I've longed for a return to the days of '90s movie marketing, where it seemed every big movie had some sort of commemorative merchandising tie-in with the release. It seems those days are finally back, and we have Dune 2's sexually suggestive popcorn bucket to thank for it. Despicable Me 4 is the latest movie to get weird with a food container, and I'm dead serious when I say I'm here for this new era of cinema.
Don't worry, the kid's movie didn't do nearly anything as suggestive as Deadpool's wild popcorn bucket, and while Despicable Me 4 does have its own popcorn bucket on the way, that's not what has me in tears laughing this morning. I happened upon a viral TikTok from @CelineCardina, which features a look at the drink container available for purchase tied to the kid's movie. It's too ridiculous for words, so just take a look below:
@celinecardena ♬ original sound - celinecardena
For those prepping with their kids and watching the Despicable Me movies in order to prepare for the fourth movie, could there be any more perfect gift? I can't say that I ever wanted to drink from the head of a cone-headed superpowered Minion, but I know that if my young daughter saw it for sale while waiting in line for her snacks, it would be the only dream that she'd ever had in life.
Apparently, these are only going to be for sale at Cinemark theaters, so if you're someone who loves wacky merchandise and the Marvelous twist to the Minions in Despicable Me 4, now would be a time to find a theater. With that said, it seems like this will be a hot item that flies off the shelves quickly, as the video of the drink holder amassed over a million likes in just a day on TikTok. Whether it's out of genuine interest or irony, lots of people are interested in this cup.
As mentioned, movie merchandising gimmicks like this were my jam as a kid. I had the Burger King Disney cups in my kitchen as a kid, the glow-in-the-dark Casper puppet from the Pizza Hut collaboration, and countless other items I've since lost. Honestly, the fact I'm feeling so nostalgic for these things makes me want to purchase them for my own child, even though a Minion drink holder isn't exactly the most practical thing to own.
Plus, I'm going to see Despicable Me 4 in theaters anyway because it's one of the best kids' films to take a child to at the moment. For all the flak the Minions get for being annoying and the takes from adults that Disney movies are vastly superior, these are legitimately fun films that, at times, have caught my kid's attention more than some of the allegedly more high-brow Disney offerings.
Despicable Me 4 hits theaters on Wednesday, July 3rd. This makes for excellent viewing just ahead of the fireworks fun on the Fourth of July, so I have to wonder if Inside Out 2 will continue to crush at the box office upon its arrival.
