Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
SPOILER: Movie Ticket Prices Are Going Up
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 25, 2010
Modified Mar 25, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 25, 2010
Modified Mar 25, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
In a shocking plot twist that no one could have predicted, movie theaters across the nation will begin gouging diversion-starved Americans even more brazenly this weekend. Because surely moviegoers desperate enough to pay $12.50 for such cinematic treasures as The Bounty Hunter or She's Out of My League will be willing to pay a little more to escape the voices in their heads. What else are they gonna do, read a book?
2D adult ticket prices are expected to increase an average 4.1% this weekend, according to a survey of random theaters in major U.S. markets. But that's modest compared to the price hikes for 3D, IMAX and FauxMax screenings. At AMC Kips Bay, a ticket to the FauxMAX 3D screening of How to Train Your Dragon at midnight tonight costs $17.50. But if you wait until this weekend, it'll be $19.50. (Of course, who can really wait that long anyway?!)
"It appears that theater owners increasingly believe that consumers are so ‘hungry’ for 3D content that they will not mind paying substantially higher prices relative to 2D screenings and that for the best 3D presentation, even greater ticket price premiums are achievable," opines media analyst Richard Greenfield. "If consumers absorb the prices increases without issue, we believe it bodes well for the pricing power of the movie exhibition industry."
Come on people, are we going to just passively "absorb" this or are we going to get organized and fight back so we can afford to take the kids to Tron Legacy in IMAX 3D. Because there's no way we're paying more than... oh, who are we kidding, we'll give you anything you want for that one, AMC Loews Lincoln Square.
Tagged
fauxmax
imax
inflation
movie tickets
rapacity
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 22, 2026
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .