After Instant Sellout, Dune 3 IMAX 70mm Tickets Spike to Four Figures on eBay

OK, so nobody panic, but the ticket circus has started—and we’re not even close to desert-walking season. We’re still a full eight months out from Dune: Part Three landing in theaters, but somehow we’ve already got a ticket scalping fiasco for the next big chapter of Denis Villeneuve’s sandworm epic. And folks, it is pure movie nerd mayhem.

IMAX 70mm Fever: Supply, Meet Insanity

Here's the deal: a limited number of theaters will be running Dune: Part Three in glorious 70mm IMAX—which, if you happen to care about breathtaking visuals and bone-shaking sound, is about the best way to plunge into Arrakis. Knowing a collector’s item when they see one, these special-format showings chucked tickets online early this week, and fans pounced faster than a Spice-addict on the last can of Red Bull.

Surprise, surprise: a bunch of these screenings sold out almost instantly. Naturally, that opened the door for some adventurous folks to try their luck at reselling these tickets... and not exactly at face value.

The ‘Resale’ Gold Rush: How High Will You Go?

• Standard IMAX tickets already cost more than some people’s monthly streaming bill—more than $30 per ticket, once you tack on all those delightful service fees.
• On eBay, tickets for these IMAX 70mm showings have started cropping up for—wait for it—anywhere from $100 (which feels like a bargain at this point, somehow) to a mind-warping $4,500 for a pair of center-row tickets at the Cinemark Dallas XD and IMAX, for the Thursday, Dec. 17 preview.
• There are plenty in the $500 to $1,000 range, too, for the ‘just slightly irresponsible’ crowd.
• Multiple listings already have bids, so at least a few people are taking this pop culture flex very seriously.

Obviously, none of this is about somebody suddenly realizing they double-booked their night—these tickets only just went on sale, so the resellers saw dollar signs and moved fast. If you’re wondering whether people will actually cough up thousands for ‘the best seats in the house,’ we’ll have to wait and see, but the hype engine is clearly running hot.

From Oddball Cult Classic to Ticket Scalper Bait

If you’d asked me even five years ago, I’d say the idea of Dune tickets going for four figures would sound like a fever dream. Keep in mind, Frank Herbert’s novels have had their die-hard fans, but for most of their cinematic history, Dune adaptations were, let’s say, a little niche. (Remember when David Lynch made a Dune movie and basically erased it from his own résumé?)

But since Villeneuve took the reins—and especially after the first big-budget Dune got sucked into the chaos of COVID-era streaming premieres—the franchise has pulled a 180. Now, with Dune: Part Three set to adapt 'Dune: Messiah' and hit screens the same day Avengers: Doomsday tries to storm the box office, Warner Bros. is clearly feeling gutsy enough to take Disney head-on.

Yes, This Is Really Happening

So, to recap: we’re months from release, resellers are out here offering IMAX 70mm tickets for more than your first car cost, and the sandworm hype is officially out of control. If you want the 'best seat in the house,' you’d better be ready to outbid some pretty hardcore fans—or, you know, just wait for streaming and hope your TV does it justice.

'Best seats in the house...'

(That’s literally how one $4,500 eBay listing is advertising two center seats—either the ultimate flex or cinema’s most expensive impulse buy.)

Let’s see if anyone actually takes that bait, or if all this is just the prelude to an even weirder run-up to December. Place your bets.