Part Two Director Calls Infamous Popcorn Bucket “Insane” and “Genius”

Denis Villeneuve says he is “at peace with the bucket.”

It’s been nearly two months since Dune: Part Two was released in theaters, and the film has been a huge hit with critics and audiences alike. The sequel is currently up on Rotten Tomatoes with a 93% critics score and 95% audience score. While people continue to praise the film, there is one other aspect of the movie’s release that we can’t stop talking about: the popcorn bucket. The Dune: Part Two souvenir sandworm bucket from AMC caused a huge stir online with many making NSFW jokes that resulted in a pretty funny SNL sketch. This week, Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve spoke with The New York Times about the film, and shared his reaction to the now-infamous bucket.

“I thought that the bucket was an insane marketing idea,” Villeneuve shared. “I laughed so much. It is so out there. I don’t know who designed it, but they’re a bit of a genius. I’m at peace with the bucket.”

Kevin Feige Teases “Intentionally Crude” Deadpool & Wolverine Popcorn Bucket:

It looks like Marvel Studios is taking advantage of the Dune popcorn bucket’s popularity. Kevin Feige took the stage at CinemaCon during Disney’s presentation last week and revealed the movie will have an intentionally risqué popcorn bucket. 

“Deadpool & Wolverine is getting a popcorn bucket which will be intentionally crude and lewd. #CinemaCon,” ComicBook.com‘s Brandon Davis shared on Twitter while attending the presentation. Move over Dune, because the Merc with the Mouth isn’t afraid of stirring the pot.

Will Dune: Part 3 Happen?

Fans are now wondering about the next Dune installment, especially considering the second film sets up more of the story originally created by Frank Herbert. Villeneuve recently spoke about the next movie, Dune: Messiah, and explained that he’s not interested in rushing out the film. Recently, The Hollywood Reporter shared the news that Villeneuve is in talks to adapt the non-fiction book, Nuclear War: A Scenario. The report also gave a little update about the third Dune. 

“Villeneuve and Legendary are currently developing a third movie in his Dune series that is based on the writings of sci-fi author Frank Herbert. Dune: Part Two, which hit theaters in March from Warner Bros., is currently the year’s highest-grossing film domestically, having surpassed $250 million,” THR wrote. 

“I did both movies back to back, which makes absolute sense for me,” Villeneuve recently shared with Empire Magazine. “I felt that it was a good idea to move forward right after Part One. We were already designing, writing et cetera. But it also meant that for six years I was on Arrakis non-stop, and I think it will be healthy to step back a little bit. First, make sure that we have a strong screenplay. The thing I want to avoid is not having something ready. I never did it, and now I feel it could be dangerous because of the enthusiasm. We need to make sure all the ideas are on paper.”

“If we go back, it needs to be real, it needs to be relevant, if ever I do Dune Messiah, [it’s] because it’s going to be better than Part Two. Otherwise, I don’t do it,” he added. 

Dune: Part Two is now available to purchase on VOD.