Moviegoers flocked to theaters this summer to see Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of "The Odyssey." And for many fans, it wasn't enough just to see the movie; they had to see it in Imax.

The movie is the first that was shot entirely on Imax film, known for its high-quality picture that, when shown on an Imax screen, is designed to immerse audiences in a superior viewing experience. Superfans traveled across continents to see Nolan's latest work as the director intended — on an Imax 70mm screen, the format's highest-quality medium. There are only 25 Imax 70mm theaters in the U.S., and just 41 globally, according to the company. Imax itself owns and operates just one theater, Esquire Imax in Sacramento, California.

The success of "The Odyssey" helped make July the Imax company's highest-grossing month in its history with $257 million in gross global box office sales, according to an Aug. 3 press release. As of Aug. 10, the film became the biggest Imax release of all time, bringing in $289 million globally after less than a month in theaters, the company said.

"In the last year, I think we had an Imax awakening," says Imax CEO Richard Gelfond. While 2010's "Avatar" started a "major evolution" in viewers wanting to experience films in Imax, releases over the last few years like "Dune," "Oppenheimer" and "Sinners" have pushed the format past a "tipping point," Gelfond says.

"Obviously it's about the movie and the director, but it's also about what's playing at the Imax theater," he says.

"Dune: Part Three" is expected to be the next big Imax event when it hits theaters on Dec. 18. Ticketing websites reportedly crashed on Aug. 18 when tickets went on sale, and fans stood in box office lines for hours trying to secure passes.

Some fans at AMC Lincoln Square in Manhattan, home to the only Imax 70mm screen in the Big Apple, camped outside the theater prior to the box office opening to try to get "Dune" tickets.

"A friend and I were around here last week when the line was wrapped around the block and we got really lucky," a moviegoer at the theater told CNBC Make It. "Right now, Imax 70mm — when it's shot that way, it's worth every second, every sacrifice, every dollar."

Ticket sales are central to Imax's success, but here's how the company makes millions without owning practically any of the theaters where its movies play.