Moviegoer on drunken rampage in cinema showing The Odyssey arrested after bursting into crowded auditorium looking for his vape

Published: 16:19, 26 July 2026 | Updated: 16:19, 26 July 2026 A drunken moviegoer went on a wild rampage at a Florida cinema showing The Odyssey, bursting into an auditorium as he searched for his missing vape, deputies said. Nickolas Vanderplate, 21, allegedly ran screaming in front of a screen at Regal Royal Palm Beach, which was showing Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey that night, before ripping an emergency exit door from its hinges on Wednesday, July 22. The Loxahatchee man then tried to climb a tree, scaled a chain-link fence and hid on the roof of a neighboring building, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. The chaos began near the cinema bar, where staff said Vanderplate appeared heavily intoxicated and struggled to remain standing, CBS 12 reported. He leaned on another customer for support, knocked over the moviegoer's drink and slurred his words, according to staff. The situation spiraled out of control when theater managers approached Vanderplate and attempted to help him. Vanderplate bolted across the lobby, slipped and crashed into a wall before charging into auditorium two. He ran in front of the screen and began screaming as he frantically searched for his vape, staff told investigators. Nickolas Vanderplate, 21, was arrested after allegedly causing chaos inside a Florida movie theater while searching for his missing vape Vanderplate allegedly ripped an emergency exit door from its hinges at Regal Royal Palm Beach, causing approximately $2,000 in damage Vanderplate then raced out of the auditorium and slammed into a locked emergency exit at full speed, according to deputies. The impact ripped the door from its hinges and broke it away from the frame. Theater management estimated that replacing the destroyed door would cost approximately $2,000. Vanderplate fled the cinema and attempted to climb a tree before scaling a nearby chain-link fence, deputies said. He then climbed onto the roof of a neighboring building in an apparent effort to hide. Deputies found Vanderplate on the building, and cinema employees identified him as the man responsible for the disturbance. The highly anticipated adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic opened in theaters on July 17 and earned a staggering $264.1 million worldwide during its first weekend. The $250 million production stars Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron. Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey was among the movies being screened at the Regal Royal Palm Beach theater The $250 million production stars Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron Nolan’s first movie since his Oscar-winning Oppenheimer follows Odysseus on his treacherous journey home after the Trojan War. The movie earned $124.5 million in the US and Canada alone, delivering Nolan’s strongest global opening since The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. Vanderplate was taken into custody and transported to Palms West Hospital for medical clearance because of his level of intoxication and the falls he suffered during the rampage. He was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail after being discharged from the hospital. Vanderplate was charged with criminal mischief causing more than $1,000 in property damage. Daily Mail has reached out to Regal Cinemas and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for comment.