San Diego Comic-Con is here, and while it means we get the latest updates on our favorite television and movie franchises, it's also about buying collectibles. Each booth on the main floor is stacked with great collectibles to take back home, and this includes AMC. The theater chain took one of its viral popcorn buckets to SDCC, and I'm shocked that it's already sold out.
While Comic-Con attendees may be discussing receiving free Wolverine popcorn buckets at the Deadpool & Wolverine screening, I saw a much more intriguing story walking the floor. AMC was offering a popcorn bucket at its booth, which was already gone by Thursday morning.
The Dune 2 Popcorn Bucket Sold Out Immediately At SDCC
I knew the Dune 2 popcorn bucket made waves on the internet, with some joking it resembled an NSFW item, but I was surprised to see it was completely sold out mere hours into San Diego Comic-Con's first official day. Remember, this movie came out in March, and that item made such an impact that collectors were ready to snatch it up when it hit the show floor. Check out this photo showing it's no longer available:
Perhaps it was Rebecca Ferguson's viral video of finding out you had to stick your hand into the popcorn bucket, or it could be the Dune 2 cast having the same reaction as others to its release. Whatever the case, the fact that collectors are quick to get them has me thinking that this item has officially forever etched itself into pop culture history.
The Age Of Themed Theater Popcorn Buckets Is Upon Us
If you haven't been tracking upcoming 2024 movies, Dune 2 isn't the only one trying to cash in on the popcorn bucket game. Aside from the Deadpool & Wolverine one mocking it, there are a couple of awesome Alien: Romulus buckets to get ahead of its release, and lest we forget that wild Despicable Me 4 souvenir cup.
It feels like we are very much in a new era that is also familiar to the big movie tie-ins of the '90s. I think back to getting a Casper puppet from Pizza Hut before seeing the movie, and doing the same with The Land Before Time. It seems like marketing teams have wised up and found a way to get kids right as they're walking in the theater, and who am I to disappoint my child minutes away from seeing a movie they're thrilled about?
It's a trend that I imagine won't last. At the same time, I love that we're getting it now, and it feels like none of it would have happened without the viral fame of the Dune 2 popcorn bucket. Perhaps collectors believe the same, and that's why they're stocking up for people decades down the road searching for one online like I am for a Casper puppet as we speak.
CinemaBlend continues to track all the latest and greatest updates from San Diego Comic-Con, so stick with us as we talk to creatives and actors about what's on the way in film and television. Who knows, we may even learn about a new popcorn bucket or two on the way.
