Cool Stuff: Slimer And Ghost Trap Popcorn Buckets Emerge For Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Even though movie theaters have been struggling for years, especially in the wake of the still-lingering pandemic, multiplex chains have been seeking out more ways to make money outside of tickets and typical concessions — and one of them seems to be panning out. Pretty much every week, movie theater chains like AMC Theatres and Cinemark are releasing exclusive collectible popcorn buckets, from a pink corvette for "Barbie" to the provocative sandworm container for "Dune: Part Two." It's become quite a lucrative revenue stream, according to The Hollywood Reporter, so it should come as no surprise that "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" (watch the trailer here) is heading into the popcorn bucket arena.

AMC Theatres has unveiled their line-up of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" movie merchandise that will be available online and in your local theater, and it includes two unique popcorn buckets inspired by the beloved franchise. Unlike the Ecto-1 popcorn bucket released for "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," which had a rusty paint job that looked more like streaked crap, both of these are awesome collectibles that will look cool on a shelf. One of them turns the hungry Slimer into a translucent, ghostly container, while the other transforms a signature piece of Ghostbusters gear into something that perfectly traps popcorn for you. Take a look below and find out how you can get them!

First up, we've got the Slimer popcorn bucket. Images show that it's translucent, and the popcorn goes right into Slimer's mouth and thankfully it doesn't fall out of his wrinkly little butt. That mouth seems like a small opening, both for filling with popcorn and getting it out, but honestly, I think I'd rather use it as a candy bowl rather than getting butter and grease inside of Slimer's blobby body. 

However, buyer should beware, because Ghostbusters News got some shots of the bucket in-hand, and it appears the final sculpt may not look nearly as cool as it appears in the photos. While the mouth opening is much bigger, the plastic is apparently far less translucent, and it could end up being a disappointment. Perhaps that news made it back to AMC Theatres, because it's not currently listed on the website, after being available for sale just before the weekend. There's a chance it's sold out, but the Loungefly proton pack backpack also on the site is actually sold out, but it's still listed there. So maybe there's a problem with the Slimer bucket.

We've got you covered with our #Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire merch 💯 pic.twitter.com/fZXvZDaZdw

— Cinemark Theatres (@Cinemark) February 19, 2024

The good news is, if you're looking for a popcorn bucket that actually looks more like what AMC teased on their website, it appears that Cinemark has their own Slimer popcorn bucket that's similar but a tad different. It's not available online, but images have popped up that show Slimer holding a Cinemark popcorn bag in front of his mouth (as you can see in Cinemark's post to Twitter above). You'll have to head to your local Cinemark to track one of those down.

Hopefully AMC's other "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" popcorn bucket offering will come through, because it looks awesome. They've taken the classic ghost trap and turned it into a popcorn bucket, using some translucent plastic as the container, representing the beams of light that come out of the trap when catching ghosts. There's also a "Ghostbusters" logo printed on the beam bucket. Plus, you can take the beams off, so the trap can be displayed on a shelf. If you want to get your hands on this one, you'll have to head to the AMC Theatres movie merchandise website starting on March 23, the week that the movie opens in theaters.

Keep an eye out at your local multiplex for other "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" movie merchandise, like more traditional buckets, cups, drink toppers, hats, plushes, and more.