lease arrangements principally involve office and warehouse space. Office equipment is generally purchased outright. Leases with an initial term of less than 12 months are not recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and the related lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Lessee, operating lease, existence of option to extend term	true
Lessee, operating lease, existence of option to extend description	The Company has determined that it is reasonably certain that the renewal options on its warehouse leases will be exercised based on previous history, its current understanding of future business needs and its level of investment in leasehold improvements, among other factors.
Lessee, operating lease, assumptions for discount rate	The incremental borrowing rate used in the calculation of the Company’s lease liability is based on the location of each leased property.
Leases include options to purchase leased property	0
Lessee, operating lease, existence of residual value	false
Lessee, operating lease, sublease options	The Company rents or subleases certain office space to third parties, which have a remaining term of less than 12 months and are not expected to be renewed.
Lessor, sales-type lease description	The Company provides IMAX Theater Systems to customers through long-term lease arrangements that for accounting purposes are classified as sales-type leases. Under these arrangements, in exchange for providing the IMAX Theater System, the Company earns fixed upfront and ongoing consideration. Certain arrangements that are legal sales are also classified as sales-type leases as certain clauses within the arrangements limit transfer of title or provide the Company with conditional rights to the system.
Sales-type lease, option to purchase asset description	the Company’s leases generally do not contain an automatic transfer of title at the end of the lease term
Minimum [Member]
Leases [Line Items]
Lessee, operating lease, renewal term	1 year
Sales-type lease, lease term	10 years
Non-cancellable term of joint revenue sharing arrangements	10 years
Maximum [Member]
Leases [Line Items]
Lessee, operating lease, renewal term	5 years
Sales-type lease, lease term	20 years
Non-cancellable term of joint revenue sharing arrangements	or longer