One of the more unexpected developments
in theatrical exhibition has been the emerging popularity of movie-themed popcorn
buckets as collectibles. Much
has been written about demand for these novelties, with
popcorn buckets for films like GLADIATOR 2, THE ODYSSEY,
and DUNE:
PART TWO having gone viral on social media. However, not all popcorn buckets are equivalent. As a case in point, any exhibitor which
ordered the same number of popcorn buckets for DIGGER as
for THE ODYSSEY would be now be left with a disturbing surplus of cowboy
boot popcorn buckets. This
forces exhibitors to make hard decisions on mow much merchandise to order for
upcoming movies, knowing that if they run out of stock they will be leaving
money on the table but if they order too much they will be saddled with
worthless overstock.
This unique dilemma
of novelty popcorn buckets was discussed at Celluloid Junkie’s Annual Cinema Summit, which brings
together senior management from exhibitors such as Epic
Theatres and Regal Theatres and vendors such as Snap Creative, Zinc Group, and Golden Link. Decisions on how much merchandise to order
are made 9-12 months before the release of a movie, with all parties acknowledging
that the choosing the right amount is a guessing game, or “a crapshoot” as Epic
Theatres’ Dan Herrle put it. Vendors are
offering these products to theatres of all sizes, not just the large
chains. And despite the risk, success
with popcorn bucket sales can be crucial for exhibitors, sometimes generating
more profit than the exhibitor share of ticket sales for the film.
