Here's how movie popcorn buckets became the hottest new collectible
Gone are the days of munching on popcorn from a basic paper tub. Today, moviegoers are eating out of R2-D2, Shrek's outhouse and even a sandworm from planet Arrakis.
Nearly every blockbuster release is promoted with at least one popcorn bucket looking to show up the ones that came before. For many, the trend began with the "Dune Part Two" sandworm bucket released in 2024. The popcorn pail, topped with a replica of the giant sandworms of planet Arrakis, made customers reach their hands through the sandworm's teeth to dish out popcorn from inside. The bucket quickly went viral for its not-safe-for-work suggestiveness.
Since the sandworm, several other buckets have gone viral, many for suggestive designs. Months after "Dune Part Two," Ryan Reynolds collaborated with AMC to release a meme-worthy popcorn bucket for the release of "Deadpool and Wolverine." Shaped like Wolverine's head, the bucket features a gaping wide mouth to hold popcorn.
"Years from now they will look back at 2024 as the year the War of the Popcorn Buckets began," Reynolds said while promoting the bucket.
Other popular popcorn buckets released in recent years include the $80 LED Galactus bucket for "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" and $20 swappable popcorn bucket and cup for "Freakier Friday," both released in July 2025; the $45 Alamo Drafthouse Cinema exclusive Godzilla head bucket that sold out in December 2025, and the $40 bright red handbag for "The Devil Wears Prada 2" in May.
Buckets can go for even more on the second-hand market. Originally sold by AMC Theatres for $25, the "Dune Part Two" bucket is listed for up to $185 on sites like eBay.
While theaters often institute purchasing limits, buckets are still poached in bulk and resold online. When purchased on the AMC website, the newly sold-out "Toy Story 5" Buzz Lightyear Space Ship Popcorn Bucket was $47. Customers were limited to three buckets per order. But on eBay, the bucket is selling for $65 to $110.
How are these buckets made, and do the high-priced collectibles really bring in money? USA TODAY spoke with a collector, theater companies and manufacturers to get the scoop on the popcorn bucket evolution.
Why are popcorn buckets having a moment?
The virality of collectible popcorn buckets is driven by fandom and business strategy.
"They are the physical manifestation of a memory. These are the concert T-shirts of moviegoing," AMC Theatres Vice President of Food and Beverage Product Strategy Nels Storm told USA TODAY.
In recent years, he said, popcorn buckets have also become a part of many moviegoers' premiere weekend routines – snagging tickets to the latest release and purchasing their favorite merchandise that pairs with it.
Jonathan Jovel, a Star Wars content creator known online as The Jedi Collector, said he believes popcorn buckets are having a moment because they appeal to a vast community of collectors and folks who just want to be a part of something trendy.
As a collector, Jovel said the most he has spent on popcorn buckets for one movie was nearly $200 for "The Mandalorian and Grogu." Between movie theaters and Disneyland, he spent $75 on Regal's popcorn bucket, $40 for a Grogu bucket, $30 for a square tin box and keychain set and $30 for Disneyland's BDX Droid bucket.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema CMO Chaya Rosenthal told USA TODAY the theater chain initially believed popcorn buckets were merely a fad. Since 2004, Alamo has sold exclusive movie-centric merchandise through its pop culture boutique Mondo, now owned by Funko. But as the buckets continued to be popular, Alamo decided to hop on the bandwagon.
Rosenthal said Alamo has specifically seen success when releasing popcorn buckets for anniversary titles. When consumers can stream at home, limited-edition merchandise helps bring people into the theater.
Rosenthal said in addition to the sentimental value popcorn buckets provide to fans, theater companies may be eager to hop on the trend because of intellectual property (IP) licensing. Categorizing merchandise under the umbrella of "concessions" often provides theaters with easier access to distinguished IP, she said.
"Depending on each studio and IP holder, (concessions) give you a different consumer products category," she said. "When you start saying it's a vessel for concession, it allows some studios to give you access to that IP that may have been a little more challenging if you were to say you are going into consumer products and creating a figurine."
While a product like an action figure relies on long-term licensing and investments for mass marketing, concessions relies on rapid, short-term licensing. Theaters are provided a limited window to market and sell a product like a popcorn bucket.
How long does it take to develop a popcorn bucket?
From initial sketches to product in customer hands, the development process can take anywhere from 4 to 12 months.
Conversations about AMC's "Toy Story 5" Buzz Lightyear Space Ship Popcorn Bucket began in June 2025, a year before the film's release, Storm said.
"The process begins with a conversation around who has the license for the title. We work with several different manufacturers and they reach out to the studios, gather licenses, then come to us and say, 'Hey, we've got the license for this film, let's talk about vessels,'" Storm said.
Manufacturers then work on product ideation, which could take four to five months for a year-long project. Storm said manufacturers and theater companies are often provided a "sneak peek" of film plot points to get a good idea of what merchandise could be successful.
During this process, ensuring pivotal plot points, characters and iconography don't leak is crucial for all involved.
Bill Howard, CEO of Snap Creative, a manufacturer that works with theater chains like AMC, Regal and Cinemark, said there have been instances when he's been asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in order to read a movie script in advance to develop the best merchandise.
In the case of "Toy Story 5," AMC and the manufacturer had to get a greenlight from Disney before the Buzz Lightyear popcorn bucket could be created, which is common when working with bigger studios, Storm said.
The manufacturer then finalizes tooling – designing and manufacturing the parts of a popcorn bucket – before the product is shipped to theater companies, marketed to fans and, eventually, sold online and in theaters.
"It's innovative every time," Storm said. "Every time we develop a new vessel, it's the first time it's been developed, which is a lot to think about when you have to come up with tooling each time and the way to paint it and the way to package it and the way to ship it."
Do popcorn buckets really make theater companies money?
Yes, elaborate popcorn buckets are making theater companies money, though how much appears to vary.
Over the past few years, AMC has witnessed a steady growth in its collectible merchandise, which includes all marketed products, not just popcorn buckets. In 2023, AMC collectible merchandise grossed $54 million in the United States, and in 2025, collectible merchandise made the company nearly $80 million globally, Storm said. AMC was unable to provide a specific figure for collectible merchandise profit in the United States alone for 2025. Looking ahead, Storm said AMC expects to bring in more than $100 million globally for collectible merchandise.
Theater companies also appear to be charging more per bucket, probably due to the pails becoming more elaborate. While the "Dune Part Two" sandworm bucket was $25, AMC's "Toy Story 5" Buzz Lightyear bucket was $47. Though the former caught the eyes of the internet, it was a pretty basic design. The "Toy Story" bucket, on the other hand, features a removable Buzz Lightyear figurine, and Regal's $75 "The Mandalorian and Grogu" bucket offered even more, with both music and light elements.
For reference in pricing, a standard large popcorn at AMC can cost around $11, according to the AMC website when placing an express pickup order.
Rosenthal said that at Alamo, unlike AMC, popcorn buckets aren't "game-changing profitable."
"It is helpful from a revenue standpoint, but it's not noticeable when you're talking about ... the financial statement of a theater," she said. "It's not a big shocking number by any means."
Where both theater companies agree? Storm and Rosenthal said anecdotally, popcorn buckets appear to be getting more patrons out to the theater, though neither had concrete figures to share on how the collectibles have affected theater attendance, which has been on the decline since the COVID-19 pandemic and increased accessibility to streaming platforms.
Though many buckets are a hit, Storm said there is the risk when planning a product so far in advance that it won't be a success with consumers. Sometimes the risk doesn't pay off.
Jovel said when he went to watch "Toy Story 5" at his local Regal on June 19, the merchandise shelves were full of extra "Masters of the Universe" and BTS World Tour "ARIRANG" popcorn buckets. He said the lobby of a theater can sometimes21 feel like a "graveyard" for unwanted merchandise.
What popcorn buckets are on the horizon?
With more blockbuster films on the way, the war of over-the-top popcorn buckets doesn't appear to be stopping anytime soon.
The most recently viral collectible was Cinemark's popcorn bucket and drink cup for "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which hits theaters on July 31. The combo container features Spider-Man's iconic hand gesture with his web-shooter coming from the wrist. But some fans think the translucent design looks less like webbing and more like a not-safe-for-work liquid.
AMC's IMAX camera-shaped popcorn bucket for the release of Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has also garnered traction, with the director himself impressed by the design. Available for $50 before it sold out, the bucket features a light-up viewfinder with stills from the movie.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Unlimited Use: Here's how movie popcorn buckets became the hottest new collectible
Reporting by Greta Cross, USA TODAY / USA TODAY Unlimited Use
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This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 12:46 PM.