It's official: $50 movie tickets are a thing

Friday marks the widespread release of the much-anticipated “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” which made $10 million in preview sales alone. And for people looking to splurge on a fancier movie-going experience (like Dolby Cinema or Laser at AMC), they can expect to pay, on average, about $18 a ticket.

But moviegoers looking a little further into the future might experience sticker shock, like Ben Fritz at the Wall Street Journal. While looking at IMAX 70mm tickets for the premiere of “Dune: Part Three,” he saw some tickets priced at $50.

"It turns out that people who go to the movies are a little bit like people who fly in airplanes,” said Fritz. “It's this the same basic experience, but some people are willing to pay more for something extra.”

Fritz spoke with “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal about the ticket prices and what they say about the state of film industry.

To listen, use the media player above.