Some fans of the “Dune” franchise had to duke it out like Paul Atreides to snag tickets during AMC’s latest ticket launch.
In an X post, AMC CEO Adam Aron said high demand for “Dune: Part Three” temporarily slowed or “glitched” its online ticketing system on Tuesday.
“Ticketing traffic across AMC’s website and mobile app reached levels approximately three times higher than what we experienced during the Spider-Man: Brand New Day ticket launch, which itself followed strong advance sales for The Odyssey ticket launch before that,” Aron said.
Aron said the ticket issues plaguing customers were “intolerable and inexcusable.”
“There was much discussion internally ahead of and preparing for the Dune 3 launch. We thought we were ready, but we weren’t,” he said.
In response, Aron said AMC has instructed its IT team to “move at a whirlwind speed to take whatever steps are needed so that our ticketing systems are — in all situations and in all quantities —again top shelf.”
AMC initially released a small batch of tickets for “Dune: Part Three” in April, which quickly sold out, disappointing many fans. Tuesday marked AMC’s second ticket drop for coveted IMAX 70mm screenings and other premium large formats.
AMC experienced similar fan hysteria earlier this year for “The Odyssey,” which debuted in theaters this July and also had a staggered ticket release. Fans of the Greek epic rushed online ticket drops, causing platform crashes, while resellers hawked tickets for as much as $600.
Now “Dune: Part Three” is whipping up similar hype among fans, some of whom camped outside theaters on Tuesday. Business Insider’s Juliana Kaplan reported that fans began forming a line at New York City’s AMC Lincoln Square 13 around midnight, and the queue stretched around the block. The Lincoln Square theater is home to the largest IMAX in the country and shows films in 70mm, making it one of the most in-demand theater experiences of the summer.
Some of those waiting in line for “Dune: Part Three” were likely resellers. Tickets almost immediately landed on eBay, where they were going for outrageous prices. One listing on Wednesday morning was selling IMAX 70MM tickets for $600.
Ticket resellers are major players in the entertainment and events industries, despite pushback from artists, studios, and the US government. They’ve caused ticketing drama for high-profile events like the 2026 World Cup and concerts for Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour.”
Timothée Chalamet is reprising his role as Atreides in “Dune: Part Three,” which explores the consequences of his reign after he took power of the empire. Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Robert Pattinson, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, and Anya Taylor-Joy are among its star-studded cast.
