"Dune: Part Three" and "The Odyssey" have fans camping out for tickets like its the 1990s
High demand for premium 70-millimeter IMAX screenings of blockbuster films like 'Dune: Part Three' has led to a resurgence of physical ticket lines. This trend reverses the industry's long-term shift toward digital-only ticketing as fans seek to avoid online platform crashes.
Why it matters
The return of physical queuing highlights the limitations of digital infrastructure for high-demand events and the enduring value of 'eventized' cinema experiences.
Xincheng Zhao (left) and Liam Yang (right) were successful at getting tickets. Juliana Kaplan/Business Insider NYC moviegoers began showing up at midnight to secure tickets for December's "Dune: Part Three." Sky-high demand for premium formats has brought back the art of the movie ticket line. To avoid platform crashes and online snafus, movie lovers are returning to queuing. Twenty-somethings Justin Joseph and Anthony Ortega sat triumphantly on the stairs of Manhattan's AMC Lincoln Square 13 , spools of " Dune: Part Three " tickets laid out beside them. They had arrived at 7:15 a.m. to battle the 1500-foot-long line of hopefuls clamoring for tickets to see the film in the rare, premium 70-millimeter Imax format, and won. Justin Joseph and Anthony Ortega got their tickets after arriving at 7:15 a.m.
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