Saturday Night Live Can't Resist The Hot Desert Power Of The Dune Popcorn Bucket
Look, about the sandworms in "Dune." Yes, they're near-indestructible, awe-inspiring creatures that produce the most valuable substance in the universe and are worshipped by the Fremen as a deity called Shai-Hulud. But there's no denying that sandworms also look a little bit ... suggestive.
AMC decided to embrace the aesthetics of the sandworm and take them one step further with a souvenir popcorn bucket for screenings of "Dune: Part Two." Shaped like a sandworm rearing out of the sand, the bucket requires you to, well, shove your fist inside the worm and past its ring of rubbery teeth in order to retrieve the precious spice (aka delicious popcorn). There's something decidedly off-putting about the design, and even the stars of the movie agree. When Jimmy Kimmel offered them a taste of what's inside his "Dune" popcorn bucket, Zendaya quickly replied, "I'm good!" while a disturbed Florence Pugh commented on the design: "That's not okay." Timothée Chalamet, however, didn't hesitate to reach into the worm.
The cast of "Saturday Night Live" are on Chalamet's side. In a pre-recorded song from this week's episode, featuring guest host Ayo Edebiri and led by popcorn lover Marcello Hernandez, the "SNL" crew had the courage to say what we're all thinking about the popcorn bucket. Right?
Riding the worm
The "Dune" popcorn bucket seems destined to be a coveted collectors' item, and the "Saturday Night Live" crew must have pulled some strings to get so many buckets for this sketch ahead of their highly-anticipated release. "Dune: Part Two" doesn't arrive in theaters for another few weeks, but 2021's "Dune" is returning to screens nationwide from February 9, so that moviegoers can remind themselves of the story so far and once again see director Denis Villeneuve's grand vision of the sandworms towering over them. AMC has confirmed that "Dune" rerelease attendees will be able to get their hands on (and inside) their very own sandworm popcorn bucket at screenings of the first movie.
"Dune: Part Two" picks up after Paul (Chalamet) and his mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), are accepted into the Fremen fold — but they're still on probation until they can pass a few tests. For Paul, part of his coming of age will be learning to ride Shai-Hulud. The Fremen attract the sandworms using devices called "thumpers" to create vibrations in the desert sand, and then use hooks to snag onto the sandworm's craggy skin as it passes and climb up on top. It's a dangerous mode of transport, and as Chalamet told Total Film in a recent feature on "Dune: Part Two," the stakes are even higher than usual for Paul:
"It's where Paul's supposed prophecy would fall flat, and it would mean his death if he can't rise to the occasion."
"Dune: Part Two" lands in theaters on March 1, 2024. "Saturday Night Live" will return on February 24, 2024, with host Shane Gillis and musical guest 21 Savage.