Ryan Reynolds, 47 revealed this week what is arguably the most anticipated and certainly coveted product tied to his upcoming film “Deadpool & Wolverine” : O popcorn bucket of the movie.
Supposedly designed by Deadpool himself, the bucket, modeled after Wolverine's face, features a large opening similar to the fast-healing mutant's gaping mouth, complete with the understated vulgar suggestion of a tongue (it's from the famously inappropriate Deadpool, after all).
In his social media post announcing the hyped item, Reynolds wrote: “Years from now, people will look back on 2024 as the year the Popcorn Bucket Wars began.”
What “war” could he be referring to and why the hype surrounding these movie snack containers, anyway? Popcorn buckets, in case you haven't noticed, are having a big moment — although they are also popular in Brazil, the items tend to be different from those sold in American cinemas.
The first round of the 2024 bucket battles, it could be argued, was won in March by a bucket of popcorn from “Dune: Part Two” so strange that it generated a skit from Saturday Night Live .
The appeal of these buckets — also called “concession vessels” or even “collectible concession vehicles” to include specialty beverage containers and the like — is broad, appealing to both seasoned collectors and casual movie fans alike.
“Seeing an item from my favorite characters attracts me,” collector Shahji Adam said in an email to CNN. Adam, who also collects other pop culture products like Funko Pop dolls, described his love of popcorn buckets as “fun nostalgia” for items that help him remember the feeling of watching a specific movie for the first time.
A brief history of the bucket
Branded popcorn buckets began appearing in the 1990s at Disney theme parks before making their way to theaters in marketing campaigns.
Nels Storm, AMC's vice president of food and beverage strategy and merchandise team leader, points to 2019 as a turning point in the novelty concession ship's evolution.
“We've experimented with film-branded versions of plastic popcorn containers and beverage containers for years. The real beginning of the current program began in 2019 when we introduced the R2-D2 container to the moviegoing public,” said Storm, referring to the famous android-shaped popcorn containers that appeared in support of “Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalker” from that year.
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Noting how R2-D2 buckets sold out at AMC stores across the country on opening night, Storm added that “it was clear there was greater potential in this space.”
Since then, other popcorn buckets in demand include the Ghostbusters Ecto-1 car, Thor's hammer Mjölnir, Dominic Toretto's Charger, the Wonka hat and a Barbie car, Storm said.
AMC even recently brought back the R2-D2 popcorn bucket for this year's May Fourth, known as Star Wars Day, in support of the re-release of “Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace.” This bucket is Adam's favorite, as seen on his TikTok. “It's gigantic and I love that R2's head is where you put the drink and the body is for the popcorn!” he said.
Popcorn buckets become hard-to-find items
Roland Romero, a popcorn bucket devotee with a YouTube playlist of his impressive collection, noted that the containers are globally popular and not always easy to obtain. Some movie theater chains may be out of the region or make items available for a limited time, Romero said.
“The only trick is that for almost all of these collectibles, visitors looking to get the latest will want to make sure they are seeing the movie on opening weekend and, in many cases, opening night,” noted Storm.
He added that the R2-D2 buckets were sold out both times they were made available to the public and that the Ecto-1 popcorn container was “missing from theaters during the early hours” of “Ghostbusters Afterlife” opening night in November 2021.
What's next in this 'war' of buckets
Movie theater chains are eager to entice audiences to come and eat popcorn in the theater instead of on their couches at home, which means more cheeky snack holders to come.
“The sky’s the limit” with what things can do, Storm said, adding that AMC is “always pushing boundaries” to make going to the movies a fun and worthwhile event.
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And if you thought reaching into the giant mouth of an Arrakis sandworm was gross, wait until other horror-related merchandise arrives.
Adam said that as a fan of horror films, he is excited about the “Alien: Romulus” bucket, which is said to be in the shape of a Xenomorph — or the extremely dangerous and disgusting alien with two mouths and blood acid in the center. of this historic franchise. Be warned. The battle continues.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
