Christopher Nolan’s odyssey movie advance tickets set a new AMC record for first-day sales on June 4, overwhelming the theater chain’s website and app with demand so intense that wait times exceeded one hour just to access the ticketing system.
Quick Facts
- AMC CEO Adam Aron confirmed The Odyssey achieved the highest first-day sales for any studio-released film since 2022.
- Online wait times to purchase tickets reached over 60 minutes before dropping to around 8 minutes as queuing systems managed traffic.
- The previous record holders were Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Beyoncé’s Renaissance concert films, both released directly by AMC Theaters Distribution.
- Advance tickets were available only for IMAX and premium large-format screenings on June 4; regular showtimes will go on sale later.
When IMAX tickets for the film went on sale on June 4, 2026, moviegoers attempting to purchase seats were immediately placed in an online queue designed to throttle traffic and prevent the site from crashing. According to IndieWire, users reported wait times exceeding one hour just to reach the website, with some experiencing continually lengthening queues as they waited.
Deadline confirmed that AMC’s wait times eventually decreased to approximately eight minutes as the ticketing platform managed the surge. This queuing system, similar to Ticketmaster’s approach for concert sales, prevents crashes during extreme demand rather than allowing the site to go down entirely—a marked difference from 2015 when Star Wars: The Force Awakens ticket sales caused traditional crashes.
Odyssey movie advance tickets break AMC records, crash website with demand
Billy Bob Thornton’s Boxmasters set to release ‘In the Bay’ album June 12, launch 40-city tour
The demand reflects the scale of Nolan’s project. The Odyssey is shot entirely on IMAX film cameras and carries a reported $250 million budget, making it one of the most expensive R-rated films ever produced. The cast includes Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron, adapting Homer’s ancient Greek epic for the screen.
Other theater circuits did not report similar issues. Regal, the No. 2 theater chain, experienced no advance ticket sale delays, according to Deadline. Fandango, the online ticketing platform, did experience a surge in traffic but appeared to handle it more smoothly than AMC’s systems.
AMC CEO Aron acknowledged the long wait times in a statement, apologizing to customers who experienced delays while noting that millions of tickets remain available for other showtimes across the theater chain. The film opens in theaters on July 17, 2026, and will be presented in IMAX’s exclusive 1.90:1 expanded aspect ratio for the entire runtime.
Sources
- IndieWire — AMC CEO Adam Aron statement confirming highest first-day sales since 2022, comparison to Taylor Swift and Beyoncé concert films, wait times exceeding one hour, June 4 ticket sale date.
- Deadline — Confirmation of one-hour wait times dropping to eight minutes, queuing system explanation, IMAX-only sale on June 4, Regal’s lack of delays.
- NBC News — Reporting on AMC website and app being overwhelmed by ticket demand.
- Rolling Stone — Coverage of ticket presale crashing AMC and other platforms.
