Since the release of the now-viral Dune popcorn bucket, studios have been getting more creative when it comes to movie-themed containers. It’s fitting given that used to be the case years ago. From Deadpool 3‘s lewd bucket and Alien Romulus‘ unsettling tub, there’s been no shortage of great buckets in recent months. Well, the highly anticipated Gladiator II has one that sports a feature that none of its counterparts have. And, quite frankly, I kind of want it.
Cinemark theaters posted a video on X (formerly known as Twitter), revealing the new Gladiator II promotional popcorn bucket. It’s styled to look like an actual roman colosseum which, on its own, is pretty awesome. However, the video also goes on to show that once you finish your popcorn, you can scan the QR code on the bucket to see a little AR battle. Check it out:
Based on the comments section, the bucket is a hit, with many people noting its creativity and how the fresh feature adds to the somewhat straightforward design. That was a smart idea, and it might prompt other creatives to step up their game when developing their own snack tubs for theatergoers. Seriously, how can you not be entertained by this? (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)
I’m a fan of little tchotchkes and trinkets, who grew up with happy meals that used to have collectors cups. To be honest, I personally wasn’t very interested in seeing Gladiator II for anything other than Pedro Pascal. With that said, now, the idea of having a little AR battle take place amongst the kernels of my popcorn just makes me insanely happy.
This actually isn’t the first popcorn bucket and or promotional cup released in celebration of Ridley Scott‘s latest movie. Regal Movies released a promotion for its own cups and bucket earlier in the month. So keep in mind that if you want the colosseum-modeled bucket, you might only be able to get it at Cinemark locations.
While silly popcorn buckets aren’t really a new thing, it’s nice to see that they’re truly starting to make a comeback. And what’s most exciting is that there doesn’t seem to be any kind of discrimination there when it comes to genres. Comedies, horror flicks and intense action/drama films all seem to be getting this treatment, and I love it.
Though I will admit, I feel kinda silly for saying I want to see a movie solely because my favorite actor is in it (and I’m thankfully not alone in getting hyped over Pedro Pascal). It seems the Mandalorian alum and the bucket aren’t the only reasons to be excited about the film either. So far, early reactions to Gladiator II have been positive, which is cool to hear. With that, it would seem that moviegoers should be thoroughly engaged in the film while munching on the popcorn in that sweet bucket.
It seems this colosseum of a bucket will be available for purchase closer to Gladiator II‘s release theaters on November 22nd. While you wait for the film to arrive, do yourself a favor and check out the original film, which stars Russell Crowe, by streaming it with a Paramount+ subscription.
