AMC Theatres approves $2 million IT upgrade after Dune: Part Three presale crash
Technical failures during the high-demand ticket presale for the final Dune film have forced AMC Theatres to invest in infrastructure, highlighting the growing strain of "concertification" in movie ticketing.
AMC Theatres has approved $2 million in IT costs to address significant app and website outages that occurred during the ticket presale for "Dune: Part Three." The technical failures resulted in long virtual queues and physical lines at cinemas, including a notable queue at AMC Lincoln Square in Manhattan, as fans attempted to secure seats for the highly anticipated release.
CEO Adam Aron publicly apologised for the disruptions, attributing the system overload to traffic volumes approximately three times higher than those recorded for the recent "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" release. Aron stated that while the demand was a "high-class problem," the failure to handle the surge was "intolerable and inexcusable." The investment is intended to fully address the infrastructure limitations that prevented customers from accessing seat maps.
The incident underscores a broader industry trend described as the "concertification" of movie ticketing. This phenomenon is driven by scarcity surrounding exclusive formats, such as IMAX 70mm, which is available in only 25 theatres in the US. Films like "Dune: Part Three" and Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" have seen frenzied rushes for tickets, with resellers attempting to auction seats for hundreds of dollars.
Other major players in the ticketing space, including Fandango and Regal Cinemas, also experienced app and website glitches during the period, though they did not immediately return requests for comment. IMAX, which is not involved in ticket sales, declined to comment on the record. The company currently operates more than 1,800 locations worldwide, with CEO Rich Gelfond noting potential to double their footprint if exhibitors invest in new or retrofitted auditoriums.
Barry Hertz, film editor at The Globe and Mail, criticised vendors for failing the filmgoing public by turning ticket-buying into a "competitive sport" without adequate technical support. He argued that while "eventizing" a movie serves as a lifeline for theatres post-pandemic, adding layers of technical frustration to a leisure activity is detrimental. Stephanie Wang, a professor of economics at the University of Pittsburgh, noted that exclusion from auctions can increase the bids of those who remain, suggesting a social dimension to the intense demand.
The economic structure of AMC’s subscription model complicates potential solutions. The AMC Stubs A-List membership, which costs between $27.99 and $29.99 monthly, allows members to see up to four movies a week, including premium formats, without additional charges. Consequently, the chain does not make additional profit from these members for premium screenings, relying instead on full-price tickets from non-members. Until technology upgrades and guardrails against ticket hoarding are implemented, the competition for premium seats is expected to remain intense.
