‘The Odyssey’ ticket rush crashes AMC app, leaves buyers waiting over an hour

Christopher Nolan’s next film hasn’t opened yet, but it’s already causing chaos at the box office.

IMAX and premium large-format tickets for “The Odyssey” went on sale Thursday, and the demand was so overwhelming that AMC Theatres’ app and website briefly ground to a halt. AMC’s ticketing app paused briefly after a surge of demand, and while sales resumed, wait times stretched to nearly an hour. Visitors attempting to reach the site were funneled into a virtual queue designed, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, to throttle the volume of traffic and prevent a full crash. 

The wait to simply access the website — before even attempting to select seats or complete a purchase — was listed at over an hour, with reported times continuing to grow as users waited. AMC was not alone in feeling the strain. Fandango’s website also appeared to be dragging, with users experiencing extended delays there as well. IndieWire reported that quick checks of Regal’s and Cinemark’s sites showed no similar problems at the time of writing, though that observation was not independently confirmed.

The frenzy is not entirely without precedent for AMC. Similar surges hit the chain’s website during the 2024 release of Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” concert film and again in 2025 for her follow-up, “Showgirl.” An AMC spokesperson declined to comment. Spokespeople for Universal and Fandango did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Variety reported. 

The rush centers on IMAX and premium large-format screenings. The film is the first feature ever shot entirely in the IMAX format, using a 15-perf/65mm film stock, and Mr. Nolan has made clear that IMAX is the intended way to experience it. The full film will be presented in IMAX’s 1.90:1 expanded aspect ratio, while select theaters capable of showing 70mm film will screen it in the wider 1.43:1 ratio.

The biggest demand appears concentrated on IMAX 70mm screenings, which are naturally limited by the small number of theaters equipped to show the format. That scarcity has made those seats the most coveted, particularly among fans who recall the lengths audiences went to see “Oppenheimer” in the same format. Opening weekend 70mm screenings were made available last summer — an almost unheard-of move — and sold out almost immediately. 

“The Odyssey” opens July 17. The film carries a production budget of $250 million and stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson in a retelling of Homer’s account of Odysseus’ journey home. It is Mr. Nolan’s follow-up to “Oppenheimer,” which won Best Picture and grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide.