The Odyssey Tickets Being Scalped for Hundreds of Dollars as Demand Crashes Sites

June 4, 2026, 2:24pm

In a summer movie season that includes the likes of Toy Story 5, Minions & Monsters, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a compelling case can be made that the biggest release over the next couple of months is Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Boasting a star-studded cast and Nolan’s signature eye for scale, hype has been building for the fantasy epic since it was first announced. The Odyssey is poised to be one of the premier cinematic events of the year; IMAX 70mm tickets went on sale a whole year in advance. As we creep closer to the release date, tickets for more IMAX and other premium large format screenings are now available. Demand is so high that sites are crashing, and scalpers are unfortunately looking to take full advantage.

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Variety notes that in the mad dash to secure Odyssey tickets, AMC’s app crashed for a short period of time. Things seem to be up and running now, but the outlet mentions “wait times are up to an hour.” More distressingly, listings for Odyssey IMAX tickets have popped up on eBay. Some of the prices are exorbitant, with one as high $1,500. The average appears to be somewhere in the range of between $200-300.

Why The Odyssey IMAX Tickets Are In Such High Demand

Based on the footage we’ve seen in the Odyssey trailers, the film is going to look incredible in any format, but it’s easy to see why there’s so much interest in the IMAX tickets. Nolan has always been a champion of the theatrical experience, and he crafts his films to be taken in on the biggest screens possible. Dating back to The Dark Knight in 2008, he’s been synonymous with IMAX, shooting large stretches of his movies (or, in The Odyssey‘s case, the entire film) in the format. By utilizing IMAX cameras, Nolan’s films feel more immersive, becoming genuine events for cinephiles. Premium large formats have only become more and more popular over the years, as it’s something that’s impossible to replicate at home.

Nolan fans would be happy to pre-order any Odyssey ticket, but they want to try to get into the IMAX showings first and foremost, feeling that’s the best way to see the film as Nolan intended. Sadly, scalpers are aware of that, which is why there are so many listings for Odyssey IMAX tickets on bidding sites. Because of The Odyssey‘s event status, moviegoers want to see the film as soon as possible so they can be part of the conversation, but the supply of tickets is limited. It’s a perfect storm for scalpers attempting to capitalize on the high demand. The Odyssey will only be in IMAX theaters for a few weeks, so people want to secure their tickets as soon as possible.

It’s still too early for Odyssey box office projections to be available, but the developments surrounding the IMAX tickets can only bode well for its tracking. What’ll be interesting to see is how high the numbers ultimately go. Nolan is one of the few directors who can attract people to the theater with his name alone. With the exception of Tenet (which was released in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic), all of his films have been commercially successful for the better part of two decades. He’s coming off one of his biggest hits yet in Oppenheimer ($975.8 million), so there’s great interest in seeing what he does next.

Oppenheimer may not be the highest-grossing film this summer; topping Toy Story 5 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day could be tough to do. But it’ll surely be one of the biggest draws of the season for a variety of reasons. Hopefully, audiences are able to secure the tickets for whatever screening they want and don’t have to resort to paying scalpers the ridiculous prices they’re asking for. Moviegoing is supposed to be a communal experience for everyone to enjoy, so it’s disappointing to see scalpers look to take advantage of excited fans.

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