Cinemark’s Popcorn Day event is a great deal, but they’re ready for your funny business

Popcorn and movies are one of life’s great pairings, and now, Cinemark is celebrating that combination on a very special day. On January 19, 2025, all of the movie theater chain’s locations will celebrate Cinemark’s first “Bring Your Own Bucket” Day, which is exactly what it says on the tin. For just $5, moviegoers can bring a bucket of their choice, which will be filled with popcorn whether the customer has a movie ticket or not.

The logic seems sound, because if you’re already at a concession stand with a big bucket of snacks in hand, it’s easy to give in to the temptation and pair it with a movie. Again, this concept also seems ripe for abuse. You’re probably thinking about it now: Why not roll with a giant trash can or a big inflatable kiddie pool and ask Cinemark to fill it?

Unfortunately for more cost-conscious (and, let’s face it, joke-minded) consumers, Cinemark is up for your funny business. Home-spun containers must be clean and have a maximum size of 400 ounces — which, to be fair, is still a big bucket of popcorn, but not a funny one.

In recent years, popcorn buckets have enjoyed a big, long moment in the spotlight. Of honesty The annoying “Deadpool and Wolverine” bucket to “Nosferatu” coffin bucket.wonderful and Popcorn buckets are absolutely ridiculous They’ve gone from novelty products to something every self-respecting major movie franchise is committed to including in their merch line. Even “Terrifier 3” got one.

Knowing the cultural status that popcorn buckets currently have, it’ll be really cool to see how Cinemark’s “Bring Your Own Bucket” day goes. Although restricting the size of improvised buckets may limit the enthusiasm of the “more is more” crowd, the 400-ounce limit still provides plenty of room for creativity. As such, even if you don’t like popcorn yourself, it might be worth keeping an eye on people who do come January 19 — just to see how many people are transporting hollowed-out mannequin heads and other new containers to their local theater.