Why is AMC Theatres down today? ‘You’re now in line’ message flashes as queues for ‘The Odyssey’ grow on 2nd weekend

With the second weekend of Chropher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ upon us shortly, it seems many US theatres are not equipped to handle the incoming rush.People gather outside the AMC theatre at The Grove in Los Angeles, California, on January 20. (Representational) (REUTERS)On Thursday afternoon, as people sought to catch the movie before the weekend rush, the systems of the US’s largest multiplex chain, AMC Theatres, crashed. Thousands of viewers were left frustrated on Thursday afternoon as they tried to book tickets on the website and app on AMC Theatres.Initially, viewers reported receiving an error message while trying to log into the platform and book tickets. It was not just the Chropher Nolan blockbuster that was affected. Bookings for other films were also similarly affected.Frustrated Users Report Issues With AMC PlatformsIn the following hours, users are complaining that while the error message has disappeared, customers are being made to wait in a queue before the transaction could be completed confirming the booking. At times, the process is ending up taking over 45 minutes, users on X reported.On Down Detector, a platform where users report outages with platforms, more than 450 users have been reporting issues with AMC Theatres since 12:00pm EDT. As of 337 EDT, nearly 250 users are still reporting issues with AMC Theatre platforms.”Trying to buy Odyssey IMAX tickets and the app is just “error error error” every 5 f***** seconds when I try to pay,” wrote one frustrated user on X. “JUST LET ME SEE THE MOVIE ON A BIG SCREEN AMC Theatres TAKE MY MONEY.”“Both AMC Theatres and Fandango crashing AGAIN for THE ODYSSEY tickets is just crazy work…,” said another. “I can’t even book my tickets cause it freezes every time. Just keep getting the same error message over and over again.”The rush was evident as one Los Angeles resident shared a video from outside the AMC Theatres in Lincoln Square where The Odyssey is being screened on the 70mm IMAX format. The video showed a large queue outside the venue as hundred gathered despite it being a Thursday evening.Here’s the video:This story is being updated.