New York City has only one theater capable of showing Dune: Part Three the way Denis Villeneuve actually shot it, and after the record-breaking run The Odyssey just had in the same format, demand for a seat is about to get a lot more competitive.
AMC Lincoln Square 13 remains the only IMAX 70mm screen in New York City, and one of just 25 theaters in the entire United States equipped to project native 70mm IMAX film.
So if you want to see Arrakis the way it was meant to be seen, this is the only place in the five boroughs it’s happening.
When it’s actually coming out
Dune: Part Three hits theaters everywhere on December 18, 2026, but 70mm IMAX audiences get in even earlier.
IMAX has confirmed special “Insider Screenings” in the format on December 14 and 15, three days ahead of the wide release, followed by regular IMAX 70mm showtimes starting December 17 at 2 pm local time.
That’s a shift from the original April announcement, which only referenced a single opening weekend window.
The rollout has since expanded into a proper multi-day event, and ticket demand has followed accordingly. According to Collider, select 70mm showtimes sold out within minutes of going on sale in August, well ahead of the original December release window.
Why the wait for tickets got a lot more real
Back in the spring, 70mm demand was mostly theoretical, a niche format most casual moviegoers hadn’t thought much about.
That’s changed entirely this year because of one movie: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Nolan’s film has turned IMAX 70mm into a legitimate cultural moment.
IMAX just extended the Odyssey’s 70mm run for a second time, keeping it in theaters through September 30, stretching its historic run in the format to 11 weeks, according to Variety.
IMAX ticket sales for the film have topped $450 million, and the format is now playing at 39 locations worldwide, up from its initial rollout, purely because audiences keep coming back for repeat viewings.
That surge matters directly for Dune: Part Three.
It’s proof that mainstream audiences, not just film purists, are actively seeking out 70mm specifically, and theaters equipped for it are bracing for the same demand this December that Nolan’s film generated all summer.
How NYC’s 70mm option compares nationally
AMC Lincoln Square isn’t just rare in New York, it’s rare nationally.
Here’s how the format’s availability breaks down across the country:
- 25 theaters across the United States are equipped for native IMAX 70mm
- California leads with the most locations (9 theaters), followed by clusters in Texas, Colorado, and the Northeast
- New York State has just two: AMC Lincoln Square 13 in Manhattan and Cinemark Tinseltown in Rochester
- Beyond the US, the format is also confirmed at nine Canadian theaters, with additional 70mm screenings expected soon in London and Melbourne
For most of the Northeast, AMC Lincoln Square is the nearest option by a wide margin, which is exactly why seats for opening weekend moved so fast.
What you’re actually getting with 70mm
The format itself is the whole draw.
IMAX 70mm uses 15-perforation film to project a massive image at a 1.43:1 aspect ratio, taller and more immersive than a standard digital or even standard IMAX screening.
Villeneuve shot Dune: Part Three specifically for this format, meaning scenes framed for 70mm will appear cropped or altered on a normal screen.
The tradeoff is real: standard digital and regular IMAX showings still deliver the same story and performances, just without the full, uncropped scale IMAX 70mm was built for.
The story so far
Dune: Part Three continues Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s saga, picking up after Paul Atreides’ holy war and diving into the political fallout with the Bene Gesserit, the Tleilaxu, and his wife Irulan.
Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rebecca Ferguson, and Jason Momoa all return for the trilogy’s conclusion.
Getting tickets
Tickets for IMAX 70mm screenings, are already live and selling quickly if not already sold out for the first week, including the “Insider Screenings” which have officially all been purchased.
The best way to track availability is through IMAX’s official showtime finder, filtering specifically for the 70mm format at AMC Lincoln Square 13.
Given how fast the initial wave sold out in August, and the appetite Odyssey fans have already shown for repeat 70mm viewings, waiting isn’t really an option this time around.