North Americans really, really want to see Avengers: Endgame, based on the utter chaos that took place on Tuesday, when tickets for the superhero movie were made available for purchase.
Even the movie’s announced runtime — 182 minutes, a.k.a. three hours and two minutes — didn’t serve as a deterrent.
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Canada’s movie-ticket destination, Cineplex, crashed at one point in the rush, and continued to experience “technical issues” as Canucks rushed to purchase tickets for the Marvel trilogy’s final instalment.
Despite the challenges, tickets went fast and quickly, and as of this writing, the majority of Endgame tickets for opening night (April 25) are sold out. The movie’s wide release is the following day, April 26.
Some people fortunate enough to snag some tickets are now selling them for astronomical prices on eBay and other resale, third-party sites.
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Two tickets for a screening on April 28 — two days after the wide release — are going for as much as US$9,199 in New York City, or four tickets for $5,000 in Chicago, and there’s even a “buy it now” option for two AMC dine-in Essex, N.J. theatre tickets at $15,000.
More locally, opening-night tickets were spotted on seller site Kijiji in Toronto for $300 for the pair, and they seem to have been purchased. On Montreal’s Kijiji, a pair of tickets are up for grabs for $200.
While those prices are much more “reasonable,” they’re still a far cry away from the typical general admission adult price of $10.99 – $12.99.
Successful ticket-hunters took to Twitter to brag about their prize.
Avengers: Endgame ticket sales broke the record for pre-sales in a 24-hour period, defeating Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The movie is undoubtedly heading for a record-breaking launch at the end of April.