Cineplex has quietly increased the prices for tickets to Dune: Part Two, the latest film from Canadian director Denis Villeneuve.
On X (Twitter), The Globe and Mail‘s film editor, Barry Hertz, shared screenshots of the jacked ticket costs from both Cineplex and Landmark Cinemas. The former is Canada’s dominant theatre chain by far with a 75 percent market share, while Landmark is the country’s second-largest cinema company.
On Cineplex, a general admission ticket for other movies, including Madame Web, is $14.25, while a standard ticket for Dune: Part Two is $15.25. The same $1 increase can be seen on Landmark, with the standard $12.25 admission price rising to $13.25 for the Dune sequel. (Of course, these hiked prices don’t account for Cineplex’s controversial $1.50 online booking fees, from which it has already generated nearly $40 million in additional revenue.)
As Hertz notes, Cineplex and Landmark did the same thing last July with Barbie and Oppenheimer. This practice, known as “variable” or “dynamic pricing,” sees companies increasing the price of a product or service due to increased demand. Of course, it’s particularly egregious in this context since there’s no reason why one film should cost more than another unless you’re paying for premium formats like IMAX.
It’s happening again: If you’re watching DUNE: PART TWO @CineplexMovies or @LandmarkCinemas this week, it’ll cost $1 more than a ticket for other new releases. https://t.co/PvhfgDxPdD pic.twitter.com/BIxb1rQwFX
— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) February 28, 2024
When The Globe first reported on this sneaky business practice last year, a Cineplex spokesperson claimed “This is a practice that has been in place for a number of years” and that “anticipated consumer demand is one of the factors considered when determining pricing, as well as location, a guest’s age, day of week and others.” The company also claimed that “there are no surprises and a guest is fully aware of what they are paying when they select their ticket type.”
Of course, “no surprises” is especially questionable, given that Cineplex is currently facing three lawsuits, including one from Canada’s Competition Bureau, over its online booking fees. As part of those suits, Cineplex is accused of carrying out “misleading” business practices by steering customers to make a purchase without receiving a clear disclosure of the full costs.
As we wait for more to come out of those legal battles, Dune: Part Two is set to have a strong opening weekend at the box office. The film has already garnered rave reviews and comes after a rough start to 2024 that saw underperforming films like Apple’s Argylle and Sony’s Madame Web. Therefore, a lot of people are no doubt excited to check out the new Dune, and Cineplex and Landmark are looking to cash in on that.
Image credit: Warner Bros.
Source: @HertzBarry
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