Oppenheimer rockets State Museum IMAX’s post-pandemic ticket sales
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Hundreds of thousands of Americans are heading back to the movie theaters this weekend for the highly anticipated same-day release of “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” — with many aiming to attend a double feature of the two films that couldn’t be more thematically different.
One of them is the Indiana State Museum’s IMAX Theatre, which has seen record ticket sales for “Oppenheimer” and is the theater’s highest-selling film post-pandemic. The three-hour film has already out-grossed the entire run of blockbusters like “Spiderman: No Way Home,” “Top Gun Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” at the museum by a wide margin, theater manager Neale Johantgen said.
For a movie that had not yet premiered on the big screen, the theater recorded six sellouts and several more on the edge. Around 14,000 tickets have been sold thus far, Johantgen said.
The screen is the largest in the state, and Indiana is one of the only states in the region with a theater of this kind, meaning thousands in and out of state are flocking to the venue for a one-of-a-kind viewing experience.
Mickey Shuey reported in this week’s edition of the Indianapolis Business Journal that the theater could make $100,000 of revenue based on an analysis of ticket prices and sold seats.
Johantgen talks about the film’s pre-release ticketing success, the screen’s lure and the factors creating building up the craze.
The theater is one of 19 in the nation and 30 in the world that can present the film the way director Christopher Nolan describes as “the best possible experience.” That’s because those venues can support 70mm film, inviting intricate details to be visible, and a 1.43:1 aspect ratio, which fills the six-story screen for an immersive experience.
Moviegoers will have a brighter, crisper, smoother and more detailed viewing experience with 70mm film, Johantgen said.
“It has a lot to do with how your brain processes the moving pictures on the screen, so putting something on film is a different experience,” Johantgen said comparing film and digital movies. “It’s stunning.”
Behind the scenes, theater staff are handling a reel so large that it can just fit in projectors and weighs 600 pounds. The reel also includes 11 miles of film.
“IMAX film releases don’t happen that often,” Johantgen said. “Let’s say, they happen once every four or five years; that pent-up demand creates situations like this.”
In addition to the film factor, Johantgen said the fact this is a Nolan film has also contributed to the demand. Nolan’s other films have elicited similar reactions, he said, like “Dunkirk,” “Interstellar” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” The “Barbenheimer” double feature is also another driver. People want to participate in the cultural moment the duel release of the movies has caused, he said.
The theater has already added two more showings for 10:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday, both nearly sold out already as of Thursday afternoon. That’s all they’ve added so far, Johantgen said, but are looking into the possibility of adding more. The theater is currently hosting 64 showings Thursday through Aug. 9.
“Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ is the movie event of the summer and it’s bringing film buffs from hundreds of miles away to the IMAX Theater in the Indiana State Museum,” said Jake Oakman, White River State Park executive director, in a statement. “As one of only 30 theaters in the world that can project the film the way Nolan wants us to see it —on IMAX 70mm film — we’re thrilled to roll out the red carpet and remind people why movies are meant to be seen on the big screen.”
Theaters like the IMAX have weathered the streaming, pandemic and industry downtrend pretty well, Johantgen said. Their business is steady, much like other premium theaters, he said, but a couple of popular releases a year certainly helps the bottom line.
“Oppenheimer might count as two or three big releases all on its own,” he said.
The Indianapolis IMAX is seeing people book plane tickets and plan road trips for a film occasionally, Johantgen said. People from places like Twin Cities and Pittsburgh have reached out to ask what’s playing next so they can plan a trip. Requests and questions of “what’s next” are constant, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported two instances of people from Wisconsin and North Carolina who are planning to travel to Indiana just to see the film at the downtown Indianapolis IMAX.
It’s also nice to see people want to go to the movies, said Alec Gray, marketing and communications director at White River State Park where the Indiana State Museum is located, since streaming has made it easier for people to stay home. However, the theater wants to capitalize on the experience of seeing a movie there, he said, and the huge screen and a sound system that shakes the room are a part of that. It also has free parking.
Guests will also notice little details at the theater dialing up the theme. For “Oppenheimer,” a Manhattan will be the special drink for sale, of course, as an ode to the Manhattan Project.
Though the IMAX can only screen one movie at a time, Johantgen said they are playing into the “Barbenheimer” double feature craze. A “Barbie” movie diorama will be set up in the lobby, and Johantgen said he’s excited to see how many patrons notice it’s there.
Tickets are $17 for children under 13 and $20 for adults and can be bought online.
The theater will also be accepting donations at the register for the Riley Children’s Foundation to support patient family support, mental health programming and clinical care.