Fans of Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” are paying resellers epic prices for showings at New York City’s only true IMAX 70 mm screen — with asking prices reaching over $1,000 per seat.
One eBay merchant with the cunning of Odysseus and foresight of Athena offered pairs of tickets to AMC Lincoln Square 13 on the Upper West Side for a jaw-dropping $999 per pair — successfully selling three sets.
Other eBay listings included $998 for six “prime seats” and $899 for three back-row seats.
One brazen reseller has been asking for $7,000 for five tix for an August showtime — enough to try Penelope’s patience — but was yet to get any suitors as of Tuesday afternoon.
A Reddit page dedicated to New York City moviegoers was flooded with desperate pleas for tickets to see the movie as superstar director Nolan intended — on the rare IMAX screens that can play 70 mm film, the highest resolution out there.
“I just want one ticket to 70 mm… it’s hurting my heart that I can’t just get one ticket for one day, and I’m hearing some people didn’t even show up to the movie,” one user wrote.
“So please if you’re not sure or planning to not go, drop your ticket to me, please. I’m calling on Zeus himself.”
There’s only about 40 theaters worldwide with true IMAX 70 mm big screens, contributing to the crazed level of demand.
AMC Lincoln Square 13 is New York City’s only such venue, with a massive 75.6-foot tall, 101-foot wide screen that is the largest in the country.
It technically ties with a 76-foot tall screen in Pooler, Ga., since they have the same amount of usable area when it comes to movie formatting.
Unprecedented demand meant the Lincoln Square theater’s 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 p.m. and even 2 a.m. IMAX 70 mm showings of “The Odyssey” were sold out through Aug. 19, which was as far out as listings went as of Tuesday.
The only remaining IMAX 70 mm tickets there were for wheelchair seats – but customers as unscrupulous as Antinous have started buying those up, too, fans warned.
In a Reddit post labeled “if you are not disabled read this,” a user wrote: “Please stop buying up the wheelchair spaces and especially the companion seats no matter how popular a movie is if you are not disabled.”
Some desperate fans have started to complain of outright scams.
“I’ve been trying to get a ticket forever. I’ve been scammed left and right,” one Reddit user lamented, though the person did not go into detail.
A r/NYCmovies page moderator told Variety that the community has been working to keep scalpers and scammers at bay, but it’s tricky since most profiles are anonymous.
When the moderators get a report of a scammer, they ban the account – thus getting rid of their posts – but scammers often remake accounts under new names, said the moderator, who was identified as Tessa.
For those willing to forego the IMAX 70 mm experience, they’ll have a relatively easy time. AMC Lincoln Square 13 had ample available seating for its Dolby and Laser screenings as of Tuesday.
But it seems most moviegoers want to see the nearly three-hour film in the highest quality possible.
AMC Stubs A-List members – the movie theater chain’s top rewards tier, which costs $29.99 a month for four movies a week and perks like free popcorn refills – have griped about scalpers beating them to the punch whenever new tickets become available.
Maria Merkle, a researcher living in Manhattan, said she is part of a group of five friends with A-List memberships, but only one of them has been able to secure a coveted IMAX ticket.
“I watched it opening night on a regular, not-IMAX screen because I couldn’t get IMAX tickets at an AMC,” the 24-year-old told The Post.
“I want to rewatch on the Lincoln Center 70-mm. IMAX screen, but I s–t you not, every single seat is booked for every single showing as far out as AMC releases tickets.”
Many Reddit users have taken to discussing the fine points of views from different seats, along with trading and selling tickets — though according to the rules of r/NYCmovies, tickets can only be sold at the original $33 price.
Several posts warned users to beware scammers asking for money transfers to their Venmo or Zelle accounts without providing ticket receipts or proof of purchase.
One user lamented that scalpers have become so aggressive that there were around 10 empty seats in a sold-out theater on Monday night, likely from the tickets they were unable to sell in time.
