You Can 3D Print an Iron Lung Popcorn Bucket Right Now

Movie theater popcorn buckets have been printing money for years. From Dune 2’s viral “Duneussy” design, to the Alien: Romulus Facehugger bucket, there’s a lot of desire for grotesque, fanged buckets to stick your fingers into.

This Iron Lung bucket has similar viral potential. The design is genuinely unsettling, featuring a monster mouth that you reach into for popcorn.

It’s got that same appeal that made the Dune bucket blow up. Plus, Markiplier brings 36 million YouTube subscribers who are already hyped for this movie.

And just like this isn’t your everyday, average film production, these aren’t your everyday, average buckets. Markiplier announced last night that the CAD files for the buckets would be released for free so that moviegoers can 3D print their own buckets to bring to the theater.

By releasing the print files, Markiplier is potentially flooding the market with DIY versions before the official buckets even drop. Anyone with access to a 3D printer can make one right now.

But this shouldn’t kill the resale market for official buckets. The store-bought versions will be higher quality with better paint jobs and durability.

If anything, the 3D print stunt is generating massive attention. The files hit Reddit and Twitter immediately, spreading awareness way beyond Markiplier’s core audience. More eyes on the product means more demand when the real ones drop.

Regal hasn’t announced pricing, which makes profit calculations tricky. It appears like Regal is selling a similar 3D-printed design, so prices should hopefully be a little lower than comparable buckets ($10-$20), but that also means supply will likely be higher.

This is a speculative flip with solid upside if the movie hits. The design has viral potential, the creator has a massive following, and theater popcorn buckets have proven they can flip.

We think the 3D print angle will be a positive boon overall for resellers. This is free marketing for the film and especially the bucket, and even though anyone can print one for free, these DIY versions (probably) won’t approach the level of quality from a mass-produced design.

If you’re near a Regal and can grab a few opening weekend, it’s worth the play. Just don’t go all-in until you see early sales data and movie reception. The window is tight, so move fast and sell faster.