Regal Cinemas charged $50 for opening-night tickets to Dune: Part Three in 70mm IMAX. The seats sold out within minutes.
The price point represents the most expensive standard movie ticket in theater history. Premium formats now account for 17% of tickets sold, up from 13% in 2021. Average premium prices reach $30 in major cities.
Theater chains are mimicking airline and hotel pricing strategies, extracting maximum revenue from enthusiasts while overall attendance remains 45% below pre-pandemic levels. AMC's CEO noted the chain now earns "more money per patron than we made prior to Covid."
Concession spending has jumped 220% in two decades. Average per-patron spending at AMC rose from $5 before the pandemic to $9 today.
The shift reflects an industry dividing into two tiers: premium experiences for those willing to pay, and streaming for everyone else. Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman warned theater operators that going to movies "must be more affordable again."
Dune: Part Three, directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, releases December 18.