Dune 2 Popcorn Bucket Sparks Gross And Hilarious Comparison
Somewhere along the way, collectible popcorn buckets became the hottest new method for movie theaters to juice a little extra revenue from blockbuster films. Since the first film was such a smash hit, it makes sense that Dune 2 will be getting its own promotional popcorn bucket. However, now that photos of the bucket have leaked, fans can’t stop jokingly comparing the design to a Fleshlight.
At a glance, it’s obvious what the Dune 2 popcorn bucket was supposed to look like: the mighty sandworm at the heart of the narrative, known to proper Frank Herbert fans as “Shai-Hulud.” This resemblance is especially clear when viewing the bucket in profile, as it showcases the majestic worm rising out of the sands of Arrakis.
If you squint, the sides of the worm look a bit like an ice cream cone, but that’s not what has caused the latest controversy. No, the design choice that has turned the Dune 2 popcorn bucket into an unintentionally hilarious viral meme is the fact that the top of it looks a lot (and we mean a lot) like the Fleshlight, an infamous adult toy for men. Making matters worse is the fact that users are meant to stick their hands through the bucket topper in order to grab the popcorn aside, and X/Twitter users wasted no time at all making jokes about the awful design.
This user made the obvious (though still hilarious) joke about the Dune 2 popcorn bucket design. He jokingly (we hope) believes that fans will waste no time sticking bits of their anatomy into the bucket the moment they get home. Sounds gross to us, but hey it is probably far less painful than sticking your parts into the box of pain during the Gom Jabbar.
Another user pointed out how weird it would be if you were dating someone and saw the Dune 2 popcorn bucket sitting on his dresser. She was obviously joking that it would be akin to seeing that a significant other had left a sex toy out in the open, but that joke rightfully points out what a nightmare this design is for Warner Bros. The studio obviously wanted fans to proudly display these buckets (and become good little brand ambassadors for the movie), but the resemblance to a Fleshlight is so great that most fans will either skip buying or displaying the buckets out of pure embarrassment.
Yet another user provided a tongue-in-cheek joke that also accidentally points out how bad the Dune 2 popcorn bucket design really is for Warner Bros. The joke is that just like with a Fleshlight, buyers would be advised to avoid getting used ones off of eBay because the previous owners might have been letting more than spice flow into it. But considering that these collectible buckets often thrive on the secondary market, making the Dune 2 bucket look like a sex toy is going to keep people from buying them online, effectively cutting into how well the buckets can help to market the upcoming film.
While we know this is not the reaction the studio wanted their Dune 2 popcorn bucket to elicit, we’re glad they made such a whimsical choice (even if by accident). Like the first film, this Denis Villeneuve sequel looks like it will be a properly serious space opera with very little humor. But knowing that we’re going to be reaching deep into a Cronenberg-esque fleshlight design for every fistful of popcorn is going to leave a bigger smile on our faces than the time we first discovered Jason Momoa plays a character named “Duncan Idaho.”
