May 1, 2026
Summer blockbuster season will soon be here, but moviegoers looking to catch a film on its opening night may be asking if their tickets are made of gold.
Theaters have been borrowing strategies from airlines and hotels, targeting film buffs who are willing to pay more for a premium experience, according to a Wall Street Journal report (1).
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Although it doesn't premiere until December 18, Regal Cinemas has already released opening night tickets for Dune: Part Three, at an astronomical $50 a premium seat.
Premium seating has become a focus for the industry, since the appetite is growing. Premium format theaters, such as IMAX and 4DX, accounted for 17% of ticket sales in 2025, rising from 13% in 2021, according to the WSJ.
The prices are not without blowback. With 25% less films being shown in multiplexes, some industry CEOs are on the defensive about why prices are so much higher, including Marcus Theaters head, Greg Marcus.
"Give us enough films," Marcus told the WSJ. "If you're not going to let us earn a decent return, don't ask me to invest more or cut my prices."
Did you want butter on that popcorn?
Citing data from EntTelligence, the WSJ report noted the national average for premium format tickets is $18, but can balloon to as much as $30 in bigger cities.
AMC has been building more of the trending odeons. The chain had 517 at the end of 2025, an increase of 30% since 2021. The WSJ also noted that AMC "adds a surcharge of up to $2 a ticket for popular films on their opening weekends."
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Tickets for some of the opening weekend screenings for Dune: Part Three, in IMAX 70mm, reportedly sold out within minutes (2).
AMC's CEO, Adam Aron, told the WSJ that the chain now earns "more money per patron than we made prior to Covid," though overall patronage is down.
In 2019, more than 1.2 billion movie tickets (3.3 per person) were sold in the U.S. and Canada, according to Pew Research. In 2025, that figure was 769.2 million tickets, or about two per person (3).
While the cost of a regular movie ticket has "risen roughly in line with inflation," sitting at an average of $12.75 a ticket, spending on concessions and other extras has skyrocketed.
Marcus told the WSJ that in the last 20 years, spending on concessions and merchandise has grown 220%. AMC ticket holders shell out $9 on average at the concession stand, versus $5 before the pandemic.
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Stay for the post-credit scenes
When it comes to entertainment, movie ticket prices aren't the only category that's been climbing.
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Concert tickets have also soared into the stratosphere since the pandemic, with stubs for some major artists costing thousands of dollars (4). According to Pollstar, the average price in 2025 was $132.62. In 2019, the average was $96.17 (5).
Sporting events, too, have seen elevated price increases. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, sporting events increased more than movies, theaters and concerts combined in the last 25 years.
From 2000 to 2025, admissions for sporting events increased by 123% (6). By comparison, the category including movies, theatrical performances and concerts increased by 105%.
Still, variety is the spice of life, especially for Dune fans.
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
The Wall Street Journal (1); Men's Journal (2); Pew Research Center (3); Rolling Stone (4); Pollstar (5); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (6)
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Rebecca Payne has more than a decade of experience editing and producing both local and national daily newspapers. She's worked on the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, Metro, Canada's National Observer, the Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press.
