The sandworm has surfaced again. AMC Theatres confirmed this week that its notorious "Dune" popcorn bucket - the one that became a viral sensation in 2024 for reasons both playful and profane - will return to concession stands in a set of redesigned editions timed to the December release of "Dune: Part Three." The chain is leaning into the merchandise's unlikely afterlife rather than running from it, offering collectors fresh variants of the vessel that once dominated film-social-media conversation for weeks.
The original bucket accompanied the March 2024 release of "Dune: Part Two" and depicted the giant sandworms of Arrakis with an opening that internet users immediately, and gleefully, compared to an adult novelty item. Late-night hosts and cast members alike milked the resemblance - Josh Brolin, who plays Gurney Halleck in the franchise, joked about it on air at the time - and the bucket sold out in many locations despite, or perhaps because of, the ridicule. AMC has not disclosed pricing for the new designs.
The timing is deliberate. "Dune: Part Three" arrives in theaters on December 15, 2026, with Denis Villeneuve once again directing. The film picks up nearly two decades after Paul Atreides seized control of the Imperium. Timothée Chalamet returns as Paul, now a ruthless Emperor forced to reckon with the consequences of his reign as old allies resurface, new threats gather, and betrayal shadows every alliance. Zendaya's Chani sits at the center of the story's central mystery, while Paul is haunted by visions of imperial collapse and of his long-lost love.
The supporting cast is as sprawling as the desert itself. Jason Momoa appears as Hayt, Florence Pugh returns as Princess Irulan, Rebecca Ferguson is back as Lady Jessica, and Charlotte Rampling reprises her role as Reverend Mother Mohiam. Isaach de Bankolé appears as Farok, and Anya Taylor-Joy plays Alia Atreides. The picture runs 150 minutes and is classified as a science fiction adventure, produced within the Hollywood studio system in English.
A marketing misfire that became a merchandising engine
That a popcorn container became one of the defining pop-culture artifacts of the "Dune" franchise's second installment says something about how movie marketing now works. The bucket generated more chatter than many trailers, and AMC has evidently concluded that the ridicule is worth more than the risk. Returning with new designs signals a strategy of owning the joke: the chain is treating a viral oddity as a recurring collectible rather than a one-off embarrassment. For a trilogy whose release calendar has stretched across several years, a familiar, meme-worthy piece of merchandise offers a ready-made bridge between chapters.
The film itself presents a darker proposition than its predecessors. Paul's transition from reluctant messiah to entrenched ruler forms the narrative spine, and the official synopsis promises a sweeping conspiracy that tests the true cost of power and the fate of those closest to him. Villeneuve has consistently framed the third chapter as the payoff to threads laid down in the first two films, and the expanded role of Alia Atreides - long a fan-favorite figure from Frank Herbert's novels - suggests the adaptation is pushing deeper into the source material's stranger corners.
What audiences can expect at the box office - and the concession stand
Pre-release tracking data for the film is not yet public, and its TMDb rating currently sits at 0/10, reflecting an absence of audience votes rather than any reception. What is clear is that the December 15 date places the film squarely in the year-end corridor that has historically rewarded large-format spectacle. With Villeneuve's franchise carrying a strong critical and commercial record, expectations will be high regardless of what the bucket does.
AMC has not said how many of the redesigned buckets each location will receive, nor whether they will be available for advance purchase. Given the 2024 run's tendency to vanish from shelves, collectors may want to plan accordingly. The chain's willingness to revisit the design also raises the possibility of further tie-in merchandise as the release date approaches, though no additional items have been confirmed.
For now, the takeaway is simple: the worm is back, the trilogy is closing, and the strangest piece of movie merchandise in recent memory has earned itself a sequel. "Dune: Part Three" opens exclusively in theaters on December 15, 2026.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
