As a frequent moviegoer and connoisseur of all things popcorn-related, I must say that the evolution of popcorn buckets has taken me by surprise. From sandworms to Hugh Jackman’s mouth, it seems like studios are pulling out all the stops to make these containers more outrageous than the last.
When the creative advertising machine behind “The Boys” kicks into gear, it’s anyone’s guess what sort of eye-popping and cringe-worthy marketing stunts they might come up with. However, for the fourth season of their R-rated superhero series, Amazon took a bold approach (try not to chuckle) by offering “The Boys” themed popcorn buckets.
Individuals accustomed to the raw and brutally violent universe created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, brought to life on screen by Eric Kripke, are no strangers to the show’s mix of graphic violence, dark humor, and adult language. So, it’s not surprising that when the popcorn bucket for Season 4 of “The Boys” honored one of its less frequently seen yet significant characters, The Love Sausage, it followed suit with the show’s distinctive theme. And indeed, dear reader, if you remember Mother Milk’s (Laz Alonso) encounter with the superhero endowed with an oversized member, you can imagine what tribute was paid to The Love Sausage.
Although a promotional item was unveiled on “The Boys” Instagram account, it hasn’t been produced yet, which is somewhat relieving. The popcorn bucket would have been quite ordinary if not for the large figure jutting out from its top, making it an allusion to the urban legend of cutting a hole in a popcorn bucket and turning it upside down (in a suggestive manner). As anticipated, the internet reacted with surprise and admiration upon seeing this.
Fans weren’t prepared for The Boys popcorn bucket
Fans of “The Boys” swiftly responded in large numbers (approximately 210,000 likes! You all are quite the pack!) upon hearing the news about the fictional product. Many viewers seemed taken aback by the concept art, with some expressing disbelief and others questioning its legality. @inkboxdpacks voiced their frustration with a post that read, “Why did I swipe right!” while @livedenight questioned, “Is this even allowed to be sold?” Although it may depend on the specific stores you visit, these concerns were understandable given the unique nature of the product.
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Eric Kripke, the showrunner, joined in on the excitement by saying, “Sweet and salty!” This comment sparked laughter from @nateo200 who replied, “I’m loving it so much, can’t help but laugh!” Unfortunately, some viewers were not as fortunate, with @code.de.peel admitting they opened this at work, which might have been a bit awkward. Oops!
How did it come to pass, friends, that we transformed a practical storage vessel for a delightful, traditional junk food into an item one might secret away on the highest shelf in the kitchen? It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when this happened, but we suspect it was sparked by Lisan Al-Gaib, or Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet), and his sandworm bucket, which seemingly planted the same grisly idea into many minds. An idea that, once conceived, seems impossible to undo.
Dune: Part Two set a trend of absolute filth
In January 2024, efforts for the eagerly awaited sci-fi sequel “Dune: Part Two” resulted in a unique sandworm-shaped popcorn bucket with one of the Shai-Hulud’s heads on top. It didn’t take long for this promotional item to catch X’s (formerly Twitter) eye, sparking ideas that were as gritty as a desert sandstorm. This attention quickly spread, giving the film even more unintentional yet effective publicity in the days leading up to and during its premiere week.
During media interviews while talking about their exciting journey to Arrakis for Dune: Part Two, the cast unexpectedly encountered the notorious bucket on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The response from the cast was clearly one of disgust.
As I was presented with a handful of popcorn from the bucket, Zendaya graciously declined, saying she was content. On the other hand, Florence Pugh showed her disapproval, exclaiming, “That’s not acceptable! Who made this? This is wrong.” Ever the brave soul, Timothee Chalamet dared to touch the memento, even sticking his hand in, which only served to highlight its inconvenient design as he struggled to remove it. Despite its questionable quality, the distinctive trinket inspired other potential blockbusters to adopt a similar style. (As a fan, I can’t help but wonder what the popcorn bucket of the future might look like!)
The creators of the Dune bucket didn’t realise what they’d made
While themed popcorn buckets are nothing new, other studios and marketing companies caught wind of the public questioning whether a tub really was just for popcorn and jumped on the trend. Like “Barbenheimer” becoming the big thing of 2023, unique and bizarre popcorn containers are a major 2024 trend. The likes of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Inside Out 2,” and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” have all attempted to catch lightning in a bucket, though none have been as successful as “Dune.” Alas, the competition just couldn’t compete. To be fair, though, even the sandworm bucket’s designers admitted they didn’t anticipate it becoming so unstoppably popular.
In an interview with Slate, Rod Mason, vice-president of business development at Zinc, and global creative director Marcus Gonzalez were taken aback when their casual concept transformed into a movie monster. The idea garnered such popularity that it was featured in a skit on “Saturday Night Live”. Mason recalled, “Funnily enough, even before the ‘SNL’ sketch aired, my son, who was 26 at the time, asked me, ‘Hey Dad, did you make the Dune bucket?’ I replied, ‘Not yet, it hasn’t been released.’ He suggested I check Twitter.” Mason was astounded when he witnessed his creation gaining momentum. “Apparently someone leaked it, and it started on Reddit first, then Twitter, and that was the beginning of its fame.
Some controversial popcorn buckets pushed things too far
Despite their efforts, studios continue to find unique ways to serve popcorn, such as using unconventional containers. But imagine this: instead of a fancy sandworm lid for your hand, consider Hugh Jackman’s mouth! For the premiere of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” they introduced a promotional popcorn container shaped like Wolverine’s head. The open mouth served as the place to retrieve the popcorn, providing an unusual experience as you chuckled at the film’s costumed antics in the cinema.
Fortunately, the resemblance to Hugh Jackman wasn’t too close, with the Wolverine-shaped void appearing more like a uniquely themed emoji than the cherished Australian actor. It may not have surpassed the world’s sexified sandworm, but the potentially contentious issue could be the varying prices of other popcorn containers, used for movie marketing, that were also introduced.
For instance, “Barbie” moviegoers might pay as much as $64 for a special popcorn holder shaped like a dream car at AMC Theatres. This is actually more expensive than buying a Barbie Chelsea Dreamhouse from Walmart. Now, we enjoyed the film just as much as everyone else, but spending that amount seems excessive to us. Even though these and other collectibles sold out quickly, it’s questionable whether such high prices can be sustained over time. What could the future of going to the movies look like when they offer items like these for sale at the concession stand?
What’s next for popcorn buckets?
The question many are asking as they carefully extract popcorn debris from their teeth with their tongue might be something like: is the popularity of this trend going to diminish anytime soon? In truth, it appears that it won’t. These promotional popcorn buckets have been a staple in movie theaters long before someone came up with the idea of attaching bristles to one like a Dyson vacuum cleaner. A quick look through Reddit shows that some enthusiasts are trying to figure out leaked designs for a bucket related to “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” wondering if one side will depict Shadow the Hedgehog or not (the critical matters). At the same time, Cinemark has announced plans to release a Christmas-themed popcorn bucket in the shape of Art the Clown’s head from “Terrifier 3,” allowing you to ponder his thoughts before he dismembers you.
Is there another groundbreaking piece of gear expected soon that might surpass the sandworm from “Dune: Part Two”? The bucket from “The Boys” was merely a joke, so don’t expect to find it at your local cinema. However, even without the possibility of encountering such a bucket in future films, there are plenty of other exciting releases scheduled for 2024 that hint at the potential future direction of filmmaking.
1) Could we possibly find a Colosseum-style container for our ideal cinema snack when “Gladiator 2” hits theaters in November? Will “Venom: The Last Dance” introduce a large, fanged holder that could potentially outdo the sandworm by offering an additional tongue feature? And might there be a plushy storage solution for the premiere of “Paddington in Peru”? Let’s hope not. Crunchy popcorn is one thing, but who would want to eat food with fur in it?
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2024-09-21 19:00