Dune: Part Three is scheduled for a 18 December release, but selected IMAX screenings will begin on 14 December. Pre-sale opened on 18 August, and the premium sessions were almost sold out within months of the film’s general release.
Fans have reported difficulty securing seats as bulk buyers and automated accounts moved quickly to purchase tickets, leaving many people facing inflated resale prices instead of standard admission.
Demand overwhelmed the ticket launch
AMC chief executive Adam Aron said demand for the IMAX screenings exceeded the company’s expectations. Traffic across AMC’s website and mobile app reached levels approximately three times higher than during the ticket launch for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Aron advised customers to keep trying after the ticketing systems struggled under the load. However, bots reportedly continued to secure large numbers of seats, which were then listed for resale.
Bulk purchases pushed resale prices higher
The problem was not limited to online purchases. In New York City, one scalper was reportedly seen buying 80 tickets in a single transaction at a local cinema. A photograph circulated showing the buyer holding the large batch of tickets.
Completed resale listings for New York screenings have reportedly exceeded $150 per ticket, potentially giving bulk buyers a substantial return if the transactions proceed.
AMC terms could give fans a route to challenge listings
Some members of the audience are sharing and reporting resale listings to AMC. Selling tickets above their retail price breaches AMC’s terms of service.
Where a listing identifies the seat, cinema and screening time, AMC may be able to cancel the tickets. That outcome is not guaranteed, and a cancelled seat could still be claimed by another reseller, but enforcement may make bulk scalping less attractive.
A wider entertainment problem
Ticket scalping has affected live concerts, events, collectibles and cinema releases for years. The growing use of automated purchasing has made it harder for casual fans to buy at the original price.
The same behaviour has reached children’s merchandise, including McDonald’s Happy Meal rewards. The scale of the problem has led to calls for stronger protections, with facial-recognition technology now described as a necessary tool by some observers.
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