The Popcorn Bucket Craze Is Out of Control: Scalper Prices, Director Approvals, and IMAX’s First-Ever Merch

Movie theaters used to sell popcorn in whatever box was lying around. Now they’re selling popcorn in Trojan horses, IMAX film cameras, and Spider-Man heads — and people are paying triple the retail price for the privilege. The popcorn bucket craze has officially popped off: scalpers are flipping collectible buckets for hundreds of dollars, directors are personally approving merchandise designs, and IMAX is getting into the merch game for the first time in its history. Here’s why a container for buttered corn became one of 2026’s most absurd entertainment stories.

From Sideshow to Serious Business

It started, as these things often do, with Dune: Part Two. The 2024 sci-fi sequel introduced a popcorn bucket shaped like a sandworm — and the internet promptly lost its mind. The bucket became a meme, a collector’s item, and a resale commodity all at once. Studios and theater chains took notes.

Two years later, that lesson has become a full-blown industry. Variety reports that the collectible popcorn bucket business is projected to hit $100 million in 2026 — double what it made just three years ago. What began as a novelty now has its own economy: dedicated resellers, eBay auctions, sold-out online stores, and theater chains competing to out-weird each other.

The current king of the hill is The Odyssey. Christopher Nolan’s epic has not one but two iconic buckets: a 22-inch Trojan Horse that retails for around $70, and a replica of the IMAX film camera Nolan used to shoot the movie, priced at $50. Both sold out almost immediately. The Trojan Horse has since appeared on eBay for as much as $165 — more than double its retail price — and listings have actually closed near that inflated number. The IMAX camera bucket has been reselling for up to $200.

Why Would Anyone Pay $165 for a Popcorn Bucket?

It’s the same psychology that drives sneaker drops and Funko Pop speculation: scarcity, status, and the thrill of the hunt. These buckets are limited-edition, theater-exclusive, and genuinely cool-looking. They’re conversation pieces that sit on a shelf long after the popcorn is gone. For collectors, a bucket from a billion-dollar Nolan movie isn’t a snack container — it’s a piece of movie history.

There’s also a speculative angle. Resellers see buckets as a low-risk flip: buy at $70, list at $165, pocket the difference. The market has become organized enough that dedicated resale calendars now track upcoming bucket releases the way they track sneaker drops. When IMAX announced its first-ever branded movie merchandise — the $50 film camera bucket — flippers were online within minutes, and the item sold out before the first batch of orders even shipped.

The Bucket Wars of 2026

The competition among theater chains has gotten genuinely intense. AMC, Regal, and Cinemark are all fighting for the title of most desirable collectible, and each major release now comes with its own bucket lineup. Spider-Man: Brand New Day alone spawned multiple designs: a Spider-Man head at AMC, a New York apartment building tin at Regal, and a sculpted webbed hand combo container at Cinemark. Those have been flipping on the secondary market for up to $110.

It’s not just the big franchises. Disclosure Day offered a stag head bucket at $49.95. The Devil Wears Prada sequel leaned into its fashion DNA with a red purse bucket at $39.95. Both sold out across AMC and Regal’s online stores — proof that the craze isn’t limited to comic-book movies and sci-fi epics. If a movie has a memorable visual identity, somewhere a bucket designer is already sketching it.

Directors Are Getting Involved — Literally

Here’s the part that signals this is bigger than a marketing gimmick: directors are personally approving merch now. Variety’s reporting highlights how filmmakers have started treating buckets as an extension of their creative vision rather than a licensed afterthought. When Christopher Nolan — a director famous for protecting every frame of his movies — signs off on an IMAX camera-shaped popcorn tub, you know the merch has crossed into legitimacy.

The director-approval angle matters because it changes what the buckets are. They’re no longer just promotional tie-ins; they’re curated objects that reflect the film’s aesthetic. That’s why a Nolan bucket feels different from a generic soda cup. It’s also why collectors are willing to pay up — they’re buying something the artist himself deemed worthy of the movie’s name.

IMAX Gets Into Merch for the First Time

IMAX’s decision to launch its own line of movie merchandise is a milestone in itself. The company has spent five decades positioning itself as the premium theatrical experience — the place where movies look and sound their absolute best. Merch was never part of that brand. Until now.

The IMAX Film Camera Popcorn Bucket, inspired by the actual 15/65mm camera used on The Odyssey, is the company’s first-ever consumer product beyond its core theater business. It sold out online and has been restocked for in-theater availability at IMAX locations. The message is clear: even the most premium brand in cinema has noticed that popcorn buckets are where the money — and the cultural conversation — is happening.

What the Craze Says About Moviegoing in 2026

Strip away the hype, and the bucket boom is actually a healthy sign for theaters. For years, the industry narrative has been “streaming is killing the movie theater.” Yet here are audiences lining up, paying premium prices, and fighting over physical objects tied to the theatrical experience. The bucket isn’t a replacement for the movie — it’s a memento of the night out. It’s proof that people still want to go to the movies and bring something home with them.

There’s also a genuinely fun community angle. Part of the appeal is social: showing off a ridiculous Trojan Horse bucket on social media, comparing designs with other collectors, debating which chain’s offering is superior. It’s the kind of low-stakes enthusiasm that makes movie culture feel alive.

The Fine Print

Before you start flipping buckets yourself, a few reality checks. The secondary market is volatile — IMAX has already restocked its camera bucket, which is exactly the kind of move that tanks resale prices. Theater chains are also catching on to the demand, releasing more units and more designs, which dilutes scarcity. And most of these buckets are plastic, hand-wash-only, and take up a lot of shelf space.

But honestly? That’s beside the point. The popcorn bucket craze was never really about the bucket. It’s about the shared experience of going to the movies — and the very silly, very human impulse to want a little piece of it to keep.

Have you bought — or resold — a collectible popcorn bucket this year? Which one? Let us know in the comments.