Best and worst cinema popcorn buckets, from Barbie to The Batman

Each era seems to have its own hotly-desired movie promotional tie-in product of choice. In the '90s, it was breakfast cereals and Happy Meals, and in 2024 it is the popcorn bucket.

After the Dune: Part Two sandworm-shaped bucket garnered viral interest across the world and became a collector's item, these themed-buckets are quickly emerging as a staple aspect of each blockbuster release, growing increasingly creative and elaborate in design.

Last month, for the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, Disney attempted to recapture the same excitement with a bucket shaped like the head of Wolverine, but failed to capture the same viral magic.

With a new bucket seemingly hitting the cinema almost every week, we have sorted through the best, worst and weirdest popcorn buckets released to date.

Worst: Alien: Romulus

The Alien fandom has been growing since the release of the first film in 1979 and seems to have hit its peak with the success of Alien: Romulus.

While some fans, including those in the UAE, were able to buy a xenomorph's head to hold their popcorn in, fans who attended screenings at Regal Cinemas in the US had to settle with a cylindrical see-through bucket that had a single face hugger on one side and the Wayland-Yutani logo on the other side. Fans were left to wonder, where's the main alien?

Worst: Inside Out 2 Control Panel

Pixar films often feature worlds that are filled with whimsy and imagination, always colourful and energetic. Their latest film, Inside Out 2, put the studio back in the record books this year with impressive ticket sales that have passed $1.65 billion worldwide.

Young fans who flocked to theatres to watch the film at Cinemark were offered a popcorn bucket shaped like the console the emotions use to control the main character, Riley.

For such a beautiful and quirky film experience, this popcorn bucket falls short of that whimsy. It is nice that it also serves as a holder for a drink on the side, but ultimately, it is just a small oval box with a lid.

Worst: Barbie Corvette

On its face, the pink Corvette popcorn bucket from AMC Theatres, which comes with a Barbie doll, is a fantastic idea. It was so sought-after, that it garnered headlines across the US as moviegoers searched for their own. Even its exorbitant $65 price point wasn’t putting off hardcore fans.

So why is it on the worst list? The thing can barely hold 12 pieces of popcorn. Pictures of the toy car showed it holding the salty snacks making it clear that it is primarily a model car and not a popcorn bucket. If the item is sold as a popcorn bucket, the least it should do is be able to carry a significant amount. The promotional material even showed a separate bucket alongside the car.

Best: R2-D2

The gold standard of what a popcorn bucket can and should do. This bucket, made by AMC Theatres for the re-release of Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace in April, is shaped like one of the most popular robots in cinema history, R2-D2.

The bucket has two major components – a compartment that holds a healthy amount of popcorn that can open and close with a hatch door, and a drinks container that doubles as the droid’s head. This is a clever design, and unlike the Barbie Corvette, the R2-D2 works both as a vehicle of food and drink as well as a worthy addition to a fan's model collection.

Best: Saw X

The Saw franchise returned last year with the release of the tenth film in the series. The face of the franchise is a puppet named Jigsaw who often arrives just before a victim is put into a painful trap. The creepy puppet has become one of the most beloved figures in horror alongside Chucky and Freddy Kreuger.

Saw fans who went to watch the latest film at Cinemark were given the chance to take Jigsaw home with them in the form of a popcorn bucket head. It’s great because it fits thematically within the film’s gruesome death scenes, as users need to uncover the top of the head to enjoy the popcorn underneath it.

Best: Bat-signal

The latest popcorn bucket to get fans excited is made by AMC Theatres to celebrate the re-release of 2022’s The Batman, as well as the character’s 85th anniversary. The bucket is shaped like the bat-signal, an object synonymous with the Caped Crusader which is used by Inspector Gordon to summon Batman.

The bat-signal is an instant winner. The fact that it has a built-in light that gives the signal character and makes it a must-own for fans of the Dark Knight. It’s also a huge bonus in that there’s room for a lot of popcorn when the lid is opened.