‘The ‘Dune’ bucket is unmatchable’: Denis Villeneuve fires shots at ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ as the war between the 2024 blockbusters begins

2024 might be an election year, but the battle for the White House has nothing on one of the greatest, and most ridiculous, feuds ever to take place in a movie theatre.

Dune director Dennis Villeneuve might as well have declared open war on Ryan Reynolds and his highly-anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine after casually dismissing one of the best popcorn buckets ever made.

For anyone not in the know, this year has delivered some truly amazing movie tie-ins. Barbie came with a slick convertible, while Garfield delivered a classic kitty collectible. It was all fun and games until Dune: Part 2  went and made things weird with a slightly suggestive Shai-Hulud, aka sandworm, maw to hold the buttery snack. The simple bucket is incredibly detailed, and looks like… well, a worm. It’s reaching the popcorn that makes the cup so suggestive — to nab a bite, snackers have to plunge their hand into the worm’s gaping cavity, a hole that stretches to the middle of your forearm.

Mirroring the dirty details of Dune’s masterful collectible, Wolfie’s mouth holds the buttery snack in Deadpool & Wolverine‘s popcorn bucket. It’s hard to say which critter would be more dangerous to stick your hand in, but we’re betting Wolverine would be just as likely to chomp those fingers right off. The tie-in vessel is wildly NSFW and filmed with enough innuendo that we’d be reticent to have Grandma in the room when it came on.

Despite the Deadpool-approved levels of deeply suggestive footage that left viewers uncomfortably hot, Villeneuve is completely unbothered. When asked if he knew that Ryan Reynolds had declared a popcorn bucket war, the director said,

“They are tremendously jealous of our bucket. And they are doing their best to bring something horrific to the world, but the Dune bucket is unmatchable.”

When pressed, he made sure to say that he did like Deadpool & Wolverine’s attempt at Dune 2‘s bucket crown, but in the director’s own words, Dune’s unnerving and gapping sandworm is, “one of a kind.”

As much as we love the attempt and respect the shots fired, we’ve got to agree. There is something so effortlessly naughty about that rearing, toothy sandworm. And while we can all agree that we’d jump at the chance to do something dirty with Hugh Jackman in any form, it takes some powerful suggestion to consider Shai-Hulud the pinnacle of sexy.

And yet… here we are.