Popcorn Bucket Craze Pops Off With Skyrocketing Scalper Prices, Director Approvals and Imax’s First-Ever Movie Merch
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- Imax sold out its first-ever movie merchandise — a replica of the 15/65mm camera used to shoot "The Odyssey" — in 90 minutes and had to borrow more units from China to meet demand, CEO Rich Gelfond said.
- AMC Theatres reported $80 million in global merchandise sales in 2025 and is on track for $100 million in 2026, while theaters typically keep only about half of ticket revenue, making concession items a critical revenue driver.
- Regal instituted a one-bucket-per-guest purchase limit for "The Odyssey" — the first time the chain has ever had to impose such a cap — and estimates it will offer 50 premium buckets this year, over 100 including collectible tins.
- Filmmaker approval is now built into the process: Regal's Kristy Breneman said "everything has to go through the filmmaker" on certain projects, with directors personally signing off on bucket designs.
- Scalpers are cashing in — an eBay seller listed the "Odyssey" Trojan Horse bucket for up to $165 against its $69.99 original price and has sold units at or near that inflated mark, while "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" head-shaped buckets fetch up to $110.
- AMC's Spider-Man head-shaped exclusive bucket, priced at $34.99, is sold out online, with Marvel and Sony consulting on size-accuracy, while Cinemark's "Devil Wears Prada 2" purse bucket ($39.95) started as a chain exclusive before going wider.
Why it matters: Theater chains only retain roughly 50% of ticket revenue, so AMC's $80 million merchandise haul — on track for $100 million next year — shows collectible buckets have shifted from novelty to core profit center. The 90-minute Imax sellout (requiring emergency imports from China) and eBay markups above 230% prove scarcity-driven buzz now directly drives concession revenue, but it also forces chains to police scalpers and impose purchase limits they never needed before.
