Dune Part Two has been a huge hit, and perhaps only one thing could eclipse it in infamy: the viral AMC sandworm popcorn bucket that had everyone talking… and doing other things. Looking back, it appears the theater chain/increasing novelty popcorn holder vendor might have done things very differently if it knew it was going to become a moment.
“We continue to learn and evolve. We would have never imagined the Dune thing. We would have never created it knowing it would be celebrated or mocked,” AMC Chief Content Officer Elizabeth Frank told Variety about the overwhelming response to the sandworm bucket, which even got cast and crew talking for its, uh… soft, wormy tendrils, driving people to go crazy with demand for the shai-hulussy-shaped vessel.
The Dune bucket even got its own SNL skit, although Frank doesn’t think that it’s success either means there’s demands for the theater chain to go even more deranged for future buckets, or that the increasing trend of wildly shaped popcorn holders is suddenly a vital part of the company’s plans. “Some fans are collectors. There’s another group of people who are specific film fans, buying three different Ghostbusters products. It’s all a mix,” Franks continued. “It’s a material part of our food and beverage business, but it’s not the majority of it. It also makes the movies more fun.”
I bet the Dune bucket made some other things more fun too, but perhaps we shouldn’t go chasing sandworms looking for another of its kind any time soon.