Dune 3 IMAX Screenings Seemingly Impossible to Get Due to Scalpers
Overview & Key Takeaways
Scalpers have taken control of a large portion of Dune 3 IMAX tickets, meaning fans will have to pay hundreds of dollars to get their hands on them.
Dune: Part Three will be released on Dec. 18, but before it hits regular theaters, it'll be available at IMAX theaters for insider screenings starting on Dec. 14. The tickets went up for pre-sale on Aug. 18, and although the movie's premiere is still four months away, tickets have nearly sold out and have become almost impossible to get for the premium IMAX screenings. Scalpers were simply too fast and purchased them in bulk. This prevented the average fan from getting tickets and enjoying the movie without having to pay an unreasonable price.
According to AMC's CEO, Adam Aron, demand for Dune 3's IMAX screenings was beyond the company's wildest expectations. The website and mobile app traffic "reached levels approximately three times higher" compared to Spider-Man: Brand New Day's ticket launch day. Even though Aron encouraged fans to retry purchasing tickets, it was no use; despite the online system faltering, bots were able to snag hundreds of tickets, which were quickly put up for sale online.
To make matters worse, scalpers headed to their local theaters and purchased even more tickets in bulk. In New York City, a scalper was reportedly seen purchasing 80 tickets at a time. A disgruntled user managed to capture the moment, as the scalper held up his dozens of tickets. This could easily net the scalper thousands of dollars, as eBay listings for Dune 3's NYC screenings have been sold for over $150.
The community is actively trying to stop scalpers by sharing and reporting their listed tickets to AMC. Reselling tickets above retail price violates AMC's terms of service. Therefore, if any of these listings mention seat number, theater, and time of the screening, AMC is able to cancel them. While it is not guaranteed that it will happen or that it'll just free up a ticket for another scalper, it might discourage them from continuing.
Scalping has been a problem for years, but it seems to be getting progressively worse as it affects every field of entertainment. Whether it's concerts, events, collectibles, or movie screenings, it's becoming increasingly harder to be a casual fan of anything in this day and age. It's gotten to the point where kids aren't able to get their toys because even McDonald's Happy Meal rewards are targeted by scalpers. This has become such a modern-day problem that facial recognition technology is now a must to prevent scalping and protect legitimate customers.
