The popcorn bucket craze that swept the movie industry in 2024 has continued this year, with a new wave of creative (and some not-so-creative) designs making an appearance at theaters worldwide. While the excitement around these novelty items has never wavered, it's starting to feel like the market is saturated with gimmicks.
The popcorn bucket as a marketing tool peaked back in 2024 with the release of Dune: Part Two, which unleashed its viral sandworm into unsuspecting fans. The idea was brilliant – who wouldn't want to grab buttery goodness from inside a mysterious hole? But, like any trend, it eventually wore off, and things took a nosedive.
This year, some studios have tried to recapture the magic by unleashing their own unique popcorn bucket designs for major releases. Unfortunately, not all of them were successful. The Thunderbolts bucket, for example, was met with widespread indifference – who are these heroes that we want concession stand merch of in the first place? The same question can be applied to other recent releases like Wicked and Disney's Zootopia 2.
However, some have managed to strike a chord. The Fantastic Four: First Steps bucket, adorned with Galactus' enormous head, is an absolute showstopper – it's almost as if the designers took a deep breath and said, "You know what would be cool? If this bucket was a trophy!" Similarly, DC's Superman has opted for more practical yet fun options like a Daily Planet newspaper rack.
As we approach the end of 2025, there's still hope that some of these popcorn buckets will manage to capture the imagination of fans and critics alike. Disney's tie-ins for Zootopia 2 have already shown promise, with the Gary de Snake-wrapped bucket being an absolute winner – who wouldn't want a piece of their favorite movie character?
But, alas, not everyone has been successful. The recent Banshee bucket at Regal Theaters feels like a missed opportunity, and we can only hope that Avatar's next installment will rise to the challenge. Will the Naa'vi tails be the key to unlocking another inspired popcorn bucket design? Only time (and the holiday season) will tell.
As the industry continues to navigate this sea of novelty items, one thing is clear: it's time to take a step back and assess whether these gimmicks are truly worth the hype. Will we emerge with more clever designs or simply succumb to the allure of novelty?
The popcorn bucket as a marketing tool peaked back in 2024 with the release of Dune: Part Two, which unleashed its viral sandworm into unsuspecting fans. The idea was brilliant – who wouldn't want to grab buttery goodness from inside a mysterious hole? But, like any trend, it eventually wore off, and things took a nosedive.
This year, some studios have tried to recapture the magic by unleashing their own unique popcorn bucket designs for major releases. Unfortunately, not all of them were successful. The Thunderbolts bucket, for example, was met with widespread indifference – who are these heroes that we want concession stand merch of in the first place? The same question can be applied to other recent releases like Wicked and Disney's Zootopia 2.
However, some have managed to strike a chord. The Fantastic Four: First Steps bucket, adorned with Galactus' enormous head, is an absolute showstopper – it's almost as if the designers took a deep breath and said, "You know what would be cool? If this bucket was a trophy!" Similarly, DC's Superman has opted for more practical yet fun options like a Daily Planet newspaper rack.
As we approach the end of 2025, there's still hope that some of these popcorn buckets will manage to capture the imagination of fans and critics alike. Disney's tie-ins for Zootopia 2 have already shown promise, with the Gary de Snake-wrapped bucket being an absolute winner – who wouldn't want a piece of their favorite movie character?
But, alas, not everyone has been successful. The recent Banshee bucket at Regal Theaters feels like a missed opportunity, and we can only hope that Avatar's next installment will rise to the challenge. Will the Naa'vi tails be the key to unlocking another inspired popcorn bucket design? Only time (and the holiday season) will tell.
As the industry continues to navigate this sea of novelty items, one thing is clear: it's time to take a step back and assess whether these gimmicks are truly worth the hype. Will we emerge with more clever designs or simply succumb to the allure of novelty?
. I'm all for some creativity, but when it gets to the point where they're trying to sell you a bucket that looks like the villain from Dune... I'm good. But on the other hand, Galactus' head on the Fantastic Four bucket is straight fire 
! And Gary the snake from Zootopia 2? That's just genius 
. Maybe it's time to take some of those creative juices and put them into something that's actually worth munching on 
. Can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings... or if I'll be stuck with a bucket that looks like a reject from a bad sci-fi movie 
.
every other movie comes out with a sick design but honestly which ones are we even buying these for again? are we just impulse buyers or is there actually some thought put into them? i mean, the thunderbolts one was straight up confusing and who are those guys even supposed to be our movie merch targets 
meanwhile they get it right with superman and disney's zootopia 2 designs that make sense for once 
There's something so fun about grabbing a snack from your favorite movie on screen. And yeah, some of the designs this year have been pretty underwhelming... who's Thor in the Thunderbolts bucket? 
And Avatar's Naa'vi tails might just be the key to unlocking another epic design... we'll see what happens.
. Remember when they used to be just, like, buckets for popcorn? Now it's all about the design and the marketing hype. I mean, I got the Fantastic Four bucket as a gift from my niece last year 
, but even that felt like more of a novelty than a genuine fan item.
they're like a never ending cycle of "oh cool, new design!" but honestly some of them are so extra 
It's genius! So, let's not be too hard on the ones that didn't quite hit the mark 
. Maybe next year'll see some even more creative (and awesome) designs 
These popcorn buckets have been all over the place lately, right? I mean, some of them are straight fire 
. And honestly, who wouldn't want a Gary from Zootopia bucket? That snake wrapped around it is everything 
. And omg, that Gary de Snake-wrapped bucket from Zootopia 2 is EVERYTHING 
. And hey, even if some designs don't quite hit the mark, it's always good to have something new and exciting to look forward to.
. Fingers crossed!
i mean, who needs some weird design on their concession stand when there are more pressing things to worry about? is the experience of eating popcorn really worth getting your hopes up for some fancy bucket? 
. Fingers crossed we get some more winners like that rather than the...um, less successful ones 
.
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i mean what happened to the dune bucket tho, that was genius 
and now its like they're just trying to cash in on the hype without putting any real thought into it. and dont even get me started on the thunderbolts one lol who are these heroes anyway? 
The Gary de Snake-wrapped Zootopia 2 bucket is a great one too. I'm all for some creative concession stand merch.
. Maybe we need to take a step back and think about what really makes these designs worth it... or are they just here for the hype? 
and omg disney's zootopia 2 bucks are fire 
cant wait to get my hands on that gary de snake-wrapped bucket!!! 
fingers crossed naa'vi tails will bring some magic to avatar 2 tho!!! 
And I love how Disney went for something practical yet fun with Superman. It just goes to show you don't have to break the bank to create a great design.