If you thought getting an IMAX ticket for The Odyssey was bad, pre-sales for Dune: Part Three are already shaping up to be another absolute bloodbath. Tickets for Denis Villeneuve’s third and final Dune movie in IMAX 70mm and other premium formats went on sale this week, four months ahead of its December 18 release, with insider screenings kicking off early from December 14. Just like we saw with The Odyssey, apps crashed and queues stretched all the way across the street. View this post on Instagram A post shared by New Yorkers (@newyorkers) AMC’s own CEO Adam Aron admitted the cinema chain was caught off guard by the rush, saying traffic to its site and app reached roughly three times the level seen when Spider-Man: Brand New Day tickets went on sale. It’s understandable given Villeneuve’s Dune movies practically demand to be seen on the biggest screen possible. But the scramble for limited numbers of sought-after screenings has once again raised another issue: scalpers snapping up tickets and reselling them for eye-watering amounts. We try so hard to be expert in what we usually do so well, devoted as we are to pleasing hundreds of millions of guests in our theatres each year. Today, though, as Dune 3 tickets went on sale, the crushing volumes briefly slowed or glitched our online ticketing systems.… — Adam Aron (@CEOAdam) August 18, 2026 A lot of the biggest drama unfolded at AMC Lincoln Square 13 in New York, where moviegoers queued in person for IMAX 70mm screenings. One customer in particular has gone viral after they were photographed with another buyer and a string of tickets in their hands. Reddit user bootwootboot shared the pic in the NYCmovies subreddit, writing, “Dude was bragging about buying 80 tickets.” The exact number he purchased hasn’t been independently verified, but there are multiple other posts in the subreddit claiming similar incidents unfolded at that location. dude was bragging about buying 80 tickets byu/bootwootboot inNYCmovies One person shared a photo of a woman with her face covered and wrote, “Some girl at AMC Lincoln buying A SH*T TON of Dune 3 tickets.” Another replied, “I was one of the first 20 in line and I remember her walking past me. Unblur her face scalpers need to be seen.” In the same thread, a Redditor responded to the 80-ticket claim, writing, “He was in front of me in line and I heard him talking to his buddy that he was getting them as requests from people. He kept saying he had $600 for tickets or something.” Another customer who braved the queue said, “There were people calling cops because fights broke out in the line. Just stay civilized and wait your turn. Hella people bought 10 at a time and refused to leave after buying more.” Some girl at AMC Lincoln buying A SHIT TON of Dune 3 tickets byu/Relative-Passion-320 inNYCmovies Although there’s no evidence linking any of those customers to ticket scalping, Dune: Part Three seats are already appearing on resale sites for staggering amounts. Under the 80-ticket post, one person shared a screenshot of an eBay listing for an IMAX 70mm ticket at AMC Lincoln Square… for a whopping $475. But this is just one example – head to eBay and you’ll find a whole series of similar listings across the US. There are two tickets for Dallas on December 17 listed for $500, one at Regal Ontario Palace on December 20 for $130, and – the second highest we could find – two seats for Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood on December 17 for $810. Credit: eBay As said, this whole saga has opened up the wider debate surrounding the movie-going experience. As one X user wrote, “I just don’t understand why movie tickets are being sold like concerts now, that’s just not fair and so not necessary tbh.” Another tagged AMC and Dune’s account, writing, “This is really uncool – what’s the plan to deal with scalpers?!” AMC has acknowledged the chaos surrounding the ticket launch, but while Aron addressed the crashes and delays experienced by customers trying to buy tickets online, he didn’t talk about concerns over bulk purchases or tickets appearing on resale sites. With four months still to go until Dune: Part Three actually hits cinemas, the fight for an IMAX seat is clearly only just beginning. For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Featured image credit: Reddit/bootwootboot/Warner Bros. Post navigation Next story
