Gladiator 2 Popcorn Buckets: What Resellers Need to Know

There’s nothing like a sequel 20+ years in the making. Gladiator 2 is set to hit theaters in just a few weeks, featuring a new cast and story, and notably lacking in Russell Crowe.

But they’re still using his image to promote the film. Regal recently unveiled their promotional popcorn bucket bundles for Gladiator 2. These feature the helmet worn by Maximus, with a hinged top to keep your popcorn safe.

Instantly recognizable for anyone who saw the first film, it’s also familiar to hip hop fans as the iconic mask worn adopted by MF DOOM during his career.

In fact, many of his fans took to social media to ask why Regal was producing an MF DOOM popcorn bucket.

This is worth paying attention to as a reseller. Not only are Gladiator 2 moviegoers interested in these buckets, but also MF DOOM fans. This means more interest, more competition, and potentially more profits.

Also revealed were collectable Gladiator 2 Helmet drink cups and a helmet keychain. Regal has not confirmed prices for any of these items, and have not said if they’ll be sold individually or as a bundle.

If you have any experience reselling popcorn buckets, you’ll know that Regal, Cinemark, and AMC have a bit of a rivalry going on. AMC has traditionally produced the most popular designs, including Dune 2’s notorious “Duneussy” bucket and and “Memory Orb” buckets for Inside Out 2.

But the other two have definitely stepped their games up recently. Cinemark revealed their Gladiator 2 popcorn buckets yesterday, and fans are loving it.

Cinemark’s Gladiator 2 popcorn buckets are designed to look like a gladiatorial arena. After you’ve eaten all the popcorn, you can scan a QR code with your phone, and two gladiators will actually fight in the arena via augmented reality.

Unfortunately, Cinemark has not posted a video of what that actually looks like, so it seems like we’ll have to wait until release day.

Cinemark has confirmed that their Gladiator 2 popcorn buckets will cost $22. They are available for purchase online, right now, which is not a good sign for resellers. It’s possible they might flip, but we recommend holding off for now.

We’re still waiting to hear if AMC will be producing a collectable popcorn bucket for Gladiator 2. It’s possible that they’ll sit this one out, but unlikely.

Keep your eyes on AMC’s socials as we get closer to release. They will usually post a teaser at least a week ahead of a film’s premiere, and it’s likely we’ll be seeing something soon.

Now for the fun part. Gladiator 2 hits theaters on November 22, and these popcorn buckets will go up for sale at the same time.

While exact details of the release like availability and price have not been made public yet, we are optimistic on potential margins considering the success of recent releases. If you’re reading about popcorn buckets for the first time now, you’re a bit late to the party, but not too late to capitalize on a collectible growing in popularity.

Over the past few months, we’ve covered popcorn buckets like Regal’s “Facehugger” for Alien: Romulus, collectable popcorn tins for The Phantom Menace re-release, and a whole host of buckets for Deadpool & Wolverine.

We can go on for some time about the popcorn bucket resale chronicles, but these collectibles have been showing strong margins for a few years now. Theaters such as AMC, Cinemark, and Regal have all gotten in the game with collectibles for particular movie releases, and these new designs for Gladiator 2 are looking good.

Without knowing specific production numbers it’s impossible to give a precise estimate for their resell value, but we expect to see Gladiator 2 popcorn buckets reselling for anywhere from $50 to $100 over what they retail for.

Like most previous popcorn bucket drops, you will probably NOT need a ticket to purchase the container. As we get closer to release you should start calling your local Regal and Cinemark theaters to see if they will be stocking them, and inquire on general availability.

You can find your nearest Regal theaters here, and Cinemark locations here. If you have any friends working at these theaters, asking for a favor now could pay out in the long run.

It will be important to list and sell ASAP to take full advantage of the hype surrounding the movie release. It’s possible (but unlikely) that the holiday season will help keep prices up through December. We always recommend unloading popcorn buckets sooner rather than later to lock in profits.

Whether you’re interested in reselling popcorn buckets, collecting popcorn buckets, or a Roman gladiator helmet mantle piece, you should keep this collectible on your radar over the next month. We’re expecting strong profits, just too early to gauge how much.

We’ll update you as soon as we know more, and in the meantime make sure you stay notified by signing up for our newsletter.