Corn popcorn cubes are shown during the world premiere of the concert film “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” in AMC The Grove in Los Angeles on October 11, 2023.
Valerie Macon | AFP | Getty images
For decades, corn popcorn has been a basic element of film experience and the results of the exhibitors. Now, the receptacle in which it enters is becoming equally important.
As recently as three years ago, AMC Entertainment He did not sell any merchandise. Last year, Cuclets of novel corn popclets, drinking drinks and t -shirts for a sum of approximately $ 65 million in revenues.
“He started with us big with our own film, 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour', which we launched in October 2023 and sold an incredible amount of corn popcsselves,” said the AMC CEO, Adam Aron. “That caused us to do it almost all the time … literally every month.”
Other theater chains such as Cinema, FrameThe gifts Regal and B&B have also adopted cubes of corn popcorn, using these special items to boost concession purchases, create a sense of urgency to watch large films on the opening weekend and add value to the theatrical experience.
“After Covid, we realized that the event of cinema has never really been as important as it is now,” said Paul Farnsworth, executive director of communication and content in B&B theaters. “We recognized during that time that the greatest victim for our industry was for people to fall from the habit of going to the movies.”
Hollywood production problems led to less theatrical releases and sales of smaller tickets in 2024, with box office receipts a 3.4% from 2023 to $ 8.74 billion. Farnsworth pointed out that unique corn popcsselves can add value to a customer's trip to movies and create a memory of the trip that can be taken home, supported by an exhibition shelf or reused for cinema nights.
“It's very good for the final result,” he said. “The great value for us is that people enter and there are these fun things that can take home and are taking photos with them in the theater. There is great value in that.”
For Cinemark, the concept test came with the launch of “Scream VI” in 2023.
Cinemark's Ghostface Popcorn Bucket from “Scream VI” of 2023.
Cinema
“We made a cube of popcorn “This only had this great absorption. We sold the thing immediately and basically we were selling them to people online later.”
Not just a movie snack
Commemorative corn popcsselves have long been part of the marketing of the theme park, promoting the income of the tastes of the tastes of Disney and Universal Both nationally and internationally. However, cinemas based in the United States were late to adopt the trend.
The marketing and merchandise company Zinc has been designing and manufacturing cubes of corn and drinking drinkers for more than a decade internationally, but caught its attention in the United States in 2016.
“The theaters were reluctant because the glasses did not fit the headlines,” said Rod Mason, Vice President of Business Development of Zinc Group, one of the most important actors in the Premium corn palomites space.
There was a change in 2019 with a cube of corn popcorn R2-D2 created for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” said Mason.
“AMC gave him a clear,” he explained. “They took multiple tens of thousands of pieces. They sold it in about three or four days at an incredibly high price. None of that had done before, and it was like 'ok, well, this works'.”
A renewed version of the Droid corn popcs was relaunched for the 25th anniversary projections of “Star Wars: Episode 1-A ghost threat”.
The corn and drink popcorn cube combo was sold for $ 49.99.
However, the true moment of the basin for the market niche arrived almost five years later with a cube of corn popcorn now infamous in honor of “Dune: Two Part Two”, launched last March. The cube was model after sand worms appeared in the film, but inspired crude oil comparisons with an adult product.
“The beauty of the 'Dune' cube was that I did not intend to be viral,” said Mason.
The $ 24.99 bucket was exhausted and found impulse in secondary markets. EBAY receipts show these corn palomites cubes sold between $ 50 and $ 210 each on the site of the revenuer.
“The popularity of popcorn cubes in social networks combined with the perception of the limited supply of corn popcs when [they] See them available, “said Lindsay Brookshier, content director of the Disney Mickeyvist.com online guide.
The “Dune” BUCKET inspired the actor and producer of Deadpool & Wolverine “Ryan Reynolds to design a blatant corn popcs for the launch of his film.
“From now on they will look back in 2024, since when the cubes of the War of the Palomites of Corn began,” Reynolds wrote in X to promote the concession container, which was shaped like Wolverine's head with his mouth open To host corn popcorn.
The Corn Palomitas Cube “Deadpool & Wolverine” is seen for 2024 Comic-Con International on July 25, 2024 in San Diego, California.
Matt Winkelmeyer | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty images
The $ 29.99 bucket was available exclusively in AMC and launched the same weekend as San Diego Comic-Conon and the release of the movie “Deadpool & Wolverine”.
More unique corn popcsselves to come
Studies and theaters have been more proactive about working with companies such as Zinc to create unique corn popcsselves for cinephiles.
“It's a very competitive business,” Mason said. “Everyone is trying to overcome, and not only companies like us, but also the companies that are buying it. They are trying to ensure that they have the most great article … that competition has been magnified in the last 12 months because There are so many eyes in this business segment. “
Cinemark's Coliseum in the form of corn popcorn for the “Gladiator II” of Paramount.
And the film industry is about to have an influx of titles of great success now that the delays in the production of pandemic and dual Hollywood strikes are in the rearview mirror.
Following “Captain America: Brave New World”, which debuted on Friday, the 2025 calendar has “Thunderbolts*,”, “Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning”, “How to train your dragon”, “Jurassic Rebirth”, “Superman,” “” four fantastic: first steps “,” Wicked: for good “,” Zootopia 2 “and” Avatar: Fire and Ash “.
And 2026 has equally promising links for corn popcsselves with a “Super Mario Bros.” Sequel, “Avengers: Doomsday”, “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” “Toy Story 5”, “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow”, “Minions 3”, “Hunger games: Sunrise on the Roating”, “Ice Age 6” and “Shrek 5.”
“We have missed a couple,” said Farnsworth from B&B. “We didn't have that crazy 'Dune.
B&B, the fifth largest film chain in the United States with 58 locations, still has to be very intentional about the products it offers and how many purchases of you. The films like “Wicked”, with a large merchandise of craving of built -in audience, are a safer bet. But the theaters have a very short window to sell the specialized articles.
“Unlike our normal corn palomit bags, which are perennial, if you don't sell the [product]You will probably not sell them a month after the movie, “Farnsworth said.
Meanwhile, AMC is investing more strongly.
“One of the great things we are doing in 2025 is that we are significantly increasing the amounts,” said Aron, and said that AMC was already orders for 100,000 units or more. “We are buying, because there is no need for us to exhaust the opening day. There are many people who come to watch that movie for weeks and weeks.”
Disclosure: Comcast is the nbcuniversal and CNBC parent company.
