Popcorn buckets have become a booming merchandise category for cinema chains, with limited-edition designs tied to blockbuster releases like Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" selling out within minutes and being resold by scalpers on eBay at inflated prices. The trend matters commercially because cinemas typically keep only about half of ticket revenue, making concessions and merchandise an increasingly vital income stream, and it reflects a wider cultural moment in which collectible movie merchandise has become part of the fan experience.

For "The Odyssey", Imax created its first-ever piece of movie merchandise, a replica of the 15/65mm camera used to shoot the film, complete with a working viewfinder, while "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" offered buckets shaped like Spider-Man's head and a drink-popcorn combo. AMC reported $80 million in global merchandise revenue in 2025 and expects to reach $100 million in 2026, while Regal estimates it releases around 50 premium buckets a year, rising to over 100 when tins are included. Some chains have introduced per-visit purchase limits to manage demand, and industry figures, including AMC's Nels Storm and marketing professor Russell Belk, liken the buckets to "concert T-shirts" that tap into fans' attachment to directors and franchises.