What the f*ck are you doing Dune with that popcorn bucket?!
ICYMI: Dune: Part Two finally hits theaters this weekend, after a nearly five month delay due to last year’s Hollywood strikes.
The sci-fi epic is director Denis Villeneuve’s follow-up to 2021’s Dune, continuing the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he teams up with the Fremen people –– including young warrior Chani (Zendaya) –– to fight for the future of desert planet Arrakis.
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The movie has already given us plenty to discuss –– from Josh Brolin’s homoerotic poem for Timmy, to Zendaya and Law Roach masterminding the most jaw-dropping red-carpet lewks.
(An energy Chalamet came close to matching when they twinned in Juun.J boiler suits for a Seoul press conference.)
Still, there’s no denying the film’s biggest breakout performance.
It’s not from new cast members Florence Pugh or Austin Butler.
Nor is it Thierry Mugler’s 1995 metallic robot suit, resurrected by Zendaya for the film’s world premiere. (Easily second place though.)
It’s the Dune: Part Two sandworm popcorn bucket vessel. Which looks, frankly, like a butthole.
Yep, that’s a real thing!
The collectible tin (which comes with popcorn and goes for $25 at AMC Theatres) is supposed to recreate the mouth of the series’ sandworm, with a ring of sharp teeth.
But after photos leaked on the internet a few months ago, social media quickly pointed out its resemblance to a sex toy.
And the horny trolling has not stopped since.
This is exactly why every design team needs a LGBTQ+ person on staff!
You’d think after the initial online reaction, AMC Theatres might have tried to pivot.
But quite the opposite. In fact, an in-app advertisement for the bucket invites moviegoers to “Dive Deeper,” and be “Careful What Lies Beneath the Sand.”
(Although competing theater chain Regal opted for a lidless and much less f*ckable collectible.)
Even the movie’s director was puzzled by the bucket’s, uh, suggestive appearance.
“When I saw it, I went, ‘Hooooly smokes’,” Villeneuve told New York Times.
“What the f*ck!? At the same time, it’s created a lot of fun online. So maybe it’s a positive? It’s some kind of … impressive design.”
On the other hand, Chalamet had some sympathy for whoever created the, ahem, souvenir.
“I can’t tell if someone is at home right now going, ‘My design worked perfectly and everyone’s talking about it,’ or if someone’s brutally offended by the response,” the Call Me By Your Name actor explained.
The viral reaction even got the writers of Saturday Night Live fired up.
On a recent episode hosted by Ayo Edebiri, the Bottoms star and cast members like Bowen Yang and Marcello Hernández performed a song about its sexual allure. (“Can’t wait to see Dune 2 / Eating popcorn out of my bucket / Then I’ll take it home and f*ck it,” they sing.)
Still, as ridiculous as the whole thing is, you must admit it’s way hotter cooler than whatever the hell Cinemark is touting for the new Ghostbusters movie.
Wait till Gay Twitter gets its hands on that!
Nevertheless, if sexy collectibles and other worldly epics aren’t your thing, we’ve got more good news.
This weekend, AMC is debuting three new ads starring Nicole Kidman, following the success of their purely camp moviegoing campaign.
See, there’s something for everyone! Now, to go secure our own bucket….
bachy
Zendaya and Chalamet have been slaying every red carpet – worldwide!
bachy
You say “collectibles,” I say “non-biodegradable landfill.”
jp47
TBH, I’ve seen a lot of buttholes in my life and the Dune II popcorn bucket does not look like any of them.
barryaksarben
but they both taste delicious but only empty