Denis Villeneuve’s Dune 2 is already well on its way to becoming one of the year’s biggest blockbusters. The 2nd part of the brilliantly conceived Dune is visually and emotionally bigger, better, and more intense, with A-list stars like Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Christopher Walken making their charismatic presence felt.
Naturally, a film with this kind of hype and publicity is a perfect outlet for merchandisers to showcase themed products. Ahead of the release of the sequel, AMC theaters released sandworm popcorn buckets as a clever sales move. While many people including Florence Pugh was completely taken aback by this item, the product is currently being resold on eBay for a shocking price.
Dune 2 Merchandise Is Making A Killing Online
A large aspect of a film’s success has to do with the obsession around merchandise and souvenirs that add to its hype. The sandworms or the Shai-Hulud which are one of the most creative imaginations of author Frank Herbert in the Dune novels, served as inspiration for AMC theaters to come out with sandworm popcorn buckets for viewers who visited the cinema.
As per a report in People, these buckets which were priced initially at $24.99 by AMC, started going viral and prompted many online sites to augment the price bit by bit. While most of the listings for the collectible ranged from $40 to $100 online, eBay took it several notches higher by pricing it at a whopping $846.36, which was almost 34 times more than the original price.
The bucket’s design which requires pushing one’s hand through sandworm-like teeth to dish out the popcorn, has become an overnight sensation. While this highest bid is yet to find any takers, the fact remains that the impact and influence of Dune 2 outside of the cinema hall can be felt tangibly.
Florence Pugh Was Shocked by Dune 2 Collectible
While Dune 2’s sandworm popcorn bucket seems to be the most desired souvenir at the moment, a few key members of the cast were pretty suspicious of it. Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler and Florence Pugh appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live to talk about all things Dune before the release of the film.
During the show, the host filled the actors in on the sandworm popcorn bucket and even had a sample that he offered to pass around for trial. While Zendaya eyed the souvenir with suspicion and politely declined the offer, Chalamet sportingly dug his hand into the product. Pugh on the other hand, was pretty shocked at the idea of the collectible and its design. She said,
“Who made that? That’s not ok. That’s wrong”
The bucket which has also elicited various hilarious jokes and memes of s*xual nature online, stumped the film’s director Denis Villeneuve as well. The Blade Runner 2049 filmmaker on seeing the bucket, replied to The New York Times,
“I don’t want to make stupid jokes right now that I will regret tomorrow morning. But I will say this. When I saw it, I went, ‘Hoooooly smokes.’”
Villeneuve though, did not complete dismiss the marketing gimmick, and added that the item obviously had succeeded by creating a lot of excitement for fans with its innovative design.
Dune 2 is currently running in theaters.
