imaxxing.io: Automated Seat Alerts for 70mm IMAX Screenings of The Odyssey

imaxxing.io provides real-time monitoring for 70mm IMAX ticket availability

imaxxing.io is a tool designed to track 70mm IMAX screenings of The Odyssey across the United States and notify users when "good seats" become available. The project was developed by andrewtorkbaker in response to the extreme demand for the film, which saw 150,000 tickets sold on the first day of release.

High demand and ticket scarcity for The Odyssey

Securing tickets for 70mm IMAX screenings of The Odyssey has become a significant challenge due to limited screen availability and high consumer demand.

Ticket sales and availability

• Initial Surge: 150,000 tickets were purchased on the first day they went on sale.
• Screening Frequency: At high-demand venues like the Metreon, screenings are running nearly continuously. One reported schedule included showings starting at 3 AM, 7 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM, 7 PM, and 11 PM, with a 3.5-hour block per movie (including previews and cleanup).
• Capacity: Many of these screenings are reported to be essentially full, making automated monitoring necessary for those seeking remaining seats.

Technical challenges in ticket monitoring

Developers attempting to build similar monitoring tools have encountered significant technical hurdles, particularly regarding rate limiting and scraping frequency.

Rate limiting and scraping

One developer reported that checking ticket availability every 15 minutes was insufficient to capture seats as they open, yet increasing the frequency led to being rate-limited by Cloudflare. This suggests that ticket inventory for high-demand 70mm IMAX screenings fluctuates rapidly and is heavily protected by bot-mitigation services.

Global demand and regional limitations

While imaxxing.io currently focuses on the US, there is significant international interest in the film's 70mm IMAX presentation.

International interest

• UK/Europe: Users have requested expansions to England and Europe. In the UK, availability is extremely limited, with only three screens capable of showing the film in this format.
• Canada: There have been requests to add monitoring for Vancouver, BC.

Format distinctions

Users have noted distinctions between different high-end projection formats, specifically questioning the difference between "70mm dual projection" and "IMAX," highlighting the specific technical appeal of the 70mm IMAX format as a spectacle in its own right.