The popcorn bucket wars have a new champion, and nobody saw it coming quite like this. Paramount Pictures and Miramax just revealed the official collectible for Scary Movie, hitting theaters June 5, and it is exactly what you think it is. A bong. A full, gloriously designed, smoke-billowing, four-sizes-available water pipe shaped popcorn bucket. The official Instagram caption said it best: “Y’all weren’t ready.” They were correct.
The film, along with Miramax, Paramount and actor Marlon Wayans partnered on the Instagram reveal on May 21, showcasing what they called “the popcorn bucket theatres were never ready for,” debuting four different sizes for fans to choose “the piece that is just right.” A follow-up post then showed Ghostface himself holding the bucket with smoke swirling around it, accompanied by the line: “I’ve seen some popcorn buckets in my day, but this one smokes the competition.”
The internet instantly split into two camps. Half the comments assumed the post was a classic piece of viral parody marketing from a franchise built entirely on crossing lines. But director Michael Tiddes stepped in to kill the skepticism, taking to his own account to confirm the drop with a simple “Yes… It’s real!”
The design leans straight into the stoner comedy roots of the franchise, specifically referencing Marlon Wayans’ iconic character Shorty Meeks. Its elongated body with a globe-like base holds the popcorn, while a smaller tube appears to serve as the butter dispenser. The whole thing is an absolute masterpiece of committed promotional absurdity and the franchise’s fans are losing their minds over it in the best possible way.
The reactions online have been genuinely wonderful. “Does it work like a real one? My grandma is asking,” one comment playfully said. Others celebrated it immediately, with one Instagram user writing “Finally a multipurpose popcorn bucket!” and another declaring “This about to be EPIC.” A few fans in states with stricter laws noted with some regret that even owning a bong-shaped object could cause them legal headaches, which is a sentence nobody expected to write about a trip to the movies in 2026.
This sits inside a much larger and genuinely fascinating cannabis-forward marketing campaign for the film. PAX and Paramount teamed up on a limited-edition Scary Movie PAX Four vaporizer in an onyx colorway with Scary Movie-inspired artwork and co-branded packaging, aimed at “those who get elevated,” available while supplies last on pax.com. PAX is also producing a four-part parody series called “Don’t Kill, Just Chill” featuring Ghostface in, as the brand describes them, “absurdly chill scenarios.” A masked slasher who would rather pack a bowl than chase a victim is genuinely a great bit.
Strip away the jokes and there is a real signal here. A major studio is comfortable building an entire promotional campaign around cannabis, openly, with an official hardware partner, in a way that would have been unthinkable for a mainstream theatrical release a decade ago. The bong bucket, whether or not it ever physically arrives at a concession stand, is a cultural timestamp. This is where we are in 2026 and it is kind of remarkable.
Pricing has not yet been officially revealed, though the bucket will reportedly come in four different sizes, each with its own price point. For context, The Devil Wears Prada 2’s purse-shaped popcorn bucket costs around $40, putting the Scary Movie bucket likely in a similar range. As for where to get it, the bucket will be available when the film hits theaters on June 5 at major chains including AMC and Regal Cinemas.
After 13 years, the Wayans brothers, Marlon and Shawn, are returning alongside original cast members Regina Hall and Anna Faris. Like previous films, the new entry will parody recent hit horror titles including Scream VI, Sinners, Weapons, The Substance, M3GAN, Wednesday, Get Out, Smile, Terrifier, Longlegs, and more. The whole gang is back, the gloves are off, and apparently the concession stand will never be the same again.