Going on Fandango at midnight Eastern time to attempt to buy tickets to “The Odyssey,” the forthcoming epic from super director Christopher Nolan, I realized how insane it was. Not only is this film due to be released in a year, but it’s not even finished yet. But it’s Christopher Nolan, one of the best bets when it comes to creative auteurs as they come. So, why not indulge in Universal Pictures’ ingenious marketing strategy and see if I can grab a ticket?
Wait, does this feel like a concert ticket? It reminded me of that one “Saved By The Bell” episode where Zack Morris and the gang stayed in a mall overnight to try to get U2 tickets. (There’s a whole other plot line of them finding $5,000 in a bag and it belonging to the mafia).
Away we went. A couple of thoughts ran through my head as I continually saw the website time out repeatedly – silently arriving at the fact that I will, indeed, have no ticket.
“Well, I have four AMC Stubs slots now. I could use one and go back to the regular three. No harm, no foul.”
“Wait, I can’t use AMC Stubs on this reservation at all! I guess I’ve have to pony up the money to buy a ticket. Save cinema, am I right?”
“On the punter’s chance, this film gets delayed, what happens then? Seriously, what happens to the ticket?”
“Damn, there are a lot of people up right now trying to get these tickets.”
There are only ten actual theaters in the United States that can show Nolan’s preferred format of IMAX 70mm and 30 in the world. With releases like 2023’s “Oppenheimer” and “Sinners,” moviegoers have shown enthusiasm to see these films as the directors intended. I recall glancing at the seat charts for “Sinners” at the AMC Lincoln Center in New York and thinking how great it was to see them sold out just weeks after their release. There’s already enough trouble getting people into theaters, ranging from high prices to wholesale changes in viewing habits.
It proves that if you truly invest in a person’s vision and commit to quality, both in presentation and storytelling, people will find it. “The Odyssey” is not an original work by Nolan. In fact, there are at least 15 film adaptations of Homer’s 1614 epic poem. At a time when reading is becoming more niche, Nolan’s interpretation of the material may spur people to pick it up.
The Odyssey Tickets Already Being Resold on eBay
On the other hand, it highlighted a couple of drawbacks. The main one is that there aren’t enough theaters that will show “The Odyssey” in the optimum format. Not to knock 4DX or Dolby because those formats are great for the conventional fan. However, anyone who wants to see films in IMAX 70mm should have the opportunity to do so. Unless I’m unaware of some architectural advancement, there won’t be any more built by the time we get to “The Odyssey’s” release date.
In a time when studios and theatrical companies are looking for ways to return to theaters (beyond making great films), there should be a joint effort to bring more of these to fruition.
One concern is that studios will use this template and apply it to any major film with a large following, including those with notable directors or actors attached. Like the “Barbenheimer” craze of 2023, you can replicate an authentic moment that originated outside a boardroom. It’s Christopher Nolan; of course, people are going to see it. Pressing your luck and turning purchasing a coveted ticket for “The Hunger Games” lottery-like experience will only turn people away.
There’s another matter of scalpers, which, what? Listing on eBay with tickets has appeared on the website, despite violating its terms and conditions. I’ve seen resale tickets for up to $500 just for one showing of “The Odyssey.” If you want to ensure a generation of would-be theater goers and make sure they don’t come back, artificially create your StubHub-like market. Concerts already have enough issues, including dynamic pricing and exorbitant fees, that squeeze fans’ wallets dry. I would be happy to know a ticket went to an enthused person rather than some chat boy getting in the way of me seeing the next “Knives Out” film.
I hate to be such a skeptic, but there have been countless examples of companies reading the exact opposite of what consumers are saying. Let’s hope they heed the call, as finding an actual IMAX theater is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Tickets shouldn’t be that way, also.
