AMC unveils two new sandworm buckets for Dune: Part Three

By Tom Whitfield

AMC Theatres has not set prices for its two new Dune: Part Three popcorn buckets, although the 2024 Dune: Part Two bucket cost $24.99 plus tax and later sold for much more on eBay.

That $24.99 figure sets a reference point, not a forecast. AMC’s announcement gives no price, preorder date or retail launch date for the new buckets. It also provides no sales figures showing that the original bucket’s online fame produced unusually strong demand at AMC counters.

A sequel to the meme

In 2024, moviegoers discovered AMC’s sandworm-inspired Dune: Part Two popcorn bucket, whose suggestive shape became a subject of countless memes, according to the chain’s account of the earlier launch. The chain says Saturday Night Live later turned the container into a sketch about a teenager with other plans for the souvenir.

Those points establish cultural reach. They do not establish how many people bought one.

AMC is unveiling two new designs for Dune: Part Three:

• The Sandworm Thumper, with a working Thumper design. AMC says the device is used by the Fremen to pound desert sand and attract giant sandworms. The announcement does not explain the mechanism or what moves.
• The Double Sandworm, a collectible featuring two Shai-Hulud, “making it easier to share popcorn,” according to AMC’s press release.

Hank Green, AMC’s senior VP of food and beverage, said: “The AMC Sandworm popcorn bucket for ‘Dune: Part Two’ became a viral phenomenon, and we knew that ‘Dune’ fans would have high expectations for what came next.”

He added: “From the moment we started planning the ‘Dune: Part Three’ collectibles, our goal was to exceed those fan expectations. The Sandworm Thumper and Double Sandworm collectibles take the experience to the next level with designs straight from the movie.”

That is a stated design goal, not evidence of demand. AMC predicts that both new buckets will break the internet, but the announcement defines neither the scale nor the period of that prediction.

The wider Dune: Part Three collection includes four other product types:

• An Atreides-Fremen light-up cup.
• A spacing guild navigator cup.
• Mystery keychains.
• A sandworm plush.

AMC says the items will be available exclusively through AMC locations and Odeon Cinemas throughout Europe. It does not specify a retail launch date or say whether every outlet will stock every item on the same day.

AMC’s announcement describes Dune: Part Three as the conclusion of the science-fiction trilogy. Directed by Denis Villenueve and based on Frank Herbert’s novel, it follows Timothée Chalamet’s messianic Paul Atreides as he confronts the fallout from his ascent to the throne.

The announced ensemble comprises Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Rebecca Ferguson.

What does this change for Dune fans?

For moviegoers, it adds two physical versions of the object that drove the first meme: one borrows the Fremen’s sand-pounding tool, and the other puts two Shai-Hulud on a container for sharing popcorn. The unresolved details matter more than the imagery. Buyers still lack a confirmed price, a general on-sale date and proof that the mechanisms will function in stores. The prior $24.99 price offers a reference, not a guaranteed budget.

Dune: Part Three opens in theaters on Dec. 18, the same day as Avengers: Doomsday. The announcement expects Disney Marvel’s film to ignite the box office, but it supplies no comparable forecast for Dune and no sales target for the merchandise.

The announcement also sets up a promotional contest between Dune’s buckets and a possible Avengers: Doomsday equivalent, without naming one. On Dec. 18, the films will compete for attention; AMC still has to show whether its buckets can compete for spending.