If you were one of the many people who went out to theaters this week to check out the critically acclaimed Dune: Part Two, you might have been one of the lucky few to score the movie's viral tie-in popcorn bucket. It's a novelty item that was meant to resemble one of the sci-fi franchise's famous giant sandworms but instead hilariously turned out looking like something far more NSFW. And it's that very naughtiness that has seemingly made the buckets super popular -- and pricey -- over on eBay.
Hearts.co analyzed eBay listings for AMC's Dune: Part Two popcorn buckets and found that resale of the promotional item was exploding online. One listing was priced at $138, a whopping 452% higher than its AMC Theaters retail price of $24.99. From the film's premiere date on March 1 through March 4, the average sale price of the resold collectible was at $64.36, per the data.
Given all of the hoopla around the sci-fi epic, it's no surprise that any of the tie-in merchandise related to the flick was going to be popular. However, the sheer virality of that popcorn bucket undoubtedly gave the item a boost. Neal Taparia, founder of Hearts.co, said:
Many people will be looking to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the movie, by stocking up on these collector’s buckets and then flipping them online for a profit.
However, if you did manage to score one of the popcorn containers from AMC and want to hawk in on the web, the company advises that waiting might actually be to your financial benefit:
For those who have little interest in pawning their collectible just yet, it may be worth holding onto it for now. It could further increase in value in the future, as more serious memorabilia collectors look to get their hands on one.
Dune: Part Two Review: Denis Villeneuve's Sci-Fi Epic Is Blockbuster Perfection
The powers that be are well aware of the curious design of the snack container and the raucous it caused over on social media. Director Denis Villeneuve and star Timothée Chalamet recently reacted to the buckets, adding to joking and slightly confused comments from the the rest of the Dune 2 cast. ("I'd rather starve," actor Josh Brolin hilariously said about the NSFW bucket.)
And we can totally understand the idea behind the saucy sandworm-inspired buckets. The extraterrestrial creatures are a signature part of the fictional universe, so much so that Denis Villeneuve reportedly spent an entire year making sure every single sandworm detail was just right. Fans were pretty pleased with our initial spooky sneak peek of the terrifying worms back in 2020, though we do still have questions about how exactly the Fremen dismount after riding them in Part Two.
Given that the Dune sequel is one of the biggest films on the 2024 movie schedule, one ould hedge that Warner Bros. is going to want to keep the action epic in theaters for as long as it can. So you'll, hopefully, have plenty of time to pick up one of those NSFW sandworm popcorn buckets at the cinemas and not have to fork over more than $100 bucks for that Fleshlight-looking curiosity.
