AMC’s Infamous ‘Dune’ Sandworm Popcorn Bucket Is Back for ‘Part Three’ With New Designs

Logo text The sandworm popcorn bucket has returned, and this time there are two of them. AMC Theatres has revealed follow ups to its most infamous movie tie-in merchandise for Dune: Part Three. The sandworm popcorn bucket for Part Two, which became an online and retail hit, as well the target of a Saturday Night Live sketch, is back. This time, there’s Sandworm Thumper Collectible and a Double Sandworm Collectible. Such products can significantly boost theater revenue, with collectible buckets often selling for $25 to $50. The Dune: Part Two bucket was credited with setting off a popcorn bucket merchandising frenzy, with Regal selling a bucket last year for The Fantastic Four: First Steps for a whopping $80. “The AMC Sandworm popcorn bucket for Dune: Part Two became a viral phenomenon, and we knew that Dune fans would have high expectations for what came next,” said Hank Green, SVP, Food & Beverage, AMC Theatres. “From the moment we started planning the Dune: Part Three collectibles, our goal was to exceed those fan expectations. The Sandworm Thumper and Double Sandworm collectibles take the experience to the next level with designs straight from the movie.” Both buckets will come with a large popcorn and be available at AMC locations in the United States and at Odeon Cinemas throughout Europe. AMC will also offer other Dune: Part Three collectibles, including drinkware, “mystery keychains,” and a Sandworm plush. The price of the bucket will be announced closer to the film’s Dec. 18 release date. SNL mocked the previous popcorn bucket’s suggestive design with a musical sketch where a high school student played by Marcello Hernández excitedly tells his friends that he’s going to lose his virginity to the Dune popcorn bucket (at one point singing, “I’m not scared of the teeth in the middle”). The Dune: Part Two bucket’s creator, Marcus Gonzalez of the Zinc Group, told the Wall Street Journal that sexual innuendo “was definitely not the intent,” and explained, “The worm’s the worm’s the worm.” Dune: Part Three has strong advance sales, with London’s BFI IMAX ticket sales beating a previous record set by Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Here’s a closer look at the two new buckets: Courtesy