The popcorn bucket is pictured at the world premiere of the “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert at AMC The Grove in Los Angeles on October 11, 2023.
Valerie Macon | AFP | Getty Images
For decades, popcorn has been a staple of the film theater experience and the bottom line for exhibitors. Now, the container it comes in becomes just as important.
Just three years ago AMC Entertainment Nothing is sold. Last year, it made the new popcorn bucket, drink sipper and T-shirt revenues of about $65 million.
AMC CEO Adam Aron said: “It started with our own movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which we released in October 2023, We only sold a large number of popcorn buckets. ” “This inspired us to do it almost all the time…just every month.”
Other theater chains Cinema,,,,, MarcusRegal and B&B Theatre also embraced popcorn buckets, using these professional items to drive franchise purchases, creating a sense of urgency to watch big movies on the weekends and add value to the theatrical experience.
“After building, we realized that the reality of films has never been more important than it is now,” said Paul Farnsworth, executive director of communications and content at B&B Theatre. “During that time, we realized that the biggest casualties in our industry were people just from Stand out of the habit of watching movies.”
Hollywood production issues result in less drama releases, and Ticket sales in 2024 are relatively small. Box office revenue fell 3.4% from 2023 to $8.74 billion. Farnsworth notes that the unique popcorn bucket can add value to customers’ movie trips and create memories of travel that can be taken home, which can support or reuse movie nights on display shelves.
“It’s very good for the bottom line,” he said. “For us, the biggest value is people coming in, these fun things they bring home, they’re taking photos with them in the theater. It’s very valuable.”
For Cinemark, the proof of concept is the “Scream VI” released in 2023.
Cinemark’s Ghostface Popcorn Bucket, from 2023’s “Scream VI”.
Cinema
“We made a ‘screaming’ popcorn bucket, which surprised us,” said Sean Gamble, CEO of Cinemark. “This thing was just this huge absorption. We sold the thing right away and then we Basically, they were sold to people online.”
Not just a cinema snack
Memorial popcorn buckets have long been part of theme park sales Disney and Common domestically and internationally. However, it was late for cinemas in the United States to adopt this trend.
Marketing and merchandising company Zinc has been designing and manufacturing branded popcorn buckets and beverage sippers internationally, but has attracted attention in 2016.
“Theater is silent because the cup is not suitable for the holder,” said Rod Mason, vice president of business development at Zinc Group.
Mason said there was a turnaround in 2019, which was the R2-D2 popcorn bucket created for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
“AMC pans it,” he explained. “They spent tens of thousands of pieces. They sold it at incredibly high prices in about three to four days.
The re-version of the Droid Popcorn Bucket was re-released to showcase the 25th anniversary of “Star Wars: Episode 1 – Phantom Threat.”
The popcorn bucket and drink cup combo cost $49.99.
However, nearly five years later, the real watershed for the niche market was the now-notorious popcorn bucket of “Dune: Part Two” released last March. The bucket is modeled from Sandworms in the movie, but inspired a rough comparison with adult products.
“The beauty of the ‘dune’ barrel is that it’s not meant to spread,” Mason said.
The $24.99 barrel sold out and found power in the secondary market. The popcorn buckets are sold on the reseller’s website for $50 to $210.
“The popularity of popcorn buckets on social media and the limited supply of popcorn buckets can lead to a feeling of “fear of missing out” among consumers forced to buy buckets when they see them available,” Disney Guide Lindsay Brookshier, content director at Mickeyvist.com, said.
The “Dune” bucket inspired “Deadpool & Wolverine” actor and producer Ryan Reynolds to design a cheeky popcorn bucket to release his movie.
“A few years from now on, they will look back on 2024, just like the beginning of the war in popcorn buckets,” Reynolds wrote on X to promote the franchise container, which should make people The shape is open like Wolverine’s head, opening its mouth for popcorn.
On July 25, 2024 in San Diego, California, I saw the “Deadpool & Wolverine” popcorn bucket on July 25, 2024 at 2024 International Comics International.
Matt Winkelmeyer | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
The $29.99 bucket is available exclusively on AMC and was released on the same weekend with the San Diego Comic Con and the “Deadpool & Wolverine” movie.
The upcoming more unique popcorn bucket
Studios and theaters are more active in working with companies like Zinc to create unique popcorn buckets for moviegoers.
“It’s a very competitive business,” Mason said. “Everyone is trying to go beyond, not just companies like ours, but buying it. Because there are a lot of eyes in this part of the business.”
Paramount’s “Gladiator II” Cinemark’s Colosseum-shaped popcorn bucket.
Now, the film industry will flood with a lot of records as production delays the pandemic and the double Hollywood strike.
After debuting on Friday’s “Captain America: The Brave New World,” the 2025 calendar features “Thunderbolts*,” “Mission: Impass: Impass: the Final Reckoning,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Jurassic World Rebirth, “Superman, “Superman,” “Fantasy Four: Step One,” “Evil: Good,” “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
In 2026, popcorn buckets and “Super Mario Bros” are also promising. Sequels, Avengers: The Apocalypse, Mandalorians and Grog, Toy Story 5, Super Girls: The Woman of Tomorrow, Minions 3, The Hunger Games: Sunrise in Harvest 》, Ice Age 6 and “Shrek 5.”
“We missed a couple,” said Farnsworth of B&B. “We don’t have that crazy ‘dunes’ kind. But it’s a hinge point for us. It’s like, ‘OK, we really have to pay attention ‘”
B&B is the fifth largest movie chain in the United States with 58 locations and still has to be very intentional about what it offers and how many products it buys. Movies like “Wicked” and merchandise-hungry movies are a safer bet. But the theater has a short window for sale of specialty items.
“With our regular popcorn bags are evergreen, and if you don’t sell them (products), you probably won’t sell them a month after the movie,” Farnsworth said.
At the same time, AMC investment is even greater.
“One of the important things we do in 2025 is that we are greatly increasing the number,” Allen said, noting that AMC has placed orders for 100,000 or more units. “We’re buying because we don’t need to sell out on the opening day. There are a lot of people watching the movie for weeks and weeks.”
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCuniversal and CNBC.
