Going to the movies is always an experience, but in recent years movie fans have had one more component to make their theatrical experience great: the themed popcorn bucket. From Barbie to Dune to Deadpool & Wolverine to Alien: Romulus, it seems like every major release is now getting their own, custom popcorn buckets to help enhance the moviegoing adventure for fans and when Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning hits theaters next May, the highly anticipated action film will join their ranks. However, Mission: Impossible 8’s popcorn bucket will be unique; it turns out that the vessel is designed by star Tom Cruise himself.
Speaking with Time, director of food and beverage product strategy for AMC Rob Bennett revealed that Cruise personally helped design the theater chain’s popcorn bucket for the upcoming Mission: Impossible film. Bennett didn’t reveal any details but did say that whatever Cruise came up with is going to be perfect for the film.
“But we nailed it,” Bennett said.
[RELATED: Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning Reveals Surprising Callback to Early Sequel]
Cruise being involved with the design of the popcorn bucket isn’t exactly a surprise. The actor is well-known for being very involved with movies and ensuring that audiences get the most out of their moviegoing experience. Cruise being hands-on with the design of the popcorn bucket feels like a natural extension of that. Cruise also isn’t entirely alone in being involved with the popcorn buckets and other themed items for major films. Bennett also revealed that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice filmmaker Tim Burton was involved in the design process for a cup for that film while Avatar filmmaker James Cameron has the final approval for the popcorn bucket that will be released with the third Avatar film next year.
Why Are Popcorn Buckets So Popular?
As for why themed, collectible popcorn buckets have become such a popular item — collectible concession vessels like popcorn buckets brought in $54 million for AMC in 2023 — that is open for discussion. They generally serve as an extension of the entertainment experience, something that moviegoers can bring home with them after seeing the film, offering a tangible item perhaps in a way that purchasing physical media of the film for home release once did. For some, collecting these items is also its own draw, particularly with the collectibles market being on the rise overall. They are also generally just fun, offering just a little bit of elevation to the overall theater experience.
But while fans will have to wait until next year for the Cruise-designed Mission: Impossible popcorn bucket to elevate that experience, movie fans do have a few creative popcorn buckets to look forward to yet this year. Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which opens in theaters on December 19th, recently revealed their popcorn vessel for the film — a large bucket shaped like Sonic’s head. The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim also has a bucket of their own. That film recent revealed their bucket is a replica of the war hammer used in the movie, something that may just make it the coolest popcorn bucket released this year.
Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning (and it’s popcorn bucket) hits theaters May 23, 2025.
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