‘Dune 3’s Ticket Scalping Controversy Sets up a Dark Film Industry Fate

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Okay, folks, buckle up, because the scramble for Dune: Part Three tickets is already insane! Warner Bros. just dropped the news that tickets are on sale… but not for all showings. We’re talking about the coveted IMAX 70mm prints – the ones you really want to see. And the rollout was so fast, AMC hadn’t even sent out an email to alert their customers! Seriously, people were making plans eight months out with less than half an hour’s notice. The demand was absolutely overwhelming – the AMC app crashed repeatedly under the pressure. If you’re hoping to experience Dune: Part Three in the best possible format, you’ll need luck and a very fast internet connection!

Tickets for the initial IMAX 70mm showings of Dune: Part Three and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey sold out incredibly quickly, and the fact that they were available a year in advance has generated a lot of attention. This demonstrates a strong desire among audiences to see movies in theaters, especially as the future of movie releases is uncertain. However, this quick sell-out seems to be part of a concerning pattern. If other studios replicate this approach, we might see the same issues with ticket reselling that plague the concert industry extend to movie tickets.

Planning a Trip to the Movies Should Not Be This Stressful

Tickets for Dune: Part Three sold out quickly, and soon after, people were reselling them for as much as $1,000. While someone willing to pay that much for a movie that normally costs around $30 is free to do so, the limited availability of tickets for a special format showing in only 20 theaters clearly created high demand. The hope is that this will encourage more IMAX theaters to invest in 70mm projectors. However, it’s more likely we’ll see studios and theaters start offering limited-time showings with tickets going on sale much further in advance – potentially six months to a year.

It’s common for smaller films to earn high average ticket sales per theater simply because they’re playing in very few locations. Studios often start with limited releases in cities like Los Angeles and New York before expanding to more theaters—this helps build excitement through word-of-mouth, even if it’s disappointing for viewers in other areas. However, that’s not what’s happening with Dune: Part Three or The Odyssey. Both of these films will be released widely across the country from the start.

Tickets for the early showings of Dune: Part Three and The Odyssey were limited to a specific format and, in the case of The Odyssey, a particular showtime. Standard IMAX openings and regular screenings weren’t available through this initial sale. This was intentional – generating buzz with a big announcement wasn’t the priority. Instead, the limited availability was designed to create a sense of urgency and boost demand when more tickets become available. The idea is to have fans compete with each other to secure tickets, turning a shared moviegoing experience into a competitive rush.

This raises the question of whether buying tickets online is actually any better than waiting in line at the theater. Many people point out that a slow or unstable internet connection can mean the difference between successfully getting tickets and seeing an error message. This can be incredibly frustrating, as it essentially kicks people out of the online waiting room. Is relying on internet speed really fairer than the traditional method of waiting in line for the best seats?

It’s well known that the AMC app often crashes when many people try to buy tickets at once, especially for popular Marvel movies. However, pre-selling tickets for big releases isn’t new. Fans could purchase tickets to Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame a month in advance, and the Star Wars sequels went on sale two months before release. Compared to the current system of selling tickets eight months to a year early, one to two months feels more reasonable. Plus, previously, all showtimes were available to purchase at the same time. So, while missing out on a specific showing—like the 6 P.M. IMAX of Avengers: Endgame—can be frustrating, you could usually find tickets to other nearby showtimes.

Releasing a small number of tickets so far ahead of time, without making all tickets available, just fuels competition and ticket scalping – a common problem with concerts. It seems strange to ask people to book movie tickets months in advance, especially when it might take less time to actually make the movie. While planning a movie trip so far out might make it feel like a special event, given how costly concerts have become, is that really what people want?

Movies Should Be An Event…But We Should Not Lose the Every Day Experience

Going to the movies is increasingly similar to attending a concert, especially with reserved seating. While reserved seats eliminate the rush to arrive early, they also take away from the shared experience of waiting with friends. Unlike concerts or plays where seat prices vary, movie theaters currently charge the same for all seats. However, according to Variety, AMC Theatres is considering charging more for the best seats in the house.

Tickets selling out quickly isn’t necessarily a bad thing – it actually shows people are excited about going to the movies. Though, it makes you wonder if people would feel the same way if it were a huge blockbuster like Avengers: Doomsday. While it’s good for movies to feel special, asking people to plan months in advance, sometimes almost a year, is difficult. This focus on making movies big “events” suggests that movie theaters are now mainly for the biggest releases.

The days of impulsively going to the theater are largely over, with streaming services and reserved seating changing how we see movies. Now, many people feel like a movie needs to be a special occasion or a big event to justify a trip to the cinema, while everything else is better enjoyed at home. It’s become more like a carefully planned outing, similar to a trip to Disneyland. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a Marvel movie that started this trend of treating cinema like a theme park destination.

Going to the movies should be both special and something you do often. Big releases like Dune: Part Three, The Odyssey, or Avengers: Doomsday are great for planned outings with friends and family. But theaters should also offer casual options – like a midweek showing of a smaller film such as You, Me and Tuscany or The Invite – that you can enjoy on a whim. Movies should be for everyone and easy to access. While limited-time ticket promotions for blockbusters can be fun, they also feel like a worrying trend. If going to the movies becomes as difficult as booking holiday travel, it will lose its appeal.

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2026-04-09 15:36