Crazy Popcorn Buckets are Big Business for Movie Theaters

The Rise of the Popcorn Bucket: A New Era in Movie Theater Merchandise

For decades, popcorn has been a staple of the movie theater experience and exhibitors’ bottom lines. Now, the receptacle it comes in is becoming just as important.

As recently as three years ago, AMC Entertainment didn’t sell any merchandise. Last year it hawked novelty popcorn buckets, drink sippers, and T-shirts to the tune of about $65 million in revenue.

"It started with us in a big way with our own movie, ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,’ that we released in October of 2023 and we sold just an incredible number of popcorn buckets," said AMC CEO Adam Aron. "That sparked us to do it almost all the time … just literally every month."

Other theater chains like Cinemark, Marcus, Regal, and B&B Theatres have also embraced popcorn buckets, using these specialty items to drive concession purchases, create a sense of urgency to see big movies on opening weekend, and add value to the theatrical experience.

"Post-Covid, we realized that the eventizing of cinema has never really been as important as it is now," said Paul Farnsworth, executive director of communication and content at B&B Theatres. "We recognized during that time that the greatest casualty for our industry was people just fell out of the habit of going to movies."

Hollywood production issues led to fewer theatrical releases and smaller ticket sales in 2024, with box office receipts down 3.4% from 2023 to $8.74 billion. Farnsworth noted that unique popcorn buckets can add value to a customer’s trip to the movies and creates a memory of the trip that can be taken home, propped up on a display shelf or repurposed for movie nights in.

"It is very good for the bottom line," he said. "The big value for us is that people come in and there’s these fun things they get to take home and they’re taking pictures with them in the theater. There’s immense value in that."

Not Just a Movie Theater Snack

Commemorative popcorn buckets have long been a part of theme park merchandising, driving revenue for Disney and Universal both domestically and internationally. However, U.S.-based movie theaters were late to adopt the trend.

Marketing and merchandise company Zinc has been designing and manufacturing branded popcorn buckets and drink sippers for over a decade internationally, but turned its attention stateside in 2016.

"Theaters were reticent because the cups didn’t fit in the holders," said Rod Mason, vice president of business development at Zinc Group, one of the biggest players in the premium popcorn space.

A shift came in 2019 with an R2-D2 popcorn bucket created for "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," Mason said.

"AMC took a punt on it," he explained. "They took multiple tens of thousands of pieces. They sold through it in about three or four days at an incredibly high price. Nothing like that had ever been done before, and it was like ‘OK, well, this works.’"

A New Era of Popcorn Buckets

The true watershed moment for the niche market came nearly five years later with a now-infamous popcorn bucket in honor of "Dune: Part Two," released in March 2024. The bucket was modeled after the sandworms featured in the film but inspired crude comparisons to an adult product.

"The beauty of the ‘Dune’ bucket was it just wasn’t intended to be viral," Mason said.

The $24.99 bucket sold out and found momentum on secondary markets. Receipts from eBay show these popcorn buckets sold for between $50 and $210 apiece on the reseller site.

"The popularity of the popcorn buckets on social media combined with the perception of limited supply of the popcorn buckets leads to a feeling of ‘fear of missing out’ among consumers who are driven to buy the buckets when they see them available," said Lindsay Brookshier, content director at online Disney guide MickeyVist.com.

The "Dune" bucket inspired "Deadpool & Wolverine" star and producer Ryan Reynolds to design a cheeky popcorn bucket for the release of his film.

"Years from now they will look back at 2024 as when the War of the Popcorn Buckets began," Reynolds wrote on X to promote the concession container, which was shaped like Wolverine’s head with its mouth wide open to house the popcorn.

More Unique Popcorn Buckets to Come

Studios and theaters have been more proactive about working with companies like Zinc to create unique popcorn buckets for moviegoers.

"It’s a very competitive business," said Mason. "Everyone is trying to outdo, and not just the companies like us, but also the companies that are buying it. They’re trying to make sure that they have the coolest item … that competition has been magnified over the last 12 months because there’s so many eyes on this segment of the business."

Conclusion

The rise of the popcorn bucket is a game-changer for the movie theater industry, driving revenue and creating a memorable experience for moviegoers. With a new era of unique popcorn buckets on the horizon, fans of big movies will have even more opportunities to take home a piece of the cinematic experience.

FAQs

Q: What is the significance of popcorn buckets in the movie theater industry?
A: Popcorn buckets have become a significant source of revenue for movie theaters, driving concession sales and creating a memorable experience for moviegoers.

Q: How did the movie industry become interested in popcorn buckets?
A: The trend began with the release of R2-D2 popcorn bucket for "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in 2019, which sold out quickly and demonstrated the potential for these specialty items.

Q: What is the current state of the movie industry in terms of popcorn buckets?
A: The movie industry is experiencing a surge in the popularity of popcorn buckets, driven by the success of the "Dune" bucket and the increasing competition among studios and theaters to create unique and appealing products.

Q: What is the future of popcorn buckets in the movie industry?
A: The future of popcorn buckets is likely to be shaped by the competition among studios and theaters to create more unique and appealing products, as well as the ever-changing trends in consumer behavior and technology.