Movie theaters have always made a bulk of their buck off those eye-wateringly expensive concessions options, but their newest tactic is even more of a strain on the wallet.
For several years now, various movie theaters have leaned into the sale of collectable popcorn buckets to accompany big movie releases. We’ve seen $20 to $65 buckets — sometimes with additional add-ons — release alongside major blockbusters like Barbie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and The Flash, but Dune: Part II is giving all those buckets a run for their money.
The official popcorn bucket for the incoming sequel is… well, its certainly unique. It seemingly succeeds quite spectacularly at what it aimed to do, assuming it was trying to force theater-goers to reach through the maw of a Sandworm to reach their popcorn.
Its sure to be a singular experience for anyone who shells out the cash for the popcorn bucket — along with anyone unfortunate enough to be seated next to them. Its also sparking some major discourse online, with even some of the film’s stars — like Josh Brolin — weighing in.
Josh Brolin’s popcorn bucket beef
Josh Brolin — yes, the same Josh Brolin who portrays Gurney Halleck in the Dune franchise — is among the large sect of the Dune fandom who starkly reject the *creative* popcorn bucket. He noted, in a quote originally shared by Entertainment Tonight, that he’s never “sticking my hand in that.” Its a reasonable reaction, considering the bucket’s design, but it still took a fair few people off-guard. Adding that, if he saw someone at the theater enjoying the bucket he’d consider them “an idiot,” Brolin ensured his thoughts on the matter were nice and clear.
To be fair, the popcorn bucket has been broadly compared to some very inappropriate body parts, and its not hard to see why. The general look of the thing is… unappealing, and since it contains food we’re expected to consume, you can’t blame people for being a bit repulsed. There’s still bound to be plenty of interest in the popcorn bucket regardless of what Brolin thinks, but we’ll stand in support of his bucket boycott.