When someone has an idea of turn a sandworm into a bucket of popcorn they have no idea what Dune is. Are they creating an incredibly hilarious sensation on the internet? Yes. But they also started a trend that saw people going to theaters not only for movies or snacks, but also for a cool collectible too.

For years movie theaters have been looking for new, unique ways to bring people to the theater: IMAX, 4DX, 3D, and more. In 2024, they found an answer to the emergence of the popcorn bucket: a limited edition collectible that, in theory. , can be used to hold popcorn but is just something fun for fans to buy and enjoy as a souvenir. Popcorn buckets aren't new to movie theaters, nor are they new elsewhere, but the 2024 variety brought them into the spotlight and everything started Dune: Part Two.

the Dune: Part Two the bucket of popcorn is supposed to be just sandworms. But the internet quickly found out that it was a sex toy, and, well, no one was going to shut up about it, including ourselves. That means while other studios are sure to have buckets of popcorn in the works for films like Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, a new light shone upon them.

A few weeks ago, Marvel Studios announced that the ever-offensive Deadpool designed his own popcorn bucket for Deadpool and Wolverine and the Merc With the Mouth did not disappoint. Soon, it was revealed that Wolverine's head, with a very suspicious wide open mouth, came out and all bets were off.

And while the Deadpool and Wolverine The bucket is probably the most popular of the summer, personally we prefer the one released by Disney Alien: Romulus which is big and thick and… just a foreigner's head.

As is often the case, summer turned to fall, fall turned to winter, and since movie studios now have a few months to think about popcorn buckets for their end-of-the-year releases, the buckets keep coming. Gladiator II gave us a Roman Colosseum with an AR feature. Nosferatu we were given a popcorn coffin. And even Sonic the Hedgehog is on boardwhich is probably the only bucket that feels somewhat normal.

The change at the end of the year is the buckets are no longer for your basic blockbusters. Now we make gothic horror movies. Today we do Oscar fare. And that's just a sampling. Basically, as the title of the article says, 2024 is the year of the popcorn bucket. The only question is, can 2025 raise the stakes, or will they return to limping?

Want more io9 news? Check when to expect the latest wonders, Star Warsand Star Trek releases, what's next for DC Universe in film and TVand everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.